Unit 1F - In search of the American Dream: the USA, c1917-96
Institution
PEARSON (PEARSON)
full revision notes from my A Level History for the 'In search of the American Dream' module. Layout is as in the textbook (Searching for Rights and Freedoms in the 20th century).
I used these revision notes and achieved an A* overall in my A level exams
Unit 1F - In search of the American Dream: the USA, c1917-96
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IN SEARCH OF THE AMERICAN DREAM NOTES
PRESIDENCY
Rise of Republicanism
The Republican party was the party of big business
o They had a laissez faire attitude - it was not the government's job to control
the economy or manage social problems
o They were not willing to control wages, working hours or prices so big
business grew
Post WW1
o America adopted isolationist policies, increasing trade tariffs etc.
o The economic boom in the 1920s meant that people saw republicanism as
working
Rugged individualism
o The view that you were weakened by support for the government because
you became reliant
This was the view among even the poor in America and was a
key idea for Republicans
People who believed in rugged individualism also thought that
the USA should isolate itself from other countries and also
restrict immigration (immigration made unemployment at the
end of WW1 worse)
Problems with rugged individualism:
Poverty leads to more crime
and then more money has to be
spent on policing
The poor have no economic role
as they don't have a disposable
income therefore they cannot
consume (in an economy based
on consumerism)
Anti-communism
o The feeling increased during the 1st red scare (1919-20) which made people
wary of left-wing policies
Especially after the Russian Revolution of 1917
The fear of communism led to the Palmer raids and mass
hysteria in which suspected communists (even if they were
innocent) were deported
Post WW1 foreign Policy
Isolationism Foreign Affairs
o America didn't join the league of nations o The USA attended many League of
o The Quota Act in 1921 put restrictions on Nations meetings despite not being a
immigration member
o Increased tariffs on imports so that people o They loaned Germany money after the
would buy American as it would be cheaper invasion of the Ruhr in 1923
, IN SEARCH OF THE AMERICAN DREAM NOTES
o Military spending was cut o Military spending increased in the run
o The New Deal focussed on America far more up to America entering WW2
than anywhere else
Decline of Republicanism
The Great Depression
o Triggered by the 1929 Wall Street Crash
Caused by a drop in consumerism as people had bought
everything that was being manufactured and suddenly no one
could sell and stocks crashed
People had been buying stocks on credit as well as other things
and the economy suffered from banks' lending too much and
people borrowing too much
o Mass unemployment (25% by 1932) meant people viewed Republicanism as
not working anymore
Hoover
o The Republican President failed to help people and when he did, it was too
little too late
The 'Hooverville' became a common thing - shanty towns where
the poorest/homeless had to end up living
He set up the Emergency Committee for Employment in 1930 to
try and find work projects for the unemployed but it relied on
businesses creating more jobs voluntarily and was
overwhelmed
This didn’t work very well and Hoover realised
eventually that federal help was needed but the
money he put towards these businesses to help
them create new jobs was not enough
In the end he had to reluctantly ask Congress for
proper federal help
Congress rejected many of his requests
Those changes that did get through
congress got the government into debt
In the last year of Hoover's
presidency, the government
got $2000 million and spent
$5000 million.
The Bonus March
WW1 veterans were promised bonuses in 1945 but
they demanded them earlier due to the depression
They were refused and with fears of riots, police
went into crowds with tear gas and bayonets
This treatment of the protesters lost
Hoover a lot of support
Roosevelt
o Popular in the 1933 election for his 'New Deal' policies
He was granted special powers from Congress to sort out the
economic situation (as if they were in a war)
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