US History: The Roaring Twenties

Roaring Twenties (1920s)

• Post-WWI economic boom, cultural and social changes
• Characteristics:
  • Mass production and consumerism
  • Urbanization and migration
  • Rise of jazz and Harlem Renaissance
  • Flappers, speakeasies, and relaxed social norms
  • New technologies (e.g., radio, automobiles)
• Notable figures:
  • President Calvin Coolidge
  • Al Capone (organized crime)
  • Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington (jazz musicians)
  • F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway (authors)

World War II (1941-1945)

• US involvement in global conflict
• Causes:
  • Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (1941)
  • Axis powers (Germany, Italy, Japan) expansion
• Major events:
  • D-Day invasion (Normandy, 1944)
  • Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945)
  • Allied victory and defeat of Axis powers
• Home front:
  • Rationing and mobilization
  • Women's roles in war efforts (e.g., Rosie the Riveter)
  • Internment of Japanese Americans

Cold War Era (1945-1991)

• Post-WWII rivalry between US and Soviet Union
• Key events:
  • Truman Doctrine (1947) and Marshall Plan (1948)
  • Berlin Blockade and Airlift (1948-1949)
  • Korean War (1950-1953)
  • Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
• Domestic politics:
  • Red Scare and McCarthyism (1950s)
  • Civil Rights Movement (1950s-1960s)
• Notable figures:
  • President Harry Truman
  • Senator Joseph McCarthy
  • Soviet leaders (e.g., Stalin, Khrushchev)

Civil Rights Movement (1950s-1960s)

• Struggle for racial equality and social justice
• Key events:
  • Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956)
  • Little Rock Nine (1957)
  • March on Washington (1963)
  • Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965)
• Notable figures:
  • Martin Luther King Jr.
  • Rosa Parks
  • Malcolm X
  • Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson

Great Depression (1929-1941)

• Global economic downturn, severe in US
• Causes:
  • Stock market crash (1929)
  • Overproduction and underconsumption
  • Bank failures and credit crisis
• Effects:
  • High unemployment (25%) and poverty
  • Homelessness and shantytowns (Hoovervilles)
  • Decreased international trade
• Government responses:
  • President Herbert Hoover's limited interventions
  • President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs (e.g., Works Progress Administration, Civilian Conservation Corps)

Roaring Twenties (1920s)

• Post-WWI economic boom, cultural and social changes characterized the decade
• Mass production and consumerism led to increased urbanization and migration
• Jazz and Harlem Renaissance flourished, with notable figures like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington
• Flappers, speakeasies, and relaxed social norms defined the era's cultural landscape
• New technologies like radio and automobiles emerged

World War II (1941-1945)

• Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 drew the US into the global conflict
• Axis powers' expansion led to the US involvement in the war
• D-Day invasion in Normandy in 1944 marked a major turning point
• Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 contributed to the Allied victory
• Women's roles in war efforts, like Rosie the Riveter, became prominent
• Internment of Japanese Americans occurred on the home front

Cold War Era (1945-1991)

• Post-WWII rivalry between the US and Soviet Union characterized the era
• Truman Doctrine in 1947 and Marshall Plan in 1948 marked key events
• Berlin Blockade and Airlift in 1948-1949 showed Soviet aggression
• Korean War from 1950-1953 was a major conflict
• Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 brought the world to the brink of nuclear war
• Red Scare and McCarthyism in the 1950s led to domestic political tension
• Civil Rights Movement gained momentum during this era

Civil Rights Movement (1950s-1960s)

• Struggle for racial equality and social justice defined the movement
• Montgomery Bus Boycott from 1955-1956 was a key event
• Little Rock Nine in 1957 and March on Washington in 1963 were significant milestones
• Civil Rights Act in 1964 and Voting Rights Act in 1965 were landmark legislation
• Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Malcolm X were prominent figures
• Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson played important roles

Great Depression (1929-1941)

• Global economic downturn severely affected the US
• Stock market crash in 1929 triggered the depression
• Overproduction and underconsumption, as well as bank failures and credit crisis, were contributing factors
• High unemployment (25%) and poverty rates characterized the era
• Homelessness and shantytowns (Hoovervilles) became widespread
• Decreased international trade further exacerbated the economic downturn
• President Herbert Hoover's limited interventions were insufficient
• President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs, such as the Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps, helped alleviate the crisis

Explore the cultural, social, and economic changes that defined the 1920s in the United States, including mass production, jazz, and notable figures.