Culture of Reaction in the 1920s

Culture of Reaction in the 1920s

Introduction

• The 1920s were marked by tension, chaos, and problems due to conflicting desires for change and a reactionary culture.

• Groups like women, African Americans, and labor sought to maintain their advances, while others wanted to return to pre-war norms.

The Ku Klux Klan (KKK)

• The KKK is a prime example of this reactionary culture.

• The original KKK emerged during Reconstruction as a racist and political organization.

  • Its goal was to re-establish the Democratic Party's power in the South.

  • The Grant administration passed the Force Acts, declaring the KKK a terrorist organization and authorizing military force against them, which led to the Klan's decline.

Re-emergence of the KKK

• The film Birth of a Nation (1915) led to the KKK's reappearance.

  • The film reinterpreted Reconstruction, portraying white southerners as victims and the KKK as heroes.

  • President Woodrow Wilson praised the film, further inspiring the Klan's revival.

• Inspired by the film, die-hard southerners reformed the KKK at Stone Mountain, Georgia, in 1915.

  • Stone Mountain features a mural of Confederate leaders (Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson).

Characteristics of the New KKK

• The new KKK retained the outlandish costumes and strange rituals of the original Klan.

• Expanded Targets:

  • The KKK targeted not only African Americans but also immigrants, Jews, and Catholics.

  • Inspired by the push for 100% Americanism during World War I, they targeted anyone not considered a "real American."

• The KKK portrayed itself as a Christian organization defending against perceived threats to Christian values.

  • They supported prohibition, viewing it as a way to wipe out the evils of alcohol.

Expansion and Influence

• The KKK expanded nationwide, becoming a powerful and influential group in the 1920s.

  • Membership grew from approximately 5,000 in 1920 to 5,000,000 by 1924.

  • The KKK elected governors in states like Oregon and Indiana, controlling entire state governments.

• The KKK found appeal among middle-class citizens, including doctors and lawyers.

• The KKK held influence at the local, state, and national levels, even marching in Washington D.C.

Decline

• A series of scandals led to the KKK's decline in popularity during the late 1920s.

• Politicians distanced themselves from the organization.

• The KKK continued to resurface whenever the Jim Crow system or racial order was threatened.

Fundamentalism

• Fundamentalism was another example of the culture of reaction, with evangelical Christians concerned about societal changes.

• They worried about:

  • The materialistic consumer culture.

  • Changes in gender roles and the emergence of the "new woman".

  • New intellectual ideas, particularly Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection (evolution).

The Fundamentals

• In 1910, a series of pamphlets known as "The Fundamentals" were published.

  • They presented a strict interpretation of the Bible, asserting its literal truth.

  • They identified threats to Christian values, including popular culture (dancing, gambling) and intellectual developments (evolution).

• The movement emphasized a strict interpretation of the Bible and a willingness to fight against new ideas.

• Fundamentalists sought to influence public policy and pass legislation to protect Christian values.

Spreading the Message

• Dynamic evangelical leaders, such as Billy Sunday, built massive congregations and spread the fundamentalist message.

• Bible colleges were established to educate young people without exposing them to dangerous philosophies and ideas.

  • Bob Jones University, founded in Florida in the 1920s and later moved to Greenville, South Carolina, is an example.

Prohibition

• Prohibition was a key example of fundamentalism in action, seeking to eliminate the dangers of alcohol from American society.

• The Eighteenth Amendment (1919) outlawed the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors.

• Unintended consequences:

  • Americans still sought alcohol, leading to the rise of speakeasies (underground saloons).

  • Women began to drink in speakeasies, challenging traditional gender roles.

  • Rum runners, like Bill McCoy, smuggled alcohol from Canada.

  • Bootlegging and moonshining became widespread.

• Prohibition was difficult to enforce, as evidenced by a still found on the property of Morris Shepherd, the author of the Eighteenth Amendment.

  • 130 gallons of moonshine a day could be produced by the author of the eighteenth amendment

• Prohibition led to the rise of organized crime, with figures like Al Capone profiting from the illegal sale of alcohol.

• Despite efforts, prohibition was largely a failure.

Scopes Trial

• The Scopes Trial symbolized the tensions between modernism and fundamentalism in the 1920s.

• In 1924, Tennessee passed a law making it a crime to teach evolution in the classroom.

  • The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) challenged this law, viewing it as a violation of the First Amendment.

• John Scopes, a teacher, intentionally violated the law by teaching evolution and was arrested.

The Trial

• The trial became a showdown between modernity and fundamentalism.

  • The defense hired Clarence Darrow, a notorious atheist, to defend Scopes.

  • The prosecution brought in William Jennings Bryan, a fervent evangelical Christian and former presidential candidate, as a biblical expert.

• The trial took place in Dayton, Tennessee, and attracted national media attention.

Outcome

• Scopes was found guilty and fined $100.

• In the court of public opinion, the defense won despite losing the case.

  • Clarence Darrow challenged William Jennings Bryan's rigid beliefs, making him look ridiculous.

  • Darrow questioned Bryan about passages in the Bible, such as the sun standing still in the heavens, highlighting the conflict with modern science.

• William Jennings Bryan was crushed and died shortly after the trial.

  • Fundamentalists began to retreat from public life and politics.

• The Scopes Trial highlighted the tensions between progress and reaction, capturing the essence of the 1920s.

Conclusion

• The 1920s were a tense period in American politics, marked by conflicting desires for change and a reactionary culture.

• The Great Depression would soon exacerbate these tensions.