WCHS SATP2 REVIEW II
The1920’s (1920-1929): Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover
Overview: The popular image of the 1920s, as a decade of prosperity and riotous living and of
bootleggers and gangsters, flappers and hot jazz, flagpole sitters, and marathon dancers, is
indelibly etched in the American psyche. But this image is also profoundly misleading. The
1920s was a decade of deep cultural conflict. The pre-Civil War decades had fundamental
conflicts in American society that involved geographic regions. During the Gilded Age, conflicts
centered on ethnicity and social class. Conversely, the conflicts of the 1920s were primarily
cultural, pitting a more cosmopolitan, modernist, urban culture against a more provincial,
traditionalist, rural culture.
The decade witnessed a titanic struggle between an old and a new America. Immigration, race,
alcohol, evolution, gender politics, and sexual morality--all became major cultural battlefields
during the 1920s. Wets battled drys, religious modernists battled religious fundamentalists, and
urban ethnics battled the Ku Klux Klan.
The 1920s was a decade of profound social changes. The most obvious signs of change were the
rise of a consumer-oriented economy and of mass entertainment, which helped to bring about a
"revolution in morals and manners." Sexual mores, gender roles, hair styles, and dress all
changed profoundly during the 1920s. Many Americans regarded these changes as liberation
from the country's Victorian past. But for others, morals seemed to be decaying, and the United
States seemed to be changing in undesirable ways.
A.Mitchell Palmer and the Red Scare- Attorney General who accused innocent people of
being communist and created the mass hysteria when people worried that communists were
going to take over the US.
Sacco and Vanzetti- two Italian immigrants who were falsely accused and executed of murder
and robbery; Example of intolerance of the period Teapot Dome Scandal- oil scandal that
occurred while Harding was president; the scandal was not known until he died; Sec. Of the
Interior Albert Fall had leased govt lands to private oil companies and pocketed the money Ku
Klux Klan- first formed after the Civil War (1860s) and was revived during this period of
intolerance; KKK persecuted Af-Am, Jews, Catholics, alcoholics, adulterers, immigrants.
Marcus Garvey- led the Black Nationalists movement; promoted black pride in their culture;
encouraged African Americans to start their own businesses; started a back-to-Africa movement;
he embezzled money from his followers and was sentenced to prison.
Prohibition and 18th amendment- made alcohol illegal
21st amendment- repealed prohibition (made it legal again)
speakeasies- illegal bars where alcohol was sold
Al Capone- king of the mob; made his fortune on gambling, prostitution, and illegal alcohol
Volstead Act- enforced prohibition
Flappers- symbolized the revolution in morals and manners; women who drank, smoked,
cursed, cut their hair
short, wore short sleeveless dresses, danced the Charleston…
Entertainment -Popularity of radio (first stations hit the air) , movies (first talking movie was
The Jazz Singer) and Sports (Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey, Red Grange); all were huge forms of
entertainment
Impact of Automobile- made other industries like oil, gasoline, rubber, glass, paint, steel, etc.
boom; had
a dramatic impact on the landscape with red lights, parking lots, stop signs, gas stations, etc.
Assembly line- allowed goods to be produced faster and therefore, cheaper.
Charles Lindbergh- flew the Spirit of St. Louis from NY to Paris non-stop; became a hero
overnight
The Jazz Age- name given for the music of the period Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellingtonfamous jazz musicians.
Harlem Renaissance- rebirth of art and literature in the black community; center of this rebirth
was Harlem,
NY
The Lost Generation- group of artists and writers that were disillusioned with society; they
were disgusted
with the materialism and were disillusioned from the war.
The Great Depression and New Deal: 1929-1941 Hoover & Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Overview: The Great Depression was, without a doubt, the longest and most severe economic
downturn in American history. Widely held to begin with the stock market crash of 1929, the
Depression lasted until the advent of American involvement in World War II.
Unemployment skyrocketed during the Depression years, reaching levels as high as one third of
the population. Output shrank tremendously, falling by ten percent a year from 1929 to 1932.
