Who benefitted from the boom during the 1920s? Continuum Exercise

Aims & Objectives Theme: What was the dark side of the boom? Topic: Why didn’t everyone benefit from the boom? Must – be able to describe which groups did well or lost out during the boom Should - be able to explain why certain groups didn’t do well Could – make an overall judgement on how prosperous the USA was during the 1920s

Task 1: Continuum Exercise Review the character cards below and decide how successful they were during the economic boom by writing their names on the continuum

Poor Farmer You’ve borrowed lots of money and invested in a new tractor and combine harvester and are producing more food than ever before. Unfortunately, the republican tariffs mean that you can’t sell your surplus abroad so the price has crashed. You can barely make enough money to feed your family let alone pay the mortgage.

Black Sharecropper You make your income by getting a share of the crops that you help to produce which you can then sell The introduction of mass production and tractors means that the farmer is producing a lot more, but the price of cotton has dropped so low that you can barely make enough money to feed your family. Both you and your family have to suffer discrimination, segregation and terror due to unfair law and the KKK.

White Farmer Labourer The introduction of mass production, tractors and combine harvesters has taken away many of the jobs you used to do. Many farmers are employing cheaper black workers. This makes you feel very angry. Some of your friends have joined the KKK.

Assembly Line Worker You’ve got an unskilled job on a low wage in a Henry Ford factory. You have money to spend but you are living close to the poverty line. If you try to join a union and fight for your rights then you will be sacked by your employer and possibly beaten up!

New Immigrant From Eastern Europe You’ve left your old life behind to start afresh in the USA. You are looking forward to being able to vote, get a job and practice your religion free from discrimination. However, you can only get low paid jobs and you face lots of discrimination from WASPs

Stockbroker You’ve grown wealthy by buying and selling shares during the boom. You can’t lose as share prices keep on going up! The low taxes of the Republican government mean that you get to keep your new found wealth and grow richer everyday.

Al-Capone Prohibition has turned you from a small time crook into a crime lord with an army of gangsters. You use you money and power to control the city of Chicago and all its politicians, judges and half of its police force. Every year you make £60 million from selling illegal alcohol and until the St Valentine Day’s massacre, everyone sees you as a Robin Hood character.

Henry Ford You pioneered the assembly lines that led to the mass production of over 10 million cars by 1929. You are a millionaire who has 100,000s of employees. You are one of the most powerful men in the USA and you expect politicians to listen to your views on unions and prohibition.

Middle Class Woman Mass production has filled your home with labour saving devices that has given you new opportunities for leisure and work. You can use your new car to drive into town and watch a movie. You can use your education to get yourself a job in an office as a secretary.

Which groups benefitted from the boom during the 1920s? Successful 4 3 2 1 -1 -2 -3 -4 Unsuccessful