WWI, the Interwar Period, and the Great Depression Flashcards

Flashcards for WWI, the Interwar Period, and the Great Depression

World War I (WWI)

A global conflict from 1914 to 1918 between the Allied and Central Powers, caused by militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism.

Committee on Public Information (CPI)

Government agency created to build public support for WWI through propaganda.

Espionage Act (1917)

Law that made it illegal to interfere with military operations or support U.S. enemies during wartime.

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

Germany’s naval policy of sinking ships without warning, including those of neutral nations.

Lusitania

British passenger ship sunk by a German U-boat in 1915, killing Americans and turning public opinion against Germany.

Zimmerman Telegram

Secret message from Germany to Mexico proposing an alliance; helped bring the U.S. into WWI.

Treaty of Versailles

Peace treaty that ended WWI, blamed Germany, and created the League of Nations.

League of Nations

International organization aimed at maintaining peace; the U.S. never joined due to Senate opposition.

The Great Migration

Movement of African Americans from the rural South to Northern cities during WWI for factory jobs.

Harlem Renaissance

Cultural and artistic explosion among African Americans in the 1920s, centered in Harlem, NYC.

Schenck v. United States

The Supreme Court case ruled that speech is not protected by the First Amendment if it poses a "clear and present danger."

19th Amendment

Gave women the right to vote in 1920.

Flappers

Young women who challenged traditional norms by wearing short dresses, cutting hair, and embracing independence.

Langston Hughes

Prominent poet of the Harlem Renaissance who celebrated Black culture and identity.

Assembly Line

Manufacturing process that increased production efficiency, especially used by Henry Ford.

Henry Ford

Industrialist who revolutionized car production with the assembly line.

Model T

Affordable car produced by Ford that made automobiles accessible to many Americans.

Installment Buying

Buying products on credit, paying in small amounts over time.

Buying Stocks on Margin

Buying stocks with borrowed money; a major factor in the 1929 stock market crash.

Scopes Trial (1925)

Legal case debating teaching evolution in schools; highlighted clash between science and religion.

Prohibition (18th Amendment)

Banned alcohol; led to illegal production, speakeasies, and organized crime.

Mafia/Mob

Criminal organizations that thrived during Prohibition by illegally selling alcohol.

First Red Scare

Fear of communism spreading in the U.S. after the Russian Revolution.

KKK (Ku Klux Klan)

White supremacist group that re-emerged in the 1920s, targeting immigrants, African Americans, Catholics, and Jews.

Sacco and Vanzetti

Italian immigrants and anarchists controversially executed; many believed it was due to anti-immigrant bias.

Nativism

Belief in protecting native-born Americans from immigrants; resulted in anti-immigration policies.

National Origins Act (1924)

Law that severely restricted immigration, especially from Southern and Eastern Europe.

Causes of GD

Stock market crash (1929), overproduction, unequal wealth distribution, buying on margin, bank failures.

Effects of GD

High unemployment, widespread poverty, bank closures, homelessness.

Hoover

President at the start of the Depression; believed in limited government intervention (laissez-faire).

Hoovervilles

Shanty Towns built by the homeless during the Depression; named to criticize President Hoover.

FDR (Franklin D. Roosevelt)

President elected in 1932; introduced the New Deal to address the Depression.

New Deal

FDR’s programs to provide relief, recovery, and reform (e.g., Social Security, job programs, banking reform).

Deficit Spending

Government spending more money than it collects in taxes, used to stimulate the economy.

FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)

New Deal program that protects bank deposits to restore trust in banks.

Good Neighbor Policy

FDR’s foreign policy toward Latin America, emphasizing cooperation instead of intervention.

SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission)

Regulates the stock market to prevent another crash.

FDR’s Court Packing

FDR’s failed plan to add more justices to the Supreme Court after some New Deal laws were ruled unconstitutional.

Dust Bowl

Environmental disaster during the 1930s where severe droughts and dust storms destroyed farms in the Midwest.

Neutrality Acts

Laws passed in the 1930s to keep the U.S. out of foreign wars by banning arms sales to nations at war.

Cash and Carry Policy

Allowed nations at war to buy U.S. goods if they paid cash and transported them themselves.

Lend-Lease Act

Allowed the U.S. to send weapons to Allies in WWII without immediate payment, signaling a shift away from neutrality.

U.S. Neutrality During WWI Until 1917

The U.S. was officially neutral but economically and politically favored the Allies by trading and lending money to Britain and France.

One Reason US Joined WWI

Germany’s unrestricted submarine warfare and the Zimmerman Telegram pushed the U.S. to join the war in 1917.

Why US Senate Did Not Ratify Treaty of Versailles

The Senate feared it would pull the U.S. into future foreign conflicts and limit its sovereignty.

Why African Americans Moved North During WWI

To escape segregation and find industrial jobs in Northern cities, leading to the Great Migration.

Schenck - When Can Free Speech Be Limited?

When it presents a “clear and present danger” to national security, especially in wartime.

Impact of the Assembly Line

It made goods faster and cheaper to produce, leading to mass consumption and economic growth.

Did Prohibition Work?

No—it failed to stop drinking and led to increased crime, illegal alcohol sales, and disrespect for the law.

One Demographic Experiencing Economic Hardship Before GD

Farmers, who faced low crop prices, debt, and overproduction during the 1920s.

How Did the Roaring 20s Lead to the Great Depression?

Overconfidence in the economy, stock market speculation, and buying on margin led to the 1929 crash.

Why Was Hoover Not Reelected?

Many blamed him for doing too little during the Depression; his policies were seen as ineffective.

Why Did FDR Want to Change the Supreme Court?

To add justices who would support his New Deal after the Court ruled some programs unconstitutional.