World War I and the 1920s (1914-1929) Lesson 6 An Unsettled Society

1. World War I and the 1920s (1914-1929) Lesson 6 An Unsettled Society

2. World War I and the 1920s (1914-1929) Lesson 6 An Unsettled Society Learning Objectives • Compare economic and cultural life in rural America to that in urban America. • Analyze how foreign events after World War I and nativism contributed to the first Red Scare. • Analyze the causes and effects of changes in U.S. immigration policy in the 1920s. • Describe the goals and motives of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s. • Analyze the intended and unintended effects of Prohibition.

3. World War I and the 1920s (1914-1929) Lesson 6 An Unsettled Society Key Terms • modernism • fundamentalism • Scopes Trial • Clarence Darrow • William Jennings Bryan • Red Scare • Palmer Raids • Nicola Sacco • Bartolomeo Vanzetti • eugenics • quota system • Ku Klux Klan • Prohibition • Eighteenth Amendment • Volstead Act • Bootleggers

4. Americans Debate New Ideas and Values In the 1920s, while many city dwellers enjoyed a rising standard of living, most farmers suffered through hard times. Conflicting visions of what the nation should be heightened the urban-rural division. Some of these issues, such as immigration policy and teaching the theory of evolution, still divide Americans today.

5. Americans Debate New Ideas and Values • An Evolving Job Market Emphasizes Education • Some Embrace Religious Fundamentalism • Bryan and Darrow Clash Over Evolution

6. Americans Debate New Ideas and Values The rise of modernism, with its emphasis on urbanism, intellectualism, and individualism, threatened traditionalists who believed America’s social foundations were deteriorating.

7. Americans Debate New Ideas and Values Analyze Graphs How did the growth of cities contribute to the steady increase in graduation rates?

8. The Red Scare As Americans continued to grapple with the ideas of modernity, the emergence of the Soviet Union as a communist nation challenged other essential U.S ideals. In contrast to capitalism and the free enterprise systems, which emphasized the right to own private property, communist ideology called for public ownership of property and an international workers’ revolution as a prelude to the death of capitalism. To this end, Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin encouraged and supported revolutions outside of his country. In Central and Eastern Europe, a series of communist revolts did break out, making it seem like the worldwide revolution was starting.

9. The Red Scare • Fear of a Potential Revolution • A Questionable Conviction

10. The Red Scare Lenin’s support for revolutions of working class people everywhere against the system of capitalism led leaders to fear just such an uprising within the United States.

11. Immigration in the 1920s As the trial of Italian immigrants Sacco and Vanzetti came to a close, another social issue involved the ongoing boom in immigration continued. As in the past, nativists, or those who preferred native-born Americans to immigrants, argued that the new arrivals took jobs away from native-born workers and threatened American religious, political, and cultural traditions.

12. Immigration in the 1920s • Eugenics and Social Darwinism Influence the Perception of Immigrants • Congressional Legislation Restricts Immigration • More Mexicans Arrive for Economic Opportunity

13. Immigration in the 1920s The rise of nativism within the United States led to increased restrictions on immigration, such as the rejection of immigrants who could not read and write in their own language.

14. Immigration in the 1920s Analyze Charts What effect did the Emergency Quota Act of 1921 and the National Origins Act of 1924 have on immigration to the United States?

15. The Ku Klux Klan in the Early 1900s Immigration restriction was an attempt to turn back the clock to what many saw as a simpler, better time. Many lashed out against symbols of change. Some even turned to organizations that supported doctrines of hate and employed violence and terror to achieve their ends.

16. The Ku Klux Klan in the Early 1900s • The Klan Reorganizes • Many Americans Oppose the Klan’s Values

17. The Ku Klux Klan in the Early 1900s The Ku Klux Klan grew in strength in the 1920s, as this march in Washington, D.C. in 1926 shows.

18. Prohibition Divides Americans Another divisive issue was Prohibition, the banning of alcohol use. Since the early 1800s, temperance reformers had crusaded against alcohol. Temperance was a cause held dear by many Progressives. By 1917, some 75 percent of Americans lived in “dry” counties that had banned liquor. World War I increased support for temperance. It seemed unpatriotic to use corn, wheat, and barley to make alcohol when soldiers overseas needed bread.

19. Prohibition Divides Americans • The Eighteenth Amendment Bans Alcohol • Many Americans Ignore the Volstead Act • The Constitution Is Amended Again

20. Prohibition Divides Americans The temperance movement partially achieved its mission with the ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919. When Prohibition began, federal agents like these destroyed millions of gallons of alcohol.

21. Prohibition Divides Americans Analyze Charts Summarize the effects of Prohibition on American society.

22. Quiz: Americans Debate New Ideas and Values Which movement emphasized secular values over traditional religious values? A. consumerism B. fundamentalism C. literalism D. modernism

23. Quiz: The Red Scare Which widespread sentiment defined the Red Scare? A. fear of a communist revolution within the United States B. opposition to the ruling of the trial of Sacco and Vanzetti C. worry that the Soviet Union would succumb to capitalism D. objection to the use of the death penalty in the United States

24. Quiz: Immigration in the 1920s Most American nativists believed that A. eugenics promoted harmful racist attitudes. B. immigration threatened traditional American values. C. communism provided a good alternative to capitalism. D. ethnic diversity was the greatest strength of the United States.

25. Quiz: The Ku Klux Klan in the Early 1900s The primary goal of the original Ku Klux Klan was to A. promote violent crime and immorality. B. oppose changes taking place in urban areas. C. encourage immigration from Eastern Europe. D. terrorize African Americans who sought to vote.

26. Quiz: Prohibition Divides Americans The purpose of the Volstead Act was to A. officially recognize speakeasies. B. enforce the Eighteenth Amendment. C. deport radicals after the Palmer Raids. D. establish a quota system for immigration.