THE ROARING TWENTIES AND THE GREAT DEPRESSION (Vocab Ch. 12-15)

Dorothy Parker

A short story writer, poet, and essayist famous for her wisecracking wit, expressed in likes like "I was the toast of two continents- Greenland and Australia."

Flying Down to Rio

(1933) light romantic comedy featuring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (America's famous dance partners)

Resettlement Administration

(1935) provided monetary loans to small farmers to buy land; (1937) replaced by the Farm Security Administration, loaned over $1 billion to help tenant farmers become landholders, established camps for migrant farm workers, hired photographers to take pictures of rural towns and farms

Aimee Semple McPherson

(Worked in Los Angeles) This woman used Hollywood showmanship to preach the word to Midwestern migrants who were homesick, devoted followers of the people who listened to her radio broadcasts

KDKA

(in Pittsburgh) the 1st American commercial radio station; went on air on November 2, 1920 Owned by Westinghouse

CIO

(originally called the Committee for Industrial Organization) created by John L. Lewis and David Dubinsky, was formed to organize industrial unions; rapidly signed up unskilled and semi-skilled workers, gained union recognition in the steel and automobile industries; expelled from the AFL in 1938, changed name to the Congress of Industrial Organizations

Mexicans and Mexican Americans

**mostly from the Southwest** Whites demanded that they be deported even though they were American born 1930s- hundreds of Mexican Americans relocated to Mexico, voluntarily or forced

Causes of the Great Depression

-tariffs and war debt policies that cut down the foreign market for American goods -a crisis in the farm sector -availability of easy credit -unequal distribution of income **led to falling demand for consumer goods ***gov. kept interest rates low, allowing people to borrow easily, build up large debts (money was used to buy stocks that led to the crash)

Gentlemen's Agreement

1907 agreement between the United States and Japan that restricted Japanese immigration Negotiated by Theodore Roosevelt

"Red Scare"

1919- Revolutionaries in Russia overthrew the czarist regime Vladimir I. Lenin and the Bolsheviks established a new communist state Communists/"Reds" cried out for a worldwide revolution that would get rid of capitalism Communist party in the US made people fear that Communists were taking over the US--- General A. Mitchell Palmer took action to combat this _______________

American wealth

1920-1929: Americans owned 40% of the world's wealth Average annual income rose over 35% from $522 to $705

Scopes "Monkey" Trial

1925 court case in Tennessee that focused on the issue of teaching evolution in public schools A fight over evolution, the role of science and religion in public schools and American society Opened on July 10, 1925, became a national sensation After being challenged by Darrow, Bryan admitted that the Bible might be interpreted in different way; however, Scopes was found guilty, was fined $100

entertainment

1929- Americans spent $4.5 billion on ______________________ Americans engaged in new leisure pastimes (like crossword puzzles, playing mahjong-Chinese game that resembled dominoes) 1922- explorers opened the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen; consumers mobbed stores for his accessories, jewelry, and furniture 1920s were full of flagpole sitting, dance marathons, sports watching)

NLRB v. Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp.

1937; (1936- Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp. charged with intimidating union organizers, firing union members. NLRB found company guilty of "unfair labor practices" and ordered it to rehire the workers with back pay; Supreme Court ruled that Congress had power to regulate labor relations, confirmed the authority of the NLRB

Sinclair Lewis

1st American to receive the Nobel Prize in literature wrote Babbitt about a wealthy, successful man who is unhappy (he used Babbitt to ridicule Americans for their conformity and materialism)

Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels

1st communist government in Russia was based on the teachings of ______________ and ______________; they published The Communist Manifesto in 1848, which said that a class with economic power also had social and political power; said that the "haves" and the "not-haves" have struggles for control throughout history, between capitalists and workers during the Industrial Revolution __________ and ____________ urged workers to seize political power and the means of production, believed laborers would overthrow capitalism in industrialized nations

Franklin D. Roosevelt

2-term governor of NY, Democrat presidential candidate (distant cousin of Theodore Roosevelt); worked to solve problems of unemployment and poverty He won 23 million votes over Hoover's 16 million

normalcy

A return to "normal" life after the war Thought of as the time before the Progressive Era and the Great War the public yearned for this during Harding's presidency

George Gershwin

A Jazz Age composer, son of Russian immigrants he mixed symphony and jazz together, created a new style that represented how America was a mixture of people fame was given to him when he merged traditional elements with American jazz, creating a new identifiable American sound

Al Capone

A famous Chicago gangster whose bootlegging empire netted over $60 million/year he took control of the Chicago liquor business by killing off competition by age 26, he headed a criminal empire in Chicago, through bribes and violence 1931- he was arrested for tax evasion, went to jail (the only crime he committed in which he was convicted) he was then released from jail, died at age 48

Ohio gang

A group of poker-playing, men that were friends of President Warren Harding; he appointed them to offices, they used their power to gain money for themselves They were involved in scandals that ruined Harding's reputation even though he wasn't involved

"Round Table"

A place in NYC where a brilliant group of writers routinely lunched together at the Algonquin Hotel

Dawes Plan

A plan proposed by Charles G. Dawes, sent to revive the German economy American investors loaned Germany $2.5 million to pay back Britain and France with annual payments on fixed scale; the countries then payed the US (US repaid with its own money) Caused much resentment within the public

Kellog-Briand Pact

Agreement made in 1928 that renounced war as a national policy (the nations had agreed to disarm) NOT EFFECTIVE, provided no means of being enforced in the nation

Emergency Quota Act

Act passed by Congress in response to the influx of immigrant population (600% increase); Congress decided to limit immigration from southern and eastern Europe set up a quota system Effects: -limited European immigration to 2% citizens; discriminated against Roman Catholics and Jews from S or E Europe -prohibited Chinese immigration, ill will between US and Japan (Japan had respected Gentlemen's Agreement, were angered)

