Who missed out in prosperity in America during the 1920s?

Learning objective – to be able to explain why prosperity was not for all during the 1920s in America.

I can describe who missed out on prosperity and say how they missed out.

Grade D

I can explain why some people missed out on prosperity in America during the 1920s

Grade B

I can make links between the different people who missed out on prosperity.

Grade A

Starter – What percentage of people in America were living below the poverty line in 1928?

Starter – What percentage of people in America were living below the poverty line in 1928?

60% of people in America were earning less than $2,000 a year.

Therefore, was the 1920s a period of prosperity?

Which groups in society missed out on prosperity during the 1920s in America?

Farmers

African Americans

Why did farmers miss out on prosperity?

Impact of the First World War.

The Fordney-McCumber Tariff

Mechanisation

Overproduction

Lack of government support

Impact of the First World WarThe First World War provided lots of opportunities for farmers to sell food to the Allies in Europe.

When the First World War ended, these markets slowed down as these European countries did not need as much food but also were able to get food cheaper elsewhere for a cheaper price.

The Fordney-McCumber Tariff, 1922The government’s tariff policy meant to encourage Americans to buy American goods.

However, an unintended consequence of this policy was that other countries were forced to place import charges on US goods, such as food. This meant that US produced food was more expensive and uncompetitive in prices compared with other countries.

MechanisationThe growth of mechanisation in farming during the 1920s, led to unemployment in farming.

Machines, such as the combined harvester, could do the work of several men. Therefore, less farm workers were needed.

OverproductionWith mechanisation, production rose to great heights.

However, farms were producing crops, such a wheat, that nobody wanted to buy. In 1925, the average farmer was producing crops that could feed 15 families.

As a result, prices plummeted by over 50%.

Lack of government supportLaissez Faire economics by the Republican governments in the 1920s meant that little was done to intervene in falling farm prices.

Congress put forward the Farm Relief Bill four times in the 1920s to help control prices but was vetoed each time by the US President, Calvin Coolidge.

Why did African-Americans miss out on prosperity?

Sharecropping

Segregation and racial attitudes

What was sharecropping?The majority of African-Americans lived in the South, where their ancestors were slaves.

Most worked on farmers which they rented. Instead of receiving money for their work, African-Americans were paid with a share of the crop. They were called sharecroppers and had no money and lived in poverty.

What was the impact of segregation?

Old South states had a system of segregation in which Whites and Blacks lived separately with separate housing, education and transport.

Facilities for Blacks were often inferior compared with those for Whites. Any attempt to change this was met with intimidation from the Ku Klux Klan.

What was the impact of the Great Migration?

In an attempt to improve their lives, many African-Americans moved north to find paid work.

Between 1915 and 1915, 1.25 million African- Americans moved north only to find low paid work and segregation.

Separate black areas developed in all the major cities but it was here that a new form of music began to develop – Jazz!

Who else was unaffected by prosperity?

Cotton and wool factory workers – with the increase of manmade fibres, such as rayon, less cotton and wool was needed as it was more expensive. Less demand led to factories and farms closing down.

Coal miners – with the advent of widespread electricity and greater use of gas and oil, coal was not needed as much and coal mines started to close down. Those that remained open only employed low paid workers.

TasksSummarise why farmers and African-Americans did not share in the prosperity of 1920s America in one of the following ways –

-A mind map-A spider diagram-A cartoon-A pyramid

-Complete the cartoon sheet on farmers and answer the question – what is the message of the cartoon? Explain your answer.

Subheading – My Brain

Draw an outline of your brain.

Fill your drawn brain with all the things you have learnt in this lesson. This can be in the form of key words, drawings, bullet points, lists – anything you like so long as it summarises your learning and that others can understand it.

Plenary – My Brain