Unit 6 Study Guide
Name _________________________________________________
Indicator 6.1
1920s Economic Boom Negatively Affected:
Farmers
Coal industry
Workers (Labor unions)
New Methods & Techniques to Make the Economy Boom
Electric energy  fueled American industry (at the expense of the coal industry)
Mass Production  more efficient than before; brought radios, refrigerators, and other new products to
the consumers; led to workers being disregarded or marginalized
Moving Assembly Line Henry Ford perfected it; a type of mass production; brought radios,
refrigerators, cars & other new products to consumers; further marginalized skilled workers
Mass media & Mass Consumer Culture  advertisements, the radio & the movies helped to encourage
Americans to buy things they could not afford; mass media spread the mass consumer culture
Installment Plan  the ‘buy now, pay later’ philosophy; encouraged consumers to change attitude about
debt; stimulates the economy due to the high consumer spending, but the once capacity of consumers to
borrow is reached, economy drops
New Methods of Transportation  changed urban life; the automobile change living & dating patterns;
public street cars led to distinctions between working & living neighborhoods; dividing the urban
community; change isolation of rural life
Growth of Suburbs  grew up due to the use of street cars; able to live away from where you work; will
grow much more after World War II in the 1950s
New Home Appliances Effect on Women of the 1920s
New home appliances – washing machines, electric irons & vacuum cleaners – designed to help women
do household chores easier; working class women could not afford these new devices; electric appliances
led to no significant decrease in household chores or to changes in women’s position in society or
economy
Great Migration
Push Factors
Pull Factors

