“A Return to Normalcy” American Mentality in the 1920s

Desire to Return to “Normalcy” Renewed Isolationism –US pulled away from involvement in World Affairs Resurgence of Nativism –Suspicion of people foreign born –Suspicion of people who were “Anti-American” Trend towards political conservationism – Less government activism of progressive era CONSUMERISM!!!!

Red Scare Russian Revolution –Communists called for world wide communist revolution –70,000 radicals joined the US branch of the Communist party Red Scare in America –Communist Plot to overthrow US gov. –Communists talked about abolishing private property, substituting gov. ownership of factories/railroads/businesses frightened public –Dozen bombs mailed to gov and business leaders –America panicked in its fear of reds taking over America General A Mitchell Palmer decided to take action to combat this “Red Scare.”

Palmer Raids Palmer sent agents to hunt down suspected Communists, socialists, anarchists Government deported hundreds of alien radicals without trying them in courts Raids ultimately failed to turn up evidence of revolutionary conspiracy Palmer warned nation that Communist plot to overthrow nation was to be on May 1, 1920, “May Day”, but nothing occurred. Result = People stopped listening to Palmer

Rise of the Klan Bigots used anti-communist sentiments to harass anyone unlike themselves. 2 Waves 1.KKK during Reconstruction – suppression of blacks, anti-Reconstruction 2.KKK in the 1920s - anti – black, Catholics, Jews, immigrants, communists, labor unions Revival of the Klan - devoted to “100 percent” American “white male persons, native born gentile citizens” “plain people… the everyday, not highly cultured, not overly intellectualized, but entirely unspoiled… citizens of the old stock.” People who were threatened by changes occurring in American society. –resented small improvements made by Blacks during WW1 –felt moral values being attacked by urban intellectuals –feared job competition from immigrants –Convinced foreigners were going to overthrow American Way of Life

Nativism Immigration Law passed by Harding in 1921 A more thorough law was signed by President Coolidge in May Immigration Quota Law of 1924 –The quota for immigrants entering the U.S. was set at two percent of the total of any given nation's residents in the U.S. as reported in the 1890 census; –After July 1, 1927, the two percent rule was to be replaced by an overall cap of 150,000 immigrants annually and quotas determined by "national origins" as revealed in the 1920 census.

CONSUMERISM!!!! Definition: the fact or practice of an increasing consumption of goods CAUSE: Ability to Buy On Credit

CONSUMERISM!!! How was it Used? –Weapon of Class War –Helps Assimilation of Immigrants, Newly Urbanized, Young