The Roaring TwentiesUS History Honors

I. THE RED SCARE (1919-1920)

A. The Red ScareCommunism: economic & political system,

single-party government ruled by a dictator and no private property

1919: Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks set up Communist state in Russia

US Communist Party forms; some Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) join

A. The Red ScareBombs mailed to government and

businesses; people fear Red conspiracy

Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer takes action

B. Palmer RaidsPalmer and Hoover hunt down Communists,

socialists and anarchists

Anarchists oppose any form government

Raids trample civil rights and fail to find evidence of conspiracy

II. SACCO & VANZETTI TRIAL

Sacco & Vanzetti Trial

A. Sacco and Vanzetti Trial

Red Scare feeds fear of foreigners, ruins reputations, and wrecks lives

1920: Sacco and Vanzetti (Italian immigrants) who were also anarchists were arrested…◦ Charged with robbery and murder◦ Trial does not prove guilt

Jury finds them guilty; widespread protests in US and aboard

Sacco and Vanzetti executed in 1927

III. NATIVISM & THE NEW KKK

A. NativismNativists: fewer unskilled jobs available

which means fewer immigrants needed

Between 1919 and 1921 over a million foreigners entered the country

B. The New KKKThe most extreme expression of nativism in

the 1920s was the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan

KKK opposes blacks, Catholics, Jews, immigrants, and unions

Klan controls many states’ politics

By 1925 the Klan had 5 million members

IV. THE QUOTA SYSTEM

A. The Quota SystemQuota System sets maximum number of

immigrants that can enter the US from each country

1924: European arrivals cut to 2% of number of residents in 1890

Discriminates against southern and eastern Europeans

Prohibits Japanese immigrants which will cause ill will between the US and Japan

CHECK POINT

The Red Scare, the National Origins Acts of the 1920s, and the verdict in the Sacco and Vanzetti trial are examples of negative American attitudes toward

A.immigrantsB.business leadersC.African AmericansD.Labor union leaders

Which characteristic of the 1920s is illustrated by the trial of Sacco and Vanzetti?

A.hostility toward woman’s suffrageB.support for segregationC.opposition to separation of church and stateD.intolerance toward immigrants

During the 1920s, Congress passed a series of immigration laws that were primarily designed to

A.increase immigration from AsiaB.expand the workforce for the growing economyC.limit immigration from southern and eastern EuropeD.prohibit immigration from Latin America

The influence of nativism during the 1920s is best illustrated by the

A.increase in the popularity of the automobileB.emergence of the flappersC.expansion of trusts and monopoliesD.growth of the Ku Klux Klan

A major goal of the immigration acts of the 1920s was to

A.allow unlimited immigration from Southeast AsiaB.assure equal numbers of immigrants from all nationsC.favor wealthy and well-educated immigrantsD.use quotas to limit immigration from southern and eastern Europe

V. PROHIBITION EXPERIMENT

A. The Prohibition Experiment18th Amendment launches Prohibition Era

◦ Supported by religious groups, rural South & West

Prohibition: illegal to produce, sell or transport alcohol

Government does not budget enough money to enforce the law

B. Defying the LawProhibition did not stop people from drinking

alcohol at home or in public

In the cities it became fashionable to defy the law by going to speakeasies (bar or club)

Bootleggers smuggle alcohol from surrounding countries (Canada)

City police were paid to look the other way

C. Organized CrimeProhibition contributes to organized crime in

most major cities (NYC and Chicago)

Al Capone controls Chicago liquor business by killing his competitors

By mid-1920s only 19% support Prohibition

18th Amendment in force until 1933

It will be repealed by the 21st Amendment

VI. THE SCOPES TRIAL

A. American Fundamentalism

Fundamentalism: movement based on literal interpretation of Bible

Fundamentalists skeptical of some scientific discoveries and theories◦ They reject the theory of evolution◦ Believe all important knowledge can be found

in Bible

B. The Scopes TrialThe entire nation followed the Scopes Trial

both in the newspapers and on the radio

1925: Tennessee passes law making it a crime to teach evolution in schools

American Civil Liberties Union backs John Scopes challenge of the law

The debates evolution, role of science and religion in schools

C. The AftermathScopes was found guilty but the conviction

was later overturned on a technicality

Laws banning the teaching of evolution remained on the books for years

Darrow (Scope’s lawyer) had thoroughly discredited fundamentalism

VII. WOMEN IN THE 1920’S

A. Revolution in MoralsYoung men and women of the 1920s

revolted against sexual taboos

Some were influenced by the writings of Sigmund Freud

The work of Margaret Sanger and other advocates of birth control achieved growing acceptance in the twenties

B. FlappersYoung women shocked their elders by

wearing dresses hemmed at the knee

‘Bobbing’ their hair

Smoking cigarettes

Driving cars

Taking office jobs before they married

CHECK POINT

During the 1920s, controversies concerning the Scopes trial, national Prohibition, and the behavior of “flappers” were all signs of disagreement over

A.the return to normalcyB.traditional values and changing lifestylesC.causes of the Great DepressionD.the benefits of new technology

The failure of national Prohibition led to a public awareness that

A.crime rates decline when the sale of alcoholic beverages is bannedB.economic prosperity encourages social conformityC.unpopular laws are difficult to enforceD.geographic conditions affect law enforcement

The national policy of Prohibition ended when the states

A.strengthened food and drug lawsB.legalized alcohol for medical purposesC.ratified the 21st amendmentD.banned interstate shipment of alcoholic beverages

In 1920, women gained the right to vote as a result of a

A.presidential orderB.Supreme Court decisionC.national electionD.constitutional amendment

The Scopes trial of 1925 is an example of

A.the effects of assimilation on American cultureB.a clash between scientific ideas and religious beliefsC.an increase in violence in American societyD.government intervention in racial conflicts

National Prohibition, as authorized by the 18th amendment, stated that

A.Americans must be 18 years old to purchase alcoholic beveragesB.only imported alcoholic beverages would be soldC.alcoholic beverages could be sold only in government run storesD.the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages was banned

Which event of the 1920s symbolized a conflict over cultural values?

A.election of Herbert HooverB.transatlantic flight of Charles LindberghC.Scopes trialD.stock market crash

The Scopes trial of the 1920s dealt with a conflict between

A.communism and capitalismB.Protestants and CatholicsC.science and religionD.labor and management

VIII. HARLEM RENAISSANCE

A. Harlem RenaissanceBy 1930, almost 20% of African-Americans

lived in the North

Harlem became famous in the 1920s for its concentration of talented actors, artists, musicians and writers

B. The Jazz AgeHigh school and college youth expressed

their rebellion against their elders’ culture by dancing to jazz music

Jazz became a symbol of the “new” and “modern” culture of the cities

CHECK POINT

Langston Hughes and Duke Ellington are noted for their contributions to the cultural movement of the 1920s known as the

A.Gospel of WealthB.Lost GenerationC.Harlem RenaissanceD.Gilded Age

“Public Ignores Prohibition Restrictions”“Evolution and Creation Debated in Scopes Trial”“Women Bring Change to the Industrial Workforce”

What do headlines such as these from the 1920s illustrate?

A.conflict between traditional and modern valuesB.trend toward mass consumption of consumer goodsC.hostility of certain groups toward ethnic minoritiesD.debate over the role of government in the economy

During the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, African American authors and artists used literature and art to

A.end segregation of public facilitiesB.promote affirmative action programsC.celebrate the richness of their heritageD.urge voters to elect more African Americans to political office

The changing image of women during the 1920s was symbolized by the

A.passage of an equal pay actB.drafting of women into the armyC.popularity of the flappers and their style of dressD.appointment of several women to President Coolidge’s cabinet

The Harlem Renaissance promoted African American culture by

A.increasing factory employment opportunities for minoritiesB.encouraging immigration from AfricaC.focusing attention on artistic contributionsD.bringing an end to legalized racial segregation

Which pair of events illustrates an accurate cause and effect relationship?

A.Sacco and Vanzetti trial – ratification of the woman suffrage amendmentB.rebirth of the KKK – formation of the Populist PartyC.Red Scare – demand for limits on immigrationD.high food prices – start of the Great Depression

The convictions of Sacco and Vanzetti in the 1920s most closely reflected the

A.increase in nativist attitudesB.federal government’s war on crimeC.corruption of political machinesD.rise in labor unrest

In the 1920s, both Langston Hughes and Duke Ellington made major contributions to

A.economic growthB.educational reformC.the creative artsD.political leadership

During the 1920s, the United States changed its immigration policy by passing new laws that

A.provided incentives to attract more immigrants to factory jobsB.encouraged Chinese immigrants to enter the countryC.allowed unrestricted immigration of war refugees from VietnamD.established quotas that reduced the number of immigrants from certain countries

What was a main result of national Prohibition during the 1920s?

A.respect for the law decreasedB.woman’s suffrage was restrictedC.racial prejudice increasedD.religious tolerance grew