Unit 9: Boom to Bust: The Roaring 20s and the Great Depression

Scottsboro Boys

9 Black teenage boys accused of rape in Alabama in 1931. Dealt with racism and the right to a fair trial. The case included a frameup, an all-white jury, rushed trials, an attempted lynching, an angry mob, and is an example of an overall miscarriage of justice.

National Recovery Act (NRA)

A government agency created by NIRA that supervised mediatory meetings concerning collective bargaining agreements (Wagner Act), quickly became an enormous bureaucratic nightmare, and was outlawed by Schecter v. U.S.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

A government organization that created thousands of jobs in the poorest, most depressed parts of the country constructing dams to reduce flood damaged areas.

Dawes Plan

A plan set forth by a man named Dawes. The US loaned money to Germany, who then paid $$ to Britain and France(war debt) who then paid back the US with interest for loaning money. Good for US, bad for everyone else

Kellogg-Briand Pact

AKA Pact of Paris. Signed in 1928 as a international agreement. Renounced War, and called for a peaceful settlement of disputes. Similar provisions included in the UN Charter.

Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA)

Allocated $500 million to State and local governments who would then distribute it to local families in need

Reaction to the New Deal

Americans loved the New Deal, elected 41 out of 48 governors democratic, as well as 69 Senate seats and 332 house seats

Grapes of Wrath

An American realist novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939. For it he won the annual National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for novels and it was cited prominently when he won the Nobel Prize in 1962. Set during the Great Depression

Emergency Banking Act

An act of the United States Congress by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression. It was passed on March 9, 1933. This act allows only Federal Reserve-approved banks to operate in the United States of America.

National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA)

An act passed by Congress as part of the New Deal that created the NRA.

Reconstruction Finance Corporation

An agency of the United States government, established and chartered by the US Congress in 1932, Act of January 22, 1932 during the administration of President Herbert Hoover. It was modeled after the War Finance Corporation of World War I. The agency gave $2 billion in aid to state and local governments and made loans to banks, railroads, mortgage associations and other businesses. The loans were nearly all repaid. It was continued by the New Deal and played a major role in handling the Great Depression in the United States and setting up the relief programs that were taken over by the New Deal in 1933.

Public Works Administration (PWA)

Another Government organization, which undertook large ambitious programs and projects, but was restrained by the head(who's name the book fails to mention)

Tuesday, October 29, 1929

Beginning of a 10 year "great depression". New York stock exchange had a massive crash. After black thursday.

Election of 1928

Between Herbert Hoover (Republican) and Al Smith (Democrat). Hoover won by a landslide. Smith was faced with the disadvantages of both being Catholic (A lot of Anti-Catholic protestants), and being associated with Tammany Hall. Hoover had the benefit of being associated with the republican party which was associated with the economic success of the 20s

Election of 1932

Between Herbert Hoover (Republican) and Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Democrat). FDR won by a landslide. The election took place in the Great Depression. Economic issues were dominant, and cultural issues that had dominated previous elections, including Catholicism (in 1928) and the Ku Klux Klan (in 1924), were dormant.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Democratic Candidate in Election of 1932. Won by a landslide. Advocated for the New Deal. Had Fireside chats. Very active.

Al Smith

Democratic Candidate. Lost to Herbert Hoover in the Election of 1928. Was faced with the disadvantages of both being Catholic and being associated with Tammany Hall.

Federal Home Loan Bank Act

Enacted July 22, 1932, this act is a United States federal law passed under President Herbert Hoover in order to lower the cost of home ownership.

Eleanor Roosevelt

First Lady to FDR. Largely Active. She was the first presidential spouse to hold press conferences, write a syndicated newspaper column, and speak at a national convention. On a few occasions, she publicly disagreed with her husband's policies.

Rural Electrification Administration (REA)

Gave electricity to rural America which was previously running on kerosene for light. Drastically changed rural living conditions

Huey Long

Imposed heavy taxes on large businesses as Louisiana governor, gained support in many states, FDR feared his support, but was tragically assassinated in 1935

Henry Wallace

Ordered the farmers to do their stuff by slaughtering pigs and plowing fields(all of the proceeds went to waste) as head of a gov't organization

Al Capone

Otherwise known as "Scarface", this Chicago gangster/bootlegger led a vast criminal empire during the time of Prohibition

Schecter v. U.S

Outlawed NIRA, and subsequently the incredibly powerful NRA.

Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA)

Payed farmers to NOT farm, slaughtered a lot of pigs(Zinn not happy), was there so prices would go back uphave farmers make a living again, more taxer collected by gov't etc.

Hoovervilles

Popular name for shanty towns built by homeless people during the Great Depression. They were named after Herbert Hoover, who was President of the United States during the onset of the Depression and widely blamed for it.

Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC)

Provided loans of up to $14,000 for people to buy homes, part of the New Deal

Three R's of the New Deal

Recovery: to recover from the stock market crash and bank failures. Reform: to change society and the economy so a crash like this would never happen again. Relief: to give immediate aid to those in dire need

Herbert Hoover

Republican Candidate in the Election of 1928. Won by a landslide. Had the advantage of being associated with the Republican party which was associated with the economic prosperity of the 20s.

Harry Hopkins

Social Worker who set FERA in motion, one might call him the "head honcho" of FERA

Black Thursday

Start of the Wall Street crash of 1929. At the New York stock exchange

Civil Works Administration (CWA)

Temporary program that coupled with relief work to get FERA moving, created by the frustrated head honcho of FERA gave a lot of people a lot of jobs

Forgotten men

Term used by Roosevelt in his fireside chat referencing the poor who were not being cared for. Done in order to build support for his "New Deal"

Influence of Fruedian psychology

The influence of this psychology was shown especially in the 1920s, which allowed for the acceptance of sex in society through things such as cosmetics and Miss America contests, which preached that being youthful was a good thing.

Robert and Helen Lynd

These authors and members of the "Lost Generation" created "Middletown: A Study in American Culture"; an inportant sociological study of the decade.

Causes of the crash

These causes were the failures in the Stock Market, along with depositors withdrawing their funds due to a Wall Street scare.

Workers/unions after WWI

These groups pushed and received a higher standard of living, while membership in these groups decreased due to an anti-union government after the Red Scare. This group, which was diminishing, also led to the diminishing number of strikes occurring during the 1920s.

Techonogical innovations

These innovations include the Lindbergh trans-Atlantic flight (less of an innovation, but whatever), an increased access to electricity, refridgerators, radios, washing machines, ovens, vaccuums, toasters, and increased use of telephones.

Demagogues

These people were political leaders who seek support by agreeing with the public, FDR called Huey Long one.

Impact on African Americans

These people, especially sharecroppers, saw a decrease in money due to the decrease in cotton prices, and that jobs were typically awarded to whites over blacks.

Coolidge's economic policies

These policies consisted of fostering business enterprise, a hands-off policy, and giving favor to big business.

Farmers and crop prices after WWI

These prices plummeted after World War I as the US government was no longer buying the surplus crop, causing there to be massive surplus and thus less profit for farmers.

Ramifications for everyday life

These ramifications were caused when corporations cut production and lowered workers wages, which led to workers not being able to pay for mortgages and ultimately, to the bank.

Race relations after WWI

These relations included blacks wanting more freedom after returning from Europe, causing southern white terrorism and KKK involvement to increase.

Race Riots of 1919

These riots, especially that in Chicago, involved whites going into black neighborhoods and pillaging them, leaving many dead, injured, and/or homeless.

Silent film stars

These stars included Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, Clara Barr, Joan Crawford, and Rudolph Valentino, who all helped increase the number of theaters in the United States, along with their attendance.

Speakeasies

These were illegal saloons in cities, many of which were created during Prohibition opposed to before it.

Bootleggers

These were people who obtained alcohol illegally or concoted their own in order to bypass the restrictions of the 18th Amendment, even though it was oftentimes expensive.

Migrant workers

These workers helped to transform the Southwest into an agricultural center with the immigration of 459,000 Mexicans to the United States in the 1920s.

Glass-Steagall Banking Act

This Act created the FDIC, which insures up to 2,500 of individual bank deposits. This gave people more trust in the banks

Prohibition/18th Amendment

This Amendment, which prohibited alcohol in the United States, caused the period of time called the Prohibition.

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

This Government organization created new jobs for people by having them build new bridges, fixing and restoring national parks and forsests

William Simmons

This Methodist minister organized the modern Klan in 1915, which coincided with the film "Birth of a Nation".

