Roaring 20s An America Divided

Morality vs Immorality The 1920s was schizophrenic…a time when Americans became more moral and conservative (rural areas) – attended church, held Christian revivals, rejected science explaining creation, and returned to traditional American values (era of segregation ala KKK.) Yet they also became more immoral and liberal – openly breaking the law, promoting free sexuality and the lack of inhibitions, and opening their minds to creativity and multi-culturalism…

Modern Conservative Radicals Sacco & Vanzetti Dry Strikes Money Xenophobia Marcus Garvey Red Scare Politics (Scandals) KKK Creationism Modern Radicals Sacco & Vanzetti Strikes Actors Women Evolution Jazz Sports Prohibition Gangsters Harlem Renaissance

Harlem Renaissance African-Americans, after WWI, migrated north and started creating a culture of their own that was accepted by all of American society…sort of. The music of jazz, poetry and literature, and art expressed the black experience… Read the two examples

Prohibition The passing of the Volstead Act, which becomes the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, was the great American experiment. Though it officially did cut down on drinking (for many average workers couldn’t afford the bootleg prices), it also led Americans into opening going against the law.

William H. Anderson, State Superintendent of the Anti-Saloon League, announced in a statement yesterday that the organization would sponsor a measure at the upcoming State Legislature. The measure would be known as the “Hooch Murder” bill. It says a person can be tried for murder, and punished accordingly, if they are suspected of selling alcohol that resulted in the death of the person drinking it. Commenting on the measure, Mr. Anderson said: “This bill is intended for whoever it may hit, but it is especially directed at the immoral foreigner, usually an alien, who had largely stopped killing with a knife from hate or with a gun for hire, and has gone into the preparation and thoughtless selling of poison for profit.”

http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition/prohibition-nationwide/#

Immigration and the Red Scare The American “Melting Pot” came under fire as new ideologies threatened the ideas of democracy and capitalism. To protect jobs and values, the government started instituting quotas on immigration The Red Scare, led by A. Mitchell Palmer, helped identify those who were bringing communism and anarchy to America, and sending them back to their homelands.