Jim Crow discrimination

Job opportunities

Violence

The cultural renaissance taking place

Abject poverty

Ability to vote

Farming conditions worsened

More educational opportunities
Unit 6 Study Guide
Harlem Renaissance
Harlem Renaissance Defined: the cultural rebirth of African-American culture; brought recognition &
pride to black artists; supported by the Black middle class
Popular Artists of the Harlem Renaissance: Langston Hughes & James Weldon Johnson (both writers)
who celebrated ties to African cultural traditions & black pride
Importance of the Radio: helped to spread appreciation for new trends in music such as jazz to white
audiences and promoted a shared national culture
New Music Trends: Jazz;
Impact on Civil Rights Movement: the appreciation for African-American art helped to slowly break
down barriers and laid the foundation for the civil rights movement of the 1950s & 1960s
Mass Media Impact on African-Americans
Importance of the Radio: (see above)
Movies (Birth of A Nation): portrayed racial stereotypes and led to a resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan;
discrimination against African-Americans continued
Indicator 6.2
Causes of the 1920s Social Change
Industrialization  massive mechanization of the economy from agrarian to industry;
Immigration  massive movement of people from other parts of the world, mainly Europe because
Asians were barred; huge influx of people to become laborers and consumers
**Urbanization  movement to and growth of cities; by 1920s, more Americans are living in cities;
industry was located in cities; belief that moral values were declining
Emphasis on Science  will conflict with some religious views
Experience of War Years  disillusionment & anti-foreign propaganda will lead to strong dislike of
foreigners
Role of Women during the 1920s
Role of Women During World War I  women took factory jobs while men were fighting, thereby
contributing to the war effort; most gave up job when men returned from war
Historical Relevance of Seneca Falls  first major women’s rights meeting; in 1848; advocated for
suffrage (right to vote)
19th Amendment  women had right to vote out West; the 19th Amendment provided universal voting rights for
women; the contribution of women during the war years & the women’s rights organizations led to this
Voting habits of women (post 19th)  does not make politics more moral, which had been promised
because women most often voted as their husbands did
Unit 6 Study Guide
Female Occupations  common professions included teachers, nurses, telephone operators, secretaries,
sweatshop laborers, domestic servants (maids), factory workers – made less money than males for same work
Urbanization Effects on Women  movement to the cities during the war led to new sexual attitudes &
aroused public anxiety about the decline of moral values
Flapper  modern woman of the 1920s; most women remain in the traditional role of wife & mother
American Nativism
Define Nativism: dislike of foreigners and things foreign;
Define Xenophobia: fear of foreigners & foreign things; result of extreme nativism
Impact of Russian Revolution & Socialism: an event and a philosophy which frightened middle &
upper class Americans; fear of losing their wealth to the poor; led to Red Scare & nativism
Red Scare: fear of a Communist takeover of the United States; strikes by workers, Russian bolshevism &
anarchists bombs helped to feed this fear
Palmer Raids: name after the Attorney General who arrested 4,000 supposed Communists (many
without warrants) & held without bail possible; many were deported back to their country of origin
Anti-Immigration & the Ku Klux Klan Returns
Birth of a Nation: movie that intensified racism against African-Americans; portrayed racial stereotypes
and led to a resurgent Ku Klux Klan
Impact of Red Scare: added radicals, immigrants, & Catholics to the list of groups targeted by the new
Klan
KKK’s Use of 1920s Business Techniques: the Klan used the 1920s mass media (advertisements) and
business organization to promote membership; became national in scope
1866-1877 Ku Klux Klan versus 1920s Ku Klux Klan
1866-1877 Ku Klux Klan
Targets
African-Americans and those who
support them
Remove Republicans from power & restore Democrats;
Goals
Union army out; African-Americans as 2nd class citizens
Techniques
End or Downfall
Location
Terrorism; lynchings; operate at night
with faces hidden
Union army left; can act in the open;
no need
Former Confederate & slave-holding
states
1920s Ku Klux Klan
African-Americans; Radicals, immigrants,
Catholics, Jews, bootleggers & gamblers
Limit immigration; “save” American culture;
moral regulators (against bootleggers)
Cross burnings, public beatings & lynchings
Sex scandals & corruption undermined their
moral leadership & they faded
Southern & Midwestern states
Unit 6 Study Guide
Temperance Movement
History of Temperance Movement: beginnings in the 1830s – attempt to limit alcohol to save women &
children; were successful in some states & communities
Reasons for National Prohibition Success: World War I brought anti-German propaganda (Germans
were the major beer makers) & the grain shortage during World War I (need to eat it & not distill it)
