People who did not prosper from the Boom

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  • Created by: ellen
  • Created on: 08-05-13 12:36

People who did not prosper from the Boom

Ethnic minorities faced discrimination. They tended to be paid lower wages, lived in worse conditions and were usually the last to be hired and the first to be fired. Usually working on small parts of land, they did not have the access to new technology to make their farm efficient. 

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People who did not prosper from the Boom

Americans farmers faced growing problems due to new technology and techniques, farm production increased drastically. This resulted in lower prices for their goods because they were producing too much and has no one to buy their products.  There was a decline in European markets which meant that prices had dropped. They were forced to take out loans and 600,000 had gone bankrupt. 

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People who did not prosper from the Boom

Women did not enjoy improved conditions during the boom. There were many jobs for women as clerical workers and salespeople, but they tended to be paid poorly and often many had menial jobs. 700,000 women were domestic servants and the number of women receiving a college education actually fell by 5% during this period. Despite the image of fun-loving young women known as ‘flappers’, women were generally expected to concentrate on homemaking. 

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People who did not prosper from the Boom

Old industries were facing hard times. The coal industry for example, suffered competition from newly discovered sources e.g. oil. People working in these industries lost their jobs because people have turned to new industries and these old industries were not making much money. Those who still had jobs in these industries were expected to work fewer hours for less pay which led to strikes.

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