Transformation & Development of the Early 20th Century

Question 1

What caused World War 1 (1914-1918)?

Answer 1

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary started the war.

This said, U.S. joined in 1917 because of the Zimmermann’s letter to Mexico and because of Germany’s unrestricted submarine campaign.

Question 2

Why was World War 1 called the “Great War”?

Answer 2

Woodrow Wilson believe that it was the war to end all war. He believe that WWI would bring lasting peace in the world.

Question 3

Who were the Allied Powers?

Answer 3

Britain, Russia, United States, and France

Question 4

Who were the Central Powers?

Answer 4

Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary, and Germany

Question 5

Who was the U.S. president during World War I?

Answer 5

Woodrow Willison

Question 6

What was the Espionage Act?

Answer 6

It is the bill that made it illegal to interfere with military operations, including its recruitment of servicemen.

Question 7

Why did the United States enter WWI?

Answer 7

Germany’s sinking of the Lusitania (an action which killed about 120 U.S. citizens) prompted the United States to join the war despite Woodrow Wilson’s initial reluctance.

Question 8

What is the Treaty of Versailles (2)?

Answer 8

It is a peace treaty that ended WWI. It imposed strict mandates on Germany for its role in the war and created the League of Nations, which the U.S. did not join.

Question 9

What were the four main developments of the 1920s?

Answer 9

1) Harlem Renaissance
2) Prohibition
3) Technological advancements such as automobile and electricity and the industries and products they both spurred
4) Women’s suffrage

Question 10

What is the Harlem Renaissance (1920-1930)?

Answer 10

A period of cultural and intellectual revival in the African American community of Harlem, NY.

Question 11

Name 3 key figures of the Harlem Renaissance

Answer 11

1) Nora Neale Hurston (Author, Their Eyes Were Waiting on God)
2) Langston Hughes (Poet)
3) Louis Armstrong (Jazz musician)

Question 12

What is the Prohibition (1920-1933)?

Answer 12

The period when alcohol was constitutionally banned in the United States. (18th Amendment)

Ironically, the Prohibition era led to the raise in organized crime.

Question 13

What is the Women’s Suffrage movement (1848-1920)?

Answer 13

The near hundred year fight for women’s right to vote. It started with the Seneca Falls convention in 1848. Susan B. Anthony was a critical figure in the women’s suffrage movement.

Question 14

What is the 19th Amendment?

Answer 14

A bill that ensured that people will not be denied the right to vote on the basis of gender.

Question 15

List the main women’s rights leaders (5)

Answer 15

Susan B. Anthony
Lucy Stone
Sojourner Truth
Elizabeth Stanton
Alice Paul

Question 16

What was the Great Depression?

Answer 16

It is the most severe economic downturn in U.S. history. It started in 1929 and lasted until 1939.

Question 17

What caused the Great Depression?

Answer 17

The stock market crash of 1929 is thought of as the chief factor that led to the depression.

Question 18

What was the New Deal (1933-1939)?

Answer 18

The programs, projects and legislations that FDR created to encourage economic recovery.

It dramatically expanded the federal government’s role in the economy. It is a sharp contrast to Herbert Hoover’s laissez-faire approach to the economy.

Question 19

What is the Work Progress Administration?

Answer 19

WPA is FDR’s program designed to employ the unemployed to build infrastructure projects.

Question 20

What is the Social Security Act of 1935?

Answer 20

FDR’s bill that created general welfare for the older population, children, and people with disabilities. The Social Security Act also created unemployment benefits.

Question 21

What is the National Labor Relations Board?

Answer 21

A department created by FDR to protect workers by addressing unfair practices and regulating labor laws.

Question 22

What is the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934?

Answer 22

A legislation that regulated the market and mandated financial transparency in publicly traded companies.

Question 23

Which group were most affected in the Great Depression?

Answer 23

The poor and working class were the most affected. Unemployment was 25% (15 million workers were unemployed).
Plus, many people lost their savings when thousands of banks folded.

Question 24

What was the New Deal (3)?

Answer 24

FDR’s domestic policy to deal with the Great Depression. It entailed
Relief (for the unemployed)
Recovery (of the economy through federal spending and job creation)
Reform (by regulating big business and creating social welfare programs).