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Homework. Read Ch 32 Message board Online quiz. Ch 32 American Life in the “Roaring Twenties”. Seeing Red. Fear of Communism Bolshevik Revolution 1917 Spawns a tiny Communist Party in America Post-War labor strife High prices and failures to form unions result in labor-troubles
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Homework • Read Ch 32 • Message board • Online quiz
Seeing Red • Fear of Communism • Bolshevik Revolution 1917 • Spawns a tiny Communist Party in America • Post-War labor strife • High prices and failures to form unions result in labor-troubles • General strike – Seattle, 1919 • Orderly, but mayor calls for federal troops to head off the “anarchy of Russia” • Strong anti-communist feelings after WWI • Labor Unions = Communism • Why? • Proletariat = working class = Labor unions = strike, or working class revolution = socialism = communism
Red Scare • Red Scare 1919-1920 • Nationwide crusade against left-wing activists (radical liberals) • Led by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer • “Palmer Raids” • Arrest and deportations of socialists/communists • June 1919 bombings • Sept. 1920 Wall Street bombing
Red Scare • Results of the Red Scare: • Deportations • The Buford – Dec. 1919 • 249 alien radicals deported to the Soviet Union • Criminal Syndicalism Laws • State laws which banned the mere mention of violence. • Words = action = violation of the law • Violation of the first amendment • Used to prosecute radicals in the IWW • Demise of Unions • Unions = “Sovietism” in disguise (closed shop) • “open shop” = American • Aplace of employment at which one is not required to join or financially support a labor union.
Red Scare continues • Other backlashes against “radicals” • 1920: 5 Socialists denied seats in the NY state legislature • Sacco & Vanzetti Trial • Italian immigrants, admitted anarchists, atheists, and draft dodgers. • Accused of murdering a factory paymaster • Trial conducted during the supercharged atmosphere of anti-foreign/anti-radical sentiment • No real evidence that they had committed the crime • Found guilty, and received death penalty and were electrocuted in 1927 • Become “martyrs” in the “class struggle”
Vanzetti Sacco
Hooded Hoodlums of the KKK • The New KKK • The Klan of the 1860s changed • The 1920s Klan • Primarily in the Midwest and Bible Belt region of the South • 5 million members by mid-1920s • Primarily an anti-immigrant/anti-modernist phenomenon • Similar to nativismof the 1850s, although still a racist organization • Endorses 100% Americanism • Anti: black, Catholic, Jewish, foreign, pacifist, Communist, internationalist, evolutionist, bootlegger, gambler, birth-control, etc. • Pro: Anglo-Saxon, native-born, Protestant • Demise comes in the wake of scandals • Congress investigates corruption in the KKK • Bribery, kickbacks, and murder
Stemming the Foreign Flood • Immigration Restriction • Caused by the continuation of “new immigration” from war-torn Europe • 800,000 arrived 1920-21, mostly from southern/eastern Europe • Emergency Quota Act of 1921 • Creates a “national origins” system • Only 3% of a nations American population in 1910 may be admitted • 100 Italian immigrants in the US in 1910, then only 3 Italian immigrants would be allowed in after 1921 • Problem • By 1910, hundreds of thousands of Southeastern Europeans in the US • A large flow of immigrants from that area of Europe continue to come to the US • Americans wanted more Anglo-Saxon Europeans • Solution • Immigration Act of 1924
Emergency Quota Act Of 1921 1910
Annual Immigration to the US1860-1930 27,000 immigrants
Immigration Restrictions continue • Immigration Act of 1924 • Amends EQA from 3% to 2% of 1890 populations • Ensures smaller quantities of southern/eastern immigrants • Japanese immigrants barred altogether • Canadians and Latin Americans were exempt • Main reason: proximity • Impact of new immigration policies • Immigrants not welcomed • Prior to these laws, immigration was virtually unrestricted • Major change in US policy (used to be a nation of immigrants) • More foreigners leave than arrive in 1931 • first time in American history
Immigration Act Of 1921 2% 1890
Annual Immigration to the US1860-1930 27,000 immigrants 3,000 immigrants
The Prohibition Experiment • Prohibition • Enacted in 1919 by the 18thAmendment • the Volstead Act • the enforcement act of Prohibition • The act will define exactly what is prohibited. • Popularity • Most of the nation was dry by 1919 • Midwest & South • Leading industrialists (e.g., Henry Ford) • Opposition • Large eastern cities; ethnic communities
Prohibition Continued • Success – • Bank savings increased and absences from work decreased • Failure • Tradition of drink was too strong • A strong minority opposed it and wanted it repealed • Too difficult to legislate • people never viewed it as “wrong” • saloons replaced by speakeasies (underground clubs) • encouraged consumption of harder alcohol (easier to transport) • Govt was too weak to control people’s private lives. • Growth of lawlessness • both among violators and providers of the bootlegged liquor • Rise of organized crime, Gangsters, the Mob, Mafia, etc
The Golden Age of Gangsterism • Rise of organized crime • Bootlegging becomes a big business • Chicago the home of numerous gang wars • 1925 Al “Scarface” Capone • Gangster who makes millions from bootlegging in Chicago • He’s eventually arrested for tax evasion, serves 11 years • Success from bootlegging encourages expansion into prostitution, gambling, narcotics, and racketeering • threatening businesses into paying protection money • By 1930, underground crime had a $12-$18 billion dollar per year economy: • Much larger than the US Gov’t Illegal activities
Gangster Violence • St. Valentine’s Massacre • Rival gang attack over territory and control of bootlegging • Kidnappings for ransom • Kidnapping of Charles A. Lindbergh’s infant son • 1923 Lindbergh Law • Interstate kidnapping = possible death sentence
Educational Reform • Progressive strides in education • Rise in secondary education • Students required to stay in school until 16 or graduation • # of 17 year olds completing high school doubled in the 20s • John Dewey • One of Americas foremost philosophers and educational reformers • Set forth the principles of “learning by doing” • Called for “experiential education” in laboratory schools, where students “learned by doing” • Scientific advances • The Rockefeller Foundation promotes better public health • Wipes out hookworm by the 1920s • Better nutrition and healthcare increased life expectancy to 59 years by 1920.