18th Amendment

Added to the Constitution in January 1920; set off the era of prohibition This amendment banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol Remained in force until 1933, when it was repealed by the 21st Amendment

Richard Wright

African American author who completed his novel Native Son (1940); about a young man trying to survive racism

Bessie Smith

African American blues singer who played and important role in the Harlem Reniassance; the outstanding vocalist of the decade Known as "Empress of the Blues" 1923- sold 1 million recordings of her song, "Down Hearted Blues" she recorded on black-oriented labels produced by the major record companies 1927- became the highest-paid black artist in the world

Marian Anderson

African American singer in 1939, when she was not accepted into the Daughters of the American Revolution because of her race, Eleanor Roosevelt resigned, arranged for her to perform at the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday

Zora Neale Hurston

African American writer and folklore scholar who played a key role in the Harlem Renaissance When she was a girl in Eatonville, Florida in the early 1900s, she loved to read adventure stories and myths, she yearned for a wider world Spent time with a traveling theater company and attended Howard University, then ended up in NY where she struggled to the top of African American literary society (worked hard, confident, did not give up) in her novels, she portrayed the lives of the poor, unschooled southern blacks, celebrated the common person's art form (folkways and values of people who had survived slavery)

AAA

Agricultural Adjustment Act; sought to raise crop prices by lowering production (gov. did by paying farmers to leave some of each acre of their land unseeded policy angered Americans, protested the destruction of food when many people were going hungry, but helped raise farm prices and put more money in farmers' pockets

21st Amendment

Amendment which ended the Prohibition of alcohol in the US, repealing the 18th amendment

AFL

American Federation of Labor, traditionally had been restricted to the craft unions (carpenters, electricians); most of its leaders opposed industry wide unions that represented all the workers in a given industry (automobile, manufacturing)

Georgia O'Keeffe

American artist that painted flowers and landscapes during the great depression her intensely colored canvases captured the magnificence of New York

Margaret Sanger

American leader of the movement to legalize birth control during the early 1900's; nurse in the poor sections of New York City, had seen the suffering caused by unwanted pregnancy 1916- Opened the first birth-control clinic in the US 1921- Founded the American Birth Control League, later became Planned Parenthood She continued to fight for legal rights of physicians to give info about birth control to their patients

Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald

American novelist; iconic figure in the 1920s; first famous flapper (per her husband's accord) When she broke off her engagement with F. Scott Fitzgerald, she told hims he needed to be successful on his own; they married one week after Scott published his first novel, she became model for Scott's independent female characters she became a model for the generation of young women who wanted to break away from traditions, forget the hardships of war

Charles Lindbergh

American pilot who made the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean

Ernest Hemingway

American writer wounded in WWI he became the best-known expatriate author author of the novels The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms he criticized the glorification of war, introduced a tough simplified style of writing that set a new literary standard; used sentences a Time reporter compared to "round stones polished by rain and wind"

credit

An arrangement to receive cash, goods, or services now and pay for them in the future; often in the form of an installment plan (monthly payments), included interest charges Through this arrangement, businesses encouraged Americans to pile up a large consumer debt; many had trouble paying off growing debts, cut back on spending

Billy Sunday

An evangelist who preached against the evils of drinking; he predicted a new age of virtue and religion His dream was not realized until in the 1920s

The Palmer Raids

August 1919- Palmer appointed J. Edgar Hoover as his assistant They hunted down people suspected to be Communists, socialists, and anarchists They trampled people's civil rights, invading private homes and offices, jailing suspects with no legal consult, deporting foreign-born radicals without trial The raids failed to turn up evidence of a revolutionary conspiracy or explosives; many thought Palmer was looking for a campaign issue to gain support for president; public assumed Palmer didn't know what he was talking about

Edith Wharton

Author of "The Age of Innocence" in the novel, she dramatized the clash between traditional and modern values that had undermined high society 50 years earlier

quota system

Established by the Emergency Quota Act of 1921; established the max. number of people who could enter the US from each foreign country Goal: to cut sharply European immigration to the US (system achieved goal)

Calvin Coolidge

Became president in 1923 when Harding died of pneumonia Was known for practicing a "constructive economy" in money and words, acquired name "Silent Cal" for being so soft-spoken He was a true republican and industrialist, believed in government supporting big business, known for solemnity and wisdom He and Hoover favored gov. policies that would keep taxes down, profits up, give business more available credit to expand- wanted to keep government interference in business low, allow private enterprise to flourish His administration placed high tariffs on foreign imports (helped American manufacturers); forced Attorney General Daugherty and other high officials who had created scandal in office to resign Son died of blood poisoning, did not seek reelection in 1928

automobile

Became the backbone of the American economy in the 1920s, until the 1970s Altered the American landscape and American society, was a factor in the business boom of the 20s eventually became a status symbol for individual families and the rest of the world; _________________ industry symbolized the success of the free enterprise system and the Coolidge era 1920s- 80% of registered motor vehicles in the world were in the US

Bonus Army

Bonus Expeditionary Force 1932- 10,000-20,000 WWI veterans/families arrived in Washington D.C., led by Walter Waters came to capital to support Patman Bill under debate in Congress Hoover opposed legislation, but respected the veterans' right to peaceful assembly, providing food and supplies Jan. 17- Congress voted down Patman bill, Hoover called on the Army to leave, 2,000 stayed

John Maynard Keynes

British economist who argued that for a nation to recovery fully from a depression, the govt had to spend money to encourage investment and consumption (promoted deficit spending)

five and dime stores

Chain stores that sold goods for less by buying in quantity and limiting personal services 1870s- F.W. Woolworth had these, he believed "consumers would purchase it on the spur of the moment"

CWA

Civil Works Administration; provided work in federal jobs

CCC

Civilian Conservation Corps; put young men 18-25 to work building roads, developing parks, planting trees, helping in soil erosion and flood control projects ($30/month, $25 automatically sent home to worker's family); supplied food, uniforms, lodging

John Collier

Commissioner of Indian Affairs, helped create the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934

McNary-Haugen Bill

Congress' way of trying to help out farmers called for federal price-supports for key products like wheat, corn, cotton, and tobacco; government would buy surplus crops at guaranteed prices and sell them on the world market Pres. Coolidge vetoed the bill twice, said, "Farmers have never made money. I don't believe we can do much about it."

