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The 20th Century: The American Century
Lesson 1 Plan
- The American Model
- WWI and the USA : Wilson's 14 points
- Isolationism or Internationalism ?
- the 1920s : politicians, politics and economic boom
- the epitome of the age : the Model Ford T
The USA and WWI
The USA entered WWI late, on April 4th 1917. The American Expeditionary Force (AEF) began as 13 000 men but numbered 2 million in 1918 under the
command of General Pershing. At the end of the conflict, US casualties among the « doughboys » amounted to roughly 100 000.
The economic effects on the US economy were great because the progressive Wilson (Democrat) government set up a controlled war economy:
- In 19 months the USA spent $22b- Gross National Product (GNP) rose from $39b in 1912 to $72b in 1919
- profits rose from $26b in 1909 to $44b in 1919
- US loans to belligerent countries amounted to $10b which had to be repaid … by the victors and losers alike!
Making Peace
Woodrow Wilson's 14 Points
Wilson's 14 point peace plan can be reduced to a few basic arguments:
- no more secret treaties between nations (which led to WWI)
- free access to the seas
- the right to national self-determination according to linguistic affinity
- an international policing of the world by a supranational organization: The LEAGUE of NATIONS
The League of NationsInternationalism or Isolationism?
Wilson, as president, signed all the treaties in Paris but only Congress could ratify them. The League of Nations was an obligatory clause in all the treaties. The League would oblige the USA to play an active rôle in international politics, affairs… and conflicts but with the president in Europe, the political climate had changed in the USA ...
- from a wartime economy to a peacetime economy: 1919 the Year of the Strikes
- 1920-21 saw an economic recession in farming and unemployment rose to 5 million and salaries dropeed by 22%
- wartime patriotism became peacetime nationalism: The Red Scare / socialists / anarchists / trade unionists mostly of southern or eastern European origin, not the white old stock
- the Progressive Wilsonian period of internationalism was over and America was moving towards isolationism
- Americans were tired of international problems and philospophical speeches and wanted to take advantage of their relative prosperity
- Congress (Republican majority) consistently tried to ammend the Treaties and the League of Nations … Wilson eventually died trying to have it adopted and Congress finally refused to ratify it … the USA signed a separate peace with Germany in 1920
The US 1920 ElectionsHarding (Rep) v Cox (Dem)
Harding's electoral platform :
- « not nostrums but normalcy »
- « not submergence in internationality but triumphant nationality »
- tax reductions for the rich
- end of wartime controls over the economy
- limits on immigration
- high import tariffs
- « less government in business and more business in government »
The Republican Decade 1920-1932The Presidents
William Harding 1920-23
« America's present need is … not nostrums but normalcy »
Calvin Coolidge 1924-1928
« The business of America is business »
Herbert Hoover 1928-1932
« The USA was nearer to the final triumph over poverty than any other country in history … prosperity is just around the corner »
The Republican Decade 1920-1932The Politics
- an end to the Progressive era of Wilson and a return to laissez-faire politics and government non-interventionism in the economy (in theory)
- high tariffs on imports which closed foreign markets and forced people to buy American
- reduction of high income taxes for the rich (gift tax abolished / estate tax -50% / maximum surtax cut from 40% to 20%)
- repealment of Child Labour Laws
- Trade Unions could be sued in court court for damages in the event of a strike
- Republican domination of the Supreme Court (8 out of 9 judges)
- Nepotism – placing friends in position of authority
The Republican Decade 1920-1932The Economic Boom
The 1920s saw an enormous economic boom in the USA as America closed its doors to the outside world and enjoyed the fruits of prosperity brought about by its involvement in WWI – huge profits, a new highly modernized industry and a large domestic market for its products … these were the good years ...
- new electricity industry : 1912 only 16% homes had electrcity in 1929 70% were equipped
- new household electricial appliances : radio sales (1921 $10,5M 1929 $411M) 40% of families owned a radio ; refrigerators ;
- the Hollywood film industry : 1930 - $2000M invested; 325 000 employees; $1500M in box-office admissions
- in general, a 40% increase in manufacture (thanks to Taylorism and electricity) and a 26% increase in farming (tractors, combine harvesters ...)
But, by far the most important changes were brought about by the automobile : The Model T Ford
Case Study : The Model T Ford
The automobile industry, and Ford in particular, was the great success story of the 1920s which also revolutionised American society.
1900 : 4000 cars in circulation1921 : 1,5 million cars in circulation1929 : 23 million cars in circulationEnd of the 1920s : 4,7 million cars produced each year
Car ownership :1/10 Americans1/43 British1/44 French1/29000 Chinese
The Moving Assembly Line
« You can have any colour you like as long as it's black »
The application of Taylorism : the Rationalisation of Labour
- one single model- moving assembly line reduced time spent on production- specialised posts increased production rates
The time necessary tp roduce a Model T Ford car body went from 14 hours to 2 hours
The price of a Model T Ford fell from $2000 in 1907 to $500 in 1925
The effects of the automobile industry
The Automobile Industry
15% Steel production
80% Rubber production
7% Total workforce
3,7 million Indirectly employed
Other side effects :
- road surface production doubled- appearance of garages, gas stations, tourism, camp sites, souvenir shops- people became mobile and moved out of cities – car became a necessity
- traditional family ties were broken – young people spent time away from the home- break down in generational relationships and religious practises- road accidents increased – no driving test- the young generation became disrespectful – the generation on a wave of speed
