War, the Twenties, and New Deal Quizlet

Dollar Diplomacy

A foreign policy used by the U.S., particularly under President Taft, that aimed to expand American influence by guaranteeing loans to foreign countries and encouraging economic investment rather than military intervention.

Missionary Diplomacy

A policy promoted by President Woodrow Wilson that asserted the U.S. had a moral obligation to deny recognition to any Latin American government viewed as oppressive, undemocratic, or hostile to American interests.

Tampico Incident

A confrontation between the U.S. and Mexico in April 1914 when U.S. sailors were arrested in Tampico, leading to heightened tensions and the eventual U.S. occupation of Veracruz.

Secret Defensive Alliances

Covert agreements between nations to support each other in times of war, contributing to the outbreak of WWI as countries were drawn into conflict due to their obligations.

The Black Hand

A Serbian nationalist secret society that was responsible for the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which sparked the beginning of WWI.

Technology of War

New military innovations used in WWI, including machine guns, poison gas, tanks, airplanes, and improved artillery, which made the war more destructive.

Eastern/Western Fronts

The two main battlefronts of WWI; the Western Front, characterized by trench warfare in France and Belgium, and the Eastern Front, involving more mobile warfare between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia.

Trench Warfare

A form of warfare in which soldiers fought from deep ditches to protect themselves from enemy fire, leading to a stalemate and horrific conditions on the Western Front.

Bolshevik Revolution

The 1917 Russian revolution in which the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, overthrew the provisional government and established a communist state, ultimately leading Russia to exit WWI.

Lusitania

A British passenger ship sunk by a German U-boat in 1915, killing 1,198 people, including 128 Americans; this event contributed to U.S. outrage and eventual involvement in WWI.

Sussex Pledge

A promise made by Germany in 1916 to the U.S. that it would not sink merchant or passenger ships without warning, following the attack on the French ship Sussex.

Restricted and Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

Policies used by Germany where restricted warfare involved attacking only military targets, while unrestricted warfare allowed attacks on any ships, including civilian and neutral ones, leading to U.S. entry into the war.

Zimmermann Telegram

A secret message from Germany to Mexico in 1917, intercepted by the British, in which Germany promised Mexico the return of lost territories (Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona) if it joined the war against the U.S.

CPI (Creel Committee)

The Committee on Public Information, led by George Creel, was a U.S. government agency that used propaganda to promote support for the war effort.

War Industries Board

A U.S. government agency that coordinated war production, regulated industries, and prioritized military supplies during WWI.

Espionage Act

A 1917 law that made it illegal to interfere with military operations, support enemy nations, or obstruct recruitment efforts during the war.

Eugene Debs

A socialist leader and outspoken critic of U.S. involvement in WWI who was imprisoned under the Espionage Act for speaking against the war and the draft.

Schenck v. U.S.

A 1919 Supreme Court case that upheld the Espionage Act, ruling that speech creating a 'clear and present danger' (such as encouraging draft resistance) was not protected under the First Amendment.

Fire in a Crowded Theater

A phrase from Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes' opinion in Schenck v. U.S., used to justify limits on free speech when it poses a significant danger, such as falsely shouting 'fire' in a crowded theater.

Clear and Present Danger

A legal doctrine established in Schenck v. U.S. that allowed the government to limit free speech if it posed an immediate threat to national security or public order.

Great Migration

The mass movement of African Americans from the rural South to industrial cities in the North between 1916 and 1970, spurred by job opportunities during WWI.

Fourteen Points

President Woodrow Wilson's peace proposal outlining principles for postwar peace, including self-determination, free trade, and the League of Nations.

League of Nations

An international organization proposed in Wilson's Fourteen Points and established in the Treaty of Versailles to prevent future conflicts, though the U.S. did not join.

Reparations

Payments imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles to compensate the Allies for war damages, which led to economic hardship and resentment in Germany.

