The Story of the Times: 1914-1946

The Story of the Times: 1914-1946

Page 636

1. What were the years preceding World War 1 characterized by an overwhelming sense of?

2. In what year did World War 1 break out?

3. What was the name of the British merchant ship sunk by the Germans in 1915? How did this change Americans views of World War 1?

4. Who were the "Allies" in World War 1?

5. (Evaluate an Argument) Look at the poster on the top of page 636. Recruiting posters like this one urged Americans to help the war effort during World War 1 by joining the armed forces. Why do you think this poster would or would not have been effective in persuading people to enlist?

6. (Hypothesize) As World War 1 took men away from home industries, women took over their jobs. These shipyard workers are holding the tools they used to work with red-hot steel rivets. How do you think their wartime work helped women win the right to vote after the war?

Page 637

7. What did Prohibition make the sale of illegal in 1919? What did this lead to in the United States?

8. What happened to the stock market in late October 1929? What did this mark the beginning of?

9. By mid-1932, about how many people were out of work?

10. Which president's policies helped bring an end to the Great Depression?

11. (Read a Map) Look at the map at the top of page 637. By 1919, women in most states had won the right to vote in state and local elections. (a) Which state was the first to grant women full suffrage? (b) Using the information on this map, make a generalization about the relationship between women's suffrage and regions of the country.

12. (Make an Inference) In the 1920's, Americans were eager to buy new devices that made life easier. What does the clothing the model is wearing suggest about lifestyles at that time?

13. What did the German invasion of Poland touch off?

Page 638

13. What event caused the Americans to join World War 2?

14. Which countries made up the "Axis" in World War 2? Which countries made up the "Allies?"

15. What caused the Japanese to surrender in World War 2?

16. What did Modernist writers look to capture in their writing?

17. What did the Imagists rebel against? What did they demand? Who was the early leader of the Imagist movement?

18. (Read a Graph) Look at the graph on the top of page 638. The 1920's could be called the age of radio. Millions of American families bought radios and listened to popular programming. About how many families had radios in 1924? In 1928? What later trends in home entertainment did the growth in popularity of the radio foreshadow?

19. (Make an Inference) Look at the picture on the bottom of page 638. The Charleston was a popular dance during the Roaring Twenties. Why do nightclubs featuring music and dance flourish during periods of prosperity?

Page 639

20. What was the name for a number of American writers who left the United States and settled in Paris, France?

21. What does the stream-of-conscience technique look to recreate in writing?

22. What is considered the landmark stream-of-conscience novel? Who was it written by?

23. (Analyze Art) Look at the painting on the top of page 639. Aaron Douglas, an African American artist who lived and painted during the Harlem Renaissance, became one of the nation's leading muralists. How does "From Slavery through Reconstruction," The painting shown here, communicate the experience of African Americans?

24, (Make an Inference) Look at the photographs in the middle and bottom of page 639. The government tried to stop the illegal flow of liquor during Prohibition. In the photograph below, federal agents destroy cases of beer found during a raid in Philadelphia. The two men in disguise in the picture above were among the most effective Prohibition agents. Working undercover, the partners made more than 4,000 arrests. Given the many advances during this period of history, why do you think many Americans supported Prohibition?

Page 640

25. Who was the first American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature?

26. (Interpret a Pattern) Look at the graph on the top of page 640. During the Depression, millions of Americans were out of work. According to the graph, in which year was unemployment the highest? What happened to unemployment between 1936 and 1941?

27. (Draw a Conclusion) Look at the photograph at the bottom of page 640. During the Depression, photographers captured the suffering of the rural poor in powerful pictures. Dorothea Lange took this photograph, which has become a symbol of the Great Depression. Why do you think photographs are such valuable records of the times?

Page 641

28. What do many of John Steinbeck's works represent? What are two of his most memorable novels?

29. What was the name for the literary movement that took place in Harlem, beginning in 1921?

30. (Draw a Conclusion) Look at the photograph at the top of page 641. This photograph was taken soon after the surprise bombing of Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. Within hours, newspaper "extras" were on the street with the story of the Japanese sneak attack. Why would such an attack make the United States entry into WWII inevitable?

31. (Draw a Conclusion) Look at the poster at the bottom of page 641. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) employed men and women to build hospitals, schools, parks, and airports. The WPA also employed artists, writers, and musicians. How would this program benefit both the government and the unemployed?