America in the 1920s/30s Flashcards
Define isolationism.
A policy of remaining apart from the interests or political affairs of other countries.
Give 3 reasons why America wanted to become isolationist.
- Money (tax burden)
- American soldiers dying in WW1 which didn’t effect America itself.
- German immigrants and the hatred of the treaty of Versailles.
- Empires (opposition to British empire)
- League of Nations would cost too much and not benefit the people of America themselves.
- Other countries would use their influence on America to make it into a colony.
What happened to the League of Nations?
America left it even though they had set it up.
What popular music style was developed in the 1920s in America?
Jazz.
Why was there an economic boom in the 1920s in America?
Growing economy. Mass production. Automobiles were affordable. Development of infrastructure. More building. Films and media. Mail order was more available.
What percentage of homes in America had electricity in 1929?
70%+
Who popularized the electrical assembly line in the motor industry?
Henry Ford.
How many immigrants entered America between 1850 and 1919?
Over 40 million.
What was the Red Scare?
A fear of communism and anarchism as well as immigrants from Eastern Europe.
Who was J. Edgar Hoover?
A young clerk appointed by Palmer Hoover who used the fear of anarchy to gain political power.
What was the “Red Summer” of 1919?
25 race riots and a growing popularity of the KKK.
What was Laissez-Faire?
Where the government would leave things to take their own course, without interfering.
What tariffs did America put on goods?
The taxation of foreign goods.
What was bootlegging?
Hiding alcohol in boots or trousers.
What was moonshine?
People creating their own alcohol.
What was a speakeasy?
An illegal bar.
What was prohibition?
The banning of alcohol.
When was the Valentine’s day massacre?
14th February 1929.
What gang were the 7 people that were murdered in the Valentine’s day massacre from?
Bugs Moran’s gang.
When and why was Alcopone caught?
1931 on 22 accounts of tax fraud.
Who taught evolution to his pupils in order to go to court and show how stupid the law was?
John Scopes.
What were flappers?
Upper class women living garishly with an eye on fashion and freer behavior.
When was the Wall Street crash?
October 1929.
How much money was lost in a week in the Wall Street crash?
$30 billion.
What caused the Wall Street crash?
Loss of confidence. Over production. Speculation. Under consumption. Unequal society. Laissez-faire. Trade tarrifs.
What percentage of the population were unemployed in the Great Depression?
25%.
Approximately how many men sold apples on the streets of New York in the 1930s?
6000.
What were Hoovervilles?
Shanty towns named after President Hoover who they blamed for their conditions.
What was the dust bowl?
Over producing farmers had a drought and had to move to the cities.
Who were the Bonus Expeditionary Force?
Veterans who wished for money in compensation for their war work.
What did Herbert Hoover do that created a bad image of him and the army?
They were violent to the BEF (homeless veterans basically) and burnt their homes.
What did FERA stand for?
Federal Emergency Relief Administration.
What did AAA stand for?
The Agricultural Adjustment Act.
What did the NRA stand for?
The National Recovery Administration.
What did very rich people think about Roosevelt?
They were being taxed too much.
What did communists think about Roosevelt?
That he wasn’t doing enough for the working class.
What did the WPA stand for?
Works Progress Administration.
