The attitudes toward these groups reflect the intolerance of the decade as they are a direct result of it . The roaring 20's were a time of change for our country and many with more of a fundamentalist ideology cringed at this change and wanted more for consistency that revolution and improvement.
Immigration Restriction Cause and Effect
Immigration restriction was the effect of the nativism that shot up after the war ended as over a million foreigners entered the country between 1919 and 1921. These immigrants were mainly jews and Catholics from southern Europe. Many workers feared more competition while isolationists wanted less contact with Europe and saw the influx of immigrants as a major problem as in their eyes the immigrants were radicals who might cause revolution.
With the strong nativism of the 20's the public demanded legislation be acted upon by Congress. Congress fulfilled the public out cry by passing two laws that limited immigration by setting quotas based on nationality. Fittingly, these ware called the Quota laws. these quotas were directed against all European and Asians; however, they mainly restricted those most undesirable to the nativists. The first quota act restrictd immigration to 3% of the foreign born citizens from a nation in 1921, and the second was passed in 1924 to ensure discrimination against southern and eastern European immigrants and set a quota of 2%. The quota for Asians and eastern and southern Europeans was limited to 150,000 by 1927, and Japanese immigration was banned. The effect of the widespread nativism in the United States during this time is that the tradition of unrestricted immigration was ended.
With the strong nativism of the 20's the public demanded legislation be acted upon by Congress. Congress fulfilled the public out cry by passing two laws that limited immigration by setting quotas based on nationality. Fittingly, these ware called the Quota laws. these quotas were directed against all European and Asians; however, they mainly restricted those most undesirable to the nativists. The first quota act restrictd immigration to 3% of the foreign born citizens from a nation in 1921, and the second was passed in 1924 to ensure discrimination against southern and eastern European immigrants and set a quota of 2%. The quota for Asians and eastern and southern Europeans was limited to 150,000 by 1927, and Japanese immigration was banned. The effect of the widespread nativism in the United States during this time is that the tradition of unrestricted immigration was ended.
The KKK Through Their Eyes
The intolerance and nativism of the era was difficult to ignore as it was so widespread. Racism by the twenties already had its roots deep in America as many of our internal issues were race related. These nativists tended to use the immigrants as a scapegoat to blame the issues of society on so it is no surprise that the Quota laws came to be. They saw immigrants as "radicals" and an issue for their nation. It is due to this that the KKK of the twenties was just as strong in the Midwest as in the south.In 1925 from drawing support from lower-middle-class white Protestants it grew to have 5 million members. The KKK became very politically powerful in this time and stood for white supremacy and directed their hostility toward African Americans, Catholics, Jews, foreigners as well as suspected Communists. The Klan showed the intolerance of the era as they targeted anyone whom they saw as "un-American". They were not accepting of nonconformity and targeted anyone who was different. Because of their radical ways of lynching and torturing they were the most extreme expression of nativism in the 20's.
Sacco and Venzetti Trail Turning Points
The Sacco and Vanzetti trial was a trial against Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Venzetti. They had been convicted in a Massachusetts court of committing robbery and murder; however, liberals protested that they were innocent and they rallied to support them and as well as protest racist and nativist prejudices. This is a great example of suspicion and intolerance as these men were being intolerantly blamed for this murder because they were anarchists.
The Red Scare
In the 1920's a culture developed in America that despised and feared communism. Many Americans were especially scared of the Communists as they had overthrown the royal family in Russia in 1917 and murdered them later. Also it was hard for those in tune to this ideology to forget that an antaricst had killed President McKinley in 1901. After the Palmer strikes the fear of Communism increased. The Palmer strikes were a series of bombings in 1919, one of witch was an attempt to blow up A. Mitchell Palmer, the Attorney General who had led a campaign against the Communists. This fear of Communism adds to the intolerance of the decade as it adds more paranoia to the already paranoid. The Red Scare is certainly an example of the United States reluctance to get involved in word affairs as the scares were characterized by the fear that Communism would destroy the Capitalist social order in the US.
Scopes Trial
The Scopes Trial was a debate between modernists of the northern cities and the religious fundamentalists in the rural south. John Scopes taught Darwin's theory of evolution and natural selection to his high school class and was arrested due to it. He did it under the persuasion of the American Civil Liberties Union to challenge the constitutionality of laws making it illegal to teach certain theories in school. This trial was indicative of the conflict old vs. new as those who believed more fundamental thoughts disagreed with anything that challenged their view point. They were unwilling to bend with the changing times and rather wished to keep things the same. That is why this case is a turning point in the 20's as it really brought up a debate over separation of church and state that is heated even up to today.
How does the nostalgia and attitudes of the past conflict with the modern ideas of the decade?
The 20's were an era of altering view points and the old and new ones contrasted greatly. Those who held more fundamental beliefs were quick to ridicule the new thoughts of this age and they contradicted their beliefs. The Scopes trial is a perfect example of this as the fundamentalists fought hard to fight for the old idea of creationism and end all thought of evolution as it was new and different than what they believed to be true.
AP Parts
Author: Literary Digest.
Originally from the
Memphis Commercial
Appeal
Place and Time: All across the U.S. Mostly in cities.
Prior Knowledge: America was afraid of communist countries invading.
Audience: The masses of the united states were targets of this cartoon.
Main Idea: Targeted the masses and to show concern of red scare.
Summary: Cartoon Illustrating the red scare in the U.S.
Originally from the
Memphis Commercial
Appeal
Place and Time: All across the U.S. Mostly in cities.
Prior Knowledge: America was afraid of communist countries invading.
Audience: The masses of the united states were targets of this cartoon.
Main Idea: Targeted the masses and to show concern of red scare.
Summary: Cartoon Illustrating the red scare in the U.S.
Vocabulary
Immigrant: a person who comes to a country to take up permanent residence
Anarchist: a person who rebels against any authority, established order, or ruling power
Communism: a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed
Race: a category of humankind that shares certain distinctive physical traits
Bolsheviks: a member of the extremist wing of the Russian Social Democratic party
Fundamentalism: a movement in 20th century Protestantism emphasizing the literally interpreted Bible as fundamental to Christian life and teaching
Quota: a fixed number or percentage of minority group members or women needed to meet the requirements of affirmative action
Anarchist: a person who rebels against any authority, established order, or ruling power
Communism: a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed
Race: a category of humankind that shares certain distinctive physical traits
Bolsheviks: a member of the extremist wing of the Russian Social Democratic party
Fundamentalism: a movement in 20th century Protestantism emphasizing the literally interpreted Bible as fundamental to Christian life and teaching
Quota: a fixed number or percentage of minority group members or women needed to meet the requirements of affirmative action
Change and Continuity
Major changes in intolerance and suspicion resulted in our country in this era due to the debate and conflict between those with an old ideology and new. In some aspect the more fundamental mindset won as in this era for the first time unrestricted immigration was ended and the Quota laws were set up. Another chance in this era was the heightened nativism and political power of the KKK also there was a growing fear of Communism due to the Palmer riots