Postwar America From War to Peace Fear & Conflict Economic Prosperity Political Leadership

Learning Goals 1. Explain how America reacted to a changing society by examining issues associated with the Red Scare, Prohibition, the Scopes Trial, the changing role of women and African Americans, the Ku Klux Klan, the Palmer raids, the National Origins Act, and restriction on immigration. (USH.4.3)

Main Ideas of Section 1.The First Red Scare 2.Labor Strife in the US 3. Limiting Immigration

Postwar Havoc 1.A Deadly Epidemic 2.The First Red Scare 3.Labor Strife Grows 4.Nativism/Immigration

Postwar Havoc Terrifying medical crisis Economic and political turmoil - farms and factories no longer buzzed with activity, but lay silent 100% Americanism

A Deadly Epidemic Powerful new strain of the flu (influenza) virus struck America Found breeding grounds in the military camps and trenches of Europe Carried to the US by transport ships among the healthy and wounded soldiers of WWI Soon spread throughout the country causing sickness and death

A Deadly Epidemic Infected more than 1 in 4 Americans Took heavy toll on men and women in their 20s & 30s Hospitals faced shortages of doctors, nurses, and beds Number of cases began to drop after the winter of 1919 More than ½ million Americans died (10x as many that died in battle in WWI)

The First Red Scare The Red Army of the Bolsheviks take control of Russia (1917) Led by Vladimir Lenin 5 years later Russia becomes part of a new nation called Soviet Union (USSR) Becomes a communist government - no economic classes & no private property - all people should share equally in society & wealth

The First Red Scare Soviets called for the overthrow of capitalism around the world (US is a capitalist nation) Communist parties formed in the US and called for a violent overthrow of the government Exaggerated newspaper stories with scary headlines were spread throughout the country Many Americans began to fear communism America’s postwar enemies became “reds” and other types of radicals

“Death to Capitalism”

The First Red Scare Effects 1.Became a crime to call for overthrow of government 2.Socialists barred from office 3.Palmer Raids 4.Aliens deported

The Palmer Raids An attack on suspected radicals in the United States - justified the raids through wartime laws that gave government broad powers against suspected radicals Led by A. Mitchell Palmer - key member of the governments anti-Communist campaign - attorney general of the US - one of the targets of the 1919 bombing plot Aliens were deported

“The Soviet Ark” “I believe we should place them all in a ship of stone, with sails of lead” – Leonard Wood (Republican leader)

Labor Strife Grows Post War = Less demand for factory goods 4.5 million soldiers returned from war to no jobs (unemployment rises) Thousands of labor strikes take place in nation’s 1 st major general strike took place in Seattle, Washington - spread city wide and virtually closed the city - many Americans believed organized labor represented radicalism and anarchy Boston Police went on strike - Governor Calvin Coolidge eventually called in the state militia Other notable strikes in the steel industry and coal mines occurred

Limiting Immigration Competition for scarce jobs combined with the Red Scare triggered an ugly backlash against foreigners Rise of nativism produced a cultural clash between earlier immigrants and the newer ones - labor leaders & nativists worked together to limit Southern & Eastern Europeans Federal government passes laws - set a quota of immigrants allowed into the US (1921) - National Origins Act (1924) sets even stricter quotas - nearly eliminates all immigrants from Asia Nativism also led to resurrection of KKK - targeted Jews, Catholics, & radicals of all types - moved out of the South and into other parts of the US

Sacco & Vanzetti Nicola Sacco & Bartolomeo Vanzetti were Italian immigrants and confessed anarchists Arrested for robbery and murder Evidence was weak against the two Political beliefs on trial along with robbery and murder Convicted and sentenced to die, executed in 1927 Historians still argue over the guilt of Sacco & Vanzetti