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Panic of 1907 (Stock Market Crash)
A three week collapse of the New York Stock Exchange, in which stock value dropped up to 50%. Numerous bank runs occured and bankruptcy spread across America. -
Henry Ford and The Assembly Line (Economy)
Henry Ford pioneered the way for a Mass-Poduction and Mass-Consumption Economy with his Assembly Line, capable of producing an automobile every 10 seconds. His model T automobile paved the way for modern mechanical engineering and his luxuirous vehicles led to the change of mindset for many Americans, heavy use of Credit, and competition in car mechanics. -
The Great Migration (African Americans)
African Americans took off to the North out of the segregational South to seek the opportunities the city and take advantage of labor shortages after WWI. They slowly but surely created a new black urban culture, building new social, economic and political status for African Americans. -
Prohibition "Experiment" by the 18th Amendment
This amendment whiched made the use and ditribution of alcohol illegal as merely ignored and under the table buisness raised significantly. Although bank savings increased slightly and crime rates barely went down, this amendment really only made the product more popular. -
Red Scare and Immigration Acts
The Bolshevik Rebellion, or lower class rebellion happening in Russia lead America to become paranoid about our own lower class immigrants rising against us. We called them "communists" and set restrictions on how many people could immigrate to America with the Immigration Acts of 1921 and 1924. -
The Flapper
This silent comedy film staring Olive Thomas portrayed the new group of flaming youth, Woman now embraced birth control and sexual freedom, as well as risqué dancing and more revealing clothing. It was -
Warren Harding "Return to Normalcy"
Harding's Republican promise to restore big buisness, raise taxes, and lower income taxation for the wealthy. Reforms like the Fordney-McCumber Tariff of 1922 and the Smoot-Hawley Tariff of 1930 fulfilled the new Presidents dreams. -
Black Literature: Langston Hughes
He was a black poet who recieved much critisim at his first attempts at writing. Hughes chose to side with the black plain people and the trials they dealt with on a daily basis, such as "Harlem (Dream Deferred)" -
The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (Politics)
Also known as the Jones Act, this bill regulated maritime commerce in U.S. waters and required all goods being shipped by water must travel on U.S. flagged ships. It also got rid of many "unnecessary" ships, decreasing the size of the U.S. navy. -
Ezra Pound (Literature)
Well known poet for establishing the use of Imagism, or stressing detial and clarity in words. -
Harlem Renaissance
It was the flowering of black culutre, music, literature, and identity. Instead of staying in the shadows, African-Americans finally began to come out into the world and share their gifts and talents without fear of persecution. -
The Radio Revolution
The first voice-carrying radio station began broadcasting and from them America was in love, The radio lured people with musical entertainment, political and economic news, and sports. -
Mellon’s Tax Cuts
Secretary Andrew Mellon made drastic tax cuts during Roosevelt's Presidency such as the elimination of excess profits tax, increase in coporate income tax, and a reduction in personal income tax. His policies allowed the American to grow and flourish throughout the 1920's and 30's, unlike before. -
Emergency Quota Act
This act restricted European immigration to 3% of their countries people living in America per census. It turned out to be the most important immigrantion policy to be enacted, as it set numerical limitations on immigrants and used a quota system for establishing it's limits. -
Edith Wharton (Literature)
She was a famous novelist and short story writer who won the Pulitzer Price for her novel called "The Age of Innocence." Her humurous novels told the inside story of the upper class with great social and pychological insight. -
Isolationism: Anti-League of Nations (Politics)
American leaders continued the trend of keeping America an isolated nation with their decisions to not join the League of Nations, immigration limitations, and increased tariffs on foreign goods. -
Modernism (KKK) vs. Fundamentalism (Billy Sunday)
Battle started between those of the new generation (Modernists) and those who held onto the fundamentals of faith. Modernists believed in the science of evolution and fast, rural city lifestyles, while fundamentalists wanted to revive the christian faith and take literal translation to the bible. -
Fordney-McCumber Tariff Law
This act raise the tariff from 27% to 35%, making it extremely hard for European nations to sell to the US markets. Europe owed the US money from WWI, but when they could not make the money back in sales they were unable to pay, causing even more problems. -
Adkins v. Children’s Hospital Case (Politics)
This case decision went against the previous child labor law, reversing it's decision in Muller vs. Oregon Case by invalidating creating a minimum wage law for the protection of women, -
Consumer Credit
With the influx production and competition, buisnesses offered the use of credit to "buy now, pay later" in order to get what you want when you want it. American debt doubled between 1920-30 and our country became even more of a mass consumption nation. -
The Cotton Club
A white club in which popular black entertainers performed and were made known. This was another way for racisism to make African Americans belittled, but it in fact gave confidence for many up in coming black performers of that era. -
Sinclair Lewis (Literature)
An 1920's writer who had huge success with his novel's about small town life and commericial culture like, "Babbit" and "Main Street" -
National Women’s Party
This organization worked to gain equal rights based on the American foundation set by the constitution. They wanted suffrage, political office, and military positions that were only given to men. -
Immigration Act of 1924
