Roaring 20's and Great Depression vocab

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Recession

a period of economic decline marked by reduced trade, industrial activity, and rising unemployment.

Warren Harding

A Republican against Democrat James M. Cox

Teapot Dome Scandal

A political scandal during Warren Harding's presidency in the early 1920s, in which Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall illegally leased federal oil reserves to private companies in exchange for bribes.

Calvin Coolidge

The 30th president of the United States (1923–1929), who took office after Warren Harding's death.He was known for his laissez-faire economic policies and belief in the need for business prosperity.

Model T

An affordable automobile produced by the Ford Motor Company from 1908 to 1927, designed by Henry Ford.

• First automobile to be built using the moving assembly line.

Assembly Line

A manufacturing process in which a product is assembled step by step as it moves down a conveyor belt, with workers specializing in specific tasks.

• One repetitive job over and over again

Convenience product

A type of consumer goods that is inexpensive, frequently purchased, and requires minimal effort to buy, such as household items, snacks, or toiletries.

• These products are readily available and often bought without extensive consideration.

Installment buying/buying on credit

A purchasing method that allows consumers to buy goods now and pay for them over time in small payments, often with interest.

Advertising

The act of presenting products and ideas to the public

xenophobia

A fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers, often leading to discrimination and prejudice against those perceived as different. This can manifest in various forms, including social exclusion, verbal abuse, or even violence, and can significantly impact societal dynamics.

Ku Klux Klan

The organization spread northward, particularly into the Midwest. By the early 1920s, about 4 million people had joined the organization and local chapters had been established throughout the United States. It was notorious for its white supremacist beliefs and for using intimidation, violence, and terror against African Americans and other minority groups.

Sacco & Venzetti

illustrates the anti-immigrant attitude of the time. Two Italian immigrants accused of murder in a controversial trial that reflected xenophobia and injustice in the 1920s.

flappers

by the media, they expressed the same spontaneity that jazz did, but through fashion and dance. Young women in the 1920s who challenged traditional norms by wearing short skirts, bobbing their hair, and engaging in lively social activities, symbolizing the era's cultural upheaval.

Scopes “Monkey” Trial

science teacher John Scopes was accused of violating Tennessee law by teaching about the theory of evolution.

Indian Citizenship Act

A 1924 law that granted U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans born in the country.

18th Amendment

This amendment Ratified in 1919, it prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the U.S., leading to Prohibition.

21st Amendment

This amendment Ratified in 1933, it repealed the 18th Amendment, ending Prohibition and allowing alcohol to be legally sold and consumed again.

bootleggers/speakeasies

secret saloons and drinking halls, provided access to illegal alcohol.

Organized crime

planned illegal activities carried out by powerful leaders, but it did help strengthen it.

communism

A political and economic ideology advocating for a classless society, where all property and resources are publicly owned and controlled by the government. In the 1920s, fear of communism in the U.S.

jazz

began with African-American musicians in New Orleans. It is characterized by its lively rhythms, improvisation, and blend of musical styles, becoming a significant cultural movement in the 1920s.

Harlem Renaissance

marked a revival of African-American pride and creativity that spread across the country.

Langston Hughes

He wrote plays and novels, but he is best remembered for his poetry.

• a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance, capturing the experiences and emotions of African-Americans through his impactful literary works.

Louis Armstrong

A jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Armstrong influenced and played with many musicians.

• He is known for his virtuosic trumpet playing and unique vocal style, becoming one of the most prominent figures in jazz history.

“Babe” Ruth

the New York Yankee who is considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of that era.

• He was known for his home run hitting ability and charismatic personality, which helped popularize baseball in the 1920s.

fads

The short-lived trends or activities that gained popularity during the 1920s, often characterized by excitement and novelty.

“talkies”

Movies with synchronized sound, marking the transition from silent films to modern cinema.

Mass culture

A set of shared cultural experiences, entertainment, and consumer products that become widely popular due to mass media, advertising, and industrial production.

• It reflects the common interests and leisure activities of a society, integrating various forms of entertainment such as radio, movies, and music.

Charles Lindbergh

The first person to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean.

• First person to fly solo across the Atlantic ocean.

• Took off from Long Island

• Roosevelt field 

• Almost died many times doing this

• Could not see because plane engine was huge

• Fell asleep many times and woke up 100 ft away from the Atlantic ocean.
  

Hemingway & Fitzgerald

This first person published his most famous novel, The Great Gatsby, in 1925. It’s the story of Jay Gatsby, a troubled young man whose wealth came from bootlegging. Ernest Hemingway served as an ambulance driver in World War I, which greatly influenced his work. In his bestselling novels The Sun Also Rises (1926) and A Farewell to Arms (1929), other one wrote about how the war affected Americans and others who had fought in it. 

