The liberalism of the so-called “Roaring Twenties” was only a thin veneer, experienced mainly by young, wealthy, urban whites. Politics, economics, and society in America were incredibly conservative during this time. In the aftermath of World War I, Americans became deeply isolationist, causing immigration to be limited for the first time. This also contributed to the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan to target Catholic and Jewish immigrants as well as black Americans. Tied into this was an intense feeling of religious fundamentalism and distrust of modern science, especially evolution. Meanwhile, the economy was completely unregulated, and risky investments and Wall Street scams eventually caused the “house of cards” economy to collapse. The …show more content…
presidents of this decade, Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover, were a throwback to late nineteenth century values (“normalcy”), and despite being hugely popular throughout most of this period, only hastened the Great Depression through their laissez-faire policies. Although the 1920s are known for jazz, flappers, and illicit speakeasies, the cultural climate of the time was incredibly conservative.
The intense religious, ethnic, and racial discrimination would not have been felt by wealthy, white women in cities - arguably the only people whose social standing was actually improved during this period - but it was there nonetheless. For one thing, the 1920s saw the triumph of nativism in America. In 1921, immigration to the US was restricted for the first time beyond often poorly enforced rules about people carrying diseases, and this limit was made even harsher in 1924. It’s true that WWI had thoroughly exhausted “real” Americans of all things foreign, the motivation behind these laws had been brewing since the late 1800s, when eastern and southern Europeans (darker white people) had started immigrating to the US in greater numbers. “Real” Americans had never been too thrilled about immigrants, but this second wave was seen as even more undesirable and had caused nativist feelings in its own time. In the ‘20s, these feelings were finally expressed in the Quota Bills of 1921 and ‘24. The first stated that the amount of immigrants from whatever country would be the same as 3% of how many of that nationality had been living in America in 1910. The second lowered it to 2% of the number in 1890. The years chosen for the quotas show that they were clearly targeting eastern and southern Europeans, but even if they weren’t, the fact that …show more content…
there was any limit on immigration indicates the conservatism of the time. Immigrants were also targeted by the KKK, which reemerged in the 1920s, but they were not alone.
The Klan had been banned in 1871, but came back with a vengeance in the 1920s, partially due to the 1915 film “The Birth of A Nation” (also known as “The Klansman”) which glorified the KKK. It also gained popularity from the fear of change due to immigration and jazz (or “race”) music, and the fact that it was a fun community with a sense of camaraderie and adventure (for some). The new Klan broadened its horizons significantly, threatening black people, Catholics, Jewish people, and anyone else who threatened the “old order” (ex, bootleggers and communists). Rather than seeing themselves as haters, they thought they were defending America from people who wouldn’t assimilate and would therefore dilute “100% Americanism.” This incarnation of the Klan also gained popularity in the North, undoubtedly because of the Great Migration, and proved that it was not just a fringe movement - 5.5 million Americans joined. The KKK eventually declined after a series of scandals, but never completely disappeared. There could
hardly be a better example of conservatism in the ‘20s than a terrorist and borderline fascist organization gaining nationwide support for its policies of violence and intimidation. Truly “Lost Generation” author Sinclair Lewis was right when he said "When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." Speaking of carrying a cross, religious (i.e., Protestant) fundamentalism was also huge in the ‘20s, leading to a clash with the scientific and educational advances of the time. Fundamentalist Christians like Billy Sunday and Amee Semple McPherson preached that every word of the Bible, especially the creation story, was true, which led many Americans to be divided over science. With the significant strides made by scientists, like the treatment/curing of many diseases leading to a higher life expectancy, religious values were subject to scrutiny. The theory of evolution was especially problematic for fundamentalists as it contradicted the creation story told in the Bible. Teaching evolution in schools was banned in many southern states, including Tennessee, where the famous “Scopes Monkey Trial” took place to challenge the censorship. The trial served as a showdown between religion and science, with Christian socialist William Jennings Bryan prosecuting and famous lawyer/atheist Clarence Darrow defending the teacher John Scopes, accused of teaching evolution. Although Darrow succeeded in making Bryan look stupid by calling him as a witness - as an expert on the Bible - and getting him to admit that the Bible was not literal, Scopes was convicted and fined $100. Bryan and other Christians saw the trial as a crusade to defend “regular” people from “smart” or “powerful” people, and they clung to their beliefs even more. The economy of the 1920s was a classic example of conservative laissez-faire values. Businesses were unregulated, the stock market was out of control, and wealthy people got tax breaks while poor farmers experienced a depression without government aid. There was also a high protective tariff, another aspect of America’s isolationism as well as a weak attempt to help failing farmers, which only hastened