The USA in 1918

What was America like in 1918?

At the end of the First World War, America was a large country made up of 48 states. It was rich in natural resources, experiencing rapid industrialisation, and had a young and diverse population.

How big was the USA in 1918?

In 1918, America spread across 9 million square miles. It stretched from Canada to Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

What was the size of the US population in 1918?

About 109 million people lived in America in 1918.

Who lived in America in 1918?

In 1918, people living in the USA came from a variety of backgrounds:

• ❖ Europeans, Latin Americans and Asians continued to emigrate to the country throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.
• ❖ Many African-Americans lived there because their ancestors had been brought there as slaves.
• ❖ Many of the longer-standing immigrants, whose families had lived in America for generations, were known as White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, or WASPs.
• ❖ Native Americans, whose ancestors had lived in America before the settlers, also lived there.

Who experienced racism in America in 1918?

In the mixed cultural heritage of the USA in 1918, some groups experienced prejudice, racism and disadvantages.

• ❖ Slavery didn't end until after the end of the American Civil War, in 1865, and African-Americans continued to experience racism and inequality.
• ❖ Immigration laws were passed to reduce the number of immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly from certain countries.
• ❖ Native Americans were forced to live on reservations as their lands had been taken over by settlers.

What natural resources did America have in 1918?

In 1918 the USA was rich in a number of natural resources:

• ❖ Timber.
• ❖ Coal.
• ❖ Iron.
• ❖ Gold and silver.
• ❖ Oil reserves.
• ❖ Farmland, which was used to grow crops such as wheat, corn, tobacco and cotton.
• ❖ Workers - America had a young and growing population to work in its industries.