World War I, the Roaring Twenties, and the Great Depression

These flashcards cover key terms, important people, and concepts related to World War I, the Roaring Twenties, and the Great Depression for exam preparation.

Allied Powers

The coalition of nations opposing the Central Powers in World War I.

Central Powers

The alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria during World War I.

U-boat

German submarines used during World War I for warfare at sea.

Merchants of Death

A term used to describe those profiting from the war, often applied to munitions manufacturers.

M.I.N.E.

An acronym representing the long-term causes of World War I: Militarism, Imperialism, Nationalism, and Economic rivalries.

Pacifist

A person who believes that war and violence are unjustifiable.

Zimmerman Note

A secret diplomatic communication from Germany proposing a military alliance with Mexico against the United States.

Selective Service Act

A law passed in 1917 that authorized the draft of men into the military for World War I.

Liberty Bonds

War bonds sold in the United States to support the Allied cause during World War I.

Espionage and Sedition Acts

Laws that imposed harsh penalties on anyone interfering with or speaking against U.S. participation in World War I.

Propaganda

Information, especially biased or misleading, used to promote a political cause or point of view.

Reparations

Payments made by a defeated nation to compensate for damages caused during a war.

Scopes Trial

A 1925 legal case in which a teacher was tried for violating a Tennessee law against teaching evolution.

Schenck v. U.S.

A Supreme Court case that upheld the conviction of Charles Schenck for distributing anti-draft pamphlets during World War I.

Treaty of Versailles

The peace treaty that ended World War I, imposing heavy reparations and territorial losses on Germany.

Ku Klux Klan

A white supremacist hate group that rose in the 1920s, opposing civil rights for African Americans and immigrants.

Harlem Renaissance

A cultural, social, and artistic explosion centered in Harlem, New York, during the 1920s.

Overspeculation

Excessive investment in stock or other assets to the point of creating an economic bubble.

Rugged Individualism

The belief that individuals should be responsible for themselves and not rely on government assistance.

21st Amendment

The constitutional amendment that repealed Prohibition in the United States.

Stock Market Crash

The dramatic decline in stock prices that occurred in 1929, leading to the Great Depression.

Dust Bowl

A severe drought in the 1930s that severely damaged agriculture in the Great Plains.

New Deal

A series of programs and reforms implemented by Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the Great Depression.

Social Security

A government program that provides financial assistance to individuals, typically retirees.

First Hundred Days

The first period of Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency, during which significant economic reforms were implemented.

Court Packing Scheme

Franklin D. Roosevelt's controversial plan to expand the Supreme Court by adding justices to obtain favorable rulings.

Victory Garden

Home gardens planted during World War I and World War II to supplement food production and support the war effort.

Consumer Economy

An economic system that is primarily driven by the consumption of goods and services.

18th Amendment

The constitutional amendment that established Prohibition in the United States.

Charleston

A popular dance in the 1920s that became a symbol of the Roaring Twenties.

Buying on Margin

Purchasing stocks with borrowed funds, risking greater losses if investments fail.

Hawley-Smoot Tariff

A significant increase in tariffs on imported goods in 1930, which worsened the Great Depression.

Fireside Chats

Radio broadcasts made by Franklin D. Roosevelt to communicate with the American public directly.

Welfare State

A government that takes responsibility for the economic and social welfare of its citizens.

Henry Ford

An American industrialist who founded the Ford Motor Company and developed assembly line manufacturing.

John Scopes

A teacher who was tried in the Scopes Trial for teaching evolution in violation of Tennessee law.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

An American novelist known for his works portraying the Jazz Age, particularly 'The Great Gatsby'.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The 32nd President of the United States, who led the country during the Great Depression and World War II.

Eleanor Roosevelt

An American political figure, diplomat, and activist, and the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945.

Trench Warfare

A type of combat in which soldiers fight from protected positions in deep trenches.

Lusitania

A British ocean liner sunk by a German U-boat in 1915, influencing public opinion towards entering World War I.

Voluntary Rationing

A system where citizens limit consumption of certain goods to support the war effort.

Great Migration

The movement of over a million African Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North for job opportunities.

League of Nations

An intergovernmental organization founded after World War I to promote peace and cooperation among countries.

Quota System

Regulations that limited immigration to the United States based on national origin.

19th Amendment

The constitutional amendment that granted women the right to vote.

Flapper

A young woman in the 1920s who challenged social norms through her fashion and behavior.

Hoovervilles

Shantytowns that sprang up during the Great Depression, named after President Herbert Hoover.

Bonus Army

A group of World War I veterans who marched on Washington in 1932 to demand early payment of promised bonuses.

3 Rs

A term referring to the New Deal programs focused on Relief, Recovery, and Reform.

Warren Harding

The 29th President of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923.

Al Capone

A notorious gangster who dominated organized crime in Chicago during the Prohibition era.

Langston Hughes

An influential African American poet and social activist during the Harlem Renaissance.

Frances Perkins

The first woman appointed to the U.S. Cabinet, serving as Secretary of Labor.