Fear, Paranoia, and Conflict: Post WWI America

The legacy of WWI The U.S. never ratified the treaty and never joined The League of Nations Republican Warren G. Harding elected President in 1920 by promising to keep the U.S. out of the League of Nations- “Healing, not heroism.” The 1920s were a very isolationist period in U.S. history

Labor unrest in America Raging inflation, concern about job security, and poor working conditions combined to generate labor discontent in America.

The Red Scare of Bolsheviks (Communists) took over in Russia in November, 1917

Bombings on American soil Post Office intercepts packages addressed to political leaders and businessmen

Palmer Raids Palmer told Americans that there would be an attempted Communist revolution on May Day, 1920

Hoover and Palmer

Racial violence

Nativism Support of Prohibition by native-born Americans Between million people came from Eastern and Southern Europe; mostly Catholic and Jewish (seen as “undesirables”) National Origins Act of 1924:

Immigration rate

The return of the KKK Reborn in 1915 in Stone Mountain, Georgia; expands in the 1920s Targets: Jews, Catholics, African Americans, immigrants, “immorality” Tactics: threats, boycotts, cross-burnings, arson, whippings, attacks on priests and rabbis, lynchings.

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