18th Amendment: amendment which outlawed the making, selling, distributing or transporting of
alcohol; not its consumption; adherence to the law depended on class, ethnicity & religion
Define Speakeasy: illegal bar where alcohol could be purchased; in cities & ethnic communities
Results of Prohibition: not enough manpower to stop the illegal trade; gave rise to organized crime
Define Bootlegging: the making or transporting of alcohol
21st Amendment: repeal of the 18th Amendment
Conservatives versus Liberals
Scopes Trial (Monkey Trial): Tennessee court case which decided if a high school teacher could teach
the theory of evolution (going against a state law); case hi-lighted the difference between the religious
fundamentalists (conservatives) and the more science (modern liberal) viewpoints; ACLU defended
Social Conservatives: advocated conformity to a traditional moral code; traditional, conservative,
religious
Social Liberals: advocate individual rights; modern, liberal, science
Indicator 6.3
Causes of the Great Depression
Overproduction (Industry &
Farm goods)
Gap between rich & power grew;
wealthy had most disposable income
Wages for most fell or remained
same
High tariffs limiting foreign trade
Federal Reserve tightened money
Collapse of banks
supply
Event Signaled the Start of the Great Depression: Stock Market Crash________________
Farm Economy of the 1920s & 1930s
1920s: conditions were bad due to the expansion during the World War I years; farmers need to support
Allies & expanded production; expanded through credit; unable to pay back loans; led to bank closures
1930s: worse conditions; environmental disaster with drought brought the Dust Bowl conditions in the
Great Plains; overproduction continued to drop prices of farm goods
Unit 6 Study Guide
Economic & Social Steps taken in the 1920s
Laissez-faire policy
Tariff was raised
Income taxes were lowered –
wealthy spent money on luxury
Corporations became more
powerful
Stock Market Speculation
Drop in consumer spending
Wages fell or stagnated
Companies did not pass on
prosperity to its workers
Farm economy collapsed
Banks failed (before the Crash)
Limited loans (Federal Reserve
tightened money supply)
Supreme Court overturned limits on
child labor & minimum wage laws
No government regulation –
Confidence fell
Inflated stock values (from the
‘get rich quick mentality”
Causes of the Stock Market Crash
Ability to buy stocks on the
margin (credit)
Policies of the Federal Reserve during 1920s
The Federal Reserve observed too much stock market speculation during the 1920s and sought to correct
this by tightening the money supply; this made credit harder to come by; by charging higher interest
rates, the Federal Reserve discouraged lending; After the Crash, the Fed tightened money even more
Impact of the Policies of the Federal Reserve during 1920s
By tightening the money supply, the Fed made it very hard for the economy to recover because it was so
hard to borrow money; if the Fed cut interest rates and expanded the money supply, the Depression may
not have been as intense or as long lasting
Early Government Actions to Stop Great Depression
Tariffs: Congress passed a high tariff in 1930; this damaged the economy by further depressing foreign
trade; with the overproduction, Americans could not sell their products overseas because other nations
raised their own tariffs
President Hoover’s Steps: urged companies to voluntarily maintain wages and hours; companies could
not agree to that because they risked being bankrupted; he had done more than any president before
him, but for the Great Depression, it was not enough
Rugged individualism: American ideal where you can be successful and rely only upon yourself
Human Impact of the Great Depression
Unemployment Rate: percentage of working age Americans unable to get a job
Wages & Hours of Employed: those fortunate to be employed saw their wages & hours cut back
Bank Runs: fear of bank collapse would inspire people to get their money out of the banks; sometimes caused banks to close
Soup Kitchens & Bread Lines: private charities were to overwhelmed to help everyone; needed government help
Unit 6 Study Guide
Hoovervilles: name given to the makeshift communities that sprung up by the homeless; very unsightly
Okies: derogatory name for Great Plain migrants heading to California for work; form Oklahoma
Education & Nutrition: communities couldn’t pay teachers; people were undernourished
Families & Children: families were broken up; women & children had to find any work; birthrate fell
Bonus Army
Bonus Army: Veterans of World War I were promised a bonus after the war in 1919, only it wouldn’t be
paid for twenty years or so; in 1932, veterans needed the bonus because they were suffering and went to
Washington to petition the government; Congress denied them, but many stayed – creating a Hooverville;
they were forced out of D.C. by the US army; President Hoover’s public opinion decreased
Causes of the Dust Bowl
Drought
Overgrazing
Overfarming (tearing up
the sod)
High winds
Impact of the Dust Bowl
Many families of the Great Plains left looking for work in California; many became migrant workers,
roaming the country in search of work
Indicator 6.4
The Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt & the New Deal