Self-Determination

The principle that ethnic groups should have the right to form their own governments and nations, a key part of Wilson's Fourteen Points.

Treaty of Versailles

The 1919 peace treaty that ended WWI, imposing severe penalties on Germany, redrawing European borders, and establishing the League of Nations.

Article X

A controversial clause in the League of Nations charter that required member nations to protect each other in the event of aggression, contributing to U.S. opposition to joining.

Irreconcilables

A group of U.S. senators who completely opposed the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations, refusing to support it under any conditions.

Reservationists

A faction of senators, led by Henry Cabot Lodge, who were willing to support the Treaty of Versailles only with modifications, particularly regarding Article X.

Red/White Russians

The two opposing sides in the Russian Civil War; the Red Russians (Bolsheviks/Communists) fought against the White Russians (anti-communists, monarchists, and moderate socialists).

Invasion of Russia

The intervention by Allied forces, including U.S. troops, in the Russian Civil War in an attempt to support the White Army against the Bolsheviks, ultimately unsuccessful.

Red Scare

A period of intense fear of communism in the U.S. after WWI, leading to suspicion, arrests, and deportations of suspected radicals.

Palmer Raids

A series of government raids in 1919-1920, led by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, targeting suspected communists and anarchists during the Red Scare.

Marcus Garvey

A Black nationalist leader who founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and promoted Black pride, self-sufficiency, and the Back-to-Africa movement.

Consumer Culture

A societal shift in the 1920s where mass production, advertising, and installment buying led to increased consumption of goods like automobiles, radios, and household appliances.

Jazz Age

A term describing the 1920s, marked by the popularity of jazz music, cultural shifts, and the emergence of a lively, rebellious youth culture.

Modernism

An intellectual and cultural movement in the early 20th century that embraced new ideas, artistic expressions, and scientific advancements while challenging traditional norms.

Mitchell Palmer

U.S. Attorney General known for leading the Palmer Raids during the Red Scare, targeting suspected communists, anarchists, and radicals.

May Day Threat

A supposed plot by anarchists to overthrow the U.S. government on May 1, 1920, which fueled public paranoia but ultimately did not materialize.

Sacco and Vanzetti

Two Italian immigrants and anarchists convicted of robbery and murder in 1921; their controversial trial and execution reflected anti-immigrant sentiment and concerns over political radicalism.

Xenophobia

The fear or hatred of foreigners, which intensified in the U.S. during the 1920s due to concerns over immigration, radical ideologies, and cultural changes.

Ku Klux Klan

A white supremacist organization that resurged in the 1920s, targeting African Americans, immigrants, Catholics, Jews, and other groups it saw as threats to traditional American values.

Nativism

A policy favoring native-born Americans over immigrants, leading to restrictive immigration laws and discrimination against foreign-born individuals in the early 20th century.

NAACP

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, an organization founded in 1909 to fight for civil rights and racial equality through legal challenges and advocacy.

National Origins Act of 1924

A U.S. immigration law that established strict quotas favoring immigrants from Northern and Western Europe while severely restricting those from Southern and Eastern Europe and banning Asian immigration.

Trade Associations

Industry-specific organizations formed to promote cooperation among businesses, set standards, and influence government policy during the 1920s economic boom.

Women in the 1920s

Women experienced greater independence, increased participation in the workforce, and new social freedoms, symbolized by the rise of the 'flapper' lifestyle.

Margaret Sanger

A birth control activist and founder of the American Birth Control League (later Planned Parenthood), who advocated for reproductive rights and contraception access.

NWP

The National Woman's Party, led by Alice Paul, which fought for women's suffrage and later pushed for the Equal Rights Amendment to guarantee gender equality.

Youth Culture

A distinct social identity that emerged in the 1920s as young people embraced new fashion, jazz music, dance, and social freedoms, breaking away from older generations' values.

Prohibition and Crime

The nationwide ban on alcohol (1920-1933) under the 18th Amendment, which led to the rise of illegal speakeasies, bootlegging, and organized crime, including figures like Al Capone.