Social Security Act of 1936

This act created pensions for those over 65, unemployment compensation and "categorical assistance" for groups that did not qualify for the WPA or the CCC.

Johnson-Reed Immigration Act/Immigration Quota Act of 1924

This act involved the government allocating visas to the Eastern Hemisphere in ratios determined by the 1890 U.S. Census. This left Britain, Ireland, and Germany with many of the visas, due to their high number of citizens in 1890 in the US.

Beer-Wine Revenue Act (end of Prohibition)

This act officially ended Prohibition so the government could tax alcohol, and create much needed revenue

Sheppard-Towner Act of 1921

This act provided states with federal funds to establish centers for women and children

Ernest Hemingway

This author and member of the "Lost Generation" captured his sense of loss following World War I with "The Sun Also Rises" in 1926.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

This author and member of the "Lost Generation" depicted a world with no God, no more wars, and no more faith in man in "This Side of Paradise" in 1920.

Sinclair Lewis

This author and member of the "Lost Generation" described the complacency and narrow-mindedness of small American communities in "Babbitt" in 1922.

H.L. Mencken

This author and member of the "Lost Generation" ridiculed small town and rural American with his magazines "The Smart Set" and "The American Mercury".

e.e. cummings

This author and member of the "Lost Generation" used new poetic rhythms and new lyric forms in his poetry, ignoring capitalization and punctuation rules.

John Dos Passos

This author and member of the "Lost Generation" used unconventional methods to break up a narrative and convey the fragmentation of normal life in "U.S.A".

Franz Boas

This author and member of the "Lost Generation" was the father of modern anthropology, who questioned racial inferiority in "The Mind of Primitive Man" (1911)

Negro League

This baseball league, segregated from professional baseball, did not get nearly as much attention from the media or on radio due to the players being black.

Securities and Exchange Commission

This commission monitors all stock trading within America.

Washington Naval Conference

This conference was when Charles Hughes, the secretary of state, chose eight leading powers to discuss the navy arms race and Asian competition, which led to the disarment of navies, respect for other world powers, and the continuation of the Open Door policy in China.

New Morality

This consisted of a new "dating" system that replaced male callers due to the automobile, which allowed for women to escape the confines of the house with her partner.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

This corporation insures each individual for their deposit into a given bank.

Disarray in the Democratic Party

This describes the confusion in the nomination for president and vice president for the election of 1924, in which there was competition between Al Smith and John Davis.

Hoover and the "associative state"

This describes the cooperation between the government and business in order to promote the public interest.

Election of 1920

This election displayed Americans' request to end Wilsonian ideals and progressive reform, having Warren G. Harding/Calvin Coolidge (R) defeating Cox/FDR (D).

Election of 1924

This election was won by Coolidge over Davis and La Follete after Coolidge served as president for one year following Harding's death.

Great Migration

This event consisted of 2.5 million African Americans moving to the North by the end of the 1920s, as they were able to take cheaper industrial jobs while they were barred from unions. This increase was especially noted in cities, where places such as NYC and Detroit saw a huge increase in African Americans.

May Day bombings

This event consisted of bombs being delivered around the country, exploding at the same time in the presence of high value targets such as John D. Rockefeller.

Women in the workforce

This group of people in the workforce was greatly increased, and while their counterparts still dominated employment, they still received new jobs due to expanding technology.

New KKK

This group was no longer composed of mainly southern rural white supremacists, but rather people who apparently fought for justice.

Nativism

This idea reflects the preference towards the established peoples of a nation, such as the white, Anglo-Saxon Americans in the United States rather than immigrants or Native Americans.

Welfare capitalism

This idea was a form of new paternalism among employers to their employees, which helped increase efficiency and loyalty to the company.

Radio

This invention allowed for Pittsburgh's KDKA to become the first public radio broadcast to cover a presidential election, that being the 1920 election. This invention was also quickly dominated by the new companies of NBC and CBS.

League of Women Voters

This league, formerly NAWSA, fought to democratize political parties

Henry Ford and the automobile industry

This man and his industry helped develop the first moving assembly line, helping create the Model T automobile.