Banking Act of 1935

Created 7-member board to regulate the nation's money supply and interest rates on loans

Clarence Darrow

Defended John Scopes during the Scopes Trial He argued that evolution should be taught in schools Hired by the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union-promised to defend any teacher who challenged this law)

Alfred E. Smith

Democratic presidential candidate in the Election of 1928 career politician, served 4 terms as NY governor was personable, enjoyed being in the limelight

Irving Fajans

Department store sales clerk in NYC He tried to persuade workers to join the Department Store Employees Union He organized department store workers in their efforts to gain better pay and working conditions during the 1920s

EBRA

Emergency Banking Relief Act; authorized the Treasury Dept. to inspect country's banks; those sound could reopen, those unable to pay debts would remain closed, those in need of help would receive loans

Great Depression in Europe

European countries tried to recover form ravages of WWI, faced high war debts Germany had to pay war reparations to compensate the Allies for the damages Germany had caused in the war _______________________ limited America's ability to import European goods, making it difficult to sell American farm products and manufactured goods abroad

FDIC

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, established by the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 provided federal insurance for individual bank accounts up to $5,000, reassured customers that their money was safe, required banks to take care of customers' money

FERA

Federal Emergency Relief Administration, provide direct relief for the needy (1/2 money sent to states as direct grants-in-aid to help furnish food and clothing to the unemployed, aged, ill; the rest distributed to states for support work relief programs

FHA

Federal Housing Administration; insured loans for building and repairing homes

Amelia Earhart

First female pilot to cross the Atlantic; She disappeared while trying to fly around the world

Gertrude Ederle

First woman to swim across the English Channel; crossed in 1926, at age 19

FDC

Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; required manufacturers to list ingredients in foods, drugs, and cosmetic products

Hinderburg

German zeppelin (rigid airship), crashed in New Jersey on May 6, 1937; one of the first worldwide radio broadcasts described this event

The Lost Generation

Group of writers in 1920s who shared the belief that they were lost in a greedy, materialistic world that lacked moral values they often choose to flee to Europe, socialized in the city's cafes--they joined other American writers already in Europe like the poets Ezra Pound and T.S. Elliot (poems presented an agonized view of a society that seemed stripped of humanity) the name of these groups was coined Gertrude Stein

Memorial Day Massacre

Happened on Memorial Day 1937 at the Republic Steel plant in Chicago; police attacked striking steelworkers outside the plant, killed 10 people and wounded 84; after, the National Labor Relations Board stepped in and required Tom Firdler (head of Republic Steel) to negotiate with the union

Alain Locke

Harvard-educated former Rhodes scholar who helped talents along in the Harlem Renaissance 1925- he published The New Negro, a landmark collection of literary works by many promising young African American writers

Hoover's Philosophy

He believed a chief function of government was to foster VOLUNTARY cooperation between competing groups and interests in society (Ex. conflict between business and labor, find mutual solution) He opposed any form of federal welfare or direct relief to the needy, believed that handouts would weaken people's self-respect and "moral fiber"---his answer to the needy: individuals, charities, local organizations should pitch in to help care for the unfortunate

Babe Ruth

He was a famous New York Yankees slugger, developed a rising popularity for professional sports He hit home run after home run during the 20s; hit a record of 60 home runs in 1927

HOLC

Home Owners Loan Corporation; provided gov. loans to homeowners who faced foreclosure because unable to meet loan payments

Marcus Garvey

Immigrant from Jamaica who believed that African Americans should build a separate society; his different and more radical message of black pride aroused the hopes of many 1914- founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) 1918- moved the UNIA to NYC, opened offices in urban ghettos to recruit followers *he appealed to African Americans with spellbinding oratory, mass meetings, parades, message of pride; he also used practical plans (program to promote black businesses) he encouraged his followers to return to Africa, help natives there throw off white colonial oppressors, and build a mighty nation He was convicted of mail fraud and jailed in the mid-1920s

Woody Guthrie

singer and songwriter who experienced first hand the tragedies of the Depression (victim of the Dust Bowl), used music to capture the hardships of America

John L. Lewis

Leader of United Mine Workers (1919); involved in the Coal Miners' Strike-- seen as a national hero Protested low wages and long workdays y calling union's members out on strike Nov. 1, 1919 After Gen. Palmer obtained court order sending miners back to work, ___________ secretly continued the strike-mines stayed closed for 1 month Wilson appointed judge to end dispute; coal miners received 27% raise

John L. Lewis

Leader of United Mine Workers, was frustrated by the AFL's non-inclusion of all industry unions; along with David Dubinsky of the International Ladies Garment Workers, formed the Committee for Industrial Organization to organize industrial unions

Louis Armstrong

Leading African American jazz musician during the Harlem Renaissance, a talented trumpeter whose style influenced many later musicians 1922- he joined Joe "King" Oliver and his Creole Jazz Band he was famous for his astounding sense of rhythm and his ability to improvise, made personal expression a key part of jazz 1924- he joined the Fletcher Henderson band, then went on to become the most important and influential musician in the history of jazz

unions

MEMBERSHIP DECREASED dropped from over 5 million to 3.5 million Reasons: -work force consisted of immigrants willing to work in poor conditions -difference in languages spoken -farmers who had migrated to cities for factory jobs were used to relying on themselves -unions excluded African Americans

bank holiday

March 5 (1 day after holding office)- FDR closed all banks to prevent further withdrawals; before, bank failures caused Americans to lose faith in the banking system

NAACP

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People this group urged African Americans to protest racial violence continued to campaign through anti-lynching organizations that had been established in 1892 by Ida B. Wells this organization represented the new, more militant force of African Americans

