1920s

Overconsumption

A situation where consumption rates exceed the sustainable levels of production, often due to the easy availability of goods through payment installments.

Prohibition

The legal act of prohibiting the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages, leading to the rise of bootlegging.

Harlem Renaissance

A cultural, social, and artistic explosion that took place in Harlem during the 1920s, celebrating black cultural and artistic expression.

Red Scare

The fear that communism would overthrow democracy in the US, leading to widespread nativism and xenophobia, especially against Eastern Europeans.

Jazz

A music genre created from a blend of African American musical traditions, which significantly influenced 1920s party culture.

Laissez-Faire Economics

An economic philosophy of free-market capitalism that opposes government intervention in economic affairs.

Volstead Act

The law that enforced Prohibition by defining alcohol and establishing penalties for violations.

Assembly Line

A production process in which items are assembled in a sequential manner, famously used by Ford Motor Company to reduce costs and increase production.

St. Valentine’s Day Massacre

A violent incident in 1929 where seven members of a rival gang were killed, attributed to Al Capone’s gang, highlighting gang violence during Prohibition.

Kellogg-Briand Pact

An international agreement in which countries promised not to use war to resolve disputes, ultimately proven to be unrealistic.