Marcus Garvey/United Negro Improvement Association

This man and his organization promoted the spirit of racial pride and love, wanted to have blacks to have full independence from whites, opposed racial mixing, and created "Negro World", which was a newspaper that received between 50,000 and 200,000 subscriptions in the U.S.

La Follette and the Progressive Party

This man sought to break the power of increasingly large business with his political party.

Louis Armstrong

This man was a famous trumpet player during the Harlem Renaissance.

Duke Ellington

This man was a piano musician and composer from Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance.

Father Charles Coughlin

This man was a priest who originally liked the New Deal, but then changed his mind, got 20 million signatures that promoted the passage of a new economic reform bill.

William Jennings Bryan

This man was part of the proscecution against Scopes, who claimed that the majority had the right to legislate moral and ethical standards.

Calvin Coolidge

This man was the Vice President to Harding in 1920, a progressive Republican who became president upon Harding's death.

Clarence Darrow

This man was the nation's foremost defense attorney who defended Scopes, claiming that anti-evolution laws violated freedom of religion laws with Creationism.

Langston Hughes

This man was the poet laureate of Harlem who wanted to express African hertiage without shame or fear.

Hoover's approach to the Depression

This man's attempt to America's looming economic problem was to revive public spending through new buildings which would pump more money into the economy, which ultimately failed.

KKK March in 1925

This march, which took place on August 8th,1925, was a demonstration of 50,000 KKK members marching in Pennsylvania.

"Return to Normalcy"

This mispoken phrase signified the return to government inactivity after Wilsonian idealism and progressive reform had run its course.

Dust Bowl

This natural disaster was caused when poor land management caused topsoil to blow everywhere, which led to the fleeing of millions from the area.

The New Woman

This new image consisted of new expressions of freedom for women, including the "flapper image", which showed a departure from the traditional woman's image in ways such as smoking.

Sacco and Vanzetti

This pair of Italian immigrants were charged with the murders of a guard and paymaster in Massachusetts, and were sentenced to death due to prejudice. This case allowed the immigrants to gain international status.

Harlem Renaissance

This period of time expressed an outburst of artistry that occured in Harlem, expressing black culture similarly to Italian culture in the Renaissance.

Isolationism

This policy describes when a country, such as the United States, remains out of global affairs and events.

National Woman's Party

This political party advocated for full legal and civil equality, and tried to pass an Equal Rights Amendment in 1923.

Billy Sunday

This revivalist minister gave sermons and warned followers about the evils surrounding modern life, such as alcohol.

Rise of suburbs

This rise occured due to the automobile, which allowed people to escape the city life and help create residential areas outside of cities that would actually grow faster than the cities themselves. Such places sprouted up outside of NYC, Chicago, and Detroit.

Teapot Dome Scandal

This scandal involved Albert Fall, the secretary of the interior, who leased government oil resources in Teapot Dome, Wyoming to private investors.

A. Philip Randolph

This socialist man was the cofounder of "Messenger", the head of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, and a critic of Marcus Garvey.

Buying on credit

This system allowed people to purchase goods and pay over time, which was used on things such as cars, radios, washing machines, etc.

Scientific Management and Frederick Taylor

This system incrased the effectiveness and efficiency of a factory, helping to grow the management in the workplace.

Ohio Gang

This term describes the members/friends that Harding appointed to office, who later swindled the government due to Harding's trust.

Scopes Trial

This trial involved John Scopes, a part-time teacher, against a local official, in a set-up confrontation between science and religion when dealing with evolution. This trial eventually found Scopes guilty, but the ruling was overturned on a technicality.

Butler v. U.S

This was the Supreme Court Case that made the AAA unconstitutional.

Margaret Sanger

This woman was an advocate for birth control and expression of love through sex, and it is possible that her advocacy could have led to an increase in divorce rates.

Zora Neale Hurston

This woman was an author and folk artist during the Harlem Renaissance who was also a fan of Booker T. Washington.

Okie

Typically referred to poor immigrants migrated from Oklahoma. There was a massive "Okie" migration in the 30s to California.

Bonus Army

War veterans were promised bonuses. When the veterans did not receive the bonuses they protested and occupied the area around the white house. Hoover ordered them out and had their tents and belongings burned.

Fireside Chats

Were s series of Interviews and public addresses made by FDR to adress the nation. Millions listened at home as he informed them of recent events in Washington.