1. The Twenties Social and Cultural Tensions

2. Nation Divided In 1920’s, more people lived in urban areas than in rural regions Nation divided between urban and rural areas Two groups divided on every important social and cultural issue

3. Urban vs. Rural Urban AreaRural Area

4. Nation Divided Contd. Urban Americans Enjoyed new consumer products Enjoyed new leisure activities Showed openness toward social change Showed openness toward new science discoveries Modernism: Emphasis of science and secular values over traditional religious ideas Formal education very important; essential ingredient for success Difference btwn. Low paying & high paying jobs 1930’s; more teens graduated from high school & went to college than ever before Rural Americans Did not participate in consumer movement Missed out on new leisure activities Embraced more traditional view of religion, science, and culture No importance on prolonged education Farmers: 3 R’s=> Reading, writing, math Muscle, endurance, & knowledge of crops & animals more important than “book learning”

5. Fundamentalism Definition: Reaffirmation in the fundamental, or basic, truths of religion Emphasized Protestant teaching; believed every word in the bible was the literal truth Many Americans believed Christianity under “attack” worldwide – Communist attacks on Orthodox churches in Russia – Mexican Revolutionary attacks on Roman Catholic Churches in Mexico In U.S. Christians upset by growing secular trends Answer to every moral & scientific question was found in the bible

6. Evolution Developed by Charles Darwin Definition: Complex forms of life, like humans, developed gradually from simpler forms of life Theory clashed with descriptions in the bible 1925, TN passed law making it illegal to teach evolution in the state’s public schools America Civil Liberties Union convinced John Scopes, HS bio teacher in Dayton, TN to challenge the law Led to the Scopes Trial of 1925

7. Scopes Trial Defense John Scopes, defendant Clarence Darrow, defense attorney Darrow tried to use science to disprove Bryan Found guilty of breaking the law Fined $100 After trial, Scopes still believed in evolution Prosecution William Jennings Bryan, expert for the prosecution Bryan served as “expert” on the bible Bryan affirmed that bible stated the literal truth Testified that God created Adam & Eve “I accept the bible absolutely” After trial, Bryan still believed that evolution was wrong

8. Immigration Nativists: Argued that immigrants took jobs away from “native” born workers; threatened religious, political, & cultural traditions 1882, laws against Chinese immigrants passed No laws limiting immigrants from Europe existed During WWI, laws required immigrants to pass literacy test Fear of communist and socialist immigrants rose Many viewed immigration as “part of what made an American an American”

9. Immigrants arriving at Ellis Island

10. Quota Laws Immigrant quota system set up to help govern immigration from specific countries National Origins Act of 1924 – # of immigrants of given nationality each year could not exceed 2% of the # of people of that nationality living in U.S. in 1890 – 1890 chosen because of high immigrant # that year – Example: 65,721 England/Northern Ireland per year vs. 5,802 from Italy – Excluded most Asian immigrants – Closed “golden door”

11. Quota Laws Contd. – Laws did not apply to Mexico – Mexicans settled in SW – Mexicans worked harvesting crops in TX & CA – Faced discrimination & hostility – Competed with native-born Americans for jobs – Frequently subjected to brutality & violence

12. New Ku Klux Klan Many urban Americans wanted nation to go back to being less “ethnically diverse” 1915, KKK revived on Stone Mountain, GA New Klan continued to promote hatred against blacks – Targeted Jews, Catholics, and Immigrants Claimed to stand against law breaking & immorality 4 to 5 million members at its most popular Mostly in South, one center also in Indiana Burned crosses & boycotted businesses owned by Jewish, Catholic, or Black Wore masks to conceal their identities, preached hate Titles of Grand Dragon & Imperial Wizard Mostly they were Americans fearful of change

13. KKK Rally

14. Opposition to the KKK Individuals and organizations fought the KKK Jewish Anti-Defamation League National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Embraced idea of racial, ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity Believed in notion of “melting pot” Drew their strength from American tradition * What is the difference between a “melting pot” & the notion of a “salad bowl?”

15. Prohibition Definition: Banning of alcohol use 1917, 75% of Americans lived in “dry” counties 1919, 18 th Amendment ratified – Forbade the manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcohol anywhere in the U.S. Volstead Act passed – Officially enforced the 18 th Amendment “Drys” => Advocates of Prohibition – Improved individuals – Strengthened families – Created better societies Drinking, alcoholism, liver disease all declined during Prohibition “Wets” => Opposed Prohibition – Did not stop people from drinking – Helped create atmosphere of hypocrisy & increased organized crime

16. Seizing Alcohol During Prohibition

17. Breaking the Law During Prohibition, people made alcohol in homemade stills, or smuggled it from other countries Bootleggers sold illegal alcohol to consumers Speakeasies: Secret drinking establishments in cities that attracted eager customers Govt. agencies worked to stop illegal liquor Short handed & demand for alcohol was too great Millions of dollars being made by organized & unorganized criminals “If people want to drink, they will drink”

18. Al Capone Chicago gang leader Most famous criminal of Prohibition era Made money by supplying a public demand Alcohol helped organized crime spread to other areas Capone’s other “businesses” were: - Prostitution - Drugs - Robbery - Murder Prohibition contributed to the growth of organized crime in America

19. Nation Divided (Again) Mid-1920s, politicians call for repeal of 18 th Amendment Liquor & crime tied to other cultural issues of the 1920s Debate over Prohibition begins on national scale – Leaders concerned about the future of America Americans could not reach satisfactory settlement on Prohibition 1933, 21 st Amendment finally repeals Prohibition