History Mid-Term

Padilla History Midterm

Harlem Renaissance

A revival of African American music, literature, dance, art, education, theater, and politics centered in Harlem, Manhattan, New York during the 1920’s and 30’s.

Black Tuesday

The Wall Street Crash on October 29th 1929 where the stock exchange completely collapsed which helped lead to the Great Depression.

Herbert Hoover

The 31st American President from 1929-1933, a Republican candidate, his handling of the Great Depression was deeply frowned upon as he believed people should hoist themselves up by their bootstraps. His name was used for the camps for homeless and unemployed people during the Great Depression, Hoovervilles.

Bonus Army

A group of World War I veterans who during the Great Depression, 1932, gathered in front of the White House to try and get their promised bonuses early as financial support. Even setting up camps until they were ran out, they didn’t receive their bonuses until 1936.

Fireside Chats

President FDR’s radio broadcasts informing the American people of what was really going on in the government and what actions they were planning to take from 1933 to 1944.

CCC

Civilian Conservation Corps, part of the New Deal legislation, hired young men to work on environmental conservation projects bringing them out of unemployment. Passed on April 5th, 1933.

TVA

Tennessee Valley Authority, a New Age Deal, provided jobs and electricity for people in the 7 states the Tennessee River Valley passed through.

Huey Long

A U.S. senator from 1932-1935 when he was assassinated. Long believed in the “Share Our Wealth Plan” which would work to minimize wealth inequality.

WPA

The Works Progress (Projects as of 1939) Administration was a New Age deal that hired millions of mostly uneducated men to do jobs such as construction and road work.

Social Security Act

A law signed in 1935 by FDR to create social insurance for those over 65 needing income after retirement.

Dust Bowl

Severe dust storms and destruction of agriculture during the 1930’s in the southern US plains. This led to extreme droughts and large groups of migrants workers headed to California.

Scottsboro Boys

A trial where 9 African American teenage boys were accuses of raping two white women on an Alabama freight train in 1931. The trial brought more public attention to racism issues and the rights to a fair trial. The boys were able to avoid execution and one of the women later recanted her accusation.

Indian Reorganization Terms

A New Deal signed by FDR in 1934 to provide more rights and safety to Native Americans. Including conserving their land, allowing them to form and own businesses, establishing a credit system, providing vocational education and more.

Father Charles Coughlin

A Canadian-American Roman Catholic priest who amassed a large following over his radio show where he spread anti-Semitic and anti-New Deal views. He also attacked communism and Wall Street until finally, the Catholic Church ordered him to stop.

Lebensraum

The German concept of settler colonialism meaning “living space” a sense of expansion of Germany and driving out Jewish and Slavic people.

Neutrality Acts

Passed by Congress in 1935, 1936. 1937, and 1939 which forbade American citizens from sending weapons to countries active in the war, ships entering war active areas, and selling weapons to those countries.

Code Talkers

Members of the military during the world wars who learned lesser known languages to speak in code and spread messages to one another, a lot of these languages were based in Native American languages.

Pearl Harbor

Japan’s attack on America during WWII on ports in Hawaii on December 7th, 1941. This attack is what really made the US join the war.

Rosie the Riveter

A WWII icon for women to join the workforce since so many men were leaving for the military and there was an increased need for manufacturing and production companies to have more workers. Was published in 1942.

Executive Order 9066

Signed by FDR during WWII after the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese military. It allowed the legal, forceable evacuation of of anyone deemed a threat to the US government, mostly that of Japanese Americans. This created more hostility towards Japanese people and even camps where they were forced to live in, isolated from the rest of society.

Double V

The Double Victory movement that gained prominence in World War II was the idea of fighting against fascism abroad and at home, fighting for African American rights and the end of discrimination during wartime participation against the Axis.

The Long Telegram

Written by George Kennan after spending time on Moscow advising the U.S. on choosing policies to address the Soviet Union.

Truman Doctrine

A US foreign policy pledging American support for foreign countries threatened by communist values.

Joseph McCarthy

A U.S. senator from 1947-1957 who pushed both the Red and Lavender scares which purged federal employers of employees suspected of communist behavior or of being part of the LGBTQ+ community.

HUAC

House Un-American Activities Committee, created by the government in 1938 to investigate any citizen suspected of having communist ties and bringing them to a court of law to be tried.

GI Bill

Or the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, provided compensation for the returning soldiers after the war, such as covering college tuition, rent, and unemployment insurance.

William Levitt

A real estate developer who created the structure of 1950’s suburbia with modern, affordable, identical houses for the middle-class family, creating a new American dream. These suburbs were also known as Levittowns and heavily segregated.

Federal Highway Act of 1956

Authorized the building of an interstate highway system that made travelling across the country easier for cars and more accessible.

Lavender Scare

A national fear the members of the LGBTQ+ community were more susceptible to blackmail by Communists which led to mass firing from government service and other jobs.

Domestic Containment

The use of traditional gender roles and the “nuclear family” to promote American ideals during the Cold War. Harboring the idea that stopping Communism began at home where mothers were homemakers, father breadwinners, and children influenced by these ideals.

1950’s Housewife

An emerging version of a woman in the 50’s who were mothers, wives, and homemakers above all else. Their routines were identical to one another, making food, cleaning, caring for children, and being there for one’s husband after a hard day. It was supposed to promote American values as part of domestic containment, but many housewives found life so mundane they were prescribed drugs like tranquilizers.