American Pageant Terms and Defs
Isolationism
A post-WWI American mood characterized by a reluctance to engage with foreign nations and a focus on domestic issues.
scientific managment
A theory of management that analyzes and synthesizes workflows to improve economic efficiency and labor productivity. It emphasizes the use of scientific methods to determine the best way to perform tasks, promotes standardization, and encourages the division of labor. Key figures include Frederick Taylor, who advocated for time studies and task specialization to enhance organizational performance.
fordism
An industrial production system characterized by mass production and assembly line techniques, focusing on standardized products and high efficiency. It emphasizes the division of labor, where each worker performs a specific task, leading to increased output. This approach also promotes higher wages for workers to stimulate consumer demand. Originated in the early 20th century, it is named after a prominent automobile manufacturer.
United Negro Improvement Association
Founded by Marcus Garvey in 1914, this organization sought to unite people of African descent worldwide, advocating for economic independence, cultural pride, and a return to Africa. It played a significant role in the Harlem Renaissance and laid the groundwork for future civil rights movements.
Bolshevik Revolution
A political uprising led by the Bolshevik Party, resulting in the overthrow of the Provisional Government. It aimed to establish a socialist state based on Marxist principles. The revolution led to the Russian Civil War and the eventual establishment of the Soviet Union. Key figures include Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky.
Red Scare
This period, primarily occurring after World War I and during the early Cold War, involved widespread paranoia about communism. It led to government actions like the Palmer Raids, targeting suspected radicals and leftists. The term is often associated with anti-communist sentiment and the suppression of civil liberties.
Criminal Syndacalism Laws
Laws enacted in the early 20th century aimed at suppressing labor movements by criminalizing the advocacy of violence or sabotage as a means of achieving labor goals. These laws targeted groups promoting radical changes in the economic system and sought to limit workers' rights to organize and strike. They were often used to prosecute union members and activists.
American Plan
A pricing strategy in the hospitality industry where the cost of accommodations includes all meals and beverages. This plan is typically offered at resorts and hotels, allowing guests to enjoy dining without additional charges. It contrasts with the European Plan, which only includes lodging.
Immigration act of 1924
This legislation limited the number of immigrants allowed entry into the United States through a national origins quota. It aimed to preserve the ideal of American homogeneity by favoring immigrants from Northern and Western Europe while severely restricting those from Southern and Eastern Europe, as well as excluding Asian immigrants entirely. The act reflected the nativist sentiments of the time and had lasting impacts on U.S. immigration policy.
Indian citizenship act of 1924
This act granted citizenship to individuals of Indian origin residing in the United States, allowing them to apply for naturalization. It marked a significant change in U.S. immigration policy, recognizing the contributions of Indian immigrants. However, it did not fully address racial discrimination, as it still excluded certain groups from citizenship. The act was a response to the growing Indian community and aimed to provide them with legal rights and protections.
18th Amendment
This constitutional amendment, ratified in 1919, banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States. It aimed to reduce crime and corruption but led to unintended consequences, including the rise of illegal speakeasies and organized crime. The amendment was eventually repealed in 1933 by the 21st Amendment.
Volstead act
This legislation, enacted in 1919, aimed to enforce the 18th Amendment, which prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States. It established the legal framework for the prohibition era, leading to significant social and political changes, as well as the rise of illegal activities related to alcohol. The act was ultimately repealed in 1933.
Racketeers
Individuals or groups engaged in illegal business activities, often involving extortion, bribery, or fraud. They typically exploit legal loopholes and may use threats or violence to maintain control over their operations. Their activities can impact various sectors, including construction, gambling, and labor unions.
Bible Belt
Known for its strong evangelical Protestant influence, this area is characterized by a high level of church attendance, conservative values, and a significant impact on local culture and politics. It typically includes states like Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
Scopes trial
This trial centered on a teacher's prosecution for violating a state law that prohibited the teaching of evolution in schools. It highlighted the conflict between science and religion in education, featuring prominent figures like Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan. The case sparked national debate over academic freedom and the role of religion in public life.
Fundamentalism
This ideology often emphasizes the unchangeable nature of certain doctrines and can lead to a rejection of modernity and secularism. It may manifest in various religions and often seeks to return to perceived original principles, sometimes resulting in a resistance to progressive social changes.
Modernism
A cultural movement that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, characterized by a break from traditional forms and subjects in art, literature, and architecture. It emphasizes innovation, experimentation, and a focus on the individual experience, often reflecting the complexities of modern life and the impact of technology. Key figures include Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, and Pablo Picasso.
Lost generation
A group of American writers and artists who emerged after World War I, characterized by disillusionment with traditional values and a sense of alienation. They often critiqued society and explored themes of existentialism, disillusionment, and the search for meaning in a rapidly changing world. Key figures include Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Gertrude Stein.
Harlem Renaissance
A cultural movement during the 1920s centered in Harlem, New York, celebrating African American culture, arts, and intellectual contributions.
Bureau of Budget
Established in 1921, this was the first formal institution for preparing the federal budget, aimed at streamlining government spending.