Monkey Business in Tennessee • Fundamentalism • Religious response to the growing modernism of the 1920s • Emphasized a literal interpretation of the bible—a strong force in Protestantism, esp. Baptists • Attacked • the theory of evolution by Darwin • Three states passed laws banning the teaching of evolution • Jazz age • Progressive education • Birth-control, and many other changes • Key figures: • Billy Sunday – Radio personality/evangelist
The Scopes Trial: “Monkey Trial” • John T. Scopes, high school biology teacher, in Dayton, Tennessee • 1925 decided to teach the theory of evolution • Arrested • The Scopes Trial (1925) – “The Monkey Trial” • Scopes defended by liberal attorney: Clarence Darrow • William Jennings Bryan for the prosecution • Scopes lost, fined $100—but • Fundamentalism was hurt by the ridiculous trial
The Mass Consumption Economy • Prosperity and Production • Secretary of Treasury Andrew Mellon • Tax policies favor rapid expansion of capital investment • New industries and technologies emerge • New machines, washing machine, refrigerator, sewing machine, and many other appliances • Ford Motor Company was able to produce a car every ten seconds • Life was great for Laborers and Employers • Both were making money and in better conditions
Mass Consumption • Advertising and Consumption • Now that industry had mastered production, they now needed consumers to buy their product • Turned to persuasion and other ploys to turn “wants into needs” • Bruce Barton • Foremost ad professional • Writes The Man Nobody Knows (1925) – • claimed that Jesus Christ was the greatest ad man of all time • “he picked up 12 men from the bottom ranks of business and turned them into an organization that conquered the world.”
Mass Consumption • Sports becomes big business • Baseball and “the babe” • More people knew Babe Ruth than Washington politicians • Boxing and Jack Dempsey • Million dollar fights
Mass Consumption • People are making money, but when they don’t have it, they turn to… • CREDIT • People were now tied to debt • Both good and bad. • As long as people pay their debt all was good
Putting American on Rubber Tires • Automobile • Emerges in 1890s • Autos were primarily produced in Europe • Henry Ford and Ransom E. Olds began production of American autos • By 1910, 69 car companies in the US • Ford then sought to produce an inexpensive car
Henry Ford • Employs Frederick W. Taylor’s Principles of Scientific Management to the auto industry • Standardizes production to create a democratic car for the masses (as opposed to toys for rich people): • the Ford Model T • Create a car that any working man could own • By 1925, Model T cost $260 • Model T’s • 1914: 500,000 produced • 1930: 20,000,000 • By 1929 there was 1 car for every 4.9 Americans
Ford Motor Company Months
Effects of the Auto • Automobiles become the “kingpin” industry • Employs 6 million people • Related industries: steel, rubber, glass, fabrics, highway construction, filling stations, and petroleum • The Petroleum Industry • Explodes as oil fields are tapped in Oklahoma, Texas, and California • Railroad industry • Declines as a result of competition from passenger cars, busses, and trucks • Agricultural boom • Allows for marketing of perishables, such as fresh fruits and vegetables within urban areas
Social effects of the auto • A sign of freedom and independence • Leisure hours (vacations, Sunday drives, “touring”) • Frees women from dependence on men… • Breaks down isolation of communities • Auto deaths: • 1 million Americans killed in automobile accidents by 1951 • used by gangsters for quick getaways • Disruption of home life • Dating moved from the ice cream parlor to the highway • An Indiana judged condemned the automobile as “a house of prostitution on wheels” • Contributes to cleaner air quality in cities…ironically • In the end, it brought more pleasure than pain
Humans Develop Wings • Airplanes • Origins • Orville and Wilbur Wright – Kitty Hawk, N.C. 1903 • 1st heavier-than-air craft with sustained flight • Used in WWI 1914-1918 • Commercial airmail after the war • NY to San Francisco 1920 – 1st transcontinental airmail route