USA, 1920-1973: American People and the ‘Boom’ Vocabulary

Practice flashcards covering key terms, individuals, and events from the American 'Boom' period and subsequent social and economic changes between 1920 and 1973.

Bootlegger

A person who makes, distributes or sells goods illegally.

Credit

Ability to obtain goods before payment, where payment will be made in the future.

Democrat

Liberal, left-wing political stance based on community and social responsibility, likely to support workers’ rights and minority issues such as abortion and gay marriage.

Flappers

A fashionable young woman intent on enjoying herself, breaking conventional standards of behaviour.

Hire Purchase

Paying for goods on a weekly or monthly basis.

Hooverville

A shanty town built by the unemployed.

Isolationism

A policy of remaining apart from the political affairs of other countries.

Jim Crow Laws

Laws created in Southern states limiting the rights of black people.

Laissez-Faire

A policy in which business is ‘left alone’ without high taxes, government intervention, or control.

Prohibition

The prevention of the manufacture and sale of alcohol, occurring from 1920 to 1933.

Red Scare

Promotion of a widespread fear of the rise of communism.

Republican

Conservative, right-wing political stance based on individual rights and justice, traditionally standing for business, small government, and low taxes.

Rugged Individualism

A Republican idea that people can succeed on their own without government interference.

Speakeasies

An illicit liquor shop or drinking club.

Speculators

A person who invests in stock, property, etc. in the hope of making profit.

Tariffs

Taxes placed on goods being brought into a country.

Wall Street

The home of the American stock exchange.

Henry Ford

Founder of the Ford Motor Company who introduced the 1st Ford Production Line in 1913.

KKK

American white supremacist hate group whose primary target is African Americans; membership peaked in 1925 with 4.5 million members.

The Temperance Movement

Social movement against the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Al Capone

Gangster who dominated organised crime in Chicago from 1925 to 1931.

Herbert Hoover

President elected in 1928, in office during the Wall Street Crash.

Efficiency of Mass Production (Vehicles)

The price of buying a vehicle fell from $850$ in 1908 to $290$ in 1925.

Cinema Attendance

110 Million Americans visited the cinema each week to watch stars such as Charlie Chaplin.

Volstead Act (1920)

The act that established the legal basis for Prohibition.

Emergency Quota Act (1921)

Legislation passed in 1921 to limit immigration.

Johnson-Reed Act (1924)

Legislation passed in 1924 further restricting immigration to the USA.

The Great Migration

The movement of African Americans that led to the Harlem Renaissance and increased visibility for black culture like jazz and blues.

Harlem Renaissance

A social and cultural movement resulting from the Great Migration that increased the visibility of black culture.

St Valentine’s Day Massacre (1929)

A significant event in 1929 involving gang warfare.

The Wall Street Crash (1929)

The major economic collapse that occurred in 1929.

Sacco and Vanzetti Case (1927)

A key legal case in 1927 during the period of the Red Scare.