Unit 3 Study Guide: The 1920s, Racial Violence, and the Great Depression
Pennsylvania Keystone Literature Exam Response Guidelines
Essential Components of a High-Quality Response: * Clear Claim/Answer: Provide a direct and concise response to the prompt. * Evidence from the Text: Support the claim with specific details, quotes, or examples from the provided reading. * Explanation: Elaborate on how the cited evidence specifically supports the initial claim or answer.
Example Case Study: Character Development: * Question: How does the author show that the main character changes throughout the story? * Model Response: * The Claim: At the beginning of the story, Marcus is afraid to speak up for himself, but by the end he becomes more confident. * Textual Evidence (Initial State): Early in the text, Marcus stays quiet when the other students make fun of him. * Textual Evidence (Final State): Later, he stands in front of the class and shares his project even though he is nervous. * Analysis/Explanation: This shows that Marcus no longer lets his fear control him. The author uses Marcus's actions to demonstrate his character development.
Unit 3 Study Guide: The 1920s and Economic Foundations
Examination Logistics: * The exam will be administered on paper. * Exam Date: Thursday May , .
Mass Production and Industrialization: * Factories implemented the assembly line to facilitate the production of goods with greater speed and at lower costs. * Increased efficiency made products like automobiles, radios, and various household appliances affordable for a larger segment of the American population. * Henry Ford: Credited with popularizing assembly-line production specifically within the automobile industry.
The Rise of Consumerism: * A shift in American purchasing habits occurred where individuals increasingly bought goods based on "wants" rather than just "needs." * Credit and Installment Plans: These financial arrangements became common, allowing consumers to purchase items immediately and pay for them over time. * Cultural Impact: Consumer culture began to link personal success and happiness directly to the acquisition of material goods.
Advertising and Media Influence: * Businesses utilized various mediums to influence consumer behavior, including: * Radio broadcasts. * Newspapers. * Billboards. * Magazines. * Advertisements were designed to create demand for new products and were instrumental in shaping popular culture during the decade.
Sector Vocabulary: * Consumerism: The belief that buying goods is important and beneficial. * Assembly Line: A manufacturing process where products move through specific stations for faster production. * Installment Buying: Purchasing goods through monthly payments.
Cultural Change and New Lifestyles in the 1920s
The Jazz Age: * The s gained this moniker due to the rapid growth and popularity of jazz music. * Jazz served as a cultural reflection of creativity, newfound freedom, and societal change.
Flappers and Evolving Roles for Women: * Flappers: Defined as young women who challenged traditional expectations for gender roles. * Societal Behaviors: Women adopted new fashions, shorter hairstyles, and different social behaviors. * Independence: Women gained significant independence following the acquisition of the right to vote in .
Urban vs. Rural Tensions: * Urban Areas: Cities generally supported modern ideas and cultural transformations. * Rural Areas: Countryside regions often upheld traditional religious and social values. * Social Conflict: These differing viewpoints led to major societal friction throughout the decade.
Entertainment and Celebrity Culture: * Movies, musicians, and sports stars emerged as highly influential figures in society. * Popular forms of entertainment included nightclubs, dancing, and general nightlife.
Sector Vocabulary: * Flapper: A young woman in the s known for challenging traditional gender expectations. * Urbanization: The growth of cities and the movement of populations into urban areas.
Social Tensions and Systemic Conflict
Prohibition: * The 18th Amendment: This constitutional amendment banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol. * Speakeasies: Illegal, secret bars that became common during this era. * Organized Crime: Criminal groups profited immensely from the illicit sale of alcohol.
Nativism and Immigration Fears: * There was a widespread fear that immigrants would negatively impact American culture or take jobs from native-born citizens. * This led to a sharp increase in immigration restrictions during the s.
Revival of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK): * The organization saw significant growth during this decade. * Targets of the Klan included Black Americans, immigrants, Catholics, Jews, and other minority groups.
Racial Tensions Post-WWI: * Violence based on race increased following World War I. * Black Americans were frequently subjected to discrimination, systemic segregation, and mob violence.
The Scopes Trial: * A legal battle focused on the legality of teaching evolution in public schools. * The trial highlighted the intense conflict between modern scientific thought and religious fundamentalism.
