Racial Tension-1920s America
- Created by: Liz_A72
- Created on: 08-04-18 14:16
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- Racial Tension: 1920s America
- African Americans
- Slavery abolished but many still suffered from prejudice & discrimination
- Denied higher education, good jobs & right to vote
- Many African Americans moved North eg New York/Chicago.
- Better chance of getting good jobs & education.
- However, still lived in great poverty, with poorer housing, education & health services than whites.
- If they tried to use parks, playgrounds or beaches, then would be attacked by gangs of whites, calling themselves "Athletic Clubs."
- African American communities in Northern states became isolated ghettos.
- Slavery abolished but many still suffered from prejudice & discrimination
- Ku Klux Klan
- White supremacy movement- used violence to intimidate African Americans.
- Release of film "The Birth of a Nation" in 1915 revived the KKK after it had been in decline.
- It glorified the klan as defenders of decent American values against renegade African Americans.
- President Wilson showed in in the White house.
- Film gained publicity from prominent figures, gaining the klan political power in the early 1920s.
- Subjected African Americans to vicious racist attacks.
- Film gained publicity from prominent figures, gaining the klan political power in the early 1920s.
- From 1919-1925, 300 African Americans murdered by lynching.
- Whole families, including young children, would clap and cheer.
- Impact of Immigration
- Immigration at an all-time high from 1901-1910.
- Flooding in: Jews from eastern Europe & Russia fleeing persecution & poverty, as well as Italians.
- USA known as a "melting pot."
- Groups lost ethnic identity, and blended with other groups to become just "Americans."
- However Immigrant groups such as Irish, French and Germans looked down on Eastern European, Italian, Mexican, and African American groups.
- Groups lost ethnic identity, and blended with other groups to become just "Americans."
- Government measures on immigration were put in place.
- In 1917, a literacy test was introduced.
- Quotas were brought in in 1921 & 1924, reducing number of immigrants to 150,000 per year.
- Made sure immigrants came from similar culture to America.
- In 1917, a literacy test was introduced.
- Immigration at an all-time high from 1901-1910.
- Sacco & Vanzetti case
- Long- running & notorious case.
- Accused of 2 murders during an armed robbery at a shoe store in Massachusetts.
- Shaky trial with weak evidence against them.
- Accused of 2 murders during an armed robbery at a shoe store in Massachusetts.
- Judge referred to them as "those Anarchist bastards" after convicted.
- A lawyer described judge as "narrow minded... unintelligent... full of prejudice."
- After 6 years of legal appeals, the were eventually executed in 1927.
- Resulted in a storm of protest from around the world.
- Shows how USA moved away from open- society of pre-1914.
- Resulted in a storm of protest from around the world.
- Long- running & notorious case.
- The Red Scare
- Fear of Communism (following the Russian Revolution of 1917).
- America hit with wave of strikes & riots.
- Main cause was economic hardship after men were laid off when wartime production requirements fell.
- However, USA saw these disturbances as the work of Communism & Anarchism.
- Feared recent immigrants brought similar radical ideas to the USA.
- Many immigrants DID hold radical political beliefs.
- Anarchists would call for an overthrow of government and would distribute pamphlets in cities.
- Many immigrants DID hold radical political beliefs.
- Feared recent immigrants brought similar radical ideas to the USA.
- In 1919 & throughout the '20s, many bombs were planted and exploded- the work of Communists/ Anarchists.
- The government reaction was quick & harsh.
- A young clerk called J. Edgar Hoover was appointed, & he built up files on 60,000 suspects of the bombing which almost killed Mitchall Palmer.
- From 1919-1920, around 10,000 individuals were informed that they were to be deported.
- It later emerged that only 556 out of the thousands of cases brought about by Hoover had any basis in fact.
- From 1919-1920, around 10,000 individuals were informed that they were to be deported.
- A young clerk called J. Edgar Hoover was appointed, & he built up files on 60,000 suspects of the bombing which almost killed Mitchall Palmer.
- The government reaction was quick & harsh.
- African Americans
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