the Depression’s arrival. Andrew Mellon, the Secretary of the Treasury under all 3 of the 1920s presidents, was incredibly conservative and a huge advocate of trickle down economics. Under Harding, the economic gains of the Progressive movement were almost completely negated - he limited antitrust acts, refused to regulate business, and lifted wartime price controls. Coolidge and Hoover were the same; Coolidge had little economic knowledge and was easily convinced by Mellon, and Hoover (as an advocate of traditional American values and rugged individualism) practiced “Voluntarism,” saying the government couldn’t/shouldn’t make people do things. As a result, rich people received tax cuts, poor farmers experienced an unmitigated depression, and the stock market was in a frenzy. Mellon and the presidents erroneously believed that, when rich people had more money, they put it back into the economy (by buying things), which would be good for people in general. In fact, rich people tend to either save or invest their money, and in the ‘20s, risky investment in the unstable and unregulated economy was rampant. And thanks to the widespread use of credit and buying stocks on margin, even middle class people were able to be taken advantage of with Wall Street scams like “Pump and Dump” - making unprofitable stocks seem attractive, causing the price to go up, then selling them off quickly. The economy seemed profitable for just long enough for Hoover to be elected, but the house of cards began to fall in 1929 and people soon realized that conservative, laissez faire policies had not really been working at all. One group of people, farmers, had probably realized this years earlier, because as the rest of the country prospered, agriculture was over productive and prices were dropping. Both Coolidge and Hoover (despite his reputation as a humanitarian) refused to subsidize farmers by buying up surpluses, a classically (and heartlessly) conservative policy. The political conservatism of the 1920s should already be clear from the Quote Acts and the lack of acts regulating the economy, but the policies and subsequent popularity of the presidents of the time also demonstrate the climate of the time. This decade saw the return of the Republicans, with Hoover breaking the “solid south” in 1928. Harding’s 1920 promise of a “return to normalcy” was exactly what Americans wanted in the aftermath of WWI. Just like a true 19th century president, he brought back injunctions against strikes, appointed Supreme Court justices who struck down child labor laws, and was unaware of major scandals in his administration (like Grant, he gave his corrupt friends - “the Ohio Gang” - jobs in the government). Harding died in office in 1923, and his vice president Coolidge took over. Coolidge was the living embodiment of conservatism in the 1920s, both in his views and his manner. “Silent Cal” was a straight-arrow, no-scandals man (unlike Harding), and, as he put it, thought that “the business of America is business.” He ran for his own term in 1924, defeating the Democrat Alfred Smith, who later ran against Hoover, by a 2-to-1 margin. In this term, Coolidge vetoed acts to help overproducing farmers and flood victims in Mississippi, claiming that “Government shouldn’t support people, people should support government!” Strangely, Coolidge was still popular, and the Republicans (credited with the prosperous economy) had widespread support. In the election of 1928, Coolidge refused to run, and instead Herbert Hoover was nominated. Hoover was the most progressive of the 3 - as the Secretary of Commerce, he had supported unions and helped get the 8 hour day. However, he was a strong believer in “rugged individualism” and Traditional American Values, so he thought aid should come almost entirely from private charities or voluntarily from businesses (although he was not entirely against regulation). Coolidge’s and Hoover’s opponent, Alfred Smith, was the complete opposite of the typical conservative. Smith was an Irish-Catholic from the Lower East Side, who opposed Prohibition and believed in government aid. All of these factors worked against him - most of America was opposed to Catholics, opposed to immigrants and their descendents, opposed to urbanites, in favor of Prohibition (despite the fact that many people ignored it completely), and suspicious of big government. These factors, combined with the popularity of the Republicans, ensured Hoover’s victory. Smith even lost in many southern states, which had been solidly Democrat for years. Although the 1920s seemed like a time of liberation and excitement, most of America experienced the decade as one of traditional, conservative values. While a small group of white women in cities were wearing short dresses, smoking cigarettes, and listening to jazz and a larger number of people were openly flaunting Prohibition, intense social prejudice was rampant, the economy ran wild, and conservative politicians were consistently popular. It’s true that there were some glimmers of reform - obviously the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote was a big deal, and the Sheppard Towner act providing healthcare for mothers and children was a Progressive-style victory - and that not everyone was caught up in the conservative fervor. The “Lost Generation” writers, like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, were disillusioned with the materialistic, conformist nature of American society in the 1920s, and the black artists and writers of the Harlem Renaissance were undoubtedly disappointed in the lack of progress. Also, despite Al Smith’s failure to be elected, the fact that a Catholic man could run for president and win some of the most anti-Catholic states as well as all 12 major cities in the US was a sign of change. Smith was also a precursor to Roosevelt, the “New Deal coalition” had its roots in the 1928 election.
