Imagine arriving in America in 1920. You'd step off your ship into a country that seemed like the future — skyscrapers piercing the clouds, automobiles everywhere, electric lights blazing. America had just helped win the "war to end all wars" and Europe owed it billions. Yet walk a few blocks in any direction and you'd find a different America: Black Americans denied the vote and terrorised by lynch mobs, recent immigrants crammed into slums and facing hostility, farmers struggling while city folk prospered. The USA in 1920 was like a teenager who'd suddenly inherited enormous wealth — powerful but insecure, full of energy but making some terrible decisions about who counted as a "real American."
This introduction covers Setting the Scene within America in 1920 for GCSE History. Revise America in 1920 in America 1920-1973 for GCSE History with 14 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic appears less often, but it can still be a useful differentiator on mixed-topic papers. It is section 1 of 14 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for America in 1920
What percentage of the world's manufactured goods did America produce in 1920?
Which term describes the Republican belief that government should not interfere with business?
Quick recall flashcards
What is "laissez-faire"?
Government should NOT interfere with business — "leave alone" policy
What is a "federal republic"?
Power divided between national government and individual states, who can set their own laws