General stuff and the odd ones out Flashcards
The American Dream
James Truslow Adams, in his book The Epic of America, which was written in 1931, stated that the American dream is “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement… It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.” (p.214-215)
The Age of Extremes/ The Gilded Age
The turn of the century, from the 19th to the 20th, is known as both the Age of Extremes and The Gilded Age.
It was an Age of Extremes, marked by change and conflict. It was a time of robber barons and impoverished immigrants, monopolies and muck- rakers, child labor and conspicuous consumption. Business tycoons bought politicians and presidents while little boys and girls worked twelve-hour days in dangerous mines and factories. Finally, the unchecked greed of the robber barons was challengednot by government but by the sacrificial efforts of steelworkers, railroad employees, and organizers, who birthed Americas unions in blood and fire.
Gilded means:covered thinly with gold leaf or gold paint.
Showing how America was gilded, looks glittery on the outside but inside, it was fake.
Mark Twain coined this name because he thought too much attention was being paid to money and gold and not enough to problems beneath the glittery surface.
Depression/ Recession
Depression: A period of economic crisis
Recession: A less severe economic crises
The Economy
A country’s current financial condition
Industrial Revolution
The transition from an agricultural and commercial society to a more modern industrial society. Characterized by new technology and a factory system with large-scale machine production.
