Post-WWI and 1920's Final Review

Flashcards covering post-WWI social changes, economic policies, political scandals, and key figures of the 1920s based on lecture notes.

General Strike ($1919\text{s}$)

Millions of workers went on strike to improve pay & work conditions (including Boston police, steel strike, coal strike, etc.), but received little support; bombings occurred during this time, causing fear and the belief of another revolution.

Deported

Many Soviet immigrants were deported due to the communist threat being linked to immigrants from Southern & Eastern Europe, who were blamed for the $1919$ bombings.

Boston Police Strike (Sept. $9$, $1919$)

A pivotal event involving over $1,100$ officers striking for the right to unionize and better working conditions.

Cost of Living

Inflation occurred as Americans bought goods instead of war bonds, causing shortages and intense demand; although prices fell after WWI, farm income declined as transport, cities, and suburbs expanded.

African-Americans & Great Migrations

A movement where African-Americans, alongside farmers and other immigrants, settled toward Northern cities.

Post WWI Soldiers return

Soldiers returned to unemployment without a government plan for civilian life; since women and African Americans had worked during the war, a competitive job market and post-war recession or economic slow down occurred.

Dawes Plan

The U.S. sent banker Charels Dawe to Germany to negotiate a loan so Germany could pay back allies, and allies could subsequently pay back the U.S.

Production/Products of $1920\text{'s}$

Mass production and assembly lines made products like cars, radios, and household appliances affordable, fueling economic prosperity.

Anarchists

People who believed government authority should be abolished, often associated with immigrants and radical labor movements; they were feared during the Red Scare, especially following events like the Sacco & Vanzetti trial.

Eugenics

The idea and practice of "improving" the human population over time by preventing people with mental illnesses and undesirable characteristics from reproducing.

National Origins Act (Immigration Act of $1924$)

Established immigrant quotas where the number of immigrants of a given nationality could not exceed $2\%$ of the number of people living in the U.S. in $1919$.

Communists

An ideology of a classless society heavily feared during the Red Scare, leading to arrests, deportations, and government crackdowns like the Palmer Raids.

Scopes Trial

Known as the "Scopes Monkey Trial" ($1925$), this Tennessee court case debated whether teachers should teach revolution in public schools, symbolizing the conflict between science vs. religion and modernism vs. traditional values.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Author best known for his novel The Great Gatsby and closely associated with the Jazz Age of the $1920\text{'s}$.

Greenwich Village

A New York City neighborhood known in the $1920\text{'s}$ as a center for art, literature, music, and radical ideas; it was also filled with speakeasies during prohibition.

Heroic "antiheros"

Main characters in $1920\text{'s}$ literature who lacked traditional traits like morality or selflessness, reflecting the confusion and flaws of modern society.

Charles Lindbergh

American aviator and national hero who completed the $1\text{st}$ solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in $1927$, flying from NY to Paris in "the Spirit of St. Louis".

Duke Ellington

A famous jazz composer, pianist, and bandleader who became a leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance and helped popularize jazz across the country.

Henry Ford ($1863$-$1947$)

Founder of Ford Motor company who revolutionized manufacturing by perfecting assembly lines, making the Model T fast, cheap, and affordable for everyday Americans.

Al Capone

A powerful Chicago gangster during the Prohibition era who made millions from illegal alcohol and crime; he was a symbol of organized crime and was eventually imprisoned for tax evasion.

Marcus Garvey

Black nationalist leader who promoted racial pride, economic independence, and Pan-African Unity; he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA).

Sacco & Vanzetti

Italian immigrants and anarchists accused of murder and robbery at a shoe factory; they were sentenced to death in $1927$, leading many to believe they were convicted based on ethnicity rather than evidence.

Emergency Quota Act

A law passed in $1921$ that limited U.S. immigration by setting quotas based on nationality, favoring North & Western Europe and reducing immigration from South & Eastern Europe.

$1920\text{'s}$ Morality & Social Change

A period where traditional values clashed with modern ideas, involving flappers, prohibition, the Scopes trial, and the Harlem Renaissance, with reactions of nativism and conservatism.

$18\text{th}$ Amendment & Impacts (speakeasies)

Banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol in the U.S. in the $1920\text{'s}$; it led to the rise of speakeasies, increased crime, and disrespect for the law.

Golden Age of Hollywood

A period starting in the $1920\text{'s}$ when the U.S. film industry grew rapidly, producing popular movies and famous stars that helped shape American culture.

Harding

U.S. President who appointed friends known as the "Ohio Gang" to his cabinet and died in office of a heart attack.

Coolidge

Nicknamed "Silent Cal," he supported big businesses and rejected progressivism, believing the government should not be an insurer of citizens against the hazards of the elements.

Hoover

President during the $1919$ stock market crash; he had previously worked with the Food Administration during WWI.

Cotton Club

Famous Harlem nightclub in the $1920\text{'s}$ known for showcasing top jazz musicians like Duke Ellington; it featured black performers but had an exclusively white audience.

NAACP

Founded in $1909$ to fight racial discrimination and secure equal rights through legal action; its accomplishments include challenging segregation and promoting anti-lynching laws.

OHIO gang

A group of political allies and friends of President Warren G. Harding who were given government jobs in the $1920\text{'s}$.

Normalcy

A term used by President Harding to promote a return to peace, stability, and traditional life after WWI, focusing on pro-business politics and domestic issues.

Teapot Dome Scandal

A major political scandal during Harding's administration involving the illegal leasing of federal oil reserves to private companies by Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall.

Kellogg - Briand Pact

A $1928$ agreement in which many nations promised to outlaw war as a tool of national policy; it had no enforcement power and failed to prevent future wars.