GCSE History | Society, Crime and Prosperity in 1920s USA

History Quiz - USA: 1919-1932 - US Society In The 1920s (Questions)

In this GCSE History quiz, explore life in the USA during the Roaring Twenties, from jazz and consumerism to prohibition, gangsters and changing roles for women.

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Fascinating Fact:

Prohibition, introduced in 1920, made the sale and manufacture of alcohol illegal. It encouraged illegal drinking in speakeasies and increased organised crime, especially in big cities.

In GCSE History, studying US society in the 1920s helps you understand how economic boom, mass entertainment, immigration and social change reshaped everyday life in America between the wars.

Key Terms

Prohibition: A period when making, selling and transporting alcoholic drinks was banned by law in the USA from 1920.
Consumerism: The growth of a buying culture, where people purchase more goods such as cars, radios and household appliances.
Jazz Age: A nickname for the 1920s, highlighting the popularity of jazz music and new social attitudes, especially among young people.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What was Prohibition in the USA in the 1920s?

Prohibition was a nationwide ban on making, transporting and selling alcoholic drinks, introduced in 1920. It aimed to reduce alcohol abuse but led to illegal bars and new opportunities for gangsters.

How did the 1920s change life for women in America?

Many American women gained more freedom in the 1920s. Some worked outside the home, gained the vote, wore shorter clothes, smoked or drank in public and enjoyed new leisure activities like cinema and jazz clubs.

Why was there an economic boom in the USA in the 1920s?

The boom was driven by mass production, especially in car factories, cheap credit, plenty of natural resources and confidence after the First World War. These factors increased jobs, wages and consumer spending.

Try These Related Quizzes

Which of the following musical styles was most popular among young people in the 1920s?

[ ]	Pop
[ ]	Jazz
[ ]	Country
[ ]	Folk

Of what are the following all examples during the 1920s? The "Charleston", the "Black Bottom", the "Lindy Hop" and the "Breakaway".

[ ]	Dance Crazes
[ ]	Women's hair styles
[ ]	Swimming strokes
[ ]	Items of women's underwear

What kind of behaviour would you not expect from a "flapper" in the 1920s?

[ ]	Smoking in public
[ ]	Wearing a corset
[ ]	Using cosmetics
[ ]	Sporting close-cropped hair

For which team did "Babe" Ruth regularly play baseball?

[ ]	Trenton Thunderbirds
[ ]	The Railriders
[ ]	The Boston Red Sox
[ ]	The New York Yankees

The Volstead Act of 1919 introduced strict controls on the manufacture and consumption of alcohol. What name was given to this policy?

[ ]	Abstinence
[ ]	De-Alcoholisation
[ ]	Prohibition
[ ]	Speaking Easy

Of which new artistic style was New York's Chrysler Building an example?

[ ]	Modernism
[ ]	Art Deco
[ ]	Cubism
[ ]	Bauhaus

Which infamous murder of 1929 forced the authorities to take firmer measures against gang members like Al Capone and Lucky Luciano?

[ ]	The Jonny Torrio Shoot Out
[ ]	The Christmas Massacre
[ ]	The Ascension Day Murders
[ ]	The St. Valentine's Day Massacre

Which racist organisation used burning crosses to advertise their presence?

[ ]	The John Birch Society
[ ]	The White America Defence League
[ ]	The Ku Klux Klan
[ ]	The Confederacy

In the "Red Scare" that swept America in the 1920s two Italian Americans, Sacco and Vanzetti, were executed in 1927. What political beliefs did they share?

[ ]	Fascism
[ ]	Communism
[ ]	Anarchism
[ ]	Christian Socialism

10.

In which state did the Monkey-Scopes Trial take place in 1925?

[ ]	Kentucky
[ ]	West Virginia
[ ]	Tennessee
[ ]	North Carolina

History Quiz - USA: 1919-1932 - US Society In The 1920s (Answers)

Which of the following musical styles was most popular among young people in the 1920s?

[ ]	Pop
[x]	Jazz
[ ]	Country
[ ]	Folk

Singers and bandleaders became household names as never before

Of what are the following all examples during the 1920s? The "Charleston", the "Black Bottom", the "Lindy Hop" and the "Breakaway".

[x]	Dance Crazes
[ ]	Women's hair styles
[ ]	Swimming strokes
[ ]	Items of women's underwear

Fashions changed overnight, and the era featured these four styles and more

What kind of behaviour would you not expect from a "flapper" in the 1920s?

[ ]	Smoking in public
[x]	Wearing a corset
[ ]	Using cosmetics
[ ]	Sporting close-cropped hair

A minority of well-paid women tried to liberate themselves from what they regarded as past oppression

For which team did "Babe" Ruth regularly play baseball?

[ ]	Trenton Thunderbirds
[ ]	The Railriders
[ ]	The Boston Red Sox
[x]	The New York Yankees

Successful sports stars like Ruth formed a kind of aristocracy. They were hugely popular, and enjoyed an unprecedented cult of celebrity

The Volstead Act of 1919 introduced strict controls on the manufacture and consumption of alcohol. What name was given to this policy?

[ ]	Abstinence
[ ]	De-Alcoholisation
[x]	Prohibition
[ ]	Speaking Easy

Any such measure had to be defended against those elements who were determined to break it in order to make money

Of which new artistic style was New York's Chrysler Building an example?

[ ]	Modernism
[x]	Art Deco
[ ]	Cubism
[ ]	Bauhaus

This movement flourished during the 1920s, and it was a worldwide phenomenon

Which infamous murder of 1929 forced the authorities to take firmer measures against gang members like Al Capone and Lucky Luciano?

[ ]	The Jonny Torrio Shoot Out
[ ]	The Christmas Massacre
[ ]	The Ascension Day Murders
[x]	The St. Valentine's Day Massacre

Gangs more or less ran cities like Chicago, until the criminal bands went too far

Which racist organisation used burning crosses to advertise their presence?

[ ]	The John Birch Society
[ ]	The White America Defence League
[x]	The Ku Klux Klan
[ ]	The Confederacy

The activities of such groups intensified during the 1920s - largely (but not exclusively) in the Southern states