Topic 2 - 1920s U.S. Society (Knowledge) Flashcards
By how many hours did the average working week drop in the 1920s?
From 47.4 hours to 44.2 hours
On average, how much did wages increase by in the 1920s (%)?
11%
What happened to the number of radio stations between 1921 and 1922?
Increased from 1 station to 508 stations.
Name two dance crazes jazz music gave rise to.
- Charleston
2. Black Bottom
Name two famous African American jazz musicians of the 1920s.
- Louis Armstrong
2. Bessie Smith
Where was the centre of the major American film industry?
Hollywood, Los Angeles
How many cinema tickets were being sold a week by the end of the 1920s?
100 million tickets
Name two prominent film stars of the 1920s.
- Charlie Chaplin
- Clara Bow
- Douglas Fairbanks
- Gloria Swanson
- Rudolph Valentino
When was the first “talkie” movie made?
1927
What guidelines were introduced in 1930 to limit and control what could be shown in films?
The Hays Code
Name two popular sportsmen of the 1920s and their sport.
- “Babe” Ruth (baseball)
2. Jack Dempsey (boxing)
How much did the suburb of Grosse Point Park outside Detroit expand in the 1920s (%)?
700%
What law was passed in 1920 which granted women the right to vote in all states?
19th Amendment
By what percentage did the number of women working increase between 1920 and 1929?
24%
By 1930, what proportion of women aged 15 years and older were working (%)?
Only 25%
Name three new styles of behaviour associated with “flappers”.
- Wearing daring clothes
- Having short hair
- Smoking
- Drinking
- Socialising with men without a chaperone
- Kissing in public
Which association in Washington D.C. aimed to persuade young women to behave respectfully?
The Anti-Flirt Association
How many US states had already banned saloons by 1916?
21 states
What was the nickname given to supporters of Prohibition?
“Dries”
What law was passed in 1917 in support of Prohibition?
18th Amendment
What did the 18th Amendment prohibit?
The manufacture, sale and transportation of alcohol.
What was the name of the law that legalised Prohibition from January 1920?
The Volstead Act
How many prohibition agents were dismissed for corruption?
1 in 12 agents
Altogether, how many agents were there to enforce prohibition nationwide?
1250 agents
What was the name given to illegal bars that opened all over America?
Speakeasies
How many speakeasies were there in the U.S. by 1930?
Approx. 250,000 speakeasies
What was the name given to illegal “distilleries” in the home, used to make alcohol?
“Stills”
What was the name of home-brewed illegal whisky?
Moonshine
What was the name of traders who illegally supplied alcohol to the US?
Bootleggers
What proportion of illegal alcohol in the US came from Canada?
Two-thirds
Altogether, approximately how much did organised gangs make from the sale of illegal alcohol ($)?
$2 billion
How many gang-related murders were there in Chicago in 1926 and 1927 as a result of Prohibition?
130 murders
What was the name of the event in 1929 which saw Al Capone’s men murder seven of rival Bugs Moran’s gang?
The Valentine’s Day Massacre
What year was Prohibition repealed (ended)?
December 1933
How much did gangster Al Capone make a year from his speakeasies ($)?
$60 million
Name a close associate of Al Capone.
Mayor “Big Bill” Thompson of Chicago
What political idea were many Americans fearful of?
Communism
In what year did a wave of strikes and riots in US industries break out, which convinced Americans that communism was a serious threat?
1919
What name was given to the fear of communism that was largely directed at eastern European immigrants?
The Red Scare
What is the name given to a person who opposes, and aims to overthrow, all forms of government?
Anarchist
In May 1919, how many prominent Americans received bombs through the post?
36
What was the name given to the investigation aimed at arresting and deporting anarchists and communists (1919-20)?
The Palmer Raids
How many migrant victims of the Palmer Raids were informed that they were to be deported from the US?
10,000
What were the names of two Italian immigrants who made headlines in 1920?
- Nicola Sacco
2. Bartolomeo Vanzetti
What crimes were Sacco and Vanzetti accused and convicted of committing in a shoe factory in Massachusetts?
Armed robbery ($16,000) and two counts of murder
What was the name of the judge who presided over the court case of Sacco and Vanzetti?
Judge Webster Thayer
After six years of legal appeals, what was the fate of Sacco and Vanzetti in 1927?
They were executed
What test did the US government introduce in 1917 for people trying to move to America?
Literacy tests for basic English
After the Johnson-Reid Act was introduced in 1924, how many immigrants were allowed into America?
150,000 a year
What was the name of the group of laws that enforced racial segregation in southern states?
The Jim Crow laws
What African American organisation campaigned to end racial segregation?
NAACP
What evidence is there that African Americans were discriminated against in northern states?
- Poorer housing
- Higher rents
- Poorer education and health services
What was the name of the university in Washington D.C. established exclusively for African Americans?
Howard University
What genre of music helped African Americans to gain high-profile publicity?
Jazz music
Which club in Harlem, New York, had entertainers and staff who were mainly African American?
The Cotton Club
Name the white supremacy movement that regained popularity from 1915.
The Ku Klux Klan (KKK)
What film was produced in 1915 that helped the KKK to gain popularity?
The Birth of a Nation
How many members did the KKK have by 1924?
4.5 million
What two American states had governors who were members of the Klan?
- Oregon
2. Oklahoma
How many African Americans were murdered by lynching between 1919 and 1925?
Over 300
Name two Hollywood films which were seen at the time as daring and sexualised.
- Up in Mable’s Room
2. The Forbidden Path