Nearly half of the commercial banks of the United States failed during the Depression. Crop
prices fell by over fifty percent. People went hungry because so much food was produced that
production became unprofitable. Others were unemployed because they had produced more than
could be sold.
Huge numbers of Americans had their lives upset by the Depression. Tens of thousands of
migrant farm workers travelled the nation looking for employment. Homelessness, poverty and
general despair characterized much of the nation.
Causes:
 stock speculation- buying stock when the price is low and selling it when the price rises
in hopes of making a quick profit; many Americans were stuck with worthless stock
when the market crashed
 buying on the margin- Americans were able to purchase stock by putting down as little
as 10% of the stock’s value; Americans then borrowed money from the bank to pay for
the rest of the stock; when the market crashed, Americans had to pay the loan back to the
bank even though the stock was worthless
 overproduction- various industries kept up production even though there was not a
demand from the market
(ex. Automobiles, crops, construction); supply exceeded demand which made prices fall)

stock market crash- this was the spark that began the depression; 16 million shares of
stock were traded******
 individual debt- Americans were in debt due to the installment buying of the 20’s
 international debt- the US was in debt due to WWI; we practically financed the entire
war for the Allies inevitability of depressions- depressions are a natural part of the
business cycle; they will happen eventually
 unequal distribution of income- “the rich got richer and the poor got poorer”; salaries of
the wealthiest percent of Americans increased while wages of the poorest percent of
Americans decreased
Herbert Hoover- elected in 1928 by promising a “chicken in every pot, a car in every garage”;
was blamed for
the depression even though it was not his fault; he was in the wrong place at the wrong
time (White
House)
Hoovervilles, Hoover flags, etc.- names given to common objects that showed Americans
blamed Hoover
“Brother can you spare a dime”- lyrics to a famous song of the depression
Bonus Army- group of WWI vets who marched in Washington, DC ; they wanted the govt to pay
them then
the bonus that they had been promised for fighting in WWI; they did not receive it during
the depression
The Scottsboro Case- involved 9 Af-Am teenaged boys who were accused of raping 2 white
girls on a train;
was an ex. Of the intolerance of the period; they were later all freed and charges were dropped
Dust Bowl- natural disaster that occurred out west where a severe drought and heavy winds blew
the dry
topsoil east; poor farming practices intensified the situation (lack of crop rotations); many moved
to
California and were nicknamed Okies (most moved from Oklahoma) 25% unemploymenthighest average unemployment during the depression; in 1933.
Forms of entertainment (radio, movies, board games…)
Election of 32 and 36- FDR won both
Franklin Roosevelt- promised Americans a “New Deal” and began social programs that helped
ease the
depression
New Deal Agencies:
 CCC (worked outdoors doing conservation projects);
 CWA, PWA, WPA (all gave jobs building roads, bridges, and dams;
 WPA also helped writers and artists);
 TVA (built dams that created hydro-Electricity);
 FDIC (insured bank deposits); SSI (pension plan for elderly and disabled);
 AAA (Farmers were paid not to farm ¼ to ½ of land in an effort to raise farm prices)
Court packing plan or Judiciary Reorganization Bill- when FDR tried to get Congress to
allow him to add new justices to the Sup Ct for every justice over 70; he was mad b/c they ruled
many agencies unconstitutional
Dorothea Lange- photographer during the Depression whose photos help bring govt aid to
farmers out west
Academic Vocabulary:
Innovation
advocate
Drastic
gender
ethnic
intention
Deficit
justification
stimulate
incentive
ensure
stimulate
oppose
dilemma
physical landscape
regulations
WWII: 1939-1945
Isolationism- US foreign policy after WWI; we wanted to stay out of world
affairs in order to avoid getting involved in another world war (from 1918
until 1941- years between WWI and WWII)
Good Neighbor Policy- US policy of trying to improve relations with Latin
America
Axis Powers- alliance of Japan, Italy, and Germany during WWII
Munich Conference/Pact- Hitler had taken over the Rhineland and Austria;
he now demanded the Sudetenland (part of Czechoslovakia); Germany,
France, and Great Britain met in Munich and gave Hitler the Sudetenland in
return for his promise to not seize any more land
