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Frances Willard
Frances Willard was an educator, temperance supporter, and women's suffragist. Willard became national president of the Women's Christian Temperance Union in 1879. Her visions included raising the age of consent, prison reforms, and labor reforms such as the eight-hour work day. -
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist who founded the Ford Motor Company. Although he did not invent the automobile, he manufactured the first automobile that many Americans could afford. The Model T was introduced on October 1st, 1908. -
The Great Migration
The Great Migration was the movement of six million African Americans from rural areas to urban cities. It took place between 1910 and 1970. By the end of the Migration, over 90% of African Americans were living in cities, and this influenced the Harlem Renaissance. -
Federal Reserve System
The Federal Reserve System is a central banking system that was created in 1913 with the Federal Reserve Act. This was created in response to financial panics that showed need for more control with America's money. The system's main goal is to maintain stability of the nation's finances in the event of something such as the Great Depression. -
Jazz Music
Jazz music was an American genre of music that originated from African Americans in New Orleans. The first documented use of the word "jazz" in a musical context was in a November 14th, 1916 article about "jazz bands." The foundation of jazz is deeply rooted in the African American experience of the United States. -
Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a period of African American cultural, artistic, and social explosion that took place in Harlem, NY and inspired other cities as well. The Harlem Renaissance was considered to be the re-birth of African arts. The movement spanned between 1918 until the 1930's. It was largely influenced by the Great Migration. -
Warren G. Harding's "Return to Normalcy"
"Return to Normalcy" was Warren G. Harding's promise to the American people in the 1920 election. This position attracted much support for Harding as many desired to return to life as it was before World War I. Harding's promise was to return the United States to a time of normality without the thoughts of war. -
1st Red Scare
The 1st Red Scare was a period during the early 1900's. At it's height in 1920, many Americans feared the spread of Communism. It's origins started soon after World War I with nationalism. The fear of Communism was spread when authorities saw Communism in organized labor and corrupt political leaders. -
Prohibition
Driven by the temperance movement, prohibition was put into effect on January 17th, 1920 with the 18th amendment. This amendment banned the production, transportation, and sale of alcohol. Prohibition was widely overlooked as many underground clubs existed known as "speakeasies". -
Marcus Garvey
Marcus Garvey founded and led the United Negro Improvement Association. On August 1st, 1920, 25,000 delegates from all over the world filled Madison Square Garden to hear Garvey speak at the International Convention of the UNIA. Garvey's main goal of the program was to improve conditions for Africans "at home and abroad". -
Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes was an American poet and social activist from Missouri. He was one of the earliest innovators of the new literary form called jazz-poetry. He is most known for his poem, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" which was published in the magazine "The Crisis" in 1921. -
Tea Pot Dome Scandal
The Tea Pot Dome Scandal was a bribery incident that took place from 1921 to 1922. Secretary of the Interior Albert Bacon Fall had leased Navy petroleum reserves at Teapot Dome, Wyoming and two other locations at low rates without competitive bidding. Fall was convicted of accepting bribes from the oil companies and became the first cabinet member to go to prison, however, no one was ever convicted of paying the bribes. -
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt is the longest-serving First Lady in the history of the United States. She was nicknamed "The First Lady of the World" for her many human rights achievements. It was Eleanor who persuaded FDR to remain in politics in 1921 after a case of polio cost him the use of his legs. Eleanor Roosevelt is famous for completely reshaping the role of the First Lady into much more than just "the President's Spouse" but a leading role in America. -
Clarence Darrow
Clarence Darrow was an American Lawyer and a leading member of the American Civil Leaders Union. He is most famous for defending teen-killers Leopold and Leob in the trial for their murder of 14 year old Robert Franks. The trial was named "The Trial of the Century" and caused many Americans to wonder why Darrow would consider defending the boys for such a horrific act. -
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician dominant in the Democratic party. He ran for president in an intense election against William Mckinley in 1896 and 1900. After 1920, he supported Prohibition and spoke against Darwinism most famously at the Scopes trial in 1925. -
Scopes Monkey Trial
Formally known as The State of Tennessee vs. John Thomas Scopes trial, was an American case in 1925 in which a high school substitute teacher was accused of violating Tennessee's "Butler Act." This act made it unlawful for any for any state-funded school to teach human evolution. The trial was staged to attract attention to the small Tennessee town, and Scopes was unsure if he actually ever taught evolution, but incriminated himself to be the defendant. (The verdict was guilty but overturned.) -
Charles A. Lindbergh
Charles A. Lindbergh, nicknamed "Slim", was an American aviator. He is most known for his world famous flight at the age of 25. Flying nearly 3,500 miles, he made the journey from Long Island, New York to Le Bourget Field in Paris, France. -