Wagner Act

National Labor Relations Act (after sponsor Senator Robert F. Wagner of New York), reestablished NIRA provision of collective bargaining, protected right of unions, collective bargaining w/ employers; prohibited unfair labor practices (threats, firing, interference with unions) set up the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) to hear testimony about unfair practices, hold elections to know if workers wanted union representation

NRA

National Recovery Administration, created by NIRA; aimed to promote recovery by interrupting the trend of wage cuts, falling prices, layoffs

NYA

National Youth Administration, provided education, jobs, counseling, recreation for young people; provided student aid to high school, college, graduate students while they worked in part time positions at their schools

NYSE

New York Stock Exchange; the nation's premier marketplace for buying and selling stocks members recorded every transaction; for each new sale, they wrote out paper containing stock's abbreviation, # sales, price, then transmitted to ticker room; market info typed into keyboard that converted keystrokes into electrical impulses, drove ticker machines along network; people would read current display at trading posts the nation's premier marketplace for buying and selling stocks; stockbrokers ("members") take orders from customers to by and sell shares of stock; they offer and receive bids in an "auction" Orders include limit order (tells broker to buy or sell only if the stock reaches a certain price) and a market order (tells broker to execute a transaction immediately, no matter price)

Eleanor Roosevelt

Niece of Theodore Roosevelt, distant cousin of FDR and First Lady; she urged the acknowledgement of controversial issues (child welfare, housing reform, equal women and minority rights

The Grapes of Wrath

Novel written by John Steinbeck (1939), with the assistance of the Federal Writers' Project; about Oklahomans who left the Dust Bowl and ended up in California, where their hardships continued

Black Tuesday

October 29, 1929 the bottom fell out of the stock market and the nation's confidence Shareholders tried to sell before prices plunged even lower; number of shared dumped that day was 16.4 million, other millions of shares could not find buyers people who had bought stocks on credit were stuck with huge debts as prices plummeted, others lost most of their savings

Sacco and Vanzetti

Perceived as the two most famous victims of the growing nativism in the US shoemaker & fish peddler, Italian immigrants and anarchists, had evaded the draft during WWI 1920- they were arrested/charges w/ robbery and murder of factory paymaster and his guard in Massachusetts They claimed innocence, evidence was circumstantial, judge made prejudicial remarks, found them guilty and sentenced them to death, killed Aug. 23, 1927 people protested, saw this as unfair

soup kitchen

Place where free food was served to the needy, poor unemployed workers they offered free or low-cost food for those who could not afford to buy anything

electricity

Powered much of the economic boom of the 20s, transformed the nation Factories used it to run machines; development of an alternating electrical current made possible to distribute electric power efficiently over longer distances no longer restricted to central cities, could be transmitted to suburbs number of electrified households grew- irons, refrigerators, cooking ranges, tasters; farms still lacked power

Herbert Hoover

President during the Great Depression, tried to reassure Americans that the economy was in good hands, encouraged to be optimistic about the situation He felt that government could pay a limited role in helping to solve problems

Warren Harding

President in 1921, previously senator from Ohio; described as good-natured Soothing speeches for the nation, but POOR judgement (considered one of the least successful presidents)

PWA

Public Works Administration; created jobs on government projects

RFC

Reconstruction Finance Corporation, President Hoover's most ambitious economic measure, approved by Congress in January 1932 authorized up to $2 billion for emergency financing for banks, life insurance companies, railroads, and other large businesses Hoover claimed that money would trickle down to the average citizen through the job growth and higher wages; critics argued the program would benefit only corporations, the poor still needed direct relief, couldn't wait

Father Charles Coughlin

Roman Catholic priest from suburb of Detroit, broadcaster of radio sermobs that combined economic, political, and religious ideas

REA

Rural Electrification Administration; provided affordable electricity for isolated rural areas

Charles Evans Jughes

Secretary of State Urged at the Washington Naval Conference that no more warships be built for 10 years; suggested that the 5 major naval warships (US, Great Britain, Japan, France, Italy) scrap many of their largest warships

Herbert Hoover

Secretary of commerce under Harding and Coolidge; mining engineer from Iowa, had never run for public office Was the Republican presidential candidate in the Election of 1928 was quiet, reserved; had a major advantage of pointing to years of prosperity under Republican administrations since 1920 He won the election

SEC

Securities and Exchange Commission; created to regulate the stock market, goal was to prevent people with inside info about companies from "rigging" stock market for their own profit

"fight of the century"

September 22, 1927- boxing match between Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney on the radio, through the radio's most popular announcer, Graham McNamee Tunney defeated Dempsey Fight was so suspenseful, many radio listeners died of heart failure

Federal Home Loan Bank Act

Signed into law in 1932 by President Hoover lowered mortgage rates for homeowners, allowed farmers to refinance their farm loans and avoid foreclosure

"Shipwreck" Kelly

Started the flagpole sitting fad, the most famous flagpole sitter 1929- Spent 145 days on flagpoles, caused imitators to follow

chain stores

Stores owned and operated as a group by a single organization; sprouted as productivity increased and businesses expanded sold groceries, drugs, shoes, clothes

Fordney-McCumber Tariff

Tariff adopted by the US in 1922 Raised taxes on some US imports to 60% (highest level ever) Protected US businesses (chemical/metal industries) from foreign competition, made it impossible for Britain and France to sell enough goods in the US to repay debts

TVA

Tennessee Valley Authority, established on May 18, 1933; renovated five existing dams and constructed 20 new ones, created thousands of jobs, provided flood control, hydroelectric power

John Scopes

Tennessee high school teacher who violated a TN state law by teaching evolution He read this in his biology class: "We have now learned that animal forms may be arranged so as to begin with the simple one-celled forms and culminate with a group which includes man himself." He was arrested, trial set for July

