1920s America: Urbanization, Consumption, and The Great Migration

Twenty Q&A flashcards covering key concepts from the notes on the 1920s: cars, consumer culture, urbanization, the Great Migration, literature, and political context.

In the 1920s, cars were viewed as both a status symbol and what other role?

An everyday means of getting around.

What did electrification and new consumer goods help create in the economy?

New industries related to the creation and distribution of entertainment.

What term describes the national emphasis on spending money and acquiring material goods in the 1920s?

Consumer culture.

Name two new domestic conveniences produced in the 1920s.

Early refrigerators and washing machines.

What leisure items helped create new industries related to entertainment in the 1920s?

Radios and phonographs.

What nickname is given to the 1920s due to rapid technological and cultural change?

The Roaring Twenties.

Which two presidents were ideologically and administratively consistent during the 1920s?

Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge.

According to the U.S. Census definition used in the notes, what population threshold defines an 'urban' area?

A population of over 2,500.

By 1920, what proportion of Americans lived in urban areas?

Over half.

In 1920, how many people lived in New York City, and how did that compare to the U.S. population in 1790?

About 5.6 million in NYC; 1.5 times larger than the entire U.S. population in 1790.

Name one novel by Claude McKay that depicts Harlem life in the 1920s.

Home to Harlem (1928).

Name one work by John Dos Passos mentioned in the notes.

Manhattan Transfer (1925).

Which 1929 novel by Nella Larsen is cited?

Passing.

Which Edith Wharton novel from 1920 is referenced?

The Age of Innocence.

What is the term for the mass movement of Black Americans from the South to northern cities?

The Great Migration.

List cities that received large inflows during the Great Migration as mentioned in the notes.

Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and Detroit.

What are the two periods of the Great Migration called?

First Great Migration (1910–1940) and Second Great Migration (1940–1970).

What was one of the most transformative changes in the 1920s related to income and goods?

Increased access to disposable income and consumer goods.

What central plot point about cars does The Great Gatsby highlight?

Scenes involving the size, shape, and operation of luxurious automobiles.

How many major constitutional amendments are mentioned in the excerpt, and what is stated about them?

Two major amendments, which will be discussed later.