New Deal: FDR’s plan to fix the economy; programs had relief, recovery & reform in mind; does not bring
US out of Great Depression – that will be spending on World War II
1st Steps to Stabilize Economy: fix the banks so banks could loan money to businesses; need to restore
faith in banking system; called for bank holidays to do that
Fireside Chat: FDR’s radio broadcasts to the American public where he would help explain the problems
and possible solutions; American public understood the FDR cared about them because of the chats
Deficit Spending: spending more than you take in; the federal government did this during wartime, but
never during peacetime; taxes on wealthy were high, but not high enough; used to prevent depressions
Court Packing Plan: FDR was frustrated with Supreme Court decision to declare several New Deal programs unconstitutional; his solution
was to add more judges to increase his authority; American public disliked this idea because it appeared he was trying to control all
branches of government (like Hitler & Mussolini); does not pass
1937 Spending Cuts: government cut back on spending and it resulted in a recession; unemployment
rates had been declining went back up;
New Deal Agency &
Acronym & New Deal Laws
Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation (FDIC)
Relief,
Recovery
or Reform
Recovery
What it did
Provide government
insured backing of bank
deposits
Who it was
designed to help
Still
Exist?
Banks & bank
customers
Yes
Unit 6 Study Guide
Securities & Exchange
Commission (SEC)
Recovery
Regulations on stock
market
Stock Market
investors
Yes
Relief
Provide government
subsidies to farmers not
to produce; found to be
unconstitutional
Farmers
No
Recovery
Rural electrification for
Southeastern US; create
dams to provide power
People in Southeast
Yes
Relief
Hired unemployed young
men to work in nation’s
parks; building
infrastructure
Young adult males
No
Works Progress
Administration (WPA)
Relief
Provided work to writers,
artists & actors;
precedent of federal
support of the arts
Artists, writers,
actors
No
National Recovery
Administration (NRA)
Recovery
Created minimum wage
& maximum prices;
unconstitutional
Public
No
Social Security
Administration (SSA)
Reform
A national insurance policy;
protection against
unemployment and when
retired
Elderly, disabled &
unemployed
Yes
Fair Labor Standards Act
Recovery
Established minimum
wage & maximum
hours
Workers
Yes
Fair Employment Practices
Act (Wagner Act)
Reform
Right of workers to
organize into labor unions
& bargain collectively
Labor Unions
Yes
Agricultural Adjustment Act
(AAA)
Tennessee Valley Authority
(TVA)
Civilian Conservation Corps
(CCC)
Critics of the New Deal
Conservatives: criticized FDR for spending too much money and being too socialist; FDR was accused of
taking too much power for the federal government; criticized FDR for an unbalanced budged (deficit
spending) and higher taxes; really disliked the court-packing plan
Liberals: workers & labor unions – complained that FDR did not go far enough in redistributing income
to help the elderly and the poor
Unit 6 Study Guide
FDR & African-Americans
Effect of AAA on African-Americans: AAA provided subsidies for farmers not to produce; most AfricanAmericans were not landowners (tenant farmers or sharecroppers); since farmland could not be used,
many African-Americans were unable to farm and suffered because of it
Most New Deal Agencies & African-Americans: New Deal agencies did not specifically seek to help
African-Americans; the CCC hired more whites and kept the camps segregated; TVA hired white
engineers (higher paying job)
Black Cabinet: group of African-American leaders that helped advise FDR on issues that concerned
them; not official cabinet members, more of an informal advisor group
Marian Anderson Situation: Daughters of American Revolution group chose not to allow an AfricanAmerican singer, Marian Anderson to sing; Eleanor Roosevelt arranged to have her sing at the Lincoln
Memorial
Fair Employment Practices Commission (FEPC): government agency created during World War II to
ensure there was no discrimination in hiring African-Americans in the wartime industries; helped gain
Democrat support from African-Americans
Voting Pattern Shift: Northern African-Americans begin voting in large numbers for the Democratic
Party; Southern African-Americans are not permitted to vote because of literacy tests, poll taxes &
grandfather clauses
FDR & Women
Most New Deal Agencies & Women: New Deal did not address specific problems of women; CCC was
limited to men; National Recovery Administration allowed a lower minimum wage for women; Social
Security
Frances Perkins: first female cabinet member; appointed by FDR; Secretary of Labor
Eleanor Roosevelt: first lady; FDR relied on Eleanor to help him connect with American public because
he could not (polio restricted his movement); she was able to arrange for Marian Anderson to sing on the
steps of the Lincoln Memorial
Reform Movement & Reaction
Civil War & Reconstruction
Industrialization, Urbanization & Immigration
Progressive Era
Return to “Normalcy” (1920s)
Great Depression & New Deal
Conformity of the 1950s
Civil Rights & Great Society of 1960s
Conservatism of 1980s