Teapot Dome Scandal

The most spectacular example of corruption Government had set aside oil-rich public lands at Teapot Dome, Wyoming & Elk Hills, California (to be used by the US Navy) Secretary of the Interior, Albert B. Fall was a close friend of oil executives and got the oil reserves transferred from the navvy to the Interior Department; he secretly leased the land to 2 private companies (Henry Sinclair-Mammoth Oil Company at Teapot Dome) Received $400,000 in "loans, bonds, and cash", even though he claimed the the contracts were in the government's interest; FOUND GUILTY of bribery, 1st American to be convicted of felony while holding a cabinet post

urban sprawl

The process of urban areas expanding outwards in the form of suburbs, developing over fertile agricultural land a result of increased mobility with the automobile, allowing workers to live far from their jobs cities spread in all directions

WIlliam Jennings Bryan

Three-time candidate for president for the Democratic Party, nominated because of support from the Populist Party. He never won, but was the most important Populist in American history. He later served as Woodrow Wilson's Secretary of State (1913-1915) He was the special prosecutor of the Scopes Trial, was challenged by Darrow

A. Mitchell Palmer

U.S. Attorney general He took action to fight the "Red Scare" that was scaring America, through the Palmer Raids

Frances Perkins

U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945, and the first woman ever appointed to the cabinet she chaired the committee that created the Social Security Act of 1935

Pedro J. Gonzalez

US citizen from Mexico, 1st Spanish-language disc jockey in LA, used radio program to condemn discrimination against Mexicans & Mexican Americans; for his efforts, he was arrested, jailed, and deported

USHA

United States Housing Authority; provided federal loans for low cost public housing

Helen Wills

United States tennis player who dominated women's tennis in the 1920s and 1930s (born in 1906) She won the singles title as the US Open 7 times and the Wimbledon title 8 times Nickname was "Little Miss Poker Face"

agriculture

WWI- prices rose, international demand for crops (wheat, corn) soared; farmers planted more, took out loans for land and equipment--demand fell after the war, crop prices declined 40% Farmers boosted production to sell more crops, depressed prices further (1919-1921- annual farm income declined from $10-$4 billion; farmers in debt had difficulty paying off loans many lost their farms when banks foreclosed, seized property as payment for the debt

Strikes

War- government didn't allow strikes (they would interfere w/ war effort); AFL pledged to avoid strikes 1919- 3,000 strikes, 4 million workers walked off their jobs Employers didn't give raises, didn't want employees to join unions, attempted to show that union members were planning revolution---they labeled strikers Communists Boston Police Strike, Steel Mill Strike, Coal Miners; Strike

dance marathon

a dance craze of the 1920s contest where couples would dance continuously for days took 15 minute breaks every hour, each alternately holding up the other as they slept

Route 66

a legendary result of the automobile changing American landscape provided a route for people travelling westward from Chicago to California many people settled in towns along this route

F. Scott Fitzgerald

a novelist and chronicler of the "Jazz Age"- a name that he coined to describe the 1920s Wrote THIS SIDE OF PARADISE and THE GREAT GATSBY; in which he revealed the negative side of the period's gaiety and freedom, portraying wealthy and attractive people who lead imperiled lives in poor surroundings Married Zelda Sayre in 1920

Great Migration

a period between 1910-1920 when hundreds of thousands of African Americans uprooted themselves from their homes in the South they moved to Northern cities, searched for jobs By the end of the decade, 5.2 African Americans lived in cities (40% of the African American population) Norther cities usually did not welcome these new immigrants; tensions escalated and led to about 25 urban race riots in 1919

isolationism

a policy of pulling away from American involvement in world affairs this was one of the many American responses to their fear of foreign outsiders

Charleston

a popular, energetic dance craze of the 1920s involved wild, flailing movement of arms and legs, demanded appropriate costume for the woman (short, straight dress with no waistline)

status symbol

a possession believed to enhance the owner's social standing in the 1920s, the automobile became a __________ for individual families and the rest of the world

parity price

a price intended to keep farmers' income steady (under the 2nd AAA, loans were made to farmers by the Commodity Credit Corporation; value of a loan was determined by the amount of farmer's surplus crops and the __________)

Boulder Dam

a project approved by Hoover, DID make a difference; Congressionally approved in 1928 as part of a $700 million public works program---authorized by Hoover in 1929 LATER CALLED HOOVER DAM Dam is 726 feet high, 1,244 feet long; world's tallest dam, second largest Provided: electricity, flood control, regular water supply (growth of California's agricultural economy)

Second New Deal

a second set of laws made by Roosevelt (the New Deal enjoyed widespread popularity); Congress provided more extensive relief for farmers and workers

KKK

a secret society of bigots, result of the Red Scare and anti-immigrant sentiment---they were devoted to "100% Americanism" 1924- reached 4.5 million followers (white males, native-born citizens) Believed in keeping blacks in their place by destroying saloons, opposing unions, driving Roman Catholics, Jews, and foreigns out of the country Were paid to recruit new members; by the end of 1920, they decreased in power

"Brain Trust"

a select group of professors, lawyers, and journalists that were FDR's carefully picked advisers

Cab Calloway

a talented drummer, saxophonist, and singer who formed another important jazz orchestra which played at Harlem's Savoy Ballroom and the Cotton Club, alternating with Duke Ellington he popularized "scat", improvised jazz singing using sounds instead of words

Indian Reorganization Act

act was an extreme change in government policy, moved away from assimilation and toward Native American autonomy, helped restore some reservation lands to tribal ownership; mandated charges in economy, culture, politics

Orson Welles

actor, director, producer, and writer who created "The War of the Worlds"; directed movie classics like Citizen Kane (1941) and Touch of Evil (1958)

