Zusammenfassung der Ressource
US Economy (1919-1929)
- Agriculture
- Prosperity (pre 1920)
- 30 million people employed in farming
- Returning solders saw farming as quick way to get money
- Took out lones
- 8 million hectares new farmed (post/during
war)
- 1917- Henry Ford made Fordson Tractor
- 750,000 sold in ten years
- Combine Harvester increased yield speed
- Making more food than needed
- Overproduction (in 1920)
- In early 1920s, demand for US food decreased
- Europe reestablishing economy
- Tariffs introduced to help farmers
- Fordney McCumber Act (1922)
- Taxed other countries imports to US
- Emergency Tariff Act
- Increased price on imported food for Americans
- Encouraged America to buy American food
- McNary-Haugen Farm Relief Bill
- It would buy crops at 1914 price ( surplus stored)
- Vetoed By COOLIDGE- LAISSEZ FAIRE
- Unemployment (in 1920)
- Machinery and Overproduction led to falling prices
- Wheat per Bushel fell from $183 (1920) to 38 cents (1929)
- In 1920 , 3 mil farmers lived on less than $1000 per annum
- In 1924- 600,000 farmers went bankrupt
- First time in US history for no. of farmers decreasing
- Rural Areas- No electricity
- Excluded from benefits of boom
- Declining Industries
- New Industries made consumer goods
- As wages rose , demand for consumer goods rose.
- Examples
- Coal
- Replaced by Electrical/Oil/ Steam Power
- Wool/Cotton
- Replaced by man-made fibres
- Why?
- Could not utilise Henry Fords methods of
production
- Relied on Government contracts and big business orders
- Less post WW1
- Ship sales decrease. cant use mass production
- City Based boom- Rural Areas lost jobs
- Impact of the First World War
- US factories were barely affected by the war
- Took control of dye/fertiliser and plastic exports from the Germans.
- Initially little competition from wartorn Europe
- Led to Economic Boom
- Farmers had increased exports during the war to 300%
- Europe owed US investors 10.3 billion dollars
- Isolationism
- Isolationanism
- Public was not keen to get involved in World Politics
- America refused league of nations
- Even after it was set up by Woodrow Wilson
- Tariffs
- June 1921- Budget and Accounting Act
- Put controls on government spending
- May 1921- Emergency Tariff Act
- Increased import taxes on wheat, sugar ect
- November 1921- Revenue Act
- Charging businesses more , but cutting wartime tax on high level profits
- September 1922- Fordney McCumber Tariff Act
- Raised tariffs on industrial goods
- Caused retaliation in Europe
- Taxes were placed on American Exports