The 1920’s Nativism and Civil Rights The Good The Bad And the Ugly

American Idol- Lucky Lindy Charles A. Lindbergh flew the plane, The Spirit of St. Louis, on the first non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic from New York to Paris in 33 hours and 29 minutes

Immigration Quota Systems Emergency Quota Act of goal to cut sharply European immigration to the U.S. Amended in 1924 to limit immigration to 2% of the number of its nationals living in the U.S. in Discriminated against people from eastern & southern Europe. Prohibited Japanese immigration DID NOT prohibit Canadians and Mexicans-1 million Canadians and almost 500,000 Mexicans immigrated in the l920’s.

American Civil Liberties Union Founded in 1920, as non-profit organization Goal to protect First Amendment rights, equal protection under the law, due process under the law & right to privacy.

Sacco & Vanzetti Italian immigrants who were anarchists; both evaded the draft in World War I. Arrested & charged with the robbery & murder of a factory paymaster Convicted on circumstantial evidence with a prejudicial jury & judge; sentenced to death and executed after 7 years of appeal. Example of anti-immigrant nativism G. Gonzales

Labor Union Unrest No strikes during the war, but by ,000 strikes. Labor Unions associated with communism Boston Police strike-Coolidge called out the National Guard Steel Mill Strike-Wilson intervened United Mine Workers-John L. Lewis led them to victory

Labor Unrest 1925, A. Philip Randolph founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters to help African Americans gain a fair wage. Limited gains hurt the unions badly. Over the decade membership dropped from more than 5 million to around 3.5 million.

Palmer’s Raids & the Red Scare Attorney A. Mitchell Palmer and his agents (J..Edgar Hoover) hunted down suspected Communists, socialists, and anarchists. Trampled civil rights, invaded people’s homes & offices, jailed suspects without allowing legal counsel and deported without trials. Stoked American fear of communism by associating it with immigrants and labor unions. R. Segovia

Ku Klux Klan Rides Again Goal- Devoted to “100 per cent Americanism” Goals-Keep blacks in their place, destroy saloons and unions, drive Catholics, Jews and foreign born out of the country By 1924, 4.5 million membership In 1925, 60,000 marched in Washington, D.C. A. Moreno