The 1920S

POSTWAR SOCIETY

CHANGE AND ADJUSTMENT IN THE 1920s

IMMIGRATION RESTRICTION

n Influenced by racism and pseudo-science

n New immigration quota laws in 1921 and 1924

n Favored immigration from northern and western Europe

n Allowed unrestricted immigration from Western Hemisphere

THE NEW WOMAN AND THE NEW MORALITY

n A revolution in manners and morals

n Freud’s theories led to new discussions of sex

n Books, movies, magazines, advertising sold sex

n New views of marriage saw rise in divorce rates

THE NEW WOMAN

n Suffrage was only the beginning

n Numbers of women working increased

n Alice Paul and Woman’s Party called for Equal Rights Amendment in 1923

n (Congress proposed it in 1973

n Ratification failed

FUNDAMENTALISM

n Stressed fundamental principles of Christianity

n Fought against teaching of evolution in public schools

n Scopes Trial in Tennessee

n John Scopes tried for violating law

n Defended by Clarence Darrow

n Prosecuted by W.J. Bryan

n “The Monkey Trial” a national event

PROHIBITION

n 18th Amendment ratified in 1919

n Problems with enforcement

n Illegal stills and rum-running made many fortunes (Al Capone)

n Consumption of alcohol did decline

n Number of gang killings increased

n Republicans supported enforcement

THE KU KLUX KLAN

n Revitalized after race riots of 1919

n Devoted to “100% Americanism”

n Had political success in Indiana, Oregon, Oklahoma, and other states

n Corruption led to decline in mid-1920s

SACCO AND VANZETTI

n The Trial of the Century

n Arrested for robbery and murder

n Main crime seemed to be their political beliefs (anarchism)

n Tried and convicted in Massachusetts

n Executed in 1927 despite worldwide protests

THE “NEW NEGRO”

n Veterans of the Great War

n Sought equal justice and civil rights

n Marcus Garvey promoted black nationalism

n The Harlem Renaissance in North

n A rediscovery of black history and culture

n And the African heritage

THE “LOST GENERATION” IN AMERICAN LITERATURE

n Disgusted with United States; many writers fled to