1920 ’ s The jazz Age Chap 15

A Clash of values 1920 ’ s saw a clash between traditional and modern values Post WWI America was prosperous and confident, consumerism was on the rise Americans returned to isolationism and nativism

Resurgence of nativism and racism Who did we hate? In WWI we hated the Germans. After WWI we hated and feared the Communists and immigrants. Immigrants seen as threats. New quotas set to restrict immigration.

The Red Scare After WWI, people feared the spread of communism, “ Workers of the world, UNITE!! ” (Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, 1917) Economy in turmoil after war: gov ’ t price controls removed—led to high prices, workers ’ strikes Americans feared a communist conspiracy

The Palmer Raids 1919

Palmer Raids After a series of bombings, US Attorney General Robert Palmer conducts sweeping raids, arresting thousands of foreigners nation-wide. Many were jailed and/or deported. Civil liberties were ignored. Beginning of the FBI and J. Edgar Hoover’s long career

Sacco-Vanzetti Trial Two immigrant anarchist convicted of burglary and murder after a prejudiced trial I am suffering because I am a radical and indeed I am a radical; I have suffered because I am an Italian and indeed I am an Italian.

Eugenics: the “ Pseudo-Science ”

Eugenics Used by nativists to argue superiority of whites. Said human inequalities were inherited Used to justify sterilization of mentally ill or handicapped Americans Studies will be used by Nazi Germany in its push to create a master race and exterminate “undesirables”

Return of The KKK

1915 Ku Klux Klan Anti-black Anti-Catholic Anti-Jew Anti-immigrant wanted to: “ preserve America ’ s white Protestant civilization. ” Not just a Southern organization, spread all over the United States.

Keep America American New laws restricted immigration, set quotas based on 1890 levels. Mexican immigration— Mexico exempt from quotas; take work in agriculture. Asian immigration: stopped almost completely

The Scopes “ Monkey ” Trial Creationism v. Evolution Old-fashioned v. Modern William Jennings Bryan v. Clarence Darrow 1925 Tennessee --- High school teacher John Scopes found guilty of teaching evolution.

prohibition

The Volstead act The law that enforced Prohibition Took authority from the state governments and made the Treasury Dept responsible for enforcing Prohibition. Increased the role of the federal gov ’ t in law enforcement

The new American Hero Sports: baseball, boxing, football, basketball

Mass Media Radio, newspaper, motion pictures, magazines help create a shared national culture

African-American culture The Great Migration Hundreds of thousands of African Americans left the South moving to industrial cities looking for work and better lives.

African-American Politics African-Americans have fewer voting restrictions in Northern cities. Voting Blocs: greater concentration of blacks voting in the cities. More success in influencing voting. Blacks tended to vote Republican NAACP: continues its fight against segregation, discrimination, and lynching.

Harlem Renaissance

Harlem An area in NYC where many African-Americans settled. Created a community of racial pride and success, political organization, and artistic development.

Harlem— Home of JAZZ The Cotton Club, the Apollo, the Savoy

JAZZ and BLUES A style of music that grew out of Dixieland, ragtime, and African spiritual influences. Syncopated, soulful, swinging rhythms. Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, Josephine Baker

Writers and Poets of the Harlem Renaissance Claude McKay— wrote against racism Langston Hughes— focus on African- American pride, expectation of equality

Black nationalism Promoted black pride and unity Led by Marcus Garvey. Believed African-Americans could gain economic and political power thru EDUCATION Also pushed for separation and independence from whites Garvey est’d the UNIA—United Negro Improvement Association Proposed that blacks everywhere should return to Africa— “Pan-African” Movement

Marcus Garvey Federal officials believed Garvey to be dangerous, afraid he would incite rebellion and violence. Garvey was arrested and deported to Jamaica

Tulsa Race Riot 1921 Greenwood district of Tulsa destroyed– America’s “Black Wall Street” Riot begins after Tulsa Tribune article publishes account of black man attacking a white woman in an elevator White mobs burn Greenwood, citizens blocked fire dept from responding Official death toll is 35, but is probably closer to 300. No other arrests made Dick Rowland released; Sarah Page did not press charges. riot/multimedia.aspxhttp:// riot/multimedia.aspx