High Mass Consumption

The final stage of economist Walt Rostow's model of economic growth, characterized by widespread consumer goods, high living standards, and a service-based economy, which the U.S. reached in the 20th century.

Taylorism

A system of scientific management developed by Frederick Winslow Taylor that sought to improve industrial efficiency through time studies, standardized tasks, and worker specialization.

Assembly Line

A manufacturing process in which workers perform specific tasks in a sequence, dramatically increasing production efficiency; famously implemented by Henry Ford in automobile production.

Radio

A revolutionary mass communication technology in the 1920s that brought news, entertainment, and advertisements directly into American homes, fostering a shared national culture.

Movies

A major form of entertainment in the 1920s, with silent films and later 'talkies' becoming a key part of American culture and influencing fashion, behavior, and attitudes.

The Jazz Singer

A 1927 film starring Al Jolson, notable for being the first 'talkie' (movie with synchronized sound), marking the transition from silent films to sound films in Hollywood.

Birth of a Nation

A 1915 silent film directed by D.W. Griffith that depicted the Reconstruction era and glorified the Ku Klux Klan, sparking controversy and protests for its racist portrayal of African Americans.

Automobiles

A transformative technology of the 1920s that made travel more accessible, contributed to suburbanization, and stimulated industries like oil, steel, and road construction.

Henry Ford

An American industrialist who revolutionized automobile manufacturing with the assembly line, making cars affordable to the middle class, particularly with the Model T.

Airplanes

A developing technology in the early 20th century, advancing due to WWI innovations, with Charles Lindbergh's 1927 transatlantic flight symbolizing the potential of aviation.

1920s Fashion

A reflection of changing social norms, with women wearing shorter skirts, bobbed hair, and looser clothing, while men embraced more casual and athletic styles.

Flappers

Young women in the 1920s who defied traditional norms by wearing short dresses, bobbing their hair, smoking, drinking, and embracing a more independent lifestyle.

Professional Sports

A booming industry in the 1920s, with baseball, boxing, and football gaining popularity; Babe Ruth became a national icon as baseball's biggest star.

Fundamentalism

A religious movement that emphasized a literal interpretation of the Bible and rejected modernist views, reacting against cultural and scientific changes of the 1920s.

Scopes Monkey Trial

A 1925 trial in which teacher John Scopes was prosecuted for teaching evolution in Tennessee, highlighting the conflict between science and religious fundamentalism.

Urban/Rural Conflicts

Social and cultural tensions in the 1920s as urban areas embraced modernity, consumerism, and progressive values, while rural areas resisted change and upheld traditional ways of life.

The Lost Generation

A group of American writers disillusioned by World War I, criticizing materialism and conformity in the 1920s; many lived abroad as expatriates.

Jacob Lawrence

A Harlem Renaissance painter known for his 'Migration Series,' which depicted the struggles and experiences of African Americans moving from the South to the North.

Georgia O'Keeffe

An influential American artist known for her modernist paintings of enlarged flowers, skyscrapers, and southwestern landscapes.

Max Weber

A sociologist whose work influenced American intellectual thought; though not directly tied to the 1920s cultural scene, his theories on bureaucracy and capitalism were widely studied.

Expatriates

Americans who lived abroad, particularly in Paris, during the 1920s, seeking artistic freedom and rejecting the perceived shallowness of American materialism.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

A leading writer of the Lost Generation, best known for The Great Gatsby, which critiqued the excesses and moral decline of the Roaring Twenties.

Ernest Hemingway

An influential writer of the Lost Generation known for his concise prose and works like The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms, which explored themes of war, disillusionment, and masculinity.

Harlem Renaissance

A cultural and artistic movement in the 1920s centered in Harlem, New York, celebrating African American literature, music, art, and intellectual thought.

