America in the 1920’s How far did American Society change during the 1920’s?

‘PURE AMERICANISM’ The majority of Americans are immigrants to their country By 1920 the USA was a big ‘melting pot’ of nationalities, colours and races Between mil immigrants had entered the USA

Restrictions on Immigration Until 1921 there were very few restrictions on immigrants entering the USA Many politicians began to feel that the immigrants were taking jobs from ordinary American people Many immigrants came from countries such as Poland and Russia and brought SOCIALIST & COMMUNIST ideas with them to America This was a THREAT to American security Congress passed the Emergency Quota Act in 1921 to limit the number of immigrants entering the country

THE OPEN DOOR POLICY WHICH THE USA HAD ALWAYS OFFERED TO ANYONE WHO WANTED TO ENTER THE COUNTRY, HAD NOW CLOSED

W.A.S.P.S. As more immigrants entered the USA the American people became angry White Americans had become the most powerful group in American society They had the most land, earned more money and had more power than any other group They saw Jews, Blacks Catholics, Socialists and foreigners of any kind as a threat to their supremacy

W.A.S.P.S. WW White  A Anglo  S Saxon  P Protestants

Attacks on Immigrants The Immigration Acts cut down the rate of immigration, but they did not stop many white Americans from hating the immigrants who already lived there The Immigration Acts cut down the rate of immigration, but they did not stop many white Americans from hating the immigrants who already lived there Between around 5 mil white Americans joined a secret society called the Ku Klux Klan Between around 5 mil white Americans joined a secret society called the Ku Klux Klan The organisation stirred up racial & religious hatred wherever it could The organisation stirred up racial & religious hatred wherever it could

The KKK was based in the southern states of America where 75% of Black Americans lived. The KKK wanted to make sure that their way of life was not threatened by this group

Treatment of Black Africans Black Americans had been freed from slavery in 1865 but southern whites still kept them down Black farmers were kept in debt ‘Jim Crow’ laws ensured that they did not have a vote They had separate schools Barred from using restaurants Forced to use separate areas in cinemas, on buses in parks… The KKK carried out regular lynchings & floggings - very few convictions were made

The Poor in America It is important to remember that although there was a BOOM happening in America, 50% of Americans were living below the poverty line! They did not have enough money to feed, clothe and house themselves

Who were the poor in America? The Unemployed : - Automation in industry had meant that people were now being replaced with machines. Around 2 mil people were unemployed throughout the 20’s Workers in old industries : - coal & textiles. Electricity was becoming the new power and many man made fibres such as nylon were becoming more popular Unskilled workers : - many of these people were immigrant workers who were paid very low wages or only had casual work

The 1920’s in America was a decade of contradictions! On one hand there was the boom, then there was poverty and intolerance