During the "Roaring Twenties" people were living up to the modern standards of society. Then the Great Depression began and the joy and excitement disappeared and tension manifested. In the time period of 1920-1941 America experienced major global events that occurred in extremely short rapid intervals of time. From the end of World War I in 1918 to the Roaring Twenties, straight to the Great Depression in 1929, into the beginning of World War II in 1939, and all the way to the horror of the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, America faced these occurrences with difficulty and confusion. But with the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, quick and immediate responses were made to stabilize America. Among his responses
As a nation coming out of a devastating war, America faced many changes in the 1920s. It was a decade of growth and improvements. It was also a decade of great economic and political confidence. However, with all the changes comes opposition. Social and cultural fears still caused dichotomous rifts in American society.
During WWI, the United States military armed African-American soldiers and sent them to fight on the front lines. Returning home at the end of the war, many white veterans resented the arming of these African-American soldiers. Conversely, the returning African-American soldiers greatly resented being sent home and back to a life as a second class citizen. Perhaps as an effort to seek some kind of revenge on the black soldiers, or possibly as an attempt to quell the slowly growing equality of African-Americans, the Klu Klux Klan experienced a drastic upswing in membership during the 1920s. Originally founded in 1865 the Klu Klux Klan experienced an upswing in membership during the 1920s after the war. The Klan opened its first base in Oregon after its revival in central California. Historians note that one reason why many influential white Americans may have supported the Klan was because the Klan was in favor of prohibition, the ...
Hooded Americanism: The First Century of the Ku Klux Klan: 1865 to the Present by David Chalmers records the history of the Ku Klux Klan quite bluntly, all the way from its creation following the civil war, to the early 1960’s. The author starts the book quite strongly by discussing in detail many acts of violence and displays of hatred throughout the United States. He makes a point to show that the Klan rode robustly throughout all of the country, not just in the southern states. The first several chapters of the book focus on the Klan’s creation in 1865. He goes on to discuss the attitude of many Americans following the United State’s Civil War and how the war shaped a new nation. The bulk of the book is used to go through many of the states, and express the Klan’s political influence on both the local and state governments. The author starts with Texas and Oklahoma, and goes through the history of the Klan geographically, finishing with New Jersey and Washington. The author stresses that the KKK did not just commit acts of violence towards minorities, but also carried political power. He continues to discuss the impact of the Klan on Civil Rights movements in the 1960’s, and various other important political controversies between the 1920’s and 1970’s. Towards the middle of the book, David M. Chalmers focuses on portraying the feelings of governments and state legislatures, as well as normal citizens towards the Klan. To do this more effectively, the author uses excerpts and quotes from editorials and newspapers, along with several dozen pictures. The conclusion of the book was used mainly as an overview of all of the major incidents and deaths involving the Klan, and how their persistence has allowed them to still exist today despite a lack of resources and support.
...manding, and we expect to win, a return of power into the hands of the everyday, not highly cultured, not overly intellectualized, but entirely unspoiled and not de-Americanized, average citizen of the old stock. The KKK has now come to speak for the great mass of Americans of the old pioneer stock" (Document D.) By 1923, Klan membership grew to five million. However, there was a sharp decline in members within a decade, showing how the new frameset of mind took over the old quickly. Accept the new, changing world around them. They represented the old, racist values long thought to have been delegated to the South.
In the 1920s and 1930s, segregation was a massive thing for everyone. Minorities were looked down upon mainly because of their different skin color and culture, as people from all over the world started to come to America because of its freedom that it offered. They did receive many of the rights that was said to be given, nor much respect, especially from caucasians. They were mostly slaves, workers or farmers for caucasians. Although they would work as hard as they can, they wouldn’t receive fair pay. In the result of that, they were never able to live the life of a middle-class citizen. They were always low on money. Also, taxes would bug them as it would rise only for the lower-class...