Appeasement- the practice of giving in to someone in order to avoid a
conflict; when GB and Fr gave Hitler the Sudetenland
Invasion of Poland- Hitler invaded Poland on Sept. 1, 39 with help from the
Soviets; appeasement had failed and WWII had begun
Neutrality Acts- (1935-1939); acts passed in the US to keep us out of war
that included:
1) the US could not give $ to countries at war,
2) we would not sell weapons to countries at war,
3) we would sell materials for war (oil, steel, etc.) to others on a “cash
and carry” basis,
4) no Americans could ride ships that belonged to countries at war
Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact- alliance or pact between the USSR and
Germany; they agreed to not fight each other and to invade Poland and
split the land; the pact ends when Germany invades the USSR; the USSR
then joins the Allies (GB and Fr)
Lend-Lease Act- when the US agreed to lend weapons to GB (and later the
USSR and China); we were called “an arsenal for democracy”
Blitzkrieg- German method of attack using planes and tanks together in
battle; “lightning war”; the US began to use this method of attack as well
Winston Churchill- new Prime Minister of GB during WWII; replaced
Neville Chamberlain; promised to fight Germany to the end; signed the
Atlantic Charter with FDR
Atlantic Charter- document signed by FDR and Churchill that reaffirmed the
rights of people to choose their own leaders; both agreed to only accept an
“unconditional surrender” from the Axis
Pearl Harbor/”a date which will live in infamy”- US naval base in Hawaii that
was bombed by Japan on Dec. 7, 1941; it brought the US into war and
ended the Great Depression at home; FDR stated that Dec. 7th would
always be remembered
Bataan Death March and General MacArthur- 78,000 US and Filipino
forces in the Philippines led by MacArthur surrendered to the Japanese; the
prisoners were forced on a 60 mile death march with no food or water;
10,000 soldiers died on the march; MacArthur was rescued from the island
and promised “I shall return”
Battle of Midway- important naval battle b/t the US and Japan; the US won
and it is considered the “turning point” in the war in the Pacific
United Nations- world-wide peace keeping organization formed during
WWII to support the Allies; it replaced the League of Nations
War mobilization- Americans efforts to get ready for and support the war
effort
war bonds- Americans would loan the govt money for the war effort with the
promise to be repaid plus interest; made Americans feel like they were
contributing in the war effort
rationing- when the govt. rationed goods to ensure that essential items
were available for the soldiers; alsobegan to prevent inflation (ex. Tires for
the rubber; nylon pantyhose for parachutes, etc.)
Internment of Japanese-Americans- FDR signed an act to “intern” or roundup thousands of Japanese-Americans that lived on the west coast and
send them to “relocation centers” in the interior of the US; we
worried that they might be spies for the Japanese
nd
442 combat team- an all volunteer regiment made up of Japanese-Am
soldiers; won more Congressional Medals and other medals than any other
regiment; trained at Camp Shelby, MS
Rosie the Riveter- symbol of the working woman in WWII; encouraged
women to get a job to support the war effort; said “We Can Do It”
Technology in WWII- radar detected airplanes, sonar detected ships and
submarines, atomic bomb was used to end the war
D-Day- also known as “Operation Overlord”; the Allied invasion of
Normandy, France that included 5000 ships led by Gen. Eisenhower; June
1944
Yalta Conference- Feb. 45; meeting b/t Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill;
discussed how to divide Germany among the Allies when the war was
over; also included the promise by Stalin to help the US fight Japan and to
hold free elections in countries they now occupied; Stalin broke this
promise which led to the Cold War
VE Day- “Victory in Europe”; Germany surrenders on May 8, 45
Island hopping strategy- the Allies would only try to recapture those islands
that would help them launch an
invasion of mainland Japan
Navajo Code Talkers- Navajo Indians were used as code talkers and
helped the Allies communicate without fear of having our messages
translated; the code-talkers were kept classified until the 1980’s in case we
needed to use them again
Manhattan Project- code name for the project to build an atomic bomb; we
feared that Germany was building one and so we raced to build it first
Reasons Truman used the a-bomb- 1) to end the war, 2) to save American
(and Japanese) lives, 3) to avoid an invasion of mainland Japan, 4) to