New Deal coalition

alignment of diverse groups dedicated to supporting the Democratic Party, included Southern whites, urban groups, African Americans, unionized industrial workers

installment plan

an arrangement in which a purchaser pays over an extended time, without having to put down much money at the time of purchase considered another solution to the problem of luring consumers to purchase the many goods produced annually, in addition to advertising "You furnish the girl, we'll furnish the home"; "Enjoy while you pay" Economists & business owners worried it was getting out of hand, sign of weakness of a superficial economic prosperity

communism

an economic and political system based on a single-party government ruled by a dictatorship. ________________ would put an end to private property, substituting government ownership of factories, railroads, and other businesses, to equalize wealth and power

flapper

an emancipated young woman who embraced the new fashions and urban attitudes of the day these women wore close fitting felt hats, bright waist-less dresses inch above the knees, skin toned silk stockings, sleek pumps, strings of beads; they cut their hair into boyish bobs, dyed their hair black these women were seen as more assertive; they smoked, drank in public, talked openly about sex, danced

Harlem Renaissance

an era of heightened creativity among African American writers, artists, and musicians who gathered in Harlem in the 1920s; they celebrated and brought out African American culture

prohibition

an era, supported in the South and West protistant populations, in which the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages were legally prohibited; liquor was thought as the cause of corruption, led to crime, domestic abuse, job accidents, social problems Anti-saloon league, WCTU Saloons closed their doors, arrests for drunkenness declined; but Americans wanted to enjoy life, considered drinking natural socializing

Federal Farm Board

an organization of farm cooperatives, run by President Herbert Hoover organization meant to raise crop prices by helping member buy crops and keep them off the market temporarily until prices rose

National Credit Corporation

an organization that loaned money to smaller banks, helping them stave off bankruptcy Hoover tried to prop up the banking system by persuading the nation's largest banks to establish this organization

WPA

an organization that set out to create as many jobs as possible, as quickly as possible (1935-43, spent $11 billion, gave jobs to over 8 million unskilled workers who build airports, roads, streets, and public buildings, women built garments); employed professionals who wrote guides to cities, collected historical slave narratives, painted murals, performed theater---made efforts to help women, minorities, young people

2nd AAA

approved by Congress in 1938, brought back many features of the first one, but did NOT include processing tax to pay for farm subsidies (provision declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court)

Grant Wood

artist from Iowa who painted the famous "American Gothic", which became one of the most famous portrayals of life in the Midwest during the Great Depression, painted in the style of regionalism

Willa Cather

author of "My Antonia" celebrated the simple, dignified lives of people like the immigrant farmers of Nebraska

Dos Passos

author of novel Three Soldiers his novel attacked war as a machine designed to crush human freedom he then turned to social and political themes, used modern techniques to capture the mood of city life, losses that came with success

Patman Bill

authorized the government to pay a bonus to WWI veterans who had not been compensated adequately for their wartime service bonus was supposed to be paid out in 1945 (cash and life insurance policy), approved by Congress in 1924, but Congressman Wright Patman believed that them money should be paid immediately

airplane industry

began as a mail carrying service for the US Post Office 1st flight in 1918 was disastrous; many successful flights soon established the airplane as a peacetime means of transportation 1926- Henry Ford made trimotor airplane Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart 1927- Lookheed Company produced the Vega, single engine plane carried radios and navigational instruments after development of weather forecasting 1927- Pan American Airways inaugurated 1st transatlantic passenger flights

Federal Writers Project

branch of the WPA, gave writers support; helped Saul Bellow get his first writing job, helped Richard Wright complete his novel, Zora Neale Hurston write Their Eyes Were Watching God, John Steinbeck write The Grapes of Wrath

Federal Art Project

branch of the WPA, paid artists a living wage to produce public art, aimed to increase public appreciation of art and promote positive images of American society

internet startups

bright college students study computer science to land high-paying job independent minded computer experts might become entrepreneurs (start and run their own businesses); work 70-80 hours a week for months or years both groups have looked to the Internet for opportunities; entrepreneurs seek money making opportunities, develop ways to expand capabilities of new tech; growth of Internet based businesses creates jobs for people with specialized computer skills

speculation

buying stocks and bonds on the chance of quick profit people ignored the risk that would come with that

direct relief

cash payments or food provided by the government to the poor Some benefits offered were not that helpful; in NYC, the weekly payment was $2.39 per family, was the most offered by any city

General Douglas MacArthur

commander of the US regular forces; sent on July 28 to lead 1,000 soldiers to roust the veterans who refused to leave the capital after the bill was not approved by Congress

NLRB

created under the Wagner Act, acts as a mediator in labor disputes between unions and employers

Huey Long

early supporter of the New Deal, but turned against FDR; Long proposed that a nationwide social problem called "Share-Our-Wealth"

Mary McLeod Bethune

educator & head of Division of Negro Affairs of the NYA, promoted opportunities for young African Americans and worked to ensure that the NYA hired African American administrators and provided job training to minority students; helped organize a "Black Cabinet" of influential African Americans to advise Roosevelt Administration on racial issues

Volstead Act

established a Prohibition Bureau in the Treasury Department in 1919 Agency was underfounded Job of enforcement included: -patrolling 18,700 miles of coastline and inland borders -tracking down illegal equipment for distilling liquor -monitoring highways for trucks full of illegal alcohol -overseeing all industries that legally used alcohol to be sure none was used illegally Job fell to 1,500 poorly paid federal agents and local police (impossible)

Civil Works Administration

established in November 1933, when the NIRA failed; provided 4 million immediate jobs, built 40,000 schools, paid salaries of over 50,000 schoolteachers, build over half 1 million miles of roads

Reader's Digest and Time

founded in 1922 and 1923 these American magazines boasted a circulation of over 2 million each

W.E.B. DuBois

founding member of the NAACP he led a parade of 10,000 African-American men in NY to protest violence he used the NAACP's magazine, The Crisis, as a platform for leading a struggle for civil rights

Jean Toomer

gifted writer of the time wrote the experimental book Cane (mix of poems and sketches about blacks in the North and South; book was among the first full-length literary publications of the Renaissance)

