U.S.A 1919 - 1941: Isolationism and Policies

U.S.A 1919 - 1941: After the War

• Isolationism: The U.S. viewed itself as a "New World" separate from Europe. They didn't want to get involved in European affairs.
• Financial reasons: Europeans had fled to the U.S. The U.S. didn't want to spend money aiding Europe after World War I.
• American Soldiers: Approximately 115,000 American soldiers died in World War I.
• German Immigrants: German immigrants faced issues with the U.S.'s involvement in the Treaty of Peace after the war.
• Empires: The U.S. didn't want to be involved with empires, they believed in national self-determination.

Results of Isolationism

• Tariffs: The U.S. implemented tariffs to protect their own industries by making imported goods more expensive than domestic products. Europeans retaliated.
• Immigration: Immigration quotas limited immigration from certain areas and required immigrants to pass literacy tests. This benefited WASPs.

Economic Boom!

• World War I Impact: The U.S. benefited from supplying goods and services to European countries involved in the war.
• Republican Policies: Low taxes and minimal government intervention in business practices encouraged business growth.
• Consumer Boom: Consumer spending increased significantly, fueled by new technologies such as the production assembly line, and consumer goods like automobiles and appliances.
• Innovation in Production: Innovation in factory production methods – the assembly line, greatly increased efficiency and lowered costs for cars..
• Synthetic Materials: The development and mass production of synthetic materials like plastics, such as Bakelite, were crucial for the boom.

The Roaring Twenties

• Film: Movie stars like Clara Bow became popular icons.
• Jazz Music: Jazzy music performed in speakeasies became popular.
• Dance: Dances like the Charleston became popular.
• Women's Movements: Many women entered the workforce. Women gained the right to vote in 1920. -Significant changes for women in the 1920s include gaining the vote (1920), entering the workforce, and evolving fashion and culture. However, women working in the 1920’s took lower-paying jobs.

Racism

• Hostility to Immigrants: The U.S. demonstrated hostility towards immigrants.
• Segregation: Segregation was rampant leading up to World War II. This included lynchings of Black Americans that were not punished.
• White Supremacy: There were significant organizations that promoted white supremacy like the KKK.
• Jim Crow Laws: These laws enforced racial segregation in the South.
• Lynching: White people often lynched Black or Brown people falsely accused of crimes.

Prohibition

• Campaigners: Campaigners like the Anti-Saloon League led the charge to ban alcohol.
• Moral Concerns: Alcohol was blamed for problems such as crime, poverty, and illness.
• Financial Concerns: A portion of the U.S. wanted to stop brewing in Germany, and also wanted control over what foreign countries did.
• Failure and Damage: Prohibition led to criminal activity, such as speakeasies, bootlegging, and organized crime.

The Wall Street Crash

• Long-Term Causes: Agricultural depression, older industry woes, widening gap between the wealthy and the poor were factors.
• Short-Term Causes: Speculation, over-confidence, stock market volatility and risky financial practices fueled the crash.

Immediate Effects

• Bankruptcies: People, banks, and companies went bankrupt after the collapse.
• Unemployment: High unemployment resulted as businesses failed and production decreased.
• Poverty: Increased poverty impacted all parts of society including loss of homes and decreased ability to pay mortgages amongst many citizens.

Hoover's Reaction

• Rugged Individualism: Hoover believed in a more hands-off approach to the economy, focusing on individuals' self-reliance.
• Actions: Hoover created the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to provide financial aid to banks, industrial & agricultural growth.

The New Deal

• Roosevelt's Election: Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president in 1933 and created the New Deal programs to combat the depression.
• Legislation and Actions: New Deal programs like Emergency Banking Act, Securities Exchange Act, and the Civilian Conservation Corps focused on alleviating poverty and unemployment

Assessing the New Deal

• Weaknesses: Some programs were temporary, didn't help everyone, and faced political opposition. Discrimination among certain groups persisted.
• Successes: The New Deal programs did help alleviate economic hardship as well as provided relief. Provided jobs, infrastructure, and basic necessities for large segments of society.

Additional Information

• Women: Women struggled with social and economic inequalities. Discrimination and limited opportunities during the era contributed to struggles for many.
• World Economy: The overall global economic situation during this time also played a substantial part.

Explore the key concepts of isolationism in the U.S. after World War I, and understand how financial reasons and the impact of American soldiers influenced national policies. This quiz covers tariffs, immigration quotas, and the economic boom leading up to World War II.