intimidate the Soviet Union, 5) for revenge at Pearl Harbor, 6) the
Japanese would not surrender and it was the only alternative left
VJ Day- “Victory in Japan”; Japan surrenders on Sept. 2, 45
Dates:
Sept, 1, 1939- Germany and USSR invade Poland
Sept, 3, 1939- Great Britain and France declare war on Germany
Dec. 7, 41- Japan bombs Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
June 6, 44- the Allies invade France in the D-Day invasion
May 8, 45- Germany surrenders
August 6 and 9, 45- the US drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki, Japan
Sept. 2, 45- Japan formally surrenders
______________________________________________________________________________
Key Terms for post World War II trough 1950's
“Cold War”- rivalry b/t the US and Soviet Union in politics, economics, and
technology
Iron curtain- stated by Winston Churchill; said an “iron curtain has descended
across eastern Europe” that divides communist Europe from non-communist
Europe
Soviet satellites- countries that were communist and looked to the USSR for
leadership
United Nations/Security Council- world-wide peace keeping organization formed
at the end of World War II; it replaced the League of Nations; the Sec. Council was
made up of the US, USSR, China, France, and
Great Britain and other
countries that rotated membership on the council
Containment Policy- George Kennan- belief that the US should and would fight
to stop the spread of Communism; this guided our actions from 1945 until 1991
Truman Doctrine- an informal declaration of war when Truman said we would
help anyone who was resisting communist aggression
h-bomb- 800 to 1,000 times more powerful than the a-bomb; the US made this
after the USSR got the a-bomb
Korean Conflict: June 1950, Pusan, Inchon, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, 38th
parallel, Yalu River, Chinese involvement, Truman fires MacArthur, Ike ends the
war with massive retaliation
Inflation- when demand exceeds supply; occurred after WWII b/c people had $ to
spend but goods had not been made during the war and so prices went up
drastically
Fair Deal- Truman’s domestic program; his plan proposed to increase minimum
wage, extend Social Security, and begin public housing
Taft Hartley Act- limited the power of labor unions; required a cooling off period
before striking; allowed the president the power to intervene and end a strike
Joseph McCarthy and McCarthyism- “second red scare”; people were
concerned about communists in our government; Senator McCarthy led the
hysteria and was later censured
The Rosenbergs- couple executed for selling atomic secrets to the Soviets;
showed how scared we were of communist taking over; they were executed
Alger Hiss- a government worker who was accused of stealing government
documents
Dixiecrats and Strom Thurmond- southern political party that believed in states’
rights and denying rights to African Americans led by South Carolinian Strom
Thurmond
Brinkmanship- threatening an all-out war in an attempt to confront communist
aggression
Eisenhower Doctrine- Ike promised to help all countries in the Middle East that
wanted our help in stopping the spread of communism
Castro comes to power- Castro leads a revolution to overthrow Batista but then
becomes communist; 1959
U-2 spy plane incident (1960)- Ike is president; the USSR shot down our spy
plane and captured the pilot,
Gary Powers; it made our relationship with the USSR worse
Sputnik- 1957; the USSR launched the first successful artificial earth satellite; it
scared us to death!
Eisenhower funds- the government started to pump more $ into education to help
us catch up with the Soviets in technology
NASA- space program established to help us win the space race
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)- was created in 1947 by Congress as an
intelligence-gathering organization to protect American interest in other countries.
Civil Defense Administration- was a government organization that taught
Americans how to survive a nuclear attack.
Second Red Scare-This was a fear that communist both inside and outside the
United States were working to destroy the American way of life and the United
States government.
The Smith Act-this legislation was used by Harry Truman to cripple the
Communist party within the United States. This act made it unlawful to teach or
advocate a violent overthrow of the United States government.
The House on Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)- was an
organization created by the US House of Representatives to investigate possible
subversive activities by fascists, Nazis and communists.
