11.7 - Prosperity and Depression

Eleventh Grade - Eleventh Social Studies - 11.7 - Prosperity and Depression

From EngageNY

The 1920s and 1930s were a time of cultural and economic changes in the nation. During this period, the nation faced significant domestic challenges, including the Great Depression.

11.7a The 1920s was a time of cultural change in the country, characterized by clashes between modern and traditional values.

• Students will examine the cultural trends associated with the Roaring Twenties, including women’s efforts at self-expression and their changing roles.
• Students will examine the impact of Prohibition on American society.
• Students will examine change in immigration policy as reflected by the passage of the Quota Acts of the 1920s.
• Students will examine the reasons for the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan.
• Students will examine the key issues related to the Scopes trial.

11.7b African Americans continued to struggle for social and economic equality while expanding their own thriving and unique culture. African American cultural achievements were increasingly integrated into national culture.

• Students will examine literary and artistic contributions associated with the Harlem Renaissance and its impact on national culture.
• Students will examine the rise of African American racial pride and Black Nationalism, including the role of Marcus Garvey.

11.7c For many Americans, the 1920s was a time of prosperity. However, underlying economic problems, reflected in the stock market crash of 1929, led to the Great Depression. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s responses to the Great Depression increased the role of the federal government.

• Students will examine the reasons for economic prosperity during the 1920s.
• Students will examine the underlying weaknesses of the economy that led to the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression.
• Students will compare and contrast the responses of Presidents Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Great Depression.
• Students will examine the human and environmental causes of the Dust Bowl and its effects.
• Students will evaluate President Roosevelt’s leadership during the Depression, including key legislative initiatives of the New Deal, expansion of federal government power, and the constitutional challenge represented by his court-packing effort.