Alfred Landon

governor of Kansas nominated by Republicans for the 1936 presidential election

stock market

had become the most visible symbol of a prosperous American economy; people who could afford to invested in it, as the numbers of people investing money increased

speakeasy

hidden underground saloons and nightclubs where drinkers went underground to obtain illegal alcohol; drinkers included upper-middle-class men and women they were given this name because when inside, drinkers spoke quietly ("easily") to avoid being caught these clubs were found everywhere- penthouses, cellars, office buildings, rooming houses, tenements, hardware stores, tearooms; to be let in, one needed a card or password

Federal Theater Project

hired actors to perform plays and artists to provide stage sets and props for theater productions that played around the country, subsidized work of american playwrights like Clifford Odets

Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act

law passed to replace the AAA, which had been struck down by Supreme Court in 1936; paid farmers for cutting production of soil-depleting crops, rewarded for practicing good soil conservation methods

Walter Waters

leader of the Bonus Army an unemployed cannery worker from Oregon

double standard

set of principles which granted more sexual freedom to men than women women were required to observe stricter standards of behavior than men did; they were pulled back and forth between the old and new standards

Dust Bowl

huge drought in the 1930s, wreaked havoc on the Great Plains, hardest hitting in parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado farmers were plagued by dust storms and evictions; thousands migrated west, followed Route 66 to California

deficit spending

idea first promoted by John Maynard Kaynes to stimulate economic recovery: spending more money than the government receives in revenue; regarded by FDR as a necessary evil to be used only at time of great crisis

Duke Ellington

jazz pianist and composer, one of the greatest composers of the 20th century he led his ten-piece orchestra at the Cotton Club, composed pieces like "Mood Indigo" and "Sophisticated Lady"

bread line

lines of people waiting to receive food provided by charitable organizations or public agencies (became a common sight during the Great Depression) "Two or three blocks along Times Square, you'd see these men, silent shuffling along in a line...I'd see that flat, opaque, expressionless look which spelled...human disaster...They were destroyed men."

shantytown

makeshift communities on the edges of cities, made of scrap materials found also called "Hoovervilles"-after President Hoover did nothing to help these people, he was blamed for the condition these people were living in "Here were all these people living in old, rusted-out car bodies...There were people living in shacks made of orange crates. One family with a whole lot of kids were living in a piano box...People were living in whatever they could junk together."

hobo

men who wandered the country, hitching rides on railroad boxcars and sleeping under bridges they would occasionally turn up at homeless shelters in big cities

unemployment

millions of workers lost their jobs during the Great Depression 1929- 3% (1.6 million workers) 1933- 35% (13 million workers)

"Hoovervilles"

name given to the shantytowns in American cities in 1930- meant as a huge insult to Herbert Hoover and his policies homeless people called the newspapers they wrapped themselves in "Hoover blankets"; empty pockets turned inside out were "Hoover flags"

advertising

new goods flooding market, agencies hired psychologists to study how to appeal to people's desires (youth, beauty, health, wealth) Slogans and brand names became familiar, luxury items were seen as necessities (mouthwash)

Oscar Ameringer

newspaper editor from Oklahoma City 1932- he traveled around the country, collected info on economic and social conditions, testifying in unemployment hearings and describing desperate people who were losing patience with the government "Unless something is done for them and done soon you will have a revolution on hand."

Claude McKay

novelist, poet, and Jamaican immigrant who was a major figure whose militant verses urged African Americans to resist prejudice and discrimination his poems expressed the pain of life in the black ghettos and the strain of being black in a white society

Cotton Club

one of many fashionable entertainment clubs in Harlem in the mid 1920s was segregated, but white audiences packed the clubs to hear the new music styles of black performers like Duke Ellington and Bessie Smith

Fletcher Henderson Orchestra

one of the most influential jazz bands during the Renaissance founded by Fletcher Henderson

"Migrant Mother"

one of the most recognizable symbols of the Depression, strongest argument in support of New Deal relief programs

American Liberty League

organization formed by the strongest conservative opponents of the New Deal; league opposed New Deal measures that violated respect for individual and property rights

Southern Tenant Farmers Union

organization that sought to protect the rights of tenant farmers and sharecroppers, white and black; created tenants' groups in the North, launched campaigns to increase job opportunities

A. Philip Randolph

organized the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (1st all black trade union); his work laid out the groundwork for the civil rights movement

New Deal

set of policies made for FDR's new administration, designed to alleviate the problems of the Great Depression 3 goals: relief for the needy, economic recovery, financial reform

Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act

passed in 1930 by Congress, established the highest protective tariff in US history designed to protect American farmers and manufacturers from foreign competition (OPPOSITE EFFECT) reduced the flow of goods into the US, therefore preventing other countries from earning American currency to buy American goods; made unemployment worse in industries that could no longer export goods to Europe countries retaliated against this tariff by raising their own tariffs, caused trade to fall 40%

Taylor Grazing Act

passed in 1934 to help reduce grazing on public lands (grazing had contributed to the dust storms of the 1930s)

Social Security Act

passed in 1935, created by committee chaired by Frances Perkins 1) old age insurance for retirees 65+ and their spouses 2) unemployment compensation system 3) aid to families with dependent children and the disabled

Public Utility Holding Company Act

passed in 1935, took aim at financial corruption in the industry of public utility; outlawed ownership of utilities by multiple holding companies (pyramiding) lobbyists for the holding companies fought for this law, but proved difficult to enforce

Fair Labor Standards Act

passed in 1938, set max. hours at 44 hours/week, decreased to 40 hours after 2 years; set minimum wages at $0.25/hour, $0.40/hour by 1945 set rules for employment of workers under 16, banned hazardous work for workers under 18

Glass-Stegall Banking Act

passed in Congress after Hoover's time in office separated investment from commercial banking and would hopefully prevent another crash

