USA NATION STUDY

1919-1941
Syllabus: Key features and
issues
 nature and impact of industrialisation
 nature and impact of consumerism
 the Great Depression
 racism in American society
 changes in society
 influence of conservatism
 American capitalism
 government intervention
 American foreign policy and extent of
isolationism
Industrialisation
 the process of moving towards large-scale
mechanised industry, usually
accompanied by urbanisation, rather
than agriculture, crafts and trading
consumerism
 an aspect of capitalism that encourages
the consumption of goods and services
The Great Depression
 severe worldwide economic depression in the
decade preceding World War II.
 The timing of the Great Depression varied across
nations, but in most countries it started in
about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or
early 1940s.
 It was the longest, most widespread, and
deepest depression of the 20th century, and is
used in the 21st century as an example of how
far the world's economy can decline.
 The depression originated in the United States,
starting with the stock market crash of
October 29, 1929 (known as Black Tuesday),
but quickly spread to almost every country in
the world.

Racism
 the belief in the superiority of one race of
people over others
Conservatism
 opposition to radical change with a
tendency to support existing institutions
American Capitalism
 an economic system that encourages
individuals to make profits through
investments and the private ownership
of goods, property and the means of
production, distribution and exchange
Government Intervention
 where a government involves itself
directly and actively in the regulation of
economic and business activities
Foreign Policy and
Isolationism
 a view in American foreign policy that
argues that the best interests of the
United States lay in avoiding
international entanglements
Politics in the 1920s


 Republican economic policies

 long-term causes of the Great Depression
 the Great Crash of 1929

The Great Depression and
its impact
 effects of the Depression on different
groups in society: workers, women,
farmers, Afro-Americans
 attempts to halt the Depression: the
Hoover Presidency, the FDR years
 assessment of the New Deal

US society 1919–1941
 implications of growing urbanisation and
industrialisation
 growth and influence of consumerism
including entertainment
 social tensions: immigration restrictions,
religious fundamentalism, Prohibition,
crime, racial conflict, anti-communism
and anti-unionism
US foreign policy
 nature, aims and strategies of US foreign
policy 1919–1941
 impact of domestic pressures on US
foreign policy 1919–1941

Three Branches of
Government