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 * Intolerance in the 1920s**

The 1920s would prove to be in many ways, very restrictive and intolerant of others that were different whether it be their heritage, political, or religious beliefs.

__Immigration Quotas__

Before WWI, the United States allowed a large number of immigrants into the nation in order to meet the demand for the growing economy. However, immigration dropped during WWI and our economy remained strong convincing many that America did not need to have an "open door policy" where anyone could come here. Many workers and unions argued that workers' wages would drop if unskilled, uneducated immigrant workers kept coming over (think new immigrants). Especially since some Eastern European countries had radical, unstable governments (remember Russia was overthrown by Communists during WWI), many Americans were afraid that if immigrants from those countries came here, they would want to overthrow our government.

In 1924, Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1924 setting up quotas or limits on how many people could enter our nation from their home country. The immigration laws of the 1920s were really biased- they allowed more immigrants from Northern and Western Europe (old immigrants- who were similar to more Americans, spoke English, were educated, etc) into the nation and restricted immigrants coming from Eastern Europe and Asia (new immigrants- different beliefs, languages, religions, etc).

Looking at the map, you can see how the 1920s change who was allowed into the nation based upon where they were coming from...





__Red Scare__

When Russia was overthrown by Communists during WWI, many Americans were afraid that a revolution could happen here and that the US government could be overthrown by communists. In May 1919, post office workers discovered 20 bombs addressed to US government workers and big business leaders like Rockefeller and JP Morgan. A couple months later, 8 bombs exploded simultaneously in different cities and in 1920, a bomb was set off at Wall Street killing 30. Most of these attacks were traced back to immigrants from Eastern European countries (countries whose governments had been overthrown). Workers were demanding bread and butter issues and were protesting- which often turned violent. The nation was gripped in fear.

Since red was the color associated with communism, this fear that communists or anarchists (people who did not believe in any type of government) would overthrow the US government was called the Red Scare. In order to "hunt out" individuals who were a threat to American security like communists or other radicals (people with extreme views), Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer (originally from Pennsylvania) led raids on homes, businesses, and union meetings of anyone who might potentially be connected to communists. It was in the 1920s that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was created under J. Edgar Hoover. Together, agents broke into homes of suspected radicals without search warrants, they jailed labor leaders and illegally held 5,000 citizens without just cause or without respect to their civil liberties (rights). Palmer believed that individual rights were less important than rooting out potential "reds" who wanted to harm Americans and our government. Many of those 5,000 were deported without any real evidence. After a year of living in fear that "they were next", Americans were tired of looking over their back and watching what they said. Since there was no real evidence that our government was in any real danger, Americans moved on with their lives and the Red Scare would die (it would later reemerge after WWII).



__Sacco and Vanzetti__

On April 15, 1921, two employees of a shoe warehouse in Massachusetts were murdered during a robbery. The police investigating the crime arrested two Italian immigrants named Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti for armed robbery and double murder. Sacco and Vanzetti maintained their innocence, but they already had a strike against them: they were anarchists and they were "new immigrants". Just a little over two weeks after their arrest, they were found guilty.

Many people, protested the verdict, saying the two men were convicted more on political beliefs and ethnic background than on any real evidence. Indeed, four years later, another man said he had committed the crime with a local gang. Despite appeals, Sacco and Vanzetti were never granted a retrial. When they were sentenced to death on April 9, 1927, protests erupted around the country. But to no avail — the men were executed on Aug. 23, 1927 by electric chair. They claimed they were innocent until the moment of their deaths. Scholars still debate the guilt and innocence of Sacco and Vanzetti, but there is little question that the trial was biased against them.

__Growth of the KKK__

After the Civil War, the Ku Klux Klan, was created by former Confederate soldiers who were angry that they lost the war and that they lost their slaves. They used terrorist tactics to intimidate former slaves and limit their rights. A new version of the Ku Klux Klan arose during the early 1920s one that would target more than just African Americans. Klan members considered themselves defenders of Prohibition so they targeted bootleggers. The Klan efforts were directed against African Americans especially as they were moving up North to find more opportunities (Great Migration), Jews, Catholics, and immigrants (quota laws).

As Americans were growing more nativist (don't like people that are different-want America for Americans), Klan membership rose to its highest by the end of the 20s: 3 MILLION- up from 5,000 in 1920. Many were small-business owners, independent professionals, clerical workers, and farmers. Members marched in parades and voted for Klan-endorsed political candidates. The Klan was particularly strong in the Deep South, Oklahoma, and Indiana. Toward the end of the decade, corruption and sex scandals among the one of the klans leaders caused a sharp decrease in membership but not before lynching and terrorizing many Americans.



__Scopes Monkey Trial__

The Scopes Trial is one of the most famous court cases in American history because it displayed the conflict between science and religion. When Darwin's theory of evolution (that man evolved from apes and that we adapted to survive) came out, this conflicted with many religious beliefs that God created man. In Tennessee, a law was passed saying that evolution was not allowed to be taught in schools. In 1925, John Scopes, a Tennessee science teacher, taught Darwin's beliefs. He was arrested for breaking the law.

The trial turned into a media circus. When the case was opened on July 14, journalists from across the land came to witness the trial between science and religion and their place in public education. Preachers and fortune seekers filled the streets. Entrepreneurs sold everything from food to Bibles to stuffed monkeys. The trial became the first ever to be broadcast on radio.

The jury sided with the law. Clearly, Scopes was in violation of Tennessee law by teaching that humans descended from monkeys. He was fined $100 and released. However, the evidence and argument for evolution grew stronger and by 1967, the law would be reversed allowing evolution to be taught in schools.



Works Cited:

http://ushistory.org/us/47a.asp

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=444

http://ushistory.org/us/47b.asp