APUSH Period 7: 1920-1939

Great Migration

Movement of African Americans from the rural South to Northern and Western cities to escape Jim Crow laws and seek jobs

Harlem Renaissance

Cultural movement celebrating Black art, music, literature, and identity in the 1920s

Tulsa Race Massacre (1921)

White mob destroyed Black Wall Street, killing dozens and exposing racial violence

Nativism

Belief favoring native-born Americans over immigrants

Immigration Act of 1924

Law that set strict quotas favoring Northern Europeans and banned Asian immigration

Emergency Quota Act (1921)

First law limiting immigration based on national origin

Ku Klux Klan (Second KKK)

White supremacist group that targeted Blacks, Catholics, Jews, immigrants, and others

Fundamentalism

Religious movement opposing modern science and cultural change

Fordism

System of mass production using assembly lines

Assembly Line

Production method that increased efficiency and lowered costs

Mass Consumerism

Increased buying of goods due to mass production and advertising

Installment Buying

Purchasing goods on credit with small monthly payments

Radio

New technology that created a shared national culture

Flappers

Young women who challenged traditional gender roles in the 1920s

18th Amendment

Amendment that prohibited alcohol

Prohibition

Nationwide ban on alcohol (1920–1933)

Speakeasy

Illegal bar during Prohibition

Organized Crime

Criminal groups that profited from bootlegging

19th Amendment

Granted women the right to vote

Lost Generation

Writers who criticized materialism and war

Stock Market Speculation

Risky investment based on rising stock prices

Buying on Margin

Purchasing stocks with borrowed money

Stock Market Crash of 1929

Collapse of stock prices triggering the Great Depression

Great Depression

Severe worldwide economic downturn beginning in 1929

Smoot-Hawley Tariff

Raised tariffs and worsened global trade

Bank Failures

Collapse of banks due to lack of insurance and panic withdrawals

Hoovervilles

Shantytowns of unemployed Americans

Reconstruction Finance Corporation

Hoover program giving loans to businesses and banks

New Deal

FDR’s programs to combat the Great Depression

Emergency Banking Act

Restored confidence in banks

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

Provided jobs for young men in environmental projects

Public Works Administration (PWA)

Funded large infrastructure projects

Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Provided jobs building public works

Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA)

Paid farmers to reduce crop production

Wagner Act

Protected labor unions and collective bargaining

Social Security Act

Created pensions and unemployment insurance

Federal Housing Administration (FHA)

Made homeownership more affordable

Court-Packing Plan

FDR’s attempt to add Supreme Court justices

Welfare State

Government responsibility for citizens’ well-being

Labor Unions

Organizations protecting workers’ rights

Collective Bargaining

Negotiation between employers and unions

Unemployment

Lack of jobs affecting millions during the Depression

Overproduction

Producing more goods than consumers could buy

Black Tuesday

Day of major stock market collapse in 1929

Breadlines

Lines where unemployed waited for free food

Dust Bowl

Environmental disaster worsening the Depression (contextual)

What caused the Great Migration

Jim Crow laws, racial violence, and job opportunities in Northern cities

How did World War I affect migration patterns

It disrupted European immigration and increased demand for U.S. labor

What role did racism play in migration

It pushed African Americans out of the South and fueled Northern segregation

What was the Harlem Renaissance

A cultural movement celebrating Black identity and creativity

Why did nativism increase in the 1920s

Fear of immigrants, cultural change, and radical ideologies

What did the Immigration Act of 1924 do

Limited immigration and favored Northern Europeans

How did technology change daily life

Made goods cheaper and increased leisure time

Why was consumerism important in the 1920s

It fueled economic growth but relied on credit

What caused the stock market crash

Speculation, buying on margin, and economic instability

Why did banks fail during the Depression

Lack of insurance and mass withdrawals

How did Hoover respond to the Depression

Limited intervention and aid to businesses

Why was Hoover criticized

His response was seen as too slow and ineffective

What was the purpose of the New Deal

Relief, recovery, and reform

How did the New Deal expand government power

Through regulation, welfare programs, and labor protections

Which New Deal program helped workers the most

Wagner Act protected unions

How did the New Deal help farmers

AAA reduced production to raise prices

Why did some oppose the New Deal

It expanded federal power and spending

What was the Social Security Act

Created pensions and unemployment insurance

How did Prohibition affect society

Increased crime and illegal drinking

Why was Prohibition repealed

It failed to reduce drinking and caused crime

How did women’s roles change in the 1920s

Voting rights and increased workforce participation

What caused cultural conflict in the 1920s

Immigration, religion, and changing values

Why did the KKK gain influence

Nativism and racial fears

What were Hoovervilles

Shantytowns for the unemployed

How did mass media unify Americans

Radio and movies created shared culture

Why did the New Deal not fully end the Depression

Structural economic issues remained

How did labor unions grow

New Deal protections encouraged organizing

What lasting impact did the New Deal have

Established the modern welfare state