Unit 4 Vocab

Model T

• Definition: An affordable new car that gave women independence and allowed cities to expand outward
• Historical Significance: The Model T was significant because it was the first car to be mass produced and allowed people to move out of cities and into suburbs.

Flappers

• Definition: Women during the 1920s that went against traditional values. They loved to drink, smoke, and dance.
• Historical Significance: Flappers were significant because they challenged the traditional roles of women in society

Dust Bowl

• Definition: An area in the Midwest that was devastated by clouds of dust due to poor farming practices
• Historical Significance: The Dust Bowl was significant because it ruined the lives of farmers who were already suffering from the Great Depression. Many had to migrate elsewhere in search of work

Bonus Army

• Definition: WW1 veterans and their families who came to Washington DC to demonstrate in support of the Putnam Bill
• Historical Significance: The Bonus Army was significant because when the Putnam Bill failed to pass, many were outraged. President Hoover sent the army to disband them, resulting in many injuries and damaging Hoover's image.

Speakeasy

• Definition: Speakeasies were bars that people went to buy alcohol illegally
• Historical Significance: Speakeasies were significant because they demonstrated the resentment and contempt of Prohibition

Fundamentalism

• Definition: Fundamentalism was a religious movement that centered around a literal interpretation of the Bible
• Historical Significance: Fundamentalism was significant because it resulted in a clash with science. Fundamentalists rejected the theory of evolution and passed the Butler Act, preventing evolution from being taught.

Stock Market Crash

• Definition: The Stock Market Crash of 1929 resulted in the value of stocks decreasing in value
• Historical Significance: The Stock Market Crash was significant because it caused many Americans to lose their savings and was one of the major causes of the Great Depression

Ku Klux Klan

• Definition: The KKK were a group of white supremacists that committed terrible crimes against immigrants and African Americans
• Historical Significance: The KKK saw an increase in membership in the 1920s because of the film Birth of a Nation, which glorified it.

Volstead Act

• Definition: The Volstead Act was passed to enforce the 18th Amendment
• Historical Significance: The Volstead Act was significant because its programs did not receive enough funding to enforce Prohibition. Many people smuggled alcohol illegally and officials couldn't do anything about it

New Deal

• Definition: The New Deal was a series of programs and reforms launched by President Roosevelt to help Americans struggling through the Great Depression
• Historical Significance: The New Deal was significant because they helped lessen the effect of the Great Depression on Americans and boosted the economy.

Harlem Renaissance

• Definition: The Harlem Renaissance was an African American cultural revival in Harlem in the 1920s
• Historical Significance: The Harlem Renaissance was significant because it spread African American culture around the nation and helped organize African Americans in the fight for equal rights.

Okies

• Definition: Okies were farmers who lost everything in the Dust Bowl who migrated to California seeking work
• Historical Significance: Okies were significant because they came to California and competed with locals for jobs.

John T Scopes

• John T Scopes was a biology teacher who challenged the Butler Act in Tennessee
• Historical Significance: Scopes was significant because he challenged the Butler Act and brought the conflict between Fundamentalists and scientists to light

Sacco and Vanzetti

• Sacco and Vanzetti were Italian immigrants who were convicted of robbery and murder
• Historical Significance: Sacco and Vanzetti were significant because they were treated unfairly because of their immigrants status. This demonstrated the anti-immigrant sentiment at the time.

Warren Harding

• Warren Harding was the 29th president and was known for his incompetence and many scandals during his presidency
• Historical Significance: Harding was significant because he promised Americans a "return to normalcy." His attitude towards governing reflected the relaxed nature of the 1920s.

Calvin Coolidge

• Calvin Coolidge was the 30th president and was known for being very quiet
• Historical Significance: Coolidge was significant because his administration focused on restoring integrity to the government after Harding. He was very quiet so when he spoke everyone listened.

Herbert Hoover

• Herbert Hoover was the 31st president and is known for barely helping the American people during the Great Depression
• Historical Significance: Hoover was significant because of his policies during the Great Depression. Hoover refused to give direct relief to Americans, so people began naming their makeshift towns "Hoovervilles."

Franklin D Roosevelt

• Franklin D Roosevelt was the 32nd president and is known for his New Deal programs
• Historical Significance: FDR was significant because he passed many reforms and acts to help the American people during the Great Depression. He was beloved by many for his efforts.

Langston Hughes

• Langston Hughes was an African American writer who wrote about African American experiences in America
• Historical Significance: Hughes was significant because he was one of the main writers during the Harlem Renaissance, and his works were seen by many

Marcus Garvey

• Marcus Garvey was an African American who believed equality would never be achieved, and proposed a "Back to Africa" plan
• Historical Significance: Garvey was significant because even though his "Back to Africa" plan failed, he helped to promote black pride in America.