Blacklist- a do not hire list that actors, artists, etc. were placed on if they were
believed to have association with the Communist Party
Automation- making things by machine; reduces the number of workers but
increases productivity
GI Bill of Rights- gave returning WWII vets $ for college and homes..... new
home building sprang up under the FHA
Baby Boom- when vets came home they settled down and started families; people
could now afford to have children; boom was from 1945-1960
Impact of television- I Love Lucy, Mickey Mouse Club… contributed to the
conformity of the 1950s
Migration to suburbs- the auto allowed people to move out of the city; was seen
as a “step up” in society to move to the new houses in the suburbs
Levittown-the first suburb built to fill a need for homes for returning veterans.
Theses homes were affordable and were mass produced.
Car Culture-car ownership sprang from 26 million in 1945 to 60 million in 1960.
The automobile industry thrived and this led to more businesses.
Interstate Highway Act- 1956; Ike’s greatest domestic achievement; tens of
thousands of miles of roads were built which impacted transportation of goods and
people etc.
Sunbelt- this was a name given to the southern and western states. The coastal
areas along the southernmost United States are part of the Sunbelt. The invention
of the air-conditioner made their climates attractive, as well as, the development of
the Interstate Highway System caused migration into the areas to increase.
Information industries-individuals who built and operated the first computer
White-Collar jobs-professional/semi-professional jobs such as office workers.
This type of work increased during the 1950's.
Service Sector-businesses where people provide services; such as banks,
healthcare, lawyers, , insurance, manufacturing, etc. These type of businesses
grew in the 1950's.
Franchise businesses-this allows a company to distribute its products or services
through retail outlets owned by independent operators. Ex. McDonalds, BEST
Buy, Wendy's
Multinational Companies-this is when American businesses produced and osold
their goods all over the world.
consumerism-buying as much as you could...usually on credit.
Median family income-this is an average of a family's income over a year.
Median income increased from $3,319 to $5417 during the 1950's.
Nuclear Family- the 1950's embraced the ideology that the "ideal" family would
consist of a mother, father and their children.
bought and read this book because they wanted expert advice on how to raise their
children. Spock emphasized the importance of nurturing children in the early
years.
The 1950's was a time of religious revival. In God We Trust was added to the
American dollar during the 1950's. Under God was added to the Pledge of
Allegiance during the 1950's. More churches were built in the 1950's than ever
before. Billy Graham was a famous preacher from the 1950's.
“rock and roll”- new music of the 1950s. Chuck Berry was a rock and roll artist
from the 1950's. Elvis Presley is the most noted rock-n-roller from the 1950's.
Dick Clark started American Bandstand. Parents were horrified by rock-n-roll
and teenagers loved it.
Beatniks-a small group of writers and artist who refused to dress the way society
said was "the norm." They wore "careless dress" with "Colorful jargon."
Urban renewal-were projects where federal, state and local governments tried to
reverse the downward trend in some American cities. Urban renewal government
projects cleared large tracts of older houses and built freeways and developments
which in hopes would "revitalize" the area.
Termination Policies-these were laws that sought to end Native American tribal
governments
and to support relocation of Native Americans to our nation's cities.
Brown vs. Board of Education 1954- this Supreme Court case reversed the Plessy
decision stating that "separate but equal was constitution." The Brown decision
stated "separate but equal facilities" for different races was "inherently
unequal and unconstitutional."
Rosa Parks launched the start of the Civil Rights Movement in 1955 when she
refused to give up her seat to a white citizens. As a result, the Montgomery Bus
Boycott started where African Americans boycotted the public busing system in
Montgomery Alabama for over a year.
Martin L. King Jr. was the father of the Civil Rights Movement starting in the
late 1950's. He worked with the Southern Christian Leadership Council to get
civil rights legislation passed.
Academic Vocabulary:
Evaluate
Migration
Domestic
Mass Media
Push/Pull Factors
urbanization
Analyze
Diversity
Argument
Traditionalism
Ideology
Federal Powers
Retaliation
natural rights
National Security
Arms Race
Civil rights
Economics
Productivity