POST WWI SOCIETY:“THE ROARING 20’S”

AP US HistoryUnit 101920’s & Great Depression

Seeing Red

The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 in Russia caused a spread of Communism to the United States.

This caused a “red scare” in 1919-1920 in the United States.

A crusade was organized to rid the country of all political radicals and socialists.

Much of the labor protests were blamed on the Communists.

The labor unions were behind the protests so in turn labor unions = communism.

The American Plan was an anti-union campaign.

Unions took on an anti-American sentiment in society.

Anti-Foreign Sentiment Spreads Nicola Sacco and

Bartolomeo Vanzetti both Italians, atheists, anarchists, and draft dodgers.

Accused and convicted of murder.

Sentenced to death by electrocution in 1927.

Highly controversial case because of prejudice against foreigners by the judge and jury.

Resurgence of the KKK

Early 1920’s Anti…..foreign, Catholic,

black, Jewish, pacifist, Communist, evolutionist, bootlegger, gambling, adultery, birth control.

Pro-Anglo Saxon and Protestant faith.

Ultra-conservative. Blazing cross was

trademark. Beatings, tar and

feathers, lynching.

Limiting Immigration

Immigration Act of 1924 2% of the people of a specific

nationality, who had been living in the United States in 1890, were only permitted to enter the United States annually.

No Japanese allowed at all. Canadians and Latin Americans

exempt. Marked the end of unrestricted

immigration to the United States.

Caused the growth of ethnic communities.

Limited organizing of labor unions in industry due to the language barrier.

Prohibition: “Jazz Age”

18th Amendment (1919)

Supported by churches, women, the South, and West.

Opposed by the big cities in the East.

Sounds good in theory but had drastic social consequences that hurt the American people and image.

Difficulties in Enforcement

Federal Agencies were understaffed, susceptible to bribery, and underpaid.

Home made liquor was more dangerous due to its strength of alcoholic content.

Caused the organized crime of “bootlegging” and “raketeering” of selling/smuggling alcohol to “speakeasies”.

Violence in the Cities

Gang wars erupted in the 1920’s.

Chicago was a hot spot for such violence.

1925 “Scarface” Al Capone was a notorious gangster allegedly behind the cold-blooded massacre of St. Valentine’s Day in 1929.

Rise of “Speakeasies”

The underground taverns and bars.

A password was required to enter.

Alcohol was brought in through garden hoses.

“Flappers” and gangsters were common.

Loss of Morality in Society and Education The “Monkey Trial” John Scopes 1925 Science teacher in

Tennessee Indicted for teaching

the theory of evolution Scopes found guilty and

fined $100. Major victory for

religious fundamentalism.

Consumerism and Advertising

The early 1920’s was a period of widespread prosperity which led to irresponsible spending.

Consumers were influenced by a new industry called advertising and marketing.

“Sex sells” and other ploys making consumers feel as though they need their product.

Assembly line production made goods cheaper and more affordable for the “average Joe”.

Sports and Entertainment

As working hours were reduced and families gained access to radios and televisions sporting events became a popular leisure activities.

Baseball and Boxing were among the most popular sports in the 1920’s.

Transportation Innovations

Henry Ford’s “Model T” The mass production of

automobiles creates a higher demand for gasoline.

It also created other industries for rubber, glass, fabrics, roads, service stations, and mechanics.

Air travel was becoming a new mode of transportation. In 1927, Charles Lindbergh flies the first east to west flight over the Atlantic from NY to Paris.

Wall Street

Real Estate speculation running wild Appraising houses for more than

what they’re worth.

People buy stocks “on margin” (with loans) with hopes of getting more back from the market than owed on loan amount.

Huge national debt from WWI. High tax rates discouraged

businesses from growing and so they gave tax breaks to the wealthy and put the burden on the middle class.

Eventually the bubble burst and it all came crashing down in March of 1929.