1. Social and Cultural Tensions

2. Traditionalism v. Modernism
Modernism  trend emphasizing science and secular values over traditional ideas about religion
People in the rural areas of America generally embraced a more traditional view of religion, science, and culture
Farmers expected their children to master the “three Rs” – reading, writing, arithmetic – and then the work of the farm became more important
Urban Americans emphasized more importance in formal education and there were more Americans graduating high school and going to college than ever before

3. High School Education, 1900-1930
Year
High School Graduates (percentage of 17 year olds)
1900
6.3
1910
8.6
1920
16.3
1930
28.8
2014
78.2

4. Religious Fundamentalism
During the 1920s, many devout Americans believed that Christianity was under attack around the world
The most recent evidence was from the newly formed communist Soviet Union
Fundamentalism  emphasized Protestant teachings and the belief that every word in the Bible was literal truth
Fundamentalists believed that the answer to every important moral and scientific question was in the Bible

5. Clash Over Evolution
Fundamentalism and modernism finally clashed head-on in the Scopes Trial of 1925
In 1925, Tennessee passed a law making it illegal to teach the theory of evolution
John Scopes, a high school biology teacher, ignored the law and taught the theory to his students
The trial that followed was nicknamed “the monkey trial”
Clarence Darrow, a famous defense attorney, represented Scopes while William Jennings Bryan prosecuted the case

6. Clash Over Evolution
The main focus of the trial developed when Darrow called Bryan to the stand and asked him if he truly believed that the Bible stated the literal truth
Bryan stated “I accept the Bible absolutely” and refused to back down from his position
Scopes was found guilty and fined $100 ($1,400 today)
The trial never resolved the conflict between modernism and fundamentalism, which still exists today

7. Restrictions on Immigration
Starting in the eve of World War I, Congress required immigrants to take a literacy test
The literacy test required immigrants to be able to read and write in their native languages
Emergency Quota Act of 1931 and the National Origins Act of 1924 were passed due to the Red Scare
Quota System  established to govern immigration from specific nations
The number of immigrants of a given nationality each year could not exceed 2% of the number of people of that nationality living the United States in 1890
The year 1890 was chosen to allow continued immigration from England and Ireland while limiting immigrants from the nations involved in new immigration

8. Increased Immigration from Mexico
The quota system did not apply to the immigrants coming from Latin America
Mexicans continued to settle in sparsely populated regions of the Southwest and made many contributions to Texas and California
Mexicans will continue to face discrimination and hostility in many areas of the nation due to competition for jobs with native-born Americans and other immigrants

9. Resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan
In 1915, on Stone Mountain in Georgia, a group of angry men decided to revive the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), which had originally been formed during Reconstruction
The new aim of the revived KKK was to promote hatred of African Americans and others (including Jews, Catholics, and immigrants) who were viewed as a threat to morality and lawfulness
At its height, the “Invisible Empire” of the KKK had 4-5 million members with branches through the South as well as the Midwest, Northeast, and West

10. Resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan
KKK tactics included burning cross, boycotting businesses owned by blacks, Jews, and Catholics, and terrorizing people at night
Klansmen work masks and robes to conceal their identities
They followed leaders called Grand Dragon and Imperial Wizard

11. Americans Oppose the Klan
Individuals, as well as organizations like the NAACP and the Jewish Anti-Defamation League, battled against the Klan and its values
They embraced the idea of racial, ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity
Eventually, the Klan became corrupt, bribing officials, stealing members’ dues, and lying to members
The KK has never officially disappeared, but it lost much support by the late 1920s

12. Government Bans Alcohol
18th Amendment  forbade the manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcohol
The amendment passed based on the strength of traditional rural voters
Volstead Act  officially enforced the amendment
Advocates (people in favor of the amendment) were nicknamed “drys” and called the act “a noble experiment”
Opponents of the act were nicknamed “wets” and argued that the act did not stop people from drinking and increased organized crime

13. The Rise of Organized Crime
People made alcohol in homemade stills (moonshine) or smuggled it in from other countries (bootleggers)
Speakeasy  secret drinking establishment that attracted eager drinkers
People involved in the illegal production and sale of alcohol made millions of dollars
People and prohibition officials were often bribed to look the other way and allowed these establishments to continue

14. The Rise of Organized Crime
Al Capone emerged as the top criminal in the nation due to his large bootlegging network
He was a member, then leader, of the Chicago south side Italian gang
Nicknamed “scarface”
Racketeering  Any illegal business scheme to make profit
St. Valentine’s Day Massacre  February 14, 1929
Capone’s men posed as police officers and murdered seven members of the rival Moran gang
Capone eventually goes to prison for tax evasion

15. Prohibition Divides the Nation
By the mid-1920s, most city politicians agreed that the repeal of the 18th Amendment was necessary
However, many rural residents still linked alcohol to crime and other vices
1933  21st Amendment repeals prohibition as a method of dealing with the Great Depression