Causes Great Depression
New Deal
Still New Deal
WW2
Early Cold War
Some More Cold War
100
This economic chaos popped off when too many people borrowed money to buy stocks they couldn’t actually afford, turning Wall Street into a giant Jenga tower.
What is buying on margin and stock market speculation?
100
This program handed out jobs building roads, schools, parks, and even public art, low-key funding the biggest glow-up montage in U.S. infrastructure history.
What is the WPA?
100
This agency should have been called Federal Don’t-Delete-My-Money Squad keeps your bank money from disappearing like a Snapchat message the moment a bank glitches.
What is the FDIC?
100
This surprise attack was basically Japan saying “pull up” to the U.S. Navy, instantly turning America from “leave me alone” vibes to “bet, let’s go to war.”
What is Pearl Harbor?
100
This U.S. strategy was basically “We’re not fighting you, but also… stay in your lane,” aimed at keeping communism from spreading like covid.
What is the policy of containment?
100
This senator became famous for pointing fingers like he was hosting the messiest reality show ever created: “America’s Got Communists.”
What is McCarthyism?
200
This low-key over productive villain of the 1920s had factories pumping out more goods than people could buy, creating a vibe of “uh oh” before the crash ever hit.
What is overproduction?
200
This change meant the government went from “do it yourself” eco energy to “fine, I’ll do it,” stepping into the economy like the main character.
What is increased government involvement in the economy?
200
This program regulates the stock market so investors can’t treat it like a Vegas weekend again.
What is the Securities Exchange Commision?
200
This law let the U.S. send weapons to Britain like it was Amazon Prime for democracy, even before America officially joined the fight.
What is Lend-Lease?
200
This U.S. policy sent cash to countries yelling “help, communism is knocking,” turning America into the global “sugar sponsor of democracy.”
What is the Truman Doctrine?
200
This Cold War mood had Americans accusing everyone — neighbors, celebrities, that guy who wears too much red — of being undercover communists.
What is the Red Scare?
300
This global trade slump got worse when countries started beefing and shutting each other out of trade, slowing the world economy to a crawl.
What is the decline in world trade?
300
This social transformation made Washington the official backup plan for millions, offering relief, funds, and forms instead of just good vibes.
What is expanding social welfare and relief?
300
This idea was FDR basically trying to install a “Supreme Court update pack,” adding justices so his New Deal wouldn’t get rage-quit by the judges.
What is the court-packing plan?
300
This Pacific battle was the moment the U.S. said “plot twist!” and sank Japan’s vibe — and also four of its aircraft carriers.
What is the Battle of Midway?
300
This plan dropped billions on Europe to rebuild it, kind of like saying “Here’s a stimmy so you don’t become communist.”
What is the Marshall Plan?
300
This event was basically the U.S. saying, “Oh, you blocked the roads? Cute.” and then delivering food and supplies by air like the world’s first Amazon Prime flex.
What is the Berlin Airlift?
400
These pop-up towns were the original “rent-free living,” built from whatever junk people could find, and named after the dude they blamed for their whole flop era. ....Not a Whoville but close
What were Hoovervilles?
400
This idea was FDR basically trying to install a “Supreme Court update pack,” adding justices so his New Deal wouldn’t get rage-quit by the judges.
What is the court-packing plan?
400
This long-term shift gave the feds new powers to regulate banks, farms, stocks, and basically anyone who kept causing economic jump scares.
What is expanding government regulatory power?
400
This massive Allied beach-day-but-make-it-war flipped the script on Hitler and started the “your days are numbered” arc in Europe.
What is D-Day?
400
This alliance was basically the U.S. saying, “If the Soviets swing on any of my friends, I’m swinging too,” forming the ultimate anti-communist friend group.
What is NATO?
400
This term described the imaginary wall where the Soviet Union was like, “Nobody passes,” turning Europe into the original “blocked user” list.
What is the Iron Curtain?
500
This natural disaster turned the Great Plains into a dirt smoothie in a bowl, blasting farms with dust storms so thick they made people think the apocalypse hit early.
What is the Dust Bowl?
500
This major concern had Americans thinking FDR was trying to turn checks and balances into checks and whatever-he-feels-like he didn't want separate
What is it threatened separation of powers?
500
This long-term issue came from Americans stacking up debt like it was Pokémon cards, especially when gambling on the stock market.
What is excessive borrowing and speculation?
500
This decision by Truman dropped two bombs on Japan to avoid a massive invasion, end the war fast, and make sure the world knew the U.S. was not here to play.
What is dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
500
This conflict was the U.S. trying to keep the Korean Peninsula from turning entirely red, basically a messy breakup between North and South that never got resolved.
What is the Korean War?
500
This Soviet satellite launched the moment the U.S. realized, “Dang… they really beat us to space,” kicking off a cosmic rivalry where both sides tried to be the main character of the galaxy.
What is Sputnik?