1920s U.S. History: Prohibition, Culture, and Social Movements

Prohibition

A period from 1920-1933 when the U.S. government banned the making, selling, and buying of alcohol.

Bootlegger

A person who illegally produced, transported, or sold alcohol during Prohibition.

Speakeasy

A secret and illegal bar where people drank alcohol during Prohibition.

Ponzi Scheme

A type of fraud where old money investors are paid with money from new investors

Teapot Dome Scandal

A major political scandal in which government officials took bribes for oil leases in the 1920s.

Red Summer of 1919

A violent period of racial riots and attacks against African Americans across the United States.

Harlem Renaissance

A cultural movement in the 1920s that highlighted African American art, music, literature, and identity.

Marcus Garvey

A political activist who encouraged Black pride, unity, and self-reliance.

Ku Klux Klan

A white supremacist group that promoted racism and used intimidation and violence.

Eugenics

A false and harmful belief that human traits could be improved through selective breeding.

IQ Test

A test designed to measure intelligence, often misused to support discrimination in the 1920s.

Immigration Restriction Act of 1924

A law that sharply limited immigration and favored Northern Europeans.

Quota System

A system that restricted immigration by setting numerical limits for each country.

Scopes Trial

A 1925 court case about whether evolution could be taught in public schools.

Fundamentalism

A religious movement that supports strict and literal interpretations of religious texts.

Flapper

A young woman in the 1920s who challenged traditional behavior and fashion norms.

Jazz Age

A term used to describe the 1920s, known for jazz music and social change.

Assembly Line

A factory method where products are built step by step by different workers.

Consumer Culture

A society that emphasizes buying new products and spending money.

Laissez-faire Economics

An economic belief that government should not interfere with businesses.

Conformity

The act of following social rules and behaving like the majority.

Discrimination

Unfair treatment of people based on race, religion, gender, or background.

Prosperity

A time of economic growth, wealth, and financial success.

Resurgence

A strong return or increase after a time of decline.

Pseudoscience

Ideas that claim to be scientific but are not based on real evidence.