1-20 Flashcards
- Conscription Crisis (1917)
• Definition: A political crisis in Canada during World War I when the Canadian government introduced mandatory military service (conscription) to meet recruitment needs.
• Significance: It divided the country, especially between English and French Canadians, with many French Canadians strongly opposing conscription, leading to widespread protests and unrest.
- Maritime Rights
• Definition: A political and social movement in Canada during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, advocating for more economic autonomy and fair treatment for the Maritime provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island) in terms of trade and resources.
• Significance: Highlighted regional tensions and the desire for more representation in Canadian federal politics, which later contributed to discussions on federal-provincial relations.
- Warren Harding
• Definition: U.S. President from 1921 to 1923, known for his “return to normalcy” after World War I, emphasizing limited government and pro-business policies.
• Significance: His presidency is often remembered for scandals like the Teapot Dome Scandal, and his death in office led to his vice president, Calvin Coolidge, taking over.
- Andrew Mellon
• Definition: U.S. Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover. He was a key figure in shaping economic policy, advocating for tax cuts and fiscal conservatism.
• Significance: Played a major role in the economic policies of the 1920s, including the reduction of income taxes, which benefited the wealthy but are often linked to the inequality that led to the Great Depression.
- Interstate Commerce Commission
• Definition: A U.S. federal agency established in 1887 to regulate railroads and later other transportation industries, ensuring fair rates and practices.
• Significance: The ICC helped promote competition, and its role expanded over time, eventually influencing how industries were regulated in the U.S.
- Federal Trade Commission
• Definition: A U.S. government agency created in 1914 to enforce antitrust laws and promote fair competition by preventing anti-competitive business practices.
• Significance: The FTC played a key role in regulating corporate behavior, protecting consumers, and ensuring a fair marketplace.
- Bureau of Corporations
• Definition: An investigative agency in the
U.S. government, established in 1903 to monitor business practices and regulate monopolies before being absorbed into the Federal Trade Commission.
• Significance: Helped lay the groundwork for later antitrust legislation, aiming to curtail monopolistic practices in large corporations.
- Federal Reserve
• Definition: The central bank of the United States, created in 1913 to regulate the nation’s monetary policy, manage inflation, and supervise banks.
• Significance: It plays a crucial role in stabilizing the U.S. economy by controlling the money supply and interest rates, particularly during financial crises.
- 19th Amendment
• Definition: A U.S. constitutional amendment ratified in 1920 that granted women the right to vote.
• Significance: A landmark achievement in the women’s suffrage movement, marking a major shift toward gender equality in the U.S. and inspiring similar movements globally.
- Urbanization
• Definition: The process by which more people move from rural areas to cities, leading to the growth of urban centers.
• Significance: It reshaped societies, economies, and cultures, especially in the 19th and early 20th centuries, contributing to the rise of industrial economies and new social dynamics.
- Roaring Twenties
• Definition: The decade of the 1920s in the U.S. marked by economic prosperity, cultural transformation, jazz music, the rise of consumer culture, and social changes like the flapper movement.
• Significance: It was a period of optimism, but also laid the groundwork for the economic instability that led to the Great Depression by encouraging speculative investments and excess.
- Stock Speculation
• Definition: The practice of buying stocks with the hope that their value will increase rapidly for a quick profit, often involving high risk.
• Significance: Speculation contributed to the stock market bubble of the late 1920s, which burst on Black Tuesday (October 29, 1929), triggering the Great Depression.
- Herbert Hoover
• Definition: U.S. President from 1929 to 1933, who presided over the early years of the Great Depression.
• Significance: Though he initiated some recovery efforts, Hoover’s inability to adequately address the Depression hurt his reputation, and he was replaced by Franklin D. Roosevelt.
- October 29,1929 (black tuesday)
• Definition: The day the U.S. stock market crashed, marking the beginning of the Great Depression.
• Significance: It wiped out millions of dollars in wealth and caused widespread economic turmoil, leading to unemployment, bank failures, and years of economic hardship.
- Protestant work ethic
• Definition: A cultural belief rooted in Protestantism that emphasizes hard work, discipline, and frugality as signs of personal virtue and a key to success.
• Significance: It played a major role in the development of capitalism, particularly in the United States and Europe. It influenced the growth of industrial economies, as people believed hard work would lead to both spiritual and material rewards.
- Dust Bowl
• Definition: A severe drought during the 1930s that affected much of the central
U.S., especially the Midwest. High winds caused the dry, loose soil to turn into dust storms, devastating crops and displacing thousands of families.
• Significance: The Dust Bowl exacerbated the effects of the Great Depression, forced many people to migrate west, especially to California, and highlighted the need for better environmental and agricultural practices.
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt
• Definition: The 32nd President of the United States (1933-1945), serving four terms and leading the country through the Great Depression and World War II.
• Significance: FDR reshaped the role of the federal government with his New Deal policies, which aimed to provide relief, recovery, and reform. His leadership during WWIl made him one of the most influential U.S. presidents.
- New Deal
• Definition: A series of programs, policies, and reforms launched by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the Great Depression, aimed at providing relief, recovery, and reform to the U.S. economy and society.
• Significance: The New Deal expanded the federal government’s role in the economy, creating Social Security, unemployment insurance, labor rights, and major infrastructure projects. It helped provide economic recovery, though debates about its effectiveness continue.
- Fireside Chats
• Definition: A series of radio addresses given by Franklin D. Roosevelt to communicate directly with the American public about his policies and provide reassurance during the Great Depression.
• Significance: These informal broadcasts helped build a personal connection between FDR and the American people, fostering trust and support for his New Deal programs during a time of crisis.
- Glass-Steagall Act
• Definition: A 1933 law that separated commercial banking (handling deposits and loans) from investment banking (buying and selling securities). It aimed to prevent the risky financial practices that contributed to the 1929 stock market crash.
• Significance: It helped stabilize the banking system and restore confidence in the U.S. financial sector. The Glass-Steagall Act was repealed in 1999, but its original form was seen as crucial in protecting depositors and preventing financial speculation.
