UNIT 12 The Dawn of a New Era

These flashcards cover key concepts, events, and figures from the lecture on the 1920s, Prohibition, the Great Depression, and the New Deal.

The Roaring Twenties

An era of rapid technological growth, social rebellion, and economic transformation in the 1920s.

Model T

Ford's automobile that became affordable, leading to a massive rise in car registrations in the 1920s.

The 18th Amendment

Outlawed the manufacture, sale, and transport of alcohol in the U.S. as part of Prohibition.

Prohibition

The period during which the 18th Amendment made it illegal to sell alcohol; led to increased organized crime.

Flappers

Young women in the 1920s who challenged traditional norms by dressing differently and engaging in social freedoms.

Harlem Renaissance

A cultural movement in the 1920s where African American culture flourished in art, music, and literature.

Social Security Act (1935)

Established a safety net for retirees and redefined the relationship between the government and its citizens.

FDIC

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, created to insure bank deposits and restore public confidence in the banking system.

The Great Migration

The movement of hundreds of thousands of African Americans from the rural South to urban centers in the North.

The Scopes Trial

A 1925 legal case that debated the teaching of evolution in schools and highlighted the cultural conflict in America.

The Bonus Army

A group of WWI veterans who marched in 1932 to demand early payment of a bonus they were promised.

Sacco and Vanzetti

Two Italian anarchists who were controversially convicted of murder in 1921, exemplifying anti-immigrant sentiment.

The Federal Highway Act of 1921

Legislation that initiated a massive road-building boom, spurred by the increase in automobile use.

Jazz

A music genre that became the soundtrack of the 1920s, symbolizing the cultural revolution of the era.

Consumerism

The cultural orientation that encouraged the acquisition of goods and services, driven by advertising and credit.

The Dust Bowl

A period of severe dust storms in the 1930s that devastated the Great Plains and forced many families to migrate west.

The New Deal

A series of federal programs and reforms enacted by FDR to respond to the Great Depression.

The Margin Trap

A speculative trading practice where investors borrowed heavily to purchase stocks, significantly contributing to the 1929 crash.

The Nineteenth Amendment

Ratified in 1920, granting women the right to vote in the United States.

Laissez-Faire Economics

Economic philosophy advocating minimal government intervention in the economy, prominent during the 1920s under Coolidge.

Black Tuesday

The day (October 29, 1929) when the stock market crashed, marking the beginning of the Great Depression.

Hoovervilles

Shantytowns that emerged during the Great Depression, named derisively after President Hoover.

Cultural Clash (Old vs. New Values)

The conflict between traditional values and the modernist attitudes emerging in the 1920s.