1. Unit 5 – Post World War I America

2. Post War Issues Economy Nativism Isolationism
Unemployment for returning soldiers
Jobs losses for women and minorities
Cost of living doubled
Nativism
Prejudice against foreign –born people
Isolationism
Withdrawal from world affairs

3. Post War Issues Communism Characteristics of Communism
Single-party dictatorship
Sought to equalize wealth and power
Ended private property
Govt. controlled factories, businesses, railroads, etc
Communism had taken over in Russia, now the Soviet Union
Seen as a threat to American life

5. Post War Issues The Red Scare
Panic that communists would abolish capitalism everywhere
Communist Party forms in US – 70,000 members
Dozens of bombs mailed to govt. and business leaders
Public became fearful that Communists were taking over

7. Post War Issues Palmer Raids
Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer orders crackdown on communists
Govt. agents hunted down suspected communists, socialists, and anarchists
Ignored civil rights
Invaded homes and businesses
Jailed suspects without legal counsel
Deported foreign-born radicals without trial
Turned up nothing

10. Immigration Red Scare fed fear of foreigners and immigrants
Potential Communists, Socialists, and Anarchists targeted.

14. Sacco and Vanzetti (1920) Italian Immigrants and anarchists
Accused of robbery and murder of a factory paymaster
They declared their innocence and had alibis
Circumstantial evidence
Judge made prejudicial remarks
Found guilty and sentenced to death
Protests criticized trial
Mistreated because they were immigrants and radicals
Executed Aug. 23, 1927

18. Ku Klux Klan Devoted to “100% Americanism” 1924 – 4.5 million members
Harassed non-whites, non-Protestants
African-Americans
Roman Catholics
Jews
Immigrants

23. Quota System* Created by the Emergency Quota Act of 1921
Established limits on number of people admitted from each foreign country
Goal – to cut European immigration

24. Labor Unrest Strikes prevented during World War I 3000 strikes in 1919
Issues – wages and unionization
Boston Police Strike
Governor sends in National Guard when police go on strike
New Policemen hired when strike ended
Steel Mill Strike
Steel workers wanted shorted hours and better wages
Strikers beaten by police, federal troops, and state militias

27. Labor Unrest United Mine Workers Strike Led by John L. Lewis
Striking over low wages and long hours
Attorney General Palmer got court order forcing miners back to work
Publicly Lewis announces strike is over
Privately Lewis urges strikers to continue
Strike lasts another month
Presidential arbitrator gives miners 27% wage increase
Rare union victory