The Five Key Causes (Remember: "WCRAM")

Part of The Economic Boom · Section 5 of 13

Deep DiveUnit: America 1920-1973GCSE

Use this mnemonic: War, Credit, Republican policies, Advertising, Mass production

  • W — World War One: Europe devastated, USA enriched. American factories supplied the war, then had capacity to supply peace. Europe owed $10 billion.
  • C — Credit and Consumerism: "Buy now, pay later" meant people could afford expensive goods. 60% of cars bought on hire purchase (paying a deposit then weekly instalments). But this built up DEBT...
  • R — Republican Policies: Low taxes (Mellon reduced top rate from 73% to 25%), high tariffs (Fordney-McCumber Tariff, 1922, which blocked cheap foreign imports) protected US business, minimal regulation let companies do as they pleased.
  • A — Advertising: New industry spent $3 billion/year persuading Americans they NEEDED new products. Radio allowed companies to reach millions at once.
  • M — Mass Production: Ford's assembly line revolutionised manufacturing. Workers did one simple task repeatedly = faster, cheaper production. Model T became affordable for ordinary families.
    • "The chief business of the American people is business."
    — President Calvin Coolidge, 1925

    This deep dive covers The Five Key Causes (Remember: "WCRAM") within The Economic Boom for GCSE History. Revise The Economic Boom in America 1920-1973 for GCSE History with 12 exam-style questions and 16 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 5 of 13 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

    Practice questions for The Economic Boom

    By how much did Henry Ford's assembly line reduce the time to build a Model T car?

    • A. From 12 hours to 6 hours
    • B. From 12 hours to 93 minutes
    • C. From 8 hours to 2 hours
    • D. From 24 hours to 4 hours
    1 markfoundation

    What was the purpose of the Fordney-McCumber Tariff introduced by Republicans in 1922?

    • A. To reduce taxes on American workers' wages
    • B. To place high taxes on imports to protect American businesses
    • C. To increase government spending on public works
    • D. To regulate the advertising industry
    1 markfoundation

    Quick recall flashcards

    Model T price drop?
    $850 (1908) → $290 (1925)
    What was the assembly line?
    Moving belt carried parts past stationary workers, each doing one task — Henry Ford's system that made mass production possible

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