The 1920s was a time of conservatism and it was a time of great social change. From the world of fashion to the world of politics, forces clashed to produce the most explosive decade of the century. It was the age of prohibition, it was the age of prosperity, and it was the age of downfall.
The decade of the 1920's was an era of intolerance. Labor strife, government repression of political radicals, anti-foreign paranoia, intensified by war and legalized in the racial quotas of the 1924 Immigration Act, were only a few examples of this intolerance. For American blacks, it was axiomatic that any measurable shift to the right in social and political opinion, would bring with it increased difficulties for their race. The 20's were no exception.
The 1920s were a time of leisure and carelessness. The Great War had ended in 1918 and everyone was eager to return to some semblance of normalcy. The end of the war and the horrors and atrocities that it resulted in now faced millions of people. This caused a backlash against traditional values and morals as people began to denounce the complex for a return to simplicity and minimalism. Easily obtainable credit and rapidly rising stock prices prompted many to invest, resulting in big payoffs and newfound wealth for many. However, overproduction and inflated stock prices increased by corrupt industrialists culminated until the inevitable collapse of the stock market in 1929.
We study the beginning of America and the movement of settlers into a new land. Then we look at the formation of the United States through the Revolutionary War. But nothing has ever changed this country from the inside as much as the Ku Klux Klan invasion into the country. The Klan’s influence and ability to cause destruction within a society inspired leaders and dictators such as Adolf Hitler. During the height of the Klan’s power and influence, it was doing many things right. It had attracted mass amounts of people with a simple message and used them to complete a secret agenda. Had the KKK continued to find new ways of bringing people to their cause and working to achieve superiority first, they may have caused an unforeseen amount of damage to the United States. Mistakes that were made by the members grew attention to them and caused society to see them as they were. The Ku Klux Klan of the modern day is still alive. It is barely breathing but growing and changing everyday. The hate will live on through the young, but the good people in the world are the key to truly changing the world for the
The first wave of the Ku Klux Klan was the founders. This band of brothers lasted from 1866 to 1874. Their goal was to restore the white supremacy by using violence and threats, including murder against blacks, which later spread to including other racial groups. They took on the look of all white with masks and robes to complete their look and hide their identities when “attacking,” usually at night. Some of the members in the Klan claimed to be the ghosts of the Confederate solders to frighten superstitious blacks. At the end of 1867, there were one hundred ninety-seven murders and five hundred forty-eight cases reported of assaults. In April 1868, 1,222 Republican votes were casted but by the ...
The 1920's was a time of change in the United States. “The Roaring Twenties” had an outstanding impact on the economy, social standards and everyday life. It was a time for positive results in the consumer goods industry and American families, because of higher wages, shorter working hours, and manufacturing was up 60% in consumer goods. But it was also a time of adversity and opposition for others, such as immigrants and farmers. Immigrants had lots of competition when they were looking for work and they weren't treated fairly by Americans, depending on where they came from and what they believed.
Klan supporters saw the group as a protector of a certain way of life and the white race. The original Klan was shut down in 1872. On Thanksgiving Night 1915, the Klan struck again. Sixteen men from Atlanta, Georgia, went to the top of the mountain and set up for a Klan ritual. They built an altar of stones, on which they placed the American Flag, a Bible and a sword.
The Ku Klux Klan was founded in May of 1866, in Pulaski, Tennessee by six veterans of the Confederate Army. The early years of the Klan's existence were focused mainly on restoring white power in the government. The Klan often spoke against Radical Republicans, the political party that most supported the rights of former slaves. At first the Klan seemed relatively harmless. But as time went on, the so called white supremacists showed how far they were willing to go to fulfill their craving for America to go back to its former ways.
In 1869 the Klan was disbanded by Forrest, this was the height of their membership with 500,00 members, because laws were created in the 1870’s to slow down their activities, such as the KKK Act and the Enforcement Acts, limiting their power in the south. Even though they were no longer active their threat was still lingering. They left a legacy in the United States of torture, havoc, white supremacy and black oppression that lasted for a century. The KKK were successful at achieving their goals of abolishing the Republicans ideas in the South and scaring many African Americans during the late