• Writers/authors

• Both focused on that in life there are not always good endings

• Not fairy tale type writing

• talked/wrote about real life

• “Money can’t buy you happiness”

• Hemingway wrote about his life stories

• Hemmingway lived in Cuba and Key West Florida. 

• Hemingway left his house to cats and the cats were unique because they have extra toes

buying on margin

buying a stock for a percentage of its price and borrowing to pay for the rest.

• It allows investors to leverage their investments but carries significant risk, particularly if stock prices decline.

Stock Market

a marketplace for buying and selling shares of publicly traded companies.

law of supply and demand

which states that the price of a product depends on how much is available and how much is wanted.

• economic principle that asserts the price of a product is determined by the balance between its availability and the desire for it among consumers.

Black Tuesday

October 29, 1929. Over the two days, the Dow dropped by 25 percent, and eventually, the stock market lost an estimated $30 billion.

• It marked the beginning of the Great Depression, signaling widespread panic and economic downturn.

Business cycle

With little debate, Congress passed the New Deal legislation.

• the fluctuations in economic activity that an economy experiences over time, including periods of expansion and contraction.

overproduction

when more goods are produced than consumers can buy. This led to falling prices and unsold goods during the Great Depression.

• refers to a situation in which the supply of goods exceeds the demand, leading to surplus inventory and economic challenges.

 laissez faire

an economic policy where the government does not interfere in business affairs. President Hoover believed in this approach, thinking that businesses should operate without government intervention.

• promotes free market principles and minimal regulation.

• Hands off

Bonus Army

15,000 veterans gathered in Washington, D.C., in 1932 to pressure Congress to pay them immediately.

• group of World War I veterans who protested in Washington, D.C. in 1932, demanding immediate payment of their bonuses, leading to violent clashes with the government.

• Reward service to country by giving pension

• Hoover sends military after them men are beaten, hit with fire hose, tents are burned down

Herbert Hoover

The 31st president of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933. He believed in self-reliance and opposed direct government aid to individuals, instead promoting voluntary efforts by local governments and private organizations to address economic problems.

• He faced criticism for his handling of the Great Depression and for believing in a laissez-faire approach to the economy.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served more than two terms.

• implemented the New Deal, a series of programs and policies to combat the Great Depression, focusing on relief, recovery, and reform.

public works

government-funded construction projects aimed at building infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and schools, to provide jobs and stimulate the economy. During the New Deal, these projects were used to create employment and improve the nation's infrastructure.

• These initiatives aimed to reduce unemployment and enhance public facilities.

3 R’s – relief, recovery, reform

The three goals of the New Deal aimed at addressing the needs of Americans during the Great Depression. Relief focused on immediate assistance for the unemployed, recovery targeted economic revitalization, and reform sought to prevent future economic crises.

New Deal

Roosevelt depended on a group of academic advisors known as his “brain trust.” This group of university professors helped the president-elect prepare his strategy for immediate action after Inauguration Day.

• a series of federal programs and policies implemented by Franklin D. Roosevelt to address the economic hardships of the Great Depression, focusing on relief, recovery, and reform.

Hundred Days

the first three months of Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency, during which he pushed through 15 major laws aimed at providing relief, recovery, and reform to address the economic crisis of the Great Depression. This period of intense lawmaking set the foundation for the New Deal programs.

• a significant legislative period that established key policies in response to the Great Depression.

Emergency Banking Relief Act

a law passed in 1933 during the first days of Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency. It allowed the government to inspect and reorganize the nation’s banks, restoring public confidence by reopening only those that were financially stable.

• This act aimed to stabilize the banking system and prevent future bank runs during the Great Depression.

Social Security Act

which would provide not only a pension fund for the elderly but also unemployment insurance and aid for the disabled and others in need.

• It aimed to create a safety net for Americans during times of economic hardship and ensure financial support for vulnerable populations.

communism/socialism

a system in which the government controls the economy.

• These ideologies advocate for collective ownership of resources and aim to eliminate class distinctions.

“packing the court”

a political strategy used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to gain support for his New Deal programs by adding more justices to the Supreme Court. This controversial plan aimed to influence court decisions that were unfavorable to his reforms.

Unconstitutional

When a law or action contradicts the principles set forth in the Constitution, rendering it invalid.

• Rules for the constitution

Deficit spending

spending more money than the government receives from taxes.

• This practice is often used to stimulate economic growth during periods of recession, but can lead to increased national debt.

  • Spending more than you have.

  • By taking a loan

  • Created national debt

national debt

the total amount of money that a country's government owes to external creditors and domestic lenders. During the Great Depression, the U.S. government increased its spending on New Deal programs, which contributed to a rise in the national debt.

• This includes both public debt and intergovernmental holdings.

• Got rid of after world war 2

welfare

a system of government support for the well-being of citizens, particularly those in need. It provides financial assistance, healthcare, and other services to improve quality of life.

• How well someone is doing