Adkins v. Children's Hospital
A 1923 Supreme Court case that ruled minimum wage laws for women unconstitutional, reversing previous labor protections.
Nine-Power Treaty
A 1922 agreement affirming the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China and ensuring equal trading rights among signatory nations.
Kellogg-Briand Pact
A 1928 international agreement that aimed to renounce war as a means of resolving disputes, though it lacked enforcement mechanisms.
Fordney-McCumber Tariff Law
A 1922 law that raised American tariffs on many imported goods to protect domestic industries, contributing to international trade tensions.
Teapot Dome Scandal
A major political scandal of the 1920s involving the secret leasing of federal oil reserves in Wyoming to private companies in exchange for bribes.
McNary-Haugen Bill
Proposed legislation in the 1920s to support American farmers by subsidizing crop prices, vetoed twice by President Coolidge.
Dawes Plan
A 1924 plan to restructure Germany's reparations payments after World War I, stabilizing the German economy with American loans.
Agricultural Marketing Act
A 1929 act aimed at helping farmers by creating a Federal Farm Board to stabilize prices through cooperative marketing efforts.
Hawley-Smoot Tariff
A 1930 tariff that significantly raised U.S. import duties, worsening global economic conditions and deepening the Great Depression.
Black Tuesday
October 29, 1929, the day the stock market crashed, marking the beginning of the Great Depression.
Hoovervilles
Makeshift shantytowns where homeless people lived during the Great Depression, named sarcastically after President Hoover.
Reconstruction Finance Corporation
A federal agency created in 1932 to provide financial support to banks, insurance companies, and other institutions to stimulate economic recovery.
Norris-La Guardia Anti-Injunction Act
A 1932 law that limited the power of federal courts to issue injunctions against nonviolent labor strikes.
Bonus Expeditionary Force
A group of World War I veterans who marched on Washington in 1932 to demand early payment of bonuses, forcibly dispersed by the U.S. Army.
A. Mitchell Palmer
U.S. Attorney General known for the "Palmer Raids" during the Red Scare, targeting suspected radicals and communists.
Nicola Sacco
Italian immigrant and anarchist convicted and executed for robbery and murder in a controversial trial reflecting anti-immigrant sentiment.
Bartolomeo Vanzetti
Anarchist and co-defendant with Sacco in a famous trial, viewed by many as a miscarriage of justice due to political and ethnic bias.
Horace Kallen
A philosopher who promoted cultural pluralism, advocating that immigrant groups maintain their unique cultural identities within American society.
Randolph Bourne
An intellectual who criticized U.S. involvement in World War I and championed the idea of cultural diversity in America.
Al Capone
Notorious gangster who dominated organized crime in Chicago during Prohibition, known for bootlegging and violent criminal activities.
John T. Scopes
A Tennessee teacher who became the defendant in the 1925 "Scopes Monkey Trial" for teaching evolution in violation of state law.
Fredrick W. Taylor
An engineer who pioneered scientific management in the workplace, advocating efficiency and productivity improvements through time-and-motion studies.
Henry Ford
Industrialist who revolutionized the automobile industry by implementing assembly line production, making cars affordable for the masses.
Charles A. Lindbergh
American aviator who made the first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927, becoming a national hero.
Margaret Sanger
A birth control activist who opened the first family planning clinic in the U.S., advocating for women’s reproductive rights.
Sigmund Freud
An Austrian neurologist known as the father of psychoanalysis, whose theories on the unconscious mind influenced 20th-century psychology.
H. L. Mencken
A journalist and cultural critic known for his satirical writings and criticism of American society, especially during the 1920s.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
A novelist whose works, such as The Great Gatsby, captured the spirit of the Jazz Age and the disillusionment of the 1920s.
Ernest Hemingway
A writer known for his succinct prose and works like A Farewell to Arms, reflecting the disillusionment of the "Lost Generation."
T. S. Eliot
A modernist poet whose works, including The Waste Land, explored themes of fragmentation and disillusionment in post-World War I society.
William Faulkner
An American author known for his complex narratives and use of stream-of-consciousness, particularly in The Sound and the Fury.
Langston Hughes
A central figure of the Harlem Renaissance, his poetry and writing celebrated African American culture and addressed issues of racial identity.
Warren G. Harding
The 29th U.S. President (1921-1923), whose administration was marred by scandals like Teapot Dome.
Albert B. Fall
Harding’s Secretary of the Interior, who was convicted for his role in the Teapot Dome Scandal, becoming the first U.S. Cabinet member to go to prison.
Calvin Coolidge
The 30th U.S. President (1923-1929), known for his laissez-faire policies and support of big business during the Roaring Twenties.
John W. Davis
The Democratic presidential candidate in the 1924 election, who lost to Calvin Coolidge in a landslide.
Alfred E. ("Al") Smith
The Democratic candidate in the 1928 presidential election, known for being the first Catholic to run for president, losing to Herbert Hoover.
Herbert Hoover
The 31st U.S. President (1929-1933), whose presidency was overshadowed by the onset of the Great Depression and his inadequate response to the crisis.