Transcript A Nation Divided Which Americans did not share in the prosperity of

A Nation Divided
Chapter 25, Section 4
• Which Americans did not share in the prosperity
of the 1920s?
• Why did the Red Scare lead Americans to
demand limits on immigration?
• What did the Scopes trial and the revival of the
Klan reveal about society in the 1920s?
• What happened during the election of 1928?
Some Americans Did Not Share in the Nation’s
Prosperity
Chapter 25, Section 4
Beneath the glittering prosperity, the economy was in trouble.
• Many workers did not share in the boom. Textile workers lost out when
skirts became shorter. Coal miners lost out as oil replaced coal. Railroad
workers lost jobs as cars and trucks replaced railroads.
• Farmers were hit hardest. After the war, European farmers were again able
to produce enough for Europe’s needs. Demand for American farm
products dropped sharply, along with prices.
Labor unions also lost out.
• During the war, unions had worked with the government to keep
production high. However, wages had not kept up with prices. Now,
workers demanded higher pay. Employers refused. Unions launched
strikes. The strikes turned the public against labor.
• In the late 1920s, in many court cases, judges limited the rights of unions.
• Employers created company unions, labor organizations that were
controlled by management.
The Red Scare and Limits on Immigration
Chapter 25, Section 4
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At war, Americans had watched for enemy spies and sabotage, or the
secret destruction of property or interference with factory work.
Communism also caused fear because communist leaders called on
workers everywhere to overthrow their government. These worries led to a
fear of foreigners.
The actions of anarchists, or people who oppose organized government,
added to the sense of danger. One anarchist group plotted to kill wellknown Americans. Because many anarchists were foreign-born, people
began to call for action against foreigners. The government did take action
against anarchists and Communists, or “Reds.” During this Red Scare,
many foreigners were deported, or expelled from the country.
Immigrants Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were arrested for
robbery and murder in 1920. The two said they were anarchists but had
committed no crime. A jury convicted them, and eventually they were
executed. The trial caused a furor because there was little evidence, and
the judge was prejudiced. The issue of whether they received a fair trial
has been debated ever since.
The Red Scare and Limits on Immigration
Chapter 25, Section 4
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The Red Scare died down, but anger against foreigners led to a new move
to limit immigration. This kind of anti-foreign feeling is called nativism.
Others worried about Communists and anarchists. Some American
workers feared immigrants would force wages down.
Congress responded in 1921 by passing the Emergency Quota Act, which
set up a quota system that allowed only a certain number of people from
each country to enter the United States. Only 3 percent of the people in
any national group already living in the United States in 1910 could be
admitted. The system favored immigrants from Northern Europe.
Congress passed laws limiting immigration from Eastern Europe.
Japanese immigrants were denied entry.
There were two exceptions to the move to keep foreigners out of the
country. Mexicans were not included in the quota system. Farm and
factory workers were needed in the Southwest, so Mexican immigrants
continued to move to the United States. When the Jones Act of 1917 made
Puerto Ricans American citizens, poverty in Puerto Rico led Puerto Ricans
to migrate to the mainland.
The Scopes Trial
Chapter 25, Section 4
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The Scopes Trial revealed a clash between old and new values.
Charles Darwin, a British scientist, claimed that all life had
evolved, or developed, from simpler forms over time.
Some churches condemned Darwin’s theory, saying it denied the
teachings of the Bible.
Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas banned the teaching of
Darwin’s theory.
In 1925, John Scopes, a Tennessee biology teacher, taught
evolution. He was arrested and tried.
William Jennings Bryan argued the state’s case against Scopes.
Clarence Darrow defended Scopes.
In the end, Scopes was convicted and fined. The laws against
teaching evolution remain on the books, although they are rarely
enforced.
The Ku Klux Klan
Chapter 25, Section 4
• A rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan revealed a fear of
change.
• The old Klan had used terror to keep African
Americans from voting. The new Klan aimed to
preserve the United States for white, native-born
Protestants.
• The new Klan waged a campaign against African
Americans and immigrants, especially Catholics and
Jews.
• The Klan supported efforts to limit immigration.
• When scandals showed that Klan leaders had stolen
money from members, Klan membership dropped
sharply.
Other Forms of Racism
Chapter 25, Section 4
African Americans had hoped that their service during World War I would
weaken racism at home.
• Returning black soldiers found segregation in the South and racial
prejudice in the North.
• In northern cities, African Americans often found that only the lowestpaying jobs were open to them.
• In many neighborhoods, whites refused to rent to blacks.
• Many blacks newly arrived from the South wanted to live near one another,
so largely black neighborhoods grew up in northern cities.
• In some northern cities, race riots broke out.
African Americans looked for new ways to cope with racism.
• Marcus Garvey started the first widespread black nationalist movement in
the United States. He organized the Universal Negro Improvement
Association to promote unity and pride among African Americans. He
urged African Americans to seek their roots in Africa.
The Election of 1928
Chapter 25, Section 4
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Republicans had led the nation for eight years.
President Coolidge did not choose to run again. Instead, Secretary
of Commerce Herbert Hoover won the Republican nomination.
The Democrats chose Alfred E. Smith, a former governor of New
York, to be their candidate.
The candidates represented the tensions in American life. Smith,
the son of Irish immigrants, was the first Catholic to run for
President. He attracted city dwellers, including many immigrants
and Catholics, as well as opponents of Prohibition. Hoover was a
self-made millionaire from the Midwest. He attracted rural
Americans and big business, as well as supporters of Prohibition.
Although big-city dwellers voted for Smith, Hoover won by a
landslide. Americans hoped he would keep the country
prosperous.
Section 4 Assessment
Chapter 25, Section 4
Not all Americans shared in the boom of the 1920s. American farmers were hit hard
because
a) railroads cut back on service after cars and trucks came along.
b) after World War I, Europeans demanded more American farm products than
the farmers could produce.
c) after World War I, Europe no longer needed to buy American farm
products.
d) industries and mines took over much of the farmland.
One reason Americans of the 1920s developed a fear of foreigners was because
a) most Americans disapproved of the work of Charles Darwin, who was
British.
b) Congress added Japanese to the list of Asian immigrants denied entry to
the country.
c) Puerto Ricans were granted American citizenship.
d) communist leaders called on workers everywhere to overthrow their
governments.
Want to connect to the American History link for this section? Click here.
Section 4 Assessment
Chapter 25, Section 4
Not all Americans shared in the boom of the 1920s. American farmers were hit hard
because
a) railroads cut back on service after cars and trucks came along.
b) after World War I, Europeans demanded more American farm products than
the farmers could produce.
c) after World War I, Europe no longer needed to buy American farm
products.
d) industries and mines took over much of the farmland.
One reason Americans of the 1920s developed a fear of foreigners was because
a) most Americans disapproved of the work of Charles Darwin, who was
British.
b) Congress added Japanese to the list of Asian immigrants denied entry to
the country.
c) Puerto Ricans were granted American citizenship.
d) communist leaders called on workers everywhere to overthrow their
governments.
Want to connect to the American History link for this section? Click here.