Using the National Origins Quota Formula, this act re-established the immigration registration, yet changed drastically. The act now admitted 2% of the total people of each nationality as of the 1890 census. This act was aimed to kick out New Immigration, keep the Old, and exclude Asia; especially the Japanese from bringing Communism to our country. -
Ku Klux Klan (Religion)
A white supremacy group who began targeting more than just blacks during the roaring 20's. They would set fire to churches, homes, and people who participated and/or believed in any non Anglo-Saxon Protestant beliefs. -
Dawes Plan
The Treaty of Versaille had enforced heavy dues on Germany to the United States that they simply could not pay. In order to reschedule and push back payment to the US, Charles Dawes created this circular system known as the Dawes Plan to help countries pay back their war debts. -
F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby (Literature)
His novel of "The Great Gatsby" as well as many others captured the mindset of the glamourous Jazz Age. Elaborate parties thrown often, carelessness grew in human hearts, and greed was more prevelant than ever in his literature and in our society. -
Ernest Hemingway (Literature)
Known for being one of the great American writers of the 20th century. His novels of "The Old Man and The Sea" and "The Sun Also Rises" told stories of postwar disillusionment and unluckiness. -
Automobiles (Culture)
After Henry Ford created his famous "Model-T" car, automobiles became much more reliable and excessible for common people. Automobiles became a prize to be displayed and used for sporting, traveling, and buisness ventures. The American dream now included a car in the background. -
Hollywood Film Fantasies
"Picture Palaces" provided and escape from everyday life and oasis in which to step into someone else's life for a little while. Propoganda was often displayed and movies became the hot spot for American social life, -
Rugged Individualism
Herbet Hoover's mindset for America from the start of his Presidency to the Great Depression. It expressed that America was made of self-sustaining individuals who do not need the ecnomic help of the government. -
Wall Street Crash of 1929
After years of inflation and economic instablity, the stock market came to a crashing halt and immediate 11% value decrease. This was the most devasting stock market crash in the history of the US, and signaled the beginning of the Great Depression. -
Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act
Hoover's incredibly awful attempt to protect American buisness by raising the tariff to 60% and causing oversea banks to fail and an ever widening interantional trade gap. -
The Home Owners’ Loan Corporation
Helped refinance mortgages and prevent forclosures to many American homes. It stablized the Amerian home and made it easier for more people to settle down and own their house. -
Emergency Banking Relief Act of 1933 (New Deal)
Declared a week "Bank Holiday" in which the banks would shutdown for inspection. This instilled constumer confidence and much needed stability during the depression. -
Civilian Conservation Corps (New Deal)
A public works organization that was aimed to provide hard work and employment in the fresh-air, promoting conservation. -
Tennessee Valley Authority
In search of discovering exactly how much it cost to produce electricity and how to make consumer rates reasonable. They also provided navigation, fertilizer manufacturing, and flood control. -
National Recovery Administration
Issued to eliminate unfair trade practices, reduce unemployment, and establish minimum wage and maximum work hours. It was one of the most complicated programs isssued in the New Deal. -
Public Works Administration
It was designed to reduce unemployment and increasing American purchasing power by the building of public building and highways. -
Glass-Steagall Banking Reform Act
This act was meant to provide safer and more effective uses of banking assets, to regulate control, and to prevent funds going to unnecessary operations. -
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Created by the 1933 Banking Act to provide deposit insurance and restore the failing American banks. -
The Civil Works Administration
A short-lived job creation program that was established to provide temporary jobs during the harsh winter of 1933-34. -
Prohibition "The End" by the 21st Amendment
After years of "bootlegging" and the massive devastation of the Great Depression, more jobs were needed and many started to believe that by making the selling of alcohol illegal it was depriving people of jobs. The prohibition was repealed by the 21st Amendment and America was then able to enjoy their drinks without hiding in private. -
Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 (Indian New Deal)
This Act encouraged tribes to preserve their cultures and traditions by decreasing federal control and giving Indians self-government and freedom. -
Frazier-Lemke Farm Bankruptcy Act
During the Agricultural Depression and/or Dust Bowl, this act allowed the government to scale down farmers debt due to the value of the property they owned. The bill also granted a 5-Year "grace period" for farmers to pay back and aviod forclosure. -
Jazz Age: Ella Fitzgerald
Known as the "First Lady of Jazz", she was discovered singing her soulful jazz vocals and scat at the world famous Apollo Theater. Her and many others embraced black culture within the jazz age of improvisation and dance rhythms. -
Works Progress Administration
This is the most famous of all New Deal programs, as it employed more than 9 million people with building bridges, roads, public parks, and airports. -
The Social Security Act of 1935
Goal way to provide benefits, pensions and insurance for the elderly, blind, and cripped by takings employeers and emplyees. -
The Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of 1936
This act was meant to promote conservation by paying farmers to plant soil-conserving plants like soybeans or to let their land be fallow for a time period. -
The Second Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938
Enacted alternatives or replacements for farm subsity polices that had been found unconsitutional by the first AAA. -
The Grapes of Wrath
Written by John Steinback, this novel tells of the poor farmers hardships through the Dust Bowl's drought, economic lows, and loss of employment.
