Transcript Post WWI Society: *The Roaring 20*s*

AP US History
Unit 10
1920’s & Great Depression
POST WWI SOCIETY:
“THE ROARING 20’S”
Seeing Red
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The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 in
Russia caused a spread of
Communism to the United States.
This caused a “red scare” in 19191920 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 antiunion 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,
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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
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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
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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
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Real Estate speculation running wild
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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.