The “Roaring” Twenties Chapter 12 Notes

What caused the “Roar”? The music, the cars, the skyscrapers, the parties? Or was it the rising tide of intolerance, hatred, and discontent?

Postwar Economic Downturn End of wartime meant fewer jobs. Women, blacks, immigrants hit hardest. WWI veterans good first dibs and competit ion for jobs meant harassment for those at the bottom of the social ladder. This leads to intolerance and racism

The Great Migration was the movement of approximately 7 million African Americans out of the rural Southern United States to the North, Midwest and West from 1916 to African Americans migrated to escape widespread racism in the south to seek employment opportunities in industrial cities, to get better education for their children, and to pursue what was widely perceived to be a better life in the North.

Teapot Dome Scandal Harding’s Secretary of the Interior – Albert Fall leased the U.S. Navy’s oil reserves to a private company for a bribe. Harding was implicated with assisting him which turned public against the president.

Labor Unrest Gov. didn’t support unions. Mayors and governors would ‘call out the guard’ and break strikes. The public sympathized with the company because unions were now associated with commies. Union membership declined sharply d uring the ’20’s.

Radicals and Bombs American radicalism was very rare, but following the Russian Revolution, many felt it was a growing concern. Bombs sent to officials’ homes and the Wall Street bomb that killed 33 created hysteria around

The Red Scare: Supported by gov. money and public s upport, Palmer arrested and detained ( without formal charges) over 7,000 p eople during what became known as the “ Red Scare”. Over 600 people were d eported. Palmers officials ransacked of fices, fined suspected criminals, seized re cords, and marched some of the “p otential murderers and potential thieves” th rough city streets handcuffed.

Anti-immigration laws followed government’s anti-foreign sentiment warning “citizens born under other flags inject the poison of disloyalty.” Most of white America agreed with this. *The National Origins Act severely limited i mmigration from “red” countries in south- eastern Europe and Russia. The gov. also restricted immig. from Asia. The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) was born out of a need to protect the rights of individ- uals and minorities who were being violated under the Palmer Raids. The ACLU denounced the government’s mob mentality in dealing with unions and immigrant groups.

Sacco and Vanzetti Trial: Italian immigrants (and anarchists) who w ere tried, convicted, and sentenced to de ath after a shaky trial filled with prej udice and bias. The trial was import- ant b/c it exposed the judge, foreman, and mo st of society (incl. government) as bei ng very intolerant of radical beliefs. “D amn them, they ought to hang anyway” fo r their political views.

Rising Intolerance: Nationwide racial discrimination existed in all sectors of American society. *Asians in CA, Af.-Amer. in south and Midwest, Jews in big cities, and Mexicans in southwest were all segregated, pushed out, and discriminated against. *The KKK was re-born during the early 20’s (they were against anyone not consistent with white, Protest ant, patriotic ethics)  Men like Hiram Evans (Imperial Wizard) urged followers to “search everywhere for hidden enemies, vipers at the heart’s blood of our sacred republic.” The Klan’s “Invisible Empire” attracted more that 4 million members at its height in Many became governors, mayors, congressmen, ministers, police officers, etc…

Marcus Garvey and Black Pride Facing racism, African Americans looked f or new leaders with alternative solutions. –Garvey promoted black pride, economic and cultural independence from whites, and a “Back to Africa” campaign.

The Science vs. Religion Debate The Scopes Trial pitted fundamentalist Chr istians against the modern science of the d ay – evolution. –Nicknamed the ‘monkey trial’, it gained nation al attention and spectacle. –Scopes found guilty but not punished.