Key Events and Concepts of the 1920s to Cold War Era

Teapot Dome Scandal

A major political scandal during Warren G. Harding's presidency where Interior Secretary Albert B. Fall leased government naval oil reserves at Teapot Dome and other locations to private oil companies in exchange for bribes.

Progress and tension during the 1920s

The decade saw technological advances, economic growth, and cultural shifts like jazz and flappers, but also social tensions such as xenophobia, nativism, isolationism, and fears of communism, causing divisions within American society.

Xenophobia

Fear or hatred of foreigners or those perceived as different; in the 1920s, many Americans feared outsiders, leading to anti-immigration policies and violence.

Nativism

Prejudice against foreign-born people, leading to restrictive immigration laws like the Emergency Quota Act of 1921 that limited immigration from southern and eastern Europe.

Isolationism

A policy of avoiding involvement in international conflicts or alliances, which was popular among Americans during the 1920s, especially after WWI.

Communism

An economic and political system where a single-party government controls the means of production and governs by dictatorship; feared by Americans as a threat to capitalism and democracy, especially after the Russian Revolution.

Impact of Prohibition on crime and gangs

It led to widespread illegal activities such as bootlegging and the operation of speakeasies, fueling organized crime and violence, with notorious gangsters like Al Capone gaining power.

Bootleggers

People who illegally smuggled alcohol from abroad or across borders to sell during Prohibition, often involved in violent conflicts over territory.

Speakeasies

Secret, illegal bars hidden in urban areas that sold alcohol during Prohibition, often requiring passwords for entry and contributing to a secret nightlife.

Red Scare

A period of intense fear of communism spreading in the U.S., sparked by the 1917 Russian Revolution, anarchist bombings, and the rise of communist movements worldwide during the early Cold War era.

A. Mitchell Palmer

The U.S. Attorney General whose house was bombed; he led the Palmer Raids to arrest suspected communists, anarchists, and radical leftists, fueling anti-immigrant and anti-communist hysteria.

Palmer Raids

To arrest, detain, and deport suspected radicals, often without proper warrants, contributing to widespread fear and suppression of political dissent.

Double standard regarding gender roles in the 1920s

Men had more sexual and social freedom, while women faced stricter societal expectations about behavior and morality. Women gained new opportunities in jobs and social life but still encountered societal restrictions.

Opportunities for women in the 1920s

Women experienced increased employment opportunities, greater independence, and cultural shifts exemplified by the flapper, but societal double standards persisted regarding sexuality and morality.

Fordney-McCumber Tariff

A 1922 law that raised U.S. tariffs on imported goods to 60%, protecting American businesses but making it difficult for European countries to pay debts, leading to economic tensions.

Dawes Plan

After Germany defaulted on reparations, the U.S. lent money to Germany (Dawes Plan) to stabilize its economy, which helped Britain and France repay their debts, but resentment over reparations persisted.

18th Amendment

It prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol in the U.S., leading to widespread illegal smuggling, bootlegging, and the rise of organized crime.

Harlem Renaissance

A cultural, artistic, and literary movement in the 1920s celebrating African American culture, music, and literature, emphasizing pride, resilience, and racial identity.

Zora Neale Hurston

A writer and folklorist who portrayed the lives of poor, rural African Americans, emphasizing their ingenuity and resilience, and celebrating their folk traditions.

Langston Hughes

A poet and social activist whose work expressed the joys and struggles of African Americans, influencing future generations of writers and artists.

Duke Ellington

A jazz musician and composer who innovated with his own stylish compositions, becoming one of the greatest jazz musicians of the 20th century.

Mass production and assembly lines

They increased production speed, lowered costs, and raised worker wages; Henry Ford's assembly line revolutionized automobile manufacturing.

Scopes Trial

A 1925 court case where teacher John Scopes was charged with teaching evolution, highlighting the conflict between science and religious fundamentalism in Tennessee.

Rise of mass culture in the 1920s

The popularity of movies (first sound film in 1927), sports stars like Babe Ruth, radio broadcasts, and entertainment industries created a shared national culture.

Freedom Rides (1961)

Civil rights activists challenged interstate bus segregation; riders were brutally beaten and buses firebombed, leading to a court ruling banning segregation on interstate buses.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Legislation signed by President Johnson prohibiting discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, and gender, and ending segregation in public places.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X

Two key figures in the Civil Rights Movement who led different approaches to achieving racial equality.

Stock Market Crash of October 1929

It signaled the beginning of the Great Depression, causing the economy to plummet, unemployment rates to soar, and many people to go into debt after stocks and shares became highly volatile.

Black Tuesday (October 29, 1929)

Stock prices plummeted, stocks were sold off rapidly, and many investors lost their savings, leaving countless people in debt and causing widespread financial panic.

Causes of the Great Depression

Bank failures occurred because banks closed without government insurance for deposits, causing people to lose savings. The U.S. was unable to import European goods, and Europe, Asia, and Latin America all suffered economically. There was a crisis in the farm sector due to overproduction and falling crop prices. The availability of easy credit encouraged risky borrowing, leading to speculation. Also, there was an unequal distribution of income, with wealth concentrated among the rich, leaving most Americans impoverished.

Responses to the Great Depression

Herbert Hoover implemented Public Works projects like building roads and dams to create jobs, while Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced the New Deal, a series of programs aimed at economic recovery and social reform.

Buying on margin

Paying a small percentage of a stock's price as a down payment and borrowing the rest; this practice fueled the market's upward spiral and created instability. When stock values declined, investors faced huge debts they couldn't repay.

Buying on margin contribution to stock market crash

Rising stock prices did not reflect the companies' actual worth. When prices fell, investors who bought on margin couldn't pay back their loans, leading to panic selling and further market decline.