Sector Vocabulary: * Nativism: Favoring native-born Americans over immigrants. * Speakeasy: An illegal nightclub selling alcohol during Prohibition. * Fundamentalism: Strict religious belief based on a literal interpretation of scripture.
The Harlem Renaissance and Black Culture
Harlem Renaissance Movement: * A profound cultural movement centered in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. * The movement celebrated Black creativity, cultural identity, and racial pride.
Influence of Music and Literature: * Jazz and blues music transitioned from local traditions to national influences. * Black writers, artists, and musicians earned greater professional and social recognition.
Racial Pride and Identity Expression: * Artists used their work to express lived experiences involving racism and inequality. * The movement fostered increased political awareness and cultural pride within the African American community.
Sector Vocabulary: * Harlem Renaissance: The African American cultural movement of the s. * Jazz: A music style rooted in African American traditions that emphasizes improvisation.
Systematic Racial Violence in the United States
Definition of Racial Violence: * Violence utilized as a tool to maintain racial hierarchies and power structures. * Perpetrators included individuals, police forces, mobs, various institutions, or the government itself. * Purpose: It is not random; it is strategically used to intimidate, control, and enforce social inequality.
Red Summer (): * A series of multiple racial attacks occurring across the U.S. following World War I. * Causes: Driven by job competition and heightened racial tensions. * Events: White mobs launched attacks on Black communities; many Black citizens fought back in self-defense. * Result: Led to numerous deaths and injuries, increasing national tension.
Tulsa Massacre (): * Location: Greenwood, Oklahoma, a prosperous area known as "Black Wall Street." * Trigger: Sparked by a false accusation leveled against a Black teenager. * Impact: White mobs decimated homes and Black-owned businesses. Many individuals were killed or injured in one of the worst acts of racial violence in U.S. history.
Rosewood Massacre (): * Location: Rosewood, Florida—at the time, a prosperous Black town. * Trigger: Similar to Tulsa, violence began after a false accusation against a Black man. * Consequence: White mobs burned homes and public buildings. Survivors were forced to flee, resulting in the permanent destruction of the town and the total loss of homes, land, and generational wealth.
The Great Depression, Class Tension, and the New Deal
Inequality and Class Tension: * Definition: Conflict between different social or economic classes arising from unequal distribution of wealth, power, and opportunity. * Observability: During the Great Depression, the divide between the wealthy and the poor became starkly visible. * Economic Disparity: While millions lost their employment, homes, and life savings, some wealthy individuals and businesses maintained their resources and power. * Societal Reaction: Economic hardship led to increased anger, frustration, and urgent demands for government intervention.
Leadership of Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR): * Roosevelt assumed the presidency during the height of the Great Depression. * Fireside Chats: He utilized radio broadcasts to speak directly to the public, aiming to restore national confidence. * Personal Detail: Roosevelt suffered from polio and was paralyzed from the waist down, a disability he largely kept hidden from the public eye.
The New Deal: * A comprehensive series of government programs and initiatives. * Goals: Relief (immediate help for the poor), Recovery (fixing the economy), and Reform (regulating the system to prevent future depressions). * Historical Shift: The New Deal significantly expanded the role of the federal government in managing the economy and supporting citizens in times of crisis.
Questions & Discussion
Multiple Choice Practice Questions: 1. What was one major effect of mass production during the s? * Answer: c. products became cheaper and easier to buy. 2. The Harlem Renaissance is best described as: * Answer: b. a cultural movement celebrating Black creativity and identity. 3. What was a major goal of Roosevelt’s New Deal? * Answer: c. helping Americans recover from the Great Depression. 4. Which statement best describes racial violence in U.S. history during the early s? * Answer: b. it was often used to maintain racial hierarchy and intimidate Black communities. 5. Which statement best explains class tension during the Great Depression? * Answer: b. economic inequality caused conflict between wealthy and poor groups in society.
Short Essay Practice Prompts: 1. Explain how cultural changes during the s created conflict in American society. Use at least two examples from the study guide. 2. How did racial violence during the Red Summer, Tulsa Massacre, and Rosewood Massacre reflect larger issues of inequality and power in the United States?