1. Clashes of Values and Other Problems
The Roaring Twenties

2. A “New” America
America was tired of war (WWI just ended) and making sacrifices.
Wanted a “return to normalcy”
Many also tired of Progressive Era struggles and wanted to take a breather
During this time, we see a rise of consumer spending, new leisure activities, and rising stock prices, however…there were many underlying problems

3. Question
List some of the problems/conflicts you found in your exploration

4. Question
What do you think could cause some economic problems in the U.S. after WWI?

5. Economic Problems
Once the war ended, those wartime industries were not needed in the same capacity
Unemployment rises, Inflation goes sky high
Lots of Labor Union strikes
– A Depression
Extreme decline in production of goods
Stock market prices fall
Too many people back home to work
Lots of failed businesses

6. Question
What was the Great Migration?

7. Racial Unrest
As soldiers were returning home, the U.S. saw more clashes between ethnicities
Blacks had “taken the jobs” up north during the Great Migration
Fears that black soldiers thought they were more equal than they actually should be
Still fears of Germans and immigrants in general

8. Racial Unrest Race riots 1919 20 race riots in U.S. in summer alone
Worst = Chicago on beach – 38 dead (500 injured)

9. Race Riots Picture slide show

10. Clashes with Communism
Fear of Communism
We saw how the Russian Revolution turned the country upside down
Communism associated with disloyalty and anarchy
Communist ideals of government owned property and an absence of religion went against American ideals

11. Clashes with Communism
The First Red Scare
Reds = Communists
Nationwide panic of Communist Revolutionaries in the U.S.
June 1919 – 8 bombs, 8 cities
One damaged home of U.S. Attorney General – A. Mitchell Palmer

12. Question
What laws supported “sniffing” out people we were afraid of? (2 acts that we talked about before the break)

13. The Palmer Raids Palmer took action on these “rebellious” acts
Started foundations of FBI with J. Edgar Hoover
Organized raids Nov 1919-Jan 1920
Idea was to get rid of communists/anarchists
Focused on immigrants mostly
500 deported (many with no real evidence)
Palmer’s predications of mass violence never happened
lost credit with the people, but fear was still there

15. Video on Palmer Raids

16. Clashes with Cultures Anti-Immigration Sacco-Vanzetti Case
Economic problems/Red Scare lead to a rise of Nativism
More immigrants coming over from south and east Europe after war
Sacco-Vanzetti Case
2 Italian immigrants convicted of robbery and murder
They were anarchists
Found guilty with little evidence and executed

17. Question
Why do you think Sacco and Vanzetti were found guilty?

18. Video Sacco and Vanzetti case

19. Question
Which of the following best describes social darwinism:

20. Clashes with Cultures
Eugenics
Reading from “Race is a 4 Letter Word”

21. Clashes with Culture The Emergency Quota Act Limits immigrants
Only 3% of the number of each country’s immigrants that were here in 1910 could come a year
Went against southern and eastern Europeans mostly

22. Clashes with Culture The National Origins Act 1924
Harsher than Emergency Quota Act
2% of 1890 census totals
1929 – changed to 150,000 total immigrants allowed in a year
Western hemisphere immigrants exempt
Many Mexican immigrants still moving in

24. Draw a representation of conflicts/problems in the 1920s

25. Religious Conflicts
Fundamentalism and Scopes Trial

26. Prohibition