Stock Market Crash "Black Tuesday"
The stock market crash which took place on October 29, 1929 was known as "Black Tuesday." It was the most devastating crash in the history of the U.S. and caused the Great Depression. It occurred because banks were investing their customers' money and when the stock market crashed, it led to the Great Depression because most Americans' money was lost. An effect of this crash was serious distrust between investors and banks and would take years to repair. -
The Great Depression
The Great Depression was the worst world-wide economic depression that took place in the 1930's. The depression started in the United States after the stock market crash which took place on October 29, 1929 and became known as "Black Tuesday". The Great Depression had devastating effects as unemployment in the U.S. rose to 25% and many were left broke and homeless. -
Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley is the collection of NYC music publishers and songwriters who were popular during the early 1900's. The nickname became popular in 1930 when Simon Napier-Bell wrote a book about the music business. The nickname was used to describe the area around 28th Street and Fifth Avenue, and it was embraced and eventually used to describe the music business as a whole. -
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt was the 32nd president of the U.S. and was elected during the Great Depression in 1933. He was president from 1933 until his death in 1945. He developed the plan to bring America out of the Depression known as the "New Deal." This plan was a series of programs designed to help fix causes of the GD. FDR is widely regarded as a hero for his successful efforts. -
The New Deal
The New Deal was FDR's plan to pull America out of the Great Depression after he was elected in 1933. This plan consisted of many government programs that helped with things such as unemployment and sought to fix causes of the Depression like bank failure by creating a "bank holiday." This plan was largely successful despite efforts from Congress to take power away from FDR. -
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
The FDIC is a government program that provided deposit insurance to depositors in banks. This was created for the purpose of restoring trust in American banks after the system failure in 1929. The plan by Congress was to insure deposits of up to $2,500. -
20th Amendment
The 20th amendment states the beginning and end of the term of the president as January 20th. it also states that Congress must assemble at least once a year, and what to do in case a President-elect is unable or unqualified to be president come inauguration day. This amendment was adopted on January 23rd, 1933. -
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority was a government-owned power source founded because many people believed private companies were charging too much for power. President Roosevelt claimed that private companies had selfish purposes and as a result many companies were bought by the government or shut down because they could not compete. This was created by the congressional charter on May 18th, 1933. -
21st Amendment
The 21st amendment repealed the 18th amendment, thus finally bringing prohibition to an end. This amendment is unique because it is the only amendment in the Constitution of repeal a previous amendment. The ratification of the 21st amendment also helped the economy by bringing back some of the jobs lost during prohibition such as breweries. -
Securities & Exchange Commission
The Securities and Exchange Commission was created by the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. The program was created to regulate the sale and offerings of securities to protect the public from fraud. Its goal was to increase trust in capital markets by requiring uniform disclosure about what the company was offering. -
The Dust Bowl
The dust bowl was a period of severe dust storms during the 1930's. This was caused by a prolonged drought on top of poor farming methods that stripped the topsoil of its nutrients and therefore made it barren and loose. The drought came in three waves, in 1934, 1936, and 1939. These storms were extremely dangerous and made many people very sick and many died as a result. -
Social Security Administration
The Social Security Administration is a program that was a part of the New Deal created by President Roosevelt. The SSA provides retirement, disability, and survivor's benefits. To qualify for these benefits, you will have paid a Social Security tax from each paycheck you have earned over the years. The signing of the Social Security Act on August 14th, 1935 created the SSA and it is still in use today. -
Dorothea Lange
Dorothea Lange was a depression-era photographer who focused on humanizing the effects of the Great Depression. She is most known for her photograph of a mother and her children known as "Migrant Mother". The photo depicts a mother and her lost hope for the future. It has become one of the most iconic images from the Great Depression for its portrayal of poverty. -
Social Darwinism
Social Darwinism was the name given to a phenomenon in the late 1800's. The idea was about trying to apply biological concepts of natural selection and survival of the fittest in human society. The term was used to describe a range of evolutionary beliefs, many of which were racist in believing that only whites would survive eventually. The actual term of "Social Darwinism" became popular after 1944 by critics of earlier concepts. -
"Relief, Recovery, and Reform"
"Relief, Recovery, and Reform" was the main goals of FDR's New Deal plan. Relief and Recover came first because Americans needed immediate assistance, and Reform came after to prevent further situations like the Great Depression. The programs to provide relief, recover, and reform, such as programs to provide jobs by starting environmental projects. These programs began in 1933 with the election of FDR.