Federal Securities Act

passed in May 1933, required corporations to provide complete info on all stock offerings, made them liable for misinterpretations

buying on margin

paying a small percentage of a stock's price as a down payment and borrowing the rest if the value of stocks declined, these people would have no way to pay off the loans

anarchists

people who opposed any form of government

Hundred Days

period when many New Deal programs were passed by Congress; lasted from March 9-June 16, 1933 Over 15 major laws were passed which expanded the government's role in economy

Dorothea Lange

photographer ho documented life during the Great Depression & era of the New Deal, took time to get to know her subjects before taking their picture; she used her limp (polio) as an advantage to appear more friendly

Dr. Francis Townsend

physician and health officer in Long Beach, CA, believed FDR wasn't doing enough to help the poor and elderly, devised a pension plant that would provide monthly payments to the aged

James Weldon Johnson

poet lawyer, and the executive secretary (leader) of the NAACP under his rule, the NAACP fought for legislation to protect African American rights, made anti-lynching laws one of its main priorities he worked as a school principal, newspaper editor, and lawyer in Florida 1900-wrote lyrics for song "Lift Every Voice and Sing"- black national anthem Wrote well known works like God's Trombones and Black Manhattan

affirmative action

policies designed to remedy the effects of past discrimination (term first used by Lyndon B. Johnson 1965) includes efforts to give work and educational opportunities to members of historically disadvantaged groups; some have labeled it reverse discrimination", others view it as means to counterbalance continued discrimination the law could not prevent

Communist Party

political party formed in the US in 1919 70,000 radicals joined (from the IWW) Several dozen bombs sent to gov. and business leaders; public feared that Communists were taking over the US

nativism

prejudice against people from foreign countries Americans became fearful of outsiders; a feeling of this swept the nation This feeling caused the ruined reputations of foreigners and immigrants

Hank Oettinger

printing press operator in Wisconsin when during the Great Depression, lost job in 1931 but went back to work in 1933 through the CWA

NIRA

provided money to states to create jobs in construction of schools and community buildings WHen programs didn't affect unemployment, FDR established Civil Works Administration

Share-Our-Wealth

radical relief program proposed by Senator Huey Long in the 1930s to empower the government to seize wealth from the rich through taxes and provide a guaranteed minimum income and home to every American family

fireside chats

radio talks about issues on public concern; he explained in clear, simple language the measures of the New Deal, making Americans feel as if he was talking directly to them March 12- his first chat, explained why welfare depended on support of gov. and banking system

Eleanor Roosevelt

social reformer and wife of Franklin Roosevelt; she combined humanitarian impulses with political skills she traveled the country and observed social conditions and reminded the president about suffering people and urged the appointment of women into political positions

bootlegger

someone who makes or sells illegal liquor name comes from a smuggler's practice of carrying liquor in the legs of boots they smuggled liquor from Canada, Cuba, and the West Indies

Paul Robeson

son of a one-time slave, became a major dramatic actor Performed in Shakespeare's Othello in London and NYC he struggled with the racism he experienced in the US, the indignities inflicted upon him because of his support of the Soviet Union and Communist Party he lived in England and the Soviet Union

Stock Market Crash of 1929

stock prices peaked, then fell; confidence in the market started to waver, some investors quickly sold their stocks and pulled out October 24- market took a plunge; investors unloaded their shares October 29- Black Tuesday

"Hoover tourists"/"wild boys"

teenagers who escaped all the suffering of the Great Depression by hopping abroad freight trains to zigzag the country in search of work, adventure, and an escape from poverty; they came from everywhere; they were sons of poor farmers, out-of-work miners, wealthy parents who had lost everything Ex. George Phillips

Okies

term referred to Oklahomans, came to be used negatively for all migrants these migrants found work as farmhands

fundamentalism

the Protestant movement grounded in a literal, or nonsymbolic interpretation of the Bible people were skeptical of some scientific discoveries and theories; they argued that all important knowledge could be found in the Bible; believed the Bible was inspired by God, its stories and all details were true they believed Charles Darwin's theory of evolution was not true (plant and animal species had developed and changed over millions of years, pointed to the Bible, claiming that God made the world and all life forms and humans in 6 days South- preachers led revivals, Billy Sunday staged meetings, (LA) Aimee Semple McPherson used Hollywood to preach word to homesick migrants, devoted followers of her radio broadcasts

Langston Hughes

the Renaissance's best known poet; many of his poems in the 1920s described the difficult lives of working class African Americans some of his poems moved to the tempo of jazz and the blues

Roaring twenties

the decade known for the celebration of youth and culture crazy frenetic dances, silly songs, radically new styles of clothing People questioned the values of the past, were willing to experiment with new values and fashions liberating period for women especially (received suffrage in 1920); they opted for a liberating change of fashion and freedom to smoke and drink in public

"Rube" Foster

the greatest contribution to black baseball in 1920, founded the Negro National League

Harry Hopkins

the leader of the WPA, former chief of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration

Gone With the Wind

the most famous and popular film of the era, released in 1939; a sweeping drama about life among Southern plantation owners during the Civil War

Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA)

the most widely used barometer of the stock market's health a measure based on the stock prices of 30 representative large firms trading on the New York Stock Exchange 1920s- reached high of 381 points (300 points higher than 5 years earlier)

Gross National Product

the nation's total output of goods and services during the Depression, it was nearly cut in half, went from $104 billion to $59 billion

Great Depression

the period from 1929 to 1940 in which the economy plummeted and unemployment skyrocketed NOT SOLELY CAUSED BY THE GREAT DEPRESSION, but it hastened the collapse of the economy, made the depression more severe people panicked, withdrew their money from banks; some couldn't get their money because banks invested it in the stock market Gross national product decreased by half, businesses went bankrupt (automobile and railroad companies)

Gordon Parks

well-known photographer, author, and film-maker 1929- 16 yr old high school student, supported himself as a busboy at the Minnesota Club looked forward to his bright future until the stock market crash of 1929

Edna St. Vincent Millay

wrote poems celebrating youth and a life of independence and freedom from traditional constraints