U.S. History -- Mr. DeNardo
“Boom & Bust”: The Roaring 20’s, the Great Depression, and the New Deal
The final unit of the semester will be an examination of America during a period of great contrast. We will begin by
exploring the legendary but often misunderstood “Roaring 1920’s”. Countless books and movies have romanticized the
Twenties as one of America's most colorful, decadent and fun-loving times. Then, shockingly to most, the nation plunged
into the depths of economic despair of “Great Depression” during the 1930’s. The early 1930’s saw one in every four
American workers out of work and truly tested the nation’s moral fiber.
How can one make sense of these seemingly contradictory events that occurred so close together? Our focus will
be on major social, political and economic trends of this period. With the end of the “Progressive Era” following World
War I, the pendulum of history swung back towards many of the trends of the earlier “Gilded Age”. We will learn how
growing intolerance and discrimination, political inaction as well as hidden economic instability marked the 1920’s and
early 30’s. Many historians view this period as the origins of “modern America” because so many of the trends from this
era continue to shape our world today. Finally, we will examine the ENORMOUS expansion of federal government power
during the 1930s as President Franklin Roosevelt attempted to bring the economy back to life through his “New Deal” policies.
How did major political, economic and social trends of the 1920’s represent a conflict between modern
and traditional values?
What were the main causes of the Great Depression, how did the government react to the crisis and
how was American society in the 1930’s impacted?
Homework #5: Chapter 12 & 13 (Due Block Day Nov. 20-21)
1) Describe the ways in which nativism and isolationism were demonstrated in American society during the 1920’s, i.e. the
Red Scare, Sacco & Vanzetti Trial, immigration restrictions and the resurgence of the KKK.
2) Explain how cars, electricity, advertising, and consumer credit during the 1920s changed the lives of many Americans
and promoted a superficial prosperity.
3) Discuss several reasons why Prohibition was largely ineffective in the U.S. during the 1920’s.
4) Discuss how John T. Scopes and the “Scopes Monkey Trial” represented a clash between new and traditional values
during the 1920’s.
5) Discuss how many women challenged social norms during the 1920’s.
6) What was the Harlem Renaissance, who were some of the major figures of this period and in what talents did they
flourish, and why was the Harlem Renaissance so important to the African-American community in the 1920’s?
Red Scare, Palmer Raids, Sacco & Vanzetti, “New” KKK, Emergency Quota Act, Model A, Route 66, Electric
Appliances, Installment Plan, Volstead Act, Speakeasies, Al Capone, Scopes Monkey Trial, Flapper, Marriage & Family
of the 20's, Impacts of Radio, Babe Ruth, Charles Lindbergh, Harlem Renaissance, Marcus Garvey , Jazz
Homework #6: Ch. 14 & Ch. 15, pp. 488-501 & 515-519 (DUE Tuesday December 3rd )
1)Discuss how the suffering experienced during the Great Depression in cities differed from that in rural areas and describe
the major social and psychological impacts of the Great Depression on families during the 1930’s.
2) How did Herbert Hoover’s early policies to combat the Depression differ from his actions after about 1930?
3) Explain how the “Bonus Army” incident hurt Hoover’s popularity.
4) Discuss the main impacts of New Deal programs on banks, farmers & the unemployed.
5) What was FDR’s “Court-Packing” proposal and why did it temporarily hurt the popularity of FDR and the New Deal?
6) Discuss the liberal and conservative criticisms of FDR’s New Deal policies.
7) Why did programs such as the WPA and laws like the Wagner Act make FDR so popular with labor unions?
Shantytowns, Dust Bowl, "Rugged Individualism", “Hoovervilles”, Boulder Dam, Reconstruction Finance Corporation
(RFC), Bonus Army, Election of 1932, New Deal, “Hundred Days”, Fireside Chats, “Alphabet Soup” Agencies (FDIC,
SEC, AAA, CCC, NRA, TVA, WPA, NLRB, Social Security), Deficit Spending, "Court Packing”, American Liberty
League, Charles Coughlin, Huey Long
Soup Kitchen Simulation: Tues. November 26
New Deal on Trial: Block Day December 11-12
Unit Test: You will be assessed on your understanding of this unit as part of the comprehensive Final Exam
given to 3rd period on Fri. 12/20 from 10:50-12:50 and to 6th period on Wed. 12/18 from 10:50-12:50
Unit Assignments Packet due on the day of the final exam