Zora Neale Hurston

A prominent Harlem Renaissance writer known for Their Eyes Were Watching God, which explored themes of race, gender, and African American folklore.

Langston Hughes

A leading poet and writer of the Harlem Renaissance who celebrated Black culture and experiences through works like The Weary Blues and I, Too.

Jazz

A genre of music that emerged from African American communities in the early 20th century, characterized by improvisation, syncopation, and new rhythmic styles; it became the defining sound of the 1920s.

Schlesinger's Scale of Presidential Greatness

A ranking system for U.S. presidents developed by historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., based on evaluations from historians and political scientists regarding leadership, effectiveness, and impact.

Warren G. Harding

The 29th president of the United States (1921-1923), known for his call for a return to 'normalcy' after WWI and his administration's corruption scandals, including the Teapot Dome Scandal.

Normalcy

A term used by Harding in his 1920 campaign to describe a return to the way of life before WWI, emphasizing stability, conservative policies, and economic growth.

Ohio Gang

A group of corrupt political and business associates of Harding, many of whom were involved in scandals, including the Teapot Dome Scandal.

Washington Naval Conference

A 1921-1922 international conference hosted by the U.S. that aimed to prevent an arms race by limiting naval expansion among major world powers.

Nine Power Treaty

A 1922 agreement from the Washington Naval Conference in which signatory nations pledged to respect China's sovereignty and uphold the Open Door Policy.

Five Power Treaty

A 1922 naval disarmament treaty between the U.S., Britain, Japan, France, and Italy that set limits on warship construction to prevent future military conflicts.

Teapot Dome Scandal

A major corruption scandal during Harding's presidency in which Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall illegally leased federal oil reserves in exchange for bribes, leading to a public outcry.

Dawes Plan

A 1924 plan designed to stabilize the German economy by restructuring its reparations payments from WWI and providing loans from U.S. banks to Germany.

Elections of 1924 and 1928

The 1924 election saw Republican Calvin Coolidge defeat Democrat John W. Davis and Progressive Robert La Follette. In 1928, Republican Herbert Hoover won against Democrat Al Smith, largely due to economic prosperity.

Herbert Hoover

The 31st president of the United States (1929-1933), known for his pro-business policies and for being in office during the stock market crash of 1929, which led to the Great Depression.

Stock Market Crash

The sudden and dramatic decline of stock prices in October 1929, culminating on Black Tuesday (October 29), which signaled the beginning of the Great Depression.

Causes of Great Depression

Factors that led to the economic collapse of the 1930s, including overproduction, stock market speculation, bank failures, high tariffs, and declining consumer spending.

Dust Bowl

A period of severe drought and soil erosion in the Great Plains during the 1930s, forcing many farmers to abandon their land and migrate west, particularly to California.

Hawley-Smoot Tariff

A 1930 law that raised U.S. tariffs to record levels, worsening the Great Depression by reducing international trade as other countries retaliated with their own tariffs.

Reconstruction Finance Corp.

A government agency created in 1932 under President Hoover to provide financial support to banks, businesses, and local governments in an attempt to stabilize the economy.

Bonus Army

A group of WWI veterans who marched to Washington, D.C., in 1932 to demand early payment of their promised bonuses; they were forcibly removed by the military under Hoover's orders.

Election of 1932

The presidential election in which Franklin D. Roosevelt defeated Herbert Hoover in a landslide, signaling a shift toward government intervention in the economy.

FDR's Inaugural Address

Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1933 speech in which he famously declared, 'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,' and laid out his vision for economic recovery.

System Thinking

An approach to understanding complex problems by analyzing how different parts interact within a whole, relevant to the New Deal's broad economic and social reforms.

The Three Rs

The main goals of FDR's New Deal: Relief (immediate aid for the unemployed), Recovery (economic revitalization), and Reform (long-term changes to prevent future crises).

Twentieth Amendment

A 1933 constitutional amendment that moved the presidential inauguration from March 4 to January 20 to shorten the lame-duck period.