2. American Life in the Roaring Twenties Objective: Students will understand how Americans reacted to rapid social change during the 1920s

3. Seeing Red After the war America became even more isolationist Standard of living and wages both sky rocketed in the twenties Americans feared the red Russians after the Bolshevik takeover – This was bolstered by the large number of labor disputes thought to be started by the communists Red Scare came in 1919-1920 against people whose Americanism was suspect – Fighting Quaker—Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer – Rounded up thousands of suspects – House was blown up by a bomb in June of 1919 – December 1919 249 aliens were deported to Russia – Bomb on Wall Street in September 1920 kept the hysteria alive States passed criminal syndicalism laws – Anti Red laws made it illegal even to suggest using violence to solve a social problem in dozens of states Officials elected on the Socialist ticket were even denied their rightful place in government—five in the New York legislature Business used the red scare to break the labor unions Murder trial of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti – Millions worldwide protested against the trial but they were executed anyway

4. Hooded Hoodlums of the KKK The new KKK of the 1920’s – Very nativist, antiblack, anti-Jewish, antipacifistic, anti-Communist, anti-internationalist, etc. – Pro Anglo Saxon, native American, Protestant – Extremely conservative 1920 it had 5 million members mostly in the Midwest and South Still used fear—burning cross, lash, tar and feather, etc. (Terrorism) Reign ended in late 1920’s but lasted well into the late 20 th century

5. Stemming the Foreign Flood 800,000 immigrants arrived from Europe in 1920 – US was against it, very isolationist, roaring 20’s, etc Emergency Quota Act of 1921 – Set the amount of immigrants the US would let in at 3% of the people from that country that were already in the US in 1910 Immigration Act of 1924 – Cut quotas to 2% and changed it to 1890 instead of 1910 – Didn’t allow any Japanese – Canadians and Latin Americans were exempt—could easily sent back when they weren’t needed for labor Shift in policy from letting anybody in to the idea America was full – 1931 more immigrants left than arrived Horace Kallen and Randolph Bourne—Cultural Pluralism – Championed alternative roles for the immigrants – Wanted them to maintain their lifestyles and identities – Advocated cross-fertilization of the races to make US a transnationality

6. The Prohibition Experiment 18 th amendment in 1919 Especially popular in South and West Many believed the way to end the law was to violate it on a large enough scale Jazz and booze went hand in hand Enforcement agencies were understaffed and underpaid Saloons were replaced with speakeasies—underground clubs Prohibition made hard liquor more popular because it was too hard to conceal large amounts of alcohol mainly beer – Home brewed, bathtub gin, moonshine, etc became popular Wasn’t a complete failure – Savings went up—less $ spent on liquor – Absenteeism from work went down – Alcohol consumption as a whole decreased 18 th amendment in 1919 Especially popular in South and West Many believed the way to end the law was to violate it on a large enough scale Jazz and booze went hand in hand Enforcement agencies were understaffed and underpaid Saloons were replaced with speakeasies—underground clubs Prohibition made hard liquor more popular because it was too hard to conceal large amounts of alcohol mainly beer – Home brewed, bathtub gin, moonshine, etc became popular Wasn’t a complete failure – Savings went up—less $ spent on liquor – Absenteeism from work went down – Alcohol consumption as a whole decreased