history unit 2 flashcard only

What was the Red Scare? || An intense nationwide period of fear regarding communism and radical left-wing beliefs like socialism and anarchism.

Main goal of 1920s Isolationism || To keep the United States out of foreign conflicts and alliances, leading the Senate to reject the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations.

Nativism definition and targets || A strong prejudice favoring native-born citizens over foreign immigrants, generally opposing Southern/Eastern European immigrants, Catholics, and Jews.

What happened during the Palmer Raids? || Aggressive government investigations led by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer that targeted, arrested, and deported thousands of suspected radicals without fair trials.

Why post-WWI workers went on strike || A severe postwar economic recession, high unemployment rates, and heavy inflation cutting into their daily wages.

Postwar labor strike impact || Strikes were publicly labeled as communist tools by critics, which caused a severe decline in nationwide union membership.

Teapot Dome Scandal significance || A major corruption scandal involving the secret leasing of government oil reserves that damaged Harding's reputation and increased public desire for a less involved government.

The Sacco and Vanzetti case || The trial and execution of two Italian immigrant anarchists based on weak evidence, highlighting the deep nativism and political hysteria of the Red Scare era.

Part

: The Economy of the 1920s

1920s Republican economic policies || Hands-off (laissez-faire) policies including high protective tariffs, low taxes on businesses and the wealthy, and minimal corporate regulation.

Consumerism definition || An economic pattern where a country's growth is driven heavily by consumer spending and a high public demand for mass-produced products.

How 1920s credit worked || Installment buying let consumers take home expensive items immediately and pay for them over time through small monthly payments.

Three common 1920s household products || Radios, refrigerators, and electrical appliances like vacuums or sewing machines.

Henry Ford's economic impact || Utilized mass production and the assembly line to build the affordable Model T, driving massive growth in oil, steel, and road construction.

Weaknesses in the 1920s American economy || Overproduction of goods, rising consumer debt, lack of government financial regulation, agricultural failure, and buying stocks on margin.

Part

I: Entertainment, Leisure, and Culture

The Harlem Renaissance || A massive nationwide celebration and explosion of African American culture expressed through art, literature, theater, and music centered in New York.

Two Harlem Renaissance figures || Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith, who were pioneers of 1920s Jazz and Blues music.

The Great Migration || The mass movement of millions of African Americans out of the rural South to urban industrial cities in the North and Midwest to escape discrimination and find factory work.

1920s Jazz Music significance || A new, innovative style of music popularized by Black artists that became the soundtrack of nightlife, united youth culture, and broke down traditional social barriers.

How radio changed American life || It created a national monoculture by broadcasting identical programs to millions of homes simultaneously, standardizing culture and helping assimilate immigrants.

How motion pictures affected culture || Built a massive national celebrity culture in the 1920s and later provided essential psychological escapism to help Americans cope with the Great Depression.

Part IV: Cultural Conflicts of the 1920s

1920s Ku Klux Klan agenda and targets || Enforcing 100% Americanism and white Protestant supremacy; they aggressively targeted immigrants, Catholics, Jews, and Black Americans.

Prohibition definition and amendment || The total federal ban on the manufacture, sale, and transport of intoxicating liquors, created by the 18th Amendment.

Amendment that ended Prohibition || The 21st Amendment, passed in 1933 to create jobs and generate tax revenue during the Great Depression.

The Fundamentalist movement || A conservative Protestant movement acting as a backlash to modern social changes, favoring a strict, literal interpretation of the Bible.

Fundamentalism vs. science conflict || A clash between traditional religious beliefs and progressive scientific theories, represented by the Scopes Monkey Trial over teaching evolution.

The New Woman of the 1920s || Women gained greater independence, entered colleges and workplaces, challenged rigid social norms as Flappers, and advocated for birth control.

Part V: The Great Depression

Four causes of the Great Depression || Overproduction in agriculture and industry, extreme income inequality, high consumer credit debt, and dangerous stock market speculation via buying on margin.

What happened to the stock market in October 1929? || Experienced a massive, systemic collapse culminating on Black Tuesday, where panicked mass-selling wiped out billions of dollars in stock value.

Three major effects of the Great Depression || 25% peak unemployment leading to breadlines, widespread bank closures wiping out savings, and the severe Dust Bowl environmental crisis forcing migration west.

The New Deal and PWA program || FDR's package of federal laws to combat the depression; the Public Works Administration (PWA) employed millions to build infrastructure and was classified as Recovery.