Study Guide for World War I, the Roaring Twenties, and the Great Depression

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from World War I, the Roaring Twenties, and the Great Depression.

Allied Powers

U.S., Britain, France, and Russia, fighting against the Central Powers in World War I.

Central Powers

Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire, fighting against the Allied Powers in World War I.

M.I.N.E.

Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism.

Trench Warfare

A type of combat in World War I where soldiers fought from deep trenches to protect themselves from enemy fire.

U-boat

German submarines used during World War I and World War II to disrupt Allied shipping.

Lusitania

A British ocean liner sunk by a German U-boat in 1915, contributing to American entry into World War I.

Zimmerman Note

A secret message from Germany proposing a military alliance with Mexico against the U.S., which helped prompt American entry into World War I.

Selective Service Act

A law passed in 1917 that authorized the government to draft soldiers for World War I.

Liberty Bonds

War bonds sold to help finance the U.S. military operations during World War I.

Espionage and Sedition Acts

Laws enacted during World War I that imposed harsh penalties on anyone interfering with the war effort or speaking against the government.

Victory Garden

Private gardens planted by citizens to support the war effort by growing their own vegetables.

Great Migration

The movement of African Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North during and after World War I.

Propaganda

Information, often biased, used to promote a political cause or point of view during World War I.

Schenck v. U.S.

A 1919 Supreme Court case that upheld the Espionage Act, ruling that free speech could be limited in times of war.

Fourteen Points

President Wilson's proposal for post-war peace that included principles such as self-determination and the formation of the League of Nations.

League of Nations

An international organization established after World War I aimed at promoting peace and cooperation among countries.

Treaty of Versailles

The 1919 peace treaty that officially ended World War I and imposed heavy reparations on Germany.

Consumer Economy

An economy that is driven by the spending habits and demands of consumers, particularly evident during the Roaring Twenties.

Quota System

A law established to control immigration by setting limits on the number of immigrants allowed into the U.S. from each country.

Scopes Trial

A landmark 1925 legal case on the teaching of evolution in public schools in Tennessee.

Ku Klux Klan

A white supremacist hate group that was active in the U.S. in the 1920s, promoting racism and discrimination.

18th Amendment

Prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors in the U.S.

19th Amendment

Granted women the right to vote in the United States.

21st Amendment

Repealed the 18th Amendment, effectively ending Prohibition.

Harlem Renaissance

A cultural movement during the 1920s centered in Harlem, characterized by a flourishing of African American art, literature, and music.

Flapper

A fashionable young woman in the 1920s who embraced a lifestyle viewed by many at the time as outrageous.

Stock Market Crash

The sharp decline in stock prices that occurred in October 1929, triggering the Great Depression.

Hoovervilles

Shantytowns built by homeless people during the Great Depression, named derogatorily after President Hoover.

Dust Bowl

A period of severe dust storms during the 1930s that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American prairies.

New Deal

A series of programs and policies initiated by Franklin D. Roosevelt to relieve the economic hardships of the Great Depression.

Social Security

A government program that provides financial assistance to retirees and the disabled, established during the New Deal.

Court Packing Scheme

FDR's unsuccessful proposal in 1937 to add more justices to the Supreme Court to gain favorable rulings for New Deal legislation.

Welfare State

A government system that provides social services to its citizens, especially in times of need.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The 32nd President of the United States who led the country during the Great Depression and World War II.

Eleanor Roosevelt

First Lady and an active political figure who advocated for civil rights and humanitarian causes.

Bonus Army

A group of World War I veterans who marched on Washington D.C. in 1932 to demand early payment of a bonus.