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interwar usa
With Europe exhausted from World War I (1914–1918), the United States became the world leader in industrial progress. New energy sources of oil and electricity fueled newly mechanized industrial production systems. As a result, an increasingly mechanized United States greatly influenced developments in Europe and the rest of the world. World modernization arrived Americanized.
The decades of the 1920s and 1930s were separated from the past and the future by two catastrophic world wars. Frequently the two decades are contrasted. The 1920s are known as a period of economic boom - the 'Roaring Twenties'. The 1930s are mostly associated with the economic hardships of the Great Depression and FDR's New Deal economy. They were far more similar to each other, however, than to any other time period before or after. Major trends begun in the 1920s were carried through the 1930s, only colored by economic difficulties.
For many Americans their daily lives were not drastically different between the two decades. Just as not all people experienced the great prosperity of the 1920s, not all people suffered severely through the 1930s. In terms of overall traits, the two decades shared more in common than is often acknowledged. Together they represented a period of dramatic change in U.S. society involving economics, politics, technology, the arts, and general lifestyle.
How to study - helping hand #2
- Timelines
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Timelines are diagrams that we use to represent what happens over time
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They are usually drawn horizontally left to right using landscape layouts BUT NO - STOP!!!!!
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Vertical timelines going top to bottom or vice versa using portrait layouts are necessary
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Both sides get equal coverage and we avoid the inevitable cramming of info in the top right
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Timeline also give us visual appreciation of overall trends as well as helping us with dates...
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The above timeline lets us some of the key events that help us see the patterns that explain the 20thC
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For instance, WW2 sees a new world emerge dominated by Cold War politics, and a new technological era
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These patterns helps us understand history and remember the key patterns we need to identify if we are to successfully describe and explain events....
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...your job is now do the same using your Interwar USA & Totalitarian Regimes knowledge (pol; ec; soc)
The Roaring Twenties
- Watch CCWH and answer qs on left
- Read the article above and outline what the Roaring Twenties were and how did they affect American society....
Who benefitted from the Roaring 20s?
Although the USA did not enter World War One until April 1917, the conflict cast a shadow over American society that would take a while to pass. There was a brief economic recession at the start of the 1920s, but, as the decade moved on, the economy boomed and America began the age of consumerism - many Americans bought cars, radios, fridges etc. Major cities such as New York and Chicago grew rapidly and the building of skyscrapers like the Empire State Building, which was completed in 1931, seemed to show the self-confidence of American society.
The 1920s were prosperous for some. At the same time, many Americans wanted to enjoy themselves as much as they could by perhaps listening to the new jazz music, or doing the new dances such as the charleston and the black bottom. Crowds flocked to watch film stars like Charlie Chaplin and baseball stars like Babe Ruth. The emphasis on having fun and spending money has led to the 1920s being called the Roaring Twenties.
However, for many Americans, the 1920s was a decade of poverty. Generally, groups such as African-Americans, women and farmers did not enjoy the prosperity of the Roaring Twenties. More than 40 per cent of Americans lived just below the poverty line. Life was particularly hard for African-Americans in the Deep South states where the majority of black people endured a combination of poverty and racism. Although some women were able to enjoy more independence and wear the latest fashions, the reality was that most women were poorly paid and were employed in roles such as cleaners or waitresses.
Economic Crisis
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The stock market crash of 1929 was one of the worst in U.S. history.
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The three key trading dates of the crash were Black Thursday, Black Monday, and Black Tuesday. The latter two days were among the four worst days the Dow has ever seen, by percentage decline.
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Overconfidence during the Roaring Twenties created an unsustainable stock market bubble.
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Overnight, many people lost their businesses and life savings, setting the stage for the Great Depression.
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The Great Depression was the worst economic downturn in US history. It had already begun by 1930 but then deepened and continued through the 1930s.
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By 1933, unemployment was at 25% and more than 5,000 banks had gone bust.
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Although President Hoover attempted to spark growth in the economy through measures like the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, these measures did little.
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Franklin Roosevelt was elected president in November 1932 & his New Deal offered a new approach to the Great Depression.
Using the two Word documents above, outline the main causes of:
- The Wall Street Crash of October 1929
- the Great Depression
( NOTE - these are two different events!!)
Economic Recovery
..extent of opposition to FDR and his New Deal in the 19030s....militias, bankers, industrialists
and populist politicians all combined to plan a coup in 1933 only foiled at the last minute...
