Post-WWI Immigration

Dramatically increased immigration after the war caused a rise in American nativism

Anti -Semitism

Rise in Jewish immigration caused rise in
American anti-Semitism

Eugenics

Pseudo-science that gave support to racist beliefs in the inferiority of races

Popular Culture of the 1920’s

Movies and Radio

The Flapper

Independent young women who flouted conventional norms

Margaret Sanger

Leader of the birth control movement

Sultan of Swing

Baseball Player Babe Ruth

Film Actors

Charlie Chaplin

Religious Fundamentalism

Caused by Urban-Rural Tensions

Scopes “Monkey” Trial

Trial over the teaching of Evolution

Sacco-Vanzetti Trial

Demonstrated American prejudice against immigrants and radicals

Prohibition

18 th Amendment
Prohibited Alcohol
Enforced through the Volstead Act

Speakeasy

Secret Bar

Rise and Fall of KKK

Largest Membership
Most powerful in Mid-West
Fell due to internal divisions and scandals

Marcus Garvey

Black leader who advocated separatism and Back-to-Africa movement

Harlem Renaissance

Flowering of Black Culture

Jazz / Blues

New forms of music originating in the
Harlem Renaissance

Automobile Industry

Had Biggest Impact on American
Economy in 20 th Century

Charles Lindbergh

American Hero
Flew solo non-stop
NY-Paris
Spirit of St. Louis

Normalcy

Warren G. Harding’s campaign slogan for
1920 Election

Teapot Dome Scandal

Secretary of Interior, Albert Fall, took kickbacks for leasing US oil reserves

The Ohio Gang

Friends and associates of President
Harding
Given jobs in government – many were corrupt

Henry Ford

Revolutionized the automobile industry
First to use the assembly line

Amelia Earhart

Female Pilot
Attempted to fly around the world
Disappeared in the Pacific

Glenn Curtiss

Aviation Engineer / Pioneer
Father of Naval Aviation

Welfare Capitalism

Corporations allow workers to buy stock – share in profits
Supply health insurance and pensions

Open Shop

People can apply for jobs without having to join a union

Washington Naval Conference

First Disarmament Talks
Four Power Treaty = respect each other’s territories in Pacific
Five Power Treaty = fixed ratio of warships; set quotas on numbers
Nine Power Treaty = all agreed to respect China’s independence

Kellogg-Briand Pact

All signatories agreed to give up war as an instrument of policy

Dawes Plan

Restructured German war reparation payments
Loaned Germany money to pay reparations

Election of 1928

Hoover versus Alfred Smith
Big Issue – Smith’s Catholicism

Problems in Agriculture

Agriculture weakest sector of
American economy
Low crop prices hurt farmers

The Dust Bowl

Dust storms destroyed farms in
Mid-West America
Caused migration of farmers out of the region

Stock Market Crash

October 1929
Margin calls and bank runs collapsed
American financial sector

Causes of Great Depression

Problems deeply rooted due to WWI
Total economic collapse
Overproduction
Hawley-Smoot Tariff
Drop in exports

Hawley-Smoot Tariff

High US tariffs devastated European economies
Tariff war hurt all sides

Hoovervilles

Temporary shanty towns constructed by homeless
Named after the President

Bonus Army

US WWI veterans who marched on
Washington DC demanding they be paid
$1000 bonus promised them