1. The 1920s A Reactionary America
BACKGROUND: Post World War I, America was a rapidly changing society. Americans were disillusioned with widespread death and destruction after World War I. The Great Migration and immigration created a more diverse America. Economic wealth and prosperity was now the norm. New scientific ideas were on the rise.
While many of these changes were positive, overall…so much change, so fast, led to an America that often reacted quickly and irrationally to all this change.
Two of the most reactionary events of the 1920’s were the Rise of Xenophobia and the Rise of Fundamentalism.

2. RISE OF XENOPHOBIA

3. The Russian Revolution
In 1917, the Bolsheviks, a communist group, led by Lenin, seized control of Russia and established the Soviet Union.
First Red Scare – panic over the spread of Soviet communism sweeps through America
Bolsheviks = Communists
Point out pictures of Lenin
Lenin’s Tomb
Soviet Flag
U.S.S.R.
Why would the U.S. be scared of communism?
Direct threat to capitalism
- Aetheistic
- Workers unions established in America (Haymarket Square)
2 Communist Parties established in America

4. Communism Characteristics
No private (personal) ownership of property
Equal distribution of wealth
Government control of industry/property
No religion
Very little personal freedoms (speech, press, protest, etc)
John Lennon’s Imagine
Direct threat to capitalism and Western society.
Supply and Demand
Difference between Socialism and Communism
Socialism = Sweden, Norway, Canada
Communism = North Korea, Cuba, China

5. Palmer Raids
A. Mitchell Palmer (U.S. Attorney General)-rounds up suspected communists and deports them from the country.

6. Labor Union Problems
Labor strikes fuel a fear of communism and a hatred of foreigners.

7. The New Ku Klux Klan
The New Ku Klux Klan re-emerges as the movement achieves power.
Nativism and xenophobia: Fear of immigrants, African Americans
KKK spreads out of the South, northward
Movie glorifying KKK, gains even more followers 
Birth of a Nation – KKK
WASP vs. Southern and Eastern Europe (closer to anarchists and communists)

8. Victims of Xenophobia or Guilty Murderers?
Sacco & Vanzetti
Victims of Xenophobia or Guilty Murderers?

9. Anarchists: All forms of gov’t should be abolished
Both Italian immigrants
Anarchists: All forms of gov’t should be abolished

10. The Case
See this video link and take details on the results of their trial.

12. The RISE OF FUNDAMENTALISM

13. Introduction
America was changing in the 1920’s. One of the ideas that was changing was the idea of the theory of evolution. This scientific theory challenged the biblical story of creationism. The widespread reaction to new scientific ideas often was a rise in religious beliefs, extreme literal interpretations of the Bible known as fundamentalism.

14. John Scopes vs. Tennessee
To test the idea if teaching evolution was “wrong”, the state of Tennessee put a biology teacher on trial. Otherwise known as the Monkey Trial. It attempted to settled the debate of “should evolution be taught in public schools.”

15. BACKGROUND
The Butler Law banned evolution on the grounds of it being heresy to the Bible in It challenged the Biblical story of creationism. The America Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sought out teachers to test the Butler law.

16. John Thomas Scopes
John Thomas Scopes was born in Paducah, Kentucky. His family moved to Illinois when he was a teenager. He eventually got a law degree from the University of Kentucky in He moved to Dayton, Tennessee where he became a football coach and a substitute teacher for Rhea County High School. He was 24 when he was asked to participate in the trial.

17. The Scopes Trial
Due to the huge publicity of this issue, many well-known people stepped up to be apart of the trail. William Jennings Bryan who brought about the Butler law decided to be the prosecutor for the trial. Clarence Darrow was the high profile attorney that wanted to represent teacher Mr. Scopes in the trial.
Pictured: Darrow and Bryan

18. The Trial
Watch this clip from Drunk History about this “Trial of the Century” and take notes on the results of the trial.