“The Roaring 20s”: The USA, 1919-1929

“The Roaring 20s”:
The USA, 1919-1929
GCSE History Revision Notes
By Dane O’ Neill
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“The Roaring 20s”: The USA, 19191929
Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 5
Topic Key Words: ................................................................................................................................ 5
1.1- Isolationism ............................................................................................................ 6
America refuses to join the League of Nations: .................................................................................. 6
Why did America refuse to join the League? ...................................................................................... 6
1.2 - The Effects of Isolationism ............................................. ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED .
The Emergency Tariff Act (1921) ......................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
The Fordney-McCumber Tariff (1922) ................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.3 - Prosperity in the 1920s: Technological Progress and Increased Consumer Demand
............................................................................................ ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED .
Economic Boom ................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Growth of Consumer Culture (Consumerism) ..................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Republican Policies to support the boom ............................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
Advertising ........................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Film and mass entertainment .............................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Jazz clubs and a new way of socialising. .............................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
The changing role of women in society ............................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Stock Market boom.............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
The American Motor Industry and Henry Ford.................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.1 - Rich versus poor: the continuation of poverty for some ... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED .
Unequal distribution of Wealth ........................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Urban poverty: African-Americans and ghettoes ................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
Urban Poverty: Coal Mining ................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Rural Poverty: Agriculture (Wheat, Cotton) ........................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.2 - Divided Society: Immigration in 1920s America ............... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED .
Immigration and the ‘Red Scare’ ......................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Immigration restrictions and WASP fears ............................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.3 - Racial discrimination in the 1920s ................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED .
The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) ......................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
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Racist laws in America: the ‘Jim Crow Laws’ ........................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
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African-Americans COULD NOT VOTE:..................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
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Blacks and whites were SEGREGATED: .................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.4 - Prohibition and Organised Crime in the 1920s ................. ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED .
Prohibition ........................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
The consequences of Prohibition: The Rise of Organised Crime in the 1920s ... Error! Bookmark not
defined.
Prohibition America: Al Capone and the rise of Gang Warfare ........... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Capone and “Bugs” Moran: the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre (1929) Error! Bookmark not defined.
The successes of Prohibition ................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.5 - The end of Prohibition: why did Prohibition fail? ............. ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED .
2.6 - Divided society in 1920s America: Youth Culture ............. ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED .
Jazz clubs and a new way of socialising ............................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Problems with the ‘Jazz Age’ ............................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Introduction ..................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.1 - Long-term causes of the Wall Street Crash: Problems with prosperity (1919-1929)
............................................................................................ ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED .
Overproduction:................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Unequal distribution of wealth: ........................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Early warning signs ignored: ................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
Banks: Irresponsible lending: ............................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.2 - The Wall Street Crash, October 1929: Short-term/immediate causes. . ERROR! BOOKMARK
NOT DEFINED .
Events of the Crash .............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Immediate Consequences of the Crash ............................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.3 - Long Term effects of the Great Depression ...................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED .
President Hoover refuses to help ........................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
Effects of the Wall Street Crash in Europe........................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
“THE ROARING 20S” – KEY TERMS AND DEFINITIONS ................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
AMERICA, 1919-1929: KEY FIGURES ....................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
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The Roaring 20s - USA, 1919-1929
Introduction
After the end of WWI, Europe was in political and economic turmoil. The war
had devastated Europe, and millions of soldiers and civilians had lost their
lives; millions more were facing poverty, starvation, famine, and disease.
However, the situation was quite different in America. During the 1920s,
America was entering a period of economic and social prosperity so great that
the period between1919-1920 would become known as ‘The Roaring 20s’.
American industry and culture flourished, women enjoyed greater social
freedom, and the American government’s isol ationist policies and trade tariffs
were doing everything they could to protect the boom and ensure its
continuation.
However, America was still a divided society during the 1920s, and not
everybody enjoyed this newfound prosperity. American Isolationism was a
product of xenophobia as much as it was a desire to protect American markets;
wealthy Americans feared competition from cheaper European goods and
labour, and immigration into the US was tightened to the point where it was
virtually made impossible by 1929. Fears of Communists and Anarchists
entering the US also ensured that America’s borders remained closed to
outsiders. Despite America’s economic prosperity, during the 1920s, racial
discrimination and social inequalities were still rampant across th e country,
particularly in the Deep South. The American Dream would come to an abrupt
and unexpected end in October 1929, when the American Stock Market crashed
and millions of Americans lost their newfound wealth overnight.
WE WILL EXAMINE :
1) THE CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF AMERICAN PROSPERITY IN THE 1920S
2) THE SOCIAL INEQUALITIES AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION THAT PERSISTED THROUGHOUT
THE 1920S
3) THE COLLAPSE OF THE AMERICAN STOCK MARKET IN 1929 AND THE END OF THE
‘ROARING 20S’ IN AMERICA
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Topic Key Words: 1 Isolationism; Tariff; ‘Boom Years’; Prosperity; Hire Purchase; Consumerism; Mass-Production; Jazz; Cinema; Women’s Liberation;
“Flappers”; WASP; ‘Red Scare’; Anarchists; Communists; Stock
Market/Exchange; Jim Crow Laws; KKK; Prohibition; Organised Crime; W all
Street Crash;
Key Issue 1: How and why did the USA
achieve prosperity in the 1920s?
1.1- ISOLATIONISM
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Isolationism: when a country chooses not to get involved in international affairs. After the
First World War (1914-1918), America adopted an isolationist policy, meaning that it would
isolate itself from international affairs.
Isolationism was the main reason why America did not join the League of Nations in 1919.
America refuses to join the League of Nations:
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President Woodrow Wilson established The League of Nations after the First World War to
allow the leaders of the major world powers the chance to meet and discuss international
affairs.
It was hoped that the League of Nations would prevent world conflicts in the future.
The League of Nations was based on international co-operation between its member
countries: international cooperation was the complete opposite of isolationism.
Wilson wanted America to join the League of Nations, but he needed the permission of the
American Congress first.
Congress refused: joining the League of Nations would mean that America would become
involved in international disputes that were none of its concern. Therefore, the American
people voted in favour of ‘isolationism’, choosing to remain isolated form international
disputes.
Why did America refuse to join the League?
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Distrust: Americans did not trust the League of Nations, despite President Wilson’s support
for the League.
Memories of WWI: Americans had bad memories of their involvement in international
conflict: during WWI, America had lost approximately 126 000 soldiers during the conflict.
Americans were afraid that if America joined the League, it would be obliged to become
involved in other international conflicts that would result in the deaths of more American
soldiers.
The Treaty of Versailles: Some Americans linked the League of Nations to the Treaty of
Versailles, which punished Germany very harshly. Given the fact that the US had a great
number of citizens who were German and Austrian immigrants, many Americans were
Definitions for each key word can be found at the end of the document.
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
opposed to the League because they felt that the League was also responsible for
punishing Germany.
Anti- Colonialism: America was founded upon the ideals of democracy and freedom;
however, many Americans feared that joining the League would result in American troops
defending the colonial interests of Britain and France, and other League members.
Americans were completely opposed to colonialism.
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