1. 1920s Nativism Isolationism Communism Palmer Raids Anarchism
Sacco & Vanzetti
Quota System-KKK
John L. Lewis

2. Nativism & Isolationism
Rise of Nativism
Prejudice against foreign born peoples
After the war isolationism rose too
Desire to be isolated in all foreign affairs
Not involved with any dispute outside our borders

3. Red Scare 1919 Red Scare Communists had joined labor unions
Communists believed in community ownership of resources and means of production
Antithesis of capitalism
Being a communist was seen as being anti-American

4. Palmer Raids
Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer created a squad of men to destroy communists and anarchists who were trying to take over the government.
Led by a young J. Edgar Hoover
Raided union headquarters looking for communists
Made people suspicious of foreigners

5. Sacco & Vanzetti May 1920 Italian immigrants and anarchists
Arrested for robbery and murder
Witnesses only identified suspects as Italians
S&V were arrested
Evidence was circumstantial
They were convicted and executed

6. S & V cont. Large public outcry over this case
S&V’s conviction was clearly based on race
1961 ballistics did show that the gun found on Sacco was the murder weapon

7. Immigration 1921-American instituted a quota system for immigrants
# of immigrants rose 600% between 1919 and 1921
141, ,000
Limits on immigration
2% of # of a nation’s immigrants that were in the U.S. in 1890

8. Immigration cont. Discriminated against Eastern & Southern Europeans
Mostly Roman Catholics and Jews
Also limited Japanese immigration
Later the base year was shifted to 1920

10. KKK
Red Scare and anti-immigration sentiment led to a rise in Klan membership
1924: 4.5 million members
1925: 60,000 members marched in Washington

11. Labor Labor strikes were not allowed during the war
Led to unrest once the war was finished
1919: 3,000 labor strikes
Pay
Ability to join unions
Some employers labeled union workers as communists

12. John L. Lewis Leader of the United Mine Workers
Led a coal miner’s strike
Ended up getting 27% pay increase
Later would go on to fight for 5 day work week and shorter work day
End of 20s saw a drop in unions
More immigrants
Excluded African Americans