Bank Holiday

Franklin Roosevelt declared a temporary closure of all banks (Bank Holiday) to stop the panic. The government inspected banks, and only the financially stable ones reopened, aiming to restore confidence in the banking system.

Banking crisis during the Great Depression

Many banks failed because they didn't have enough cash to meet withdrawal demands as people panicked and withdrew their savings. This worsened the economic downturn and resulted in widespread loss of savings.

Key programs of the New Deal

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) provided jobs for young men to conserve natural resources, build parks, and plant trees. The Social Security Act created pensions for the elderly, unemployment insurance, and aid for disabled and dependent persons. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) built dams and power plants, providing electricity and boosting regional development. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulated the stock market to prevent abuses and restore investor confidence. The government also used deficit spending, spending more money than it earned to fund programs and stimulate the economy.

Hoovervilles

Shantytowns of makeshift shacks built by homeless people, often out of scrap materials, during the Great Depression. People blamed President Hoover for the economic crisis, hence the name.

Unemployment during the Great Depression

Millions of Americans lost their jobs, with unemployment peaking around 25-30%. People faced poverty, homelessness, hunger, and men often left their families to seek work across the country as hobos.

1932 election slogan

"Happy Days Are Here Again." It was Franklin Roosevelt's campaign song, symbolizing hope and optimism for economic recovery, promising relief and the creation of New Deal programs.

Herbert Hoover's approach vs. Franklin Roosevelt's

Hoover believed in limited government intervention, relied on local charities and volunteers, and initially refused to provide direct federal aid. Roosevelt believed in active federal government action, creating the New Deal programs to provide relief, create jobs, and reform the economy.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Banned literacy tests and other discriminatory practices that suppressed Black voter registration, increasing participation in the South.

Brown v. Board of Education

The Supreme Court declared 'separate but equal' unconstitutional, ruling that racial segregation in public schools was illegal, which was a major victory for the Civil Rights Movement.

Civil Rights Act of 1968

Prohibited discrimination in housing sales, rentals, and financing, promoting fair housing opportunities.

Martin Luther King Jr.

A Baptist minister and leader of the Civil Rights Movement who advocated for nonviolent protest and helped lead major campaigns like the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Birmingham Campaign.

NAACP

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, founded in 1909, focused on legal strategies to fight segregation, with Thurgood Marshall leading the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

SNCC

The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, founded in 1960 by college students, organized sit-ins and direct action protests against segregation and played a major role in the Freedom Rides and voter registration drives.

I Have a Dream speech

Delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1963 March on Washington, it called for racial harmony and justice, becoming a symbol of the Civil Rights Movement.

Civil Rights Act of 1875

Made it a crime for segregation to exist in public facilities, guaranteeing equal enjoyment of accommodations like inns, theaters, and transportation, but was largely ineffective and later overturned.

James Meredith

An Air Force veteran who won a court case allowing him to enroll at the all-white University of Mississippi. His enrollment led to riots, and federal officials protected him and his family from violence by white mobs.

Sit-in Movement

Nonviolent protests where students refused to sit at segregated lunch counters, advocating for desegregation and equal access to public facilities through peaceful resistance.

Civil Rights Movement

It aimed to end racial segregation and discrimination, secure voting rights, and promote equality through legal reforms, protests, and civil disobedience.

Marshall Plan (European Recovery Program)

To provide financial aid to rebuild Western Europe after WWII, stimulate economic recovery, strengthen U.S.-European alliances, and prevent the spread of communism.

U.S. aid in 1947

Europe's economies were devastated after WWII, with cities destroyed, industries collapsed, severe food shortages, inflation, and harsh winter conditions that worsened living standards and hindered rebuilding efforts.

Problems addressed by the Marshall Plan

Economic recovery by restarting industries, stabilizing currencies, and increasing production; political stability by preventing the rise of communist parties; and social issues like poverty and unrest to improve living standards.

Debate on Marshall Plan motives

Humanitarian: U.S. aimed to relieve suffering and help rebuild Europe. Political: The main goal was to contain Soviet influence and prevent communism, aligning with the Truman Doctrine's policies.

Truman Doctrine

A U.S. foreign policy that committed the nation to supporting democratic nations threatened by authoritarian or communist forces, marking a shift from isolationism and a key part of containment strategy during the Cold War.

Division of Germany/Berlin

In August 1961, communist authorities began building the Berlin Wall to prevent East Germans from fleeing to West Berlin. The 'Iron Curtain' symbolized the division between Western democracies and Eastern communist states.

Significance of September 10, 1989, border opening in Hungary

Hungary opened its border with Austria, allowing East Germans to flee to the West, accelerating the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the end of Cold War divisions in Europe.

Korean War trigger

North Korea's invasion of South Korea on June 25, 1950, supported by the Soviet Union, aimed to reunify Korea under communism. North Korea crossed the 38th Parallel, the pre-war boundary, and attacked South Korea.

U.S. response to Korean invasion

President Truman sent U.S. troops and support to South Korea to stop the spread of communism, with 90% of the 16 nations' troops being American, following the policy of containment.

Containment

A U.S. foreign policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism beyond the Soviet Union's borders, as articulated by diplomat George F. Kennan during the Cold War.

Reagan's "Star Wars" (Strategic Defense Initiative)

Announced on March 23, Reagan's plan to create a space-based missile defense system using lasers and advanced technology to destroy attacking missiles before they could reach the U.S. This was intended to protect America from nuclear threats.

Soviet response to Reagan's "Star Wars"

They accused the U.S. of violating the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and responded by increasing their military spending, which contributed to near economic collapse.