Topic 5, Lesson 12: Why did the US seek to limit immigration in the 1920s?

Topic 5, Lesson 12: Why did the US seek to limit immigration in the 1920s?

Reasons for Growing Hostility to 1920s Immigrants

• For many Americans in the 1920s, the ideal citizen was a ‘WASP’ - White Anglo Saxon Protestant

• Many Americans feared that immigrants would bring with them dangerous political beliefs such as Communism

• Immigrants provided competition for jobs

• US involvement in the First World War fuelled anti-German feelings

German was banned in schools and several states

• Many of the new immigrants were poor labourers with little education

• Immigrant ghettos began to appear in the big northern cities of America

These were often places with high incidences of drunkenness and violence (Americans blamed immigrants for these problems)

Topic 5, Lesson 12: Why did the US seek to limit immigration in the 1920s?

1920s Laws to Restrict Immigration

The 1917 Literacy Act:

all foreigners wishing to enter the US had to take a literacy test.

Many immigrant from poorer countries could not afford an education and therefore failed the test.

The 1921 Emergency Quota Act:

restricted the number of immigrants entering America to 3% of the existing population of that nationality already residing in the United States. Statistically, this capped immigration at around 375,000 people each year.

The 1924 National Origins Act:

reduced the quota to 2% of the 1890 census.

This heavily favoured northern and western European countries as they were the majority of the 1890 census.

The 1929 Immigration Act:

capped immigration at 150,000 per year

Topic 5, Lesson 12: Why did the US seek to limit immigration in the 1920s?

The Sacco and Vanzetti Case

Sacco and Vanzetti were two Italian Anarchists

5th May 1920: Sacco and Vanzetti are arrested for the robbery of a shoe factory and the murder of two people

May 1920: The trial began and lasted 45 days

14th July 1921: Sacco and Vanzetti are found guilty

24th August 1927: Sacco and Vanzetti are executed by electric chair

1970s: The Governor of Massachusetts granted Sacco and Vanzetti a formal pardon and agreed that a mistrial had taken place

• The trial of Sacco and Vanzetti was widely criticised for its lack of fairness

• Many people believed the two men were targeted more for their political beliefs and immigration status rather than from any solid evidence

• Demonstrations were held across the United States in support of Sacco and Vanzetti

Importance of Sacco and Vanzetti:

• The trial was reported all over the world

• Showed the intolerance of the US society toward immigrants

• Sacco and Vanzetti were victims of racial discrimination

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