Intolerance and the 1920s

Red Summer

• Occurred in 1919

• Period of white supremacist terrorism + racial riots across the country

• Made worse by economic tension after WWI and the Great Migration

• Lynchings and mass burning of Black neighborhoods

• Nativism vs. Minorities

Palmer Raids

• October 7, 1919 - January 1920

• Series of raids conducted by the Department of Justice (led by A. Mitchell Palmer) to capture and arrest suspected socialists, especially anarchists and communists, so they could be deported

• Under Woodrow Wilson’s presidency

• Liberal vs. Conservative, Traditional vs. Modern

Boston Police Strike

• September 9, 1919

• Boston police officers went on strike because they wanted to be recognized for their trade unions and improvements in wages and working conditions

• Traditional vs. Modern, Rich vs. Poor

Seattle General Strike

• February 6 - February 11, 1919

• Five-day general work stoppage by 65,000 workers in Seattle

• The goal was to support shipyard union workers who were locked out of their jobs when they tried striking for higher wages

• Rich vs. Poor, Traditional vs. Modern

Tulsa Race Massacre

• May 31 - June 1, 1921; Oklahoma

• White supremacist massacre

• Homes and businesses destroyed, shootings, fires

• Second-longest Black community in Tulsa killed

• Nativism vs. Minorities, Rural vs. Urban

Red Scare

• 1917 - 1920

• Intense fear of far-left extremism (communism + anarchism)

• Driven by panic over labor strikes, immigration, and bombings

• Resulted in government raids, violation of civil liberties, and deportations

• Nativism vs. Minorities, Traditional vs. Modern, Liberal vs. Conservative

Sacco and Vanzetti

• August 23, 1927

• Italian-born anarchists + labor activists who were executed for a 1920 armed robbery + murder

• Became symbols of social injustice

• Believed to be an anti-immigrant and anti-radical ruling

• Nativism vs. Minorities, Liberal vs. Conservative

Flappers

• Young women in the 1920s who didn't fit traditional conservative + Victorian norms

• short hair + dresses, listened to jazz, smoked, drank, and drove automobiles

• Traditional vs. Modern, Old vs. Young

Jazz

• 1890s - 1910s

• Musical genre and artistic movement that emerged from African American traditions like ragtime and blues

• Seen as the devil’s music because it diverted from traditional white norms

• Nativism vs. Minorities

Harlem Renaissance

• Artistic period from 1918 - 1930s

• African American art, literature, music, and culture flourished

• Centered in Harlem, NY

• Nativism vs. Minorities, Consumerism vs. Traditional Values

Rise of the KKK

• Began in the 1920s

• White supremacist group

• Violence against and persecution of people of color, especially Black people

• Cross-burning, lynching, bombing, etc.

• Nativism vs. Minorities

Scopes Monkey Trial

• 1925 court case; Tennessee vs. John Thomas

• Test case designed to challenge the Butler Act, which prohibited teaching evolution in schools

• Traditional vs. Modern, Fundamentalism vs. Evolution

Prohibiton

• 1920 - 1933

• Nationwide ban of alcohol

• Enacted by the 18th Amendment, later repealed by the 21st Amendment

• Birthed organized crime, speakeasies, illegal alcohol sales, making your own alcohol (moonshine)

• Wet vs. Dry

League of Nations

• International organization created after WWI (1920) as a way to solve international disputes

• Proposed by Woodrow Wilson as one of his 14 Points

  • USA never became a member

• Wanted to maintain world peace

• Liberal vs. Conservative, Traditional vs. Modern

Automobiles

• Surging car ownership in the 1920s

  • Source of freedom, allowed for more travel

• Big brands: Ford, General Motors, Chrysler

  • Ford Model T was extremely popular

• Created manufacturing jobs

• Fostered industrialization

• Old vs. Young, Consumerism vs. Traditional Values

Immigration Quota Acts

• Established in 1921

• Limited number of immigrants allowed into the country

• Provided immigration visas to 2% of total population of each nationality in the United States, according to 1890 census data

• Completely excluded Asian countries

• Nativism vs. Minorities