Economy and Culture of 1920s America

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary from the lecture notes on the economy and culture of the 1920s America, focusing on significant movements, changes, and historical events.

The Roaring 20's

A term used to describe the 1920s, a period of economic prosperity and cultural change in the United States.

Credit

A financial arrangement in which a buyer can purchase goods with the promise to pay later, contributing to the economic growth of the 1920s.

Age of the Automobile

A period marked by the proliferation of cars, notably due to Henry Ford's assembly line methods, which revolutionized transportation.

Flappers

Women in the 1920s who flaunted traditional dress, attitudes, and behavior, seen as symbolic of women's new freedoms.

Harlem Renaissance

An African American cultural movement in the 1920s characterized by a flourishing of literature, art, and music centered in Harlem, New York.

Jazz Age

A term to describe the 1920s when jazz music became popular and influential, reflecting the cultural boom of the era.

18th Amendment

Prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors in the United States, leading to the Prohibition era.

Great Migration

The movement of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North, which contributed to the Harlem Renaissance.

Scopes Monkey Trial

A 1925 court case challenging the ban on teaching evolution in schools, symbolizing the conflict between science and religion.

The Great Depression

A severe worldwide economic downturn that began with the stock market crash in 1929, leading to widespread unemployment and poverty.

Dust Bowl

A period of severe dust storms in the 1930s caused by drought and poor agricultural practices, leading to significant crop failures and displacement.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR)

The 32nd President of the United States, who implemented the New Deal to combat the effects of the Great Depression.

Hooverville

Makeshift shantytowns built by those who were homeless during the Great Depression, named after President Hoover.

Lost Generation

A group of American writers in the 1920s who expressed disillusionment with traditional values and criticized American society.

Laissez-faire

An economic philosophy of minimal government intervention in markets and businesses, predominant in pre-Depression America.