HIST 1302 New Era

What was the 1918 Flu Pandemic?

Also called the Spanish Flu; lasted 1918-1920, infected ~500 million people (1/3 of global population), causing up to 50 million deaths.

What is meant by 'American Isolationism' after WWI?

Although the U.S. rejected the Treaty of Versailles and League of Nations, it stayed active in trade and diplomacy throughout the 1920s.

What was the First Red Scare?

A post-WWI fear of communism spreading from the Soviet Union to the U.S., leading to suspicion and repression of radicals.

What is Communism according to Marxist theory?

A classless society with collective ownership and government control of production; in the USSR, Lenin allowed limited capitalism under NEP (1921).

Who were Sacco and Vanzetti?

Italian immigrant anarchists convicted (1921) and executed (1927) for robbery and murder; trial reflected anti-immigrant and anti-radical bias.

What was the Quota Act of 1921?

Set immigration quotas at 3% of each nationality based on the 1910 census; limited Southern & Eastern European immigrants.

What was the National Origins Act of 1924?

Reduced quotas to 2% based on the 1890 census, favoring Northern & Western Europeans; limited immigration to 150,000 per year.

What did the Snyder Act (1924) do?

Granted U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans born in U.S. borders.

What was the status of African Americans after WWI?

Returned veterans faced renewed racism and violence; 1919 'Red Summer' saw lynchings and race riots.

When was the Ku Klux Klan revived and who did it target?

Revived in 1915; targeted Blacks, immigrants, Jews, Catholics; claimed to support '100% Americanism.'

What was the Great Migration?

Movement of 6+ million African Americans (1916–1970) from rural South to urban North for jobs and to escape Jim Crow laws.

What was the Harlem Renaissance?

A cultural and artistic movement centered in Harlem (1918–1930s) celebrating Black creativity and identity through art, music, and literature.

What impact did radio have in the 1920s?

First commercial station KDKA (1920); radio connected Americans, spread advertising, sports, and entertainment.

What fueled the 1920s economic boom?

Industrial growth, mass production (especially cars), consumer credit, and advertising.

How did advertising change in the 1920s?

Advertisers created demand by linking products with emotions, beauty, and success; encouraged installment buying and debt.

What were the effects of rising consumer debt?

Americans’ savings rates dropped and personal debt rose, despite overall economic growth.

What were key cultural innovations in film?

First 'talkie': The Jazz Singer (1927); rise of celebrity culture and censorship via Hays Code (1922).

Who were major pop culture heroes of the 1920s?

Babe Ruth (baseball), Jack Dempsey (boxing), Red Grange (football).

What was the 'Jazz Age'?

A cultural era popularizing jazz music (Armstrong, Ellington); symbolized youth rebellion and racial tension.

Who were 'Flappers'?

Young women in the 1920s who wore shorter skirts, cut their hair, and embraced freedom and nightlife.

What defined feminism in the Progressive Era and 1920s?

Expanded to include sexual freedom and reproductive rights; led by activists like Margaret Sanger.

What was the Expatriation Act (1907)?

Revoked citizenship from American women who married foreign men.

What did the Cable Act (1922) do?

Restored women's independent citizenship after marriage to foreigners.

What was the Lucy Stone League?

Group founded to defend women’s right to keep their maiden names.

Who was Margaret Sanger?

Birth control activist; opened first clinic, founded Planned Parenthood, fought for contraception rights.

When was women’s suffrage achieved?

19th Amendment ratified in 1920; granted women the right to vote.

What was the Temperance Movement?

Anti-alcohol campaign led by women; gained strength via Anti-Saloon League (1893).

What did the 18th Amendment do?

Ratified in 1919; prohibited manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol.

What did the Volstead Act do?

Enforced Prohibition under the 18th Amendment.

What did the 21st Amendment do?

Repealed Prohibition in 1933.

What was Fundamentalist Christianity?

Literal interpretation of the Bible; opposed Darwin’s theory of evolution.

What was the Scopes 'Monkey' Trial (1925)?

John Scopes prosecuted for teaching evolution; clash between science and religion; fined $100.

What was the Eugenics Movement?

Pseudoscience promoting selective breeding; led to 60,000 forced sterilizations in the U.S. (1907–1979).

What was U.S. foreign policy after WWI?

Maintained influence in Latin America; later shifted to 'Good Neighbor Policy' (Hoover & FDR).

What were the Dawes and Young Plans?

U.S.-led efforts to stabilize German reparations payments (1924, 1929) via loans and reduced payments.

What global event ended the 1920s prosperity?

The Great Depression (1929); triggered by stock market crash, credit overuse, and bank failures.