APUSH 1920s Notes

Esch-Cummins Transportation Act

Returned railroads to private control after WWI and established the Railroad Labor Board, reflecting post-war deregulation.

Washington Disarmament Conference

Aimed to limit naval armaments and reduce Pacific conflict, demonstrating America's desire for peace.

Nine-Power Treaty

Affirmed the Open Door Policy in China, promoting equal trade, but failed to prevent future aggression.

Five-Power Treaty

Limited naval armaments among major powers but failed to address underlying rivalries.

Kellogg-Briand Pact

Renounced war as a tool of national policy; symbolized 1920s idealism but lacked enforcement.

Fordney-McCumber Tariff

Raised import duties to protect U.S. industries, reflecting 1920s isolationism and contributing to the Great Depression.

Teapot Dome Scandal

Involved bribery in leasing federal oil reserves, exposing corruption in the Harding administration.

Calvin Coolidge

President from 1923-1929 who promoted pro-business policies, fueling 1920s growth but contributing to speculative excesses.

Dawes Plan

Restructured Germany's reparations and provided U.S. loans, temporarily stabilizing Europe.

Election of 1928

Herbert Hoover defeated Al Smith, highlighting divisions over religion and urbanization.

Hawley-Smoot Tariff

Raised tariffs to record levels, worsening global trade and deepening the Great Depression.

Black Tuesday

Stock market crash on October 29, 1929, marking the start of the Great Depression.

Causes of the Great Depression

Included stock market speculation, overproduction, unequal wealth, and weak banking systems.

Hoovervilles

Shantytowns built by homeless Americans during the Great Depression, symbolizing Hoover's failure.

Bonus Army

WWI veterans who marched in 1932 to demand early payment of bonuses, their dispersal damaging Hoover's reputation.

Women’s Christian Temperance Union

An organization founded in 1874 that advocated for the prohibition of alcohol and promoted social reform, emphasizing moral suasion and women's roles in society.

Anti-Saloon League

Founded in 1893, this organization aimed to combat alcohol consumption and promote prohibition through lobbying and grassroots campaigns, playing a significant role in the passage of the 18th Amendment.

Margaret Sanger

A nurse and social reformer who played a pivotal role in the birth control movement in the United States, advocating for women's reproductive rights and establishing organizations that would eventually lead to Planned Parenthood.

Marcus Garvey

Created the UNIA and the ‘Back to Africa Movement’, the latter encouraging people of African descent to return to Africa and promoting the establishment of an independent nation for Black people in Africa as a response to racial discrimination.

Scope Monkey Trial

A 1925 legal case in which a high school teacher, John T. Scopes, was tried for violating Tennessee's Butler Act by teaching evolution in a public school, highlighting the conflict between science and religion. Divided the country between Modernists and Traditionalists

Frederick Taylor

An engineer and management consultant known as the father of scientific management. He introduced time studies and efficiency techniques to improve industrial productivity, emphasizing the standardization of tasks and the training of workers.

Trickle Down Economics

An economic theory that suggests benefits provided to the wealthy and businesses will eventually trickle down to the broader population through investments, job creation, and economic growth.