CHAPTER 12 Politics of the Roaring Twenties

CHAPTER 12 SECTION 1 Americans Struggle with Postwar Issues

Postwar Trends WWI left the American public exhausted  Economic turmoil  Soldiers faced unemployment  Cost of living had doubled Nativism- prejudice against foreign-born people Isolationism- a policy of pulling away from involvement in world affairs

The Red Scare The Russian Revolution overthrew Tsar Nicholas II and placed the Bolsheviks in power of a Communist government

By Communist party had formed in the United States  70,000 radicals joined Great deal of social conflict June 2, bombs set off in 8 cities  U.S. Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer

The Palmer Raids Palmer appointed J. Edgar Hoover as his special assistant They invaded private homes and offices of anyone who was a suspected radical, anarchist, or communist In December 1919, Palmer’s agents rounded up 249 foreign born people and placed them on board the Buford

The Palmer Raids Palmer’s raids failed to turn up evidence of any conspiracy People lost faith in Palmer

Sacco and Vanzetti The Red Scare fueled suspicions of foreigners and immigrants Nicola Sacco was a shoemaker Bartolomeo Vanzetti was a fish peddler

Sacco and Vanzetti May they were arrested and charged with the robbery and murder of a factory paymaster and a security guard in Massachusetts Despite a lack of evidence, both men were convicted Sacco and Vanzetti were executed by electric chair on August 23, 1927

International Reaction The Sacco and Vanzetti case caused protest all over the world In Paris, a bomb exploded at the house of the American ambassador In Rome, a mob threatened the American embassy In Uruguay, citizens boycotted American goods

Limiting Immigration “Keep America for Americans” Anti-immigrant attitudes had been growing since the 1880s After WWI, the need for unskilled labor decreased  Many felt that number of immigrants should decrease Racist view of immigrants

The Klan Rises Again Red Scare  different racist groups The KKK was devoted to “100% Americanism”  By 1924, KKK membership reached 4.5 million They were against blacks, unions, Catholics, Jews and immigrants By the end of the decade, the Klan declined in power

The Quota System number of immigrants grew almost 600% Congress created the Emergency Quota Act of 1921 In 1924, the law was amended so that the number of people accepted from a country would be 2% of the people from that country living in the United States in 1890  Pg 416 The law also prohibited Japanese immigration

Labor Unrest Postwar conflict between labor and management  Workers were not allowed to strike during the war more than 3,000 strikes Employers did not want to raise wages  Union members painted as communists

The Boston Police Strike Boston police had not been given a raise since the start of WWI  Representatives asked for a raise and were fired  Remaining officers decided to strike

Mass. Governor Calvin Coolidge “There is no right to strike against the public safety by anybody, anywhere, any time.” Brought in the State Guard Strike ended and new policemen were hired

Steel Mill Strike September U.S. Steel Corporation refused to meet with union representatives  Steel mill workers wanted shorter hours and living rage  Wanted union recognition In response, 300,000 workers walked off their jobs Red Scare threat Steel companies hired strikebreakers and used force The strike ended in January 1920  Nothing had been accomplished

Coal Miners’ Strike John L. Lewis became the leader of United Mine Workers of America In protest of low wages and long work days, union members went out on strike on November 1

Attorney General Palmer obtained a court order sending miners back to work  In defiance of the order, the mines stayed closed another month President Wilson appointed a judge to end the dispute The coal miners received a 27% wage increase  John L. Lewis became a national hero Did not achieve shorter workday until 1930

Labor Movement Loses Appeal Limited gains  hurt the labor movement 1920s – union membership dropped from 5 million to 3.5 million 1. Immigrants (poor conditions, difficult to organize) 2. Farmers 3. Unions excluded African Americans

You Decide Were labor unions helpful or harmful to workers? Why or why not?

You Decide What was the role of the government during the 1919 strikes? Why didn’t the public support the strikers?