The Roaring Twenties in the US

10 Questions

What economic policy did the US government adopt in the 1920s?

Laissez-faire capitalism

Which of these was not a characteristic of the 1920s in the US?

Increased focus on work-life balance

How much of the world's cars were produced by the US by the end of the 1920s?

85%

Which of these was not a leisure product that gained popularity in the 1920s?

Television

What role did the Supreme Court play in the 1920s?

Uphold civil liberties and free speech

What was the impact of assembly line techniques on productivity in the 1920s?

Significant increase

Which of these was not a result of the US producing 85% of the world's cars by the end of the 1920s?

Improvement in labor-saving devices

What was the main role of women in the 1920s, despite the flapper movement?

To marry and have children

What was the main cause of economic growth in the US during the 1920s?

Laissez-faire capitalism

What was the main disadvantage of the laissez-faire capitalism in the US during the 1920s?

Increased government corruption

Study Notes

The 1920s in the US were characterized by jazz, movies, radio, prosperity for some, gangsters, consumer culture based on credit, prejudice against immigrants, and eventually the Great Depression.
The government in the 1920s embraced laissez-faire capitalism, leading to economic growth but also increased government corruption.
Productivity rose significantly with the adoption of assembly line techniques, leading to a tripling in annual car production and the consolidation of major automobile companies like Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors.
American corporations expanded overseas, with the US producing 85% of the world's cars and 40% of overall manufactured goods by the end of the decade.
The 1920s saw the rise of leisure products like radios, baseball games, movies, and an increased focus on consumer debt to maintain a high standard of living.
The era was marked by the emergence of celebrities like Charles Lindbergh, a flourishing high culture with American writers in Europe and Harlem becoming the capital of Black America.
Women found new ways to express autonomy through the flapper movement, while most were still expected to marry, have children, and find freedom at home through labor-saving devices.- The Supreme Court played a key role in upholding civil liberties and free speech during the 1920s, despite convictions of left-wing critics.
The resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s, fueled by hyper-patriotism and targeting immigrants, Jews, and Catholics, led to over 3 million members.
Immigration restrictions in the 1920s included quotas based on national origin, drastically reducing immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe and completely banning Asians except Filipinos.
Tensions between science education and religious beliefs were highlighted in the 1925 trial of John Scopes for teaching evolution, ultimately leading to its inclusion in more American schools.
The 1920s were a period of contradictions, with the rise of mass consumer culture and celebrity worship alongside advancements in civil liberties and tolerance but also a rise in lynchings.