The Politics of the Twenties

US History

Learning Targets• We will take notes on the key elements that

made the 1920’s roaring…– Politics– People

Return to Normalcy• After the War-American’s wanted to return to a state of “normalcy” • The 1920’s there were three trends in American society that led to the state of

‘normalcy’

1. Renewed isolationism

2. A resurgence of nativism (suspicion of people who are not born in the United States)

3. Political Conservatism- opposite of the progressive area

THE RED SCARE IN THE UNITED STATES

• Red Scare is a result of Russian’s turning into communists

• U.S. citizens want to be LONERS again

• U.S citizens are nativists-???

• 70,000 radicals joined the American Communist Party

-less than 1/10th of Americans

So, how many Americans turned into communists?

About 6,000

Americans were sympathetic to the Communists

So Palmer arrested them

AMERICA RULES & so does this History Class

The Palmer Raids

Palmer and Hoover -working for Division of Justice-later becomes FBI

They hunted down anarchists, socialists, and communists– they were searching for weapons

(explosives) and radicals– deported/jailed radicals– they only found 3 guns

What do you think this cartoon means?

Uncle Sam says “You might be considered a

communist if you are a free thinker OR

radical”

Does this look like anyone’s bedroom???

Sacco & Vanzetti-Sacco(a shoemaker) &

Vanzetti (a fish peddler)

-April 1920, height of the red scare the two Italian immigrants, draft dodgers and anarchists

-accused of killing a factory paymaster and his guard

-The court were prejudice

-Sacco & Vanzetti had “struck out” before they even went to court

WHY? They were Italian, Draft Dodgers & Anarchists!

-Sacco and Vanzetti were charged and sentenced to the Electric Chair

Prohibition• January 1920-the

18th Amendment goes into effect

• Prohibition-bans the sale or transportation of alcoholic beverages

Let me tell you about life before the 18th amendment was passed…Men drank too

much! They would come home mad & if the ladies

were behaving…well that’s a depressing story!

With a partner, what do you

think this picture

means? What was the

purpose of it?

Some called Prohibition…the

“NOBLE EXPERIMENT”

Speakeasies and Bootleggers

• Speakeasies- were hidden saloons and underground night clubs

• You had to speak quietly “easy”

• Found everywhere– Office buildings,

stores, tearooms, apartment buildings, homes

• Bootleggers- smuggling alcohol in your boots

• Stores sold pamphlets on who to distill liquor from fruits and vegetables

• Liquor was hid in water bottles, high boots

I often serve the Cops so I don’t get into

trouble

Police Officer

I hope I don’t get

busted with my

moonshine!

Organized Crime

• Because cops and judges were easily bribed with alcohol during this time organized crime became huge

• Every city had gangs

We will get those

gangstas!

Put down the booze & nobody

gets hurt!

In many big cities..the cops were selling

Tommy Guns!

Al Capone

• Gangster• From Chicago• Bootlegging empire made over $60

million a year• Legal system could never get him for

killing or bootlegging• He was arrested in 1931 for tax evasion• He did not serve much time in jail• He died from syphilis at the age of 48

Doesn’t he look like a nice guy?

Cool Down…

• What do you think this picture means?