Study Guide- 1920’s/1930’s
1920’s
 Popular Culture (Identify the rise in popularity of these forms of entertainment)
o Movies (How were movies different from today? Why rise in popularity in 1920’s?)
 Jazz Singer
o Radio (How popular?)
 Types of Programs on Radio?
 NBC and CBS (How did they change American entertainment when started?)
o Music
 Jazz (Who invented it? Who was listening to it? Why is that significant?)
o Sports (Why did it rise in popularity in 1920’s nationally? i.e.- What changed to allow
people to be NY Yankee fans in Los Angeles?)
 Be sure how to identify how these national pastime and forms of
communication impacted and changed American culture
 Social Movements
o Prohibition
 18th Amendment (define)
 Supporters and opponents (Identify both groups and reasons for their beliefs)
 Difficulties enforcing (esp. why it is hard to enforcing a law against social
behavior)
o Red Scare
 Targeting Immigrants (Which immigrants? Why?)
 Sacco and Vanzetti (identify? Why were they found guilty? Why should the US
be ashamed?)
 Palmer Raids (Identify, who was targeted? Why did Americans support those
raids in 1920’s/)
o Fundamentalism
 Define
 Scopes Monkey Trial (Identify, explain why so many people were interested in
the outcome?)
o KKK
 Define and explain the reason for popularity in 1920’s
o Women
 Flappers (Identify and define)
 Margret Sanger (identify, explain how her beliefs could change the lives of
women and impacts today)
 19th Amendment (define)
o African-Americans
 Great Migration (define)
 Harlem Renaissance (define, explain importance of such a movement)
 Consumerism (Why was there an availability of new previously unaffordable products in
1920’s?)
o Automobile (Why did it rise in popularity in 1920’s? How did it change the American
landscape and economy in 1920’s?)
 Model T (Identify)
 Assembly Line (Define, who applied it to cars?)
 Frederick Taylor (Explain his ideas and how it impacted production in
1920’s?)
o Advertising (Why?)
o Buying on Credit (define, how did this change American consumerism in 1920’s? What
is the dark side of credit and how can that impact the economy?)
 Politics
o Return to Normalcy (Define- relate to government’s philosophy on its role in the
economy-
o
 President Harding- faults
Scandals (Explain why there was an increase in government scandals under the Harding
Administration? Use “Return to Normalcy to help answer this question)
 Tea Pot Dome (Explain)
1930’s/ Great Depression
 Causes
o 4 Causes (Explain how each of the following created the Great Depression)
 Farmers Plight (Identify their problem, how does that negatively impact
economy?)
 Rich vs. Poor (Think circulation of money)
 Middle Class (Think pay)
 Consumerism/ Over Production (Why did companies have too many products
that they could not sell?)
o Stock Market
 Buying on Margin (Define, how did this lead to…
 Saturation (rise in stock prices)
 Crash (what happens when people realize prices are too high? How are
people who bought on margin affected?)
 Crash (Explain importance)
 Banks (What was happening to them?)
 Hoover’s Responses
o Rugged Individualism (define, explain Hoover’s belief on the role of government during
the Depression)
o Reconstruction Finance Corporation (Define, what was its limitation on its ability to
impact and help the country?)
o Bonus Army (Define, impact on Hoover’s Presidency)
 FDR/New Deal
o New Deal (How did FDR change the role of Government?)
o Alphabet Agencies (Define and explain how they were meant to provide Relief,
Recovery, or Reform)
 CCC
 TVA (answer above, but also explain criticism of Gov. getting involved in
providing power to people’s homes- “Socia…”?)
 AAA (answer above, but also answer criticism of how Gov. was attempting to
raise farm prices)
 SEC
 WPA ( answer above, but also answer why people criticized program- i.e.- Gov.
paid actors to put on plays)
 Glass-Steagall (FDIC)
 Social Security
o Opponents (Major criticism of New Deal?)
 Huey Long “Share Our Wealth” (define)
 Supreme Court (Why were they opposed to the New Deal?)
 FDR’s Court Packing Scheme (explain)
o What was the American reaction to FDR’s Scheme?
o What was the Supreme Court’s Reaction?
 Other
o Eleanor Roosevelt- FDR’s wife, seen as a person who connected with the people and
could convince the President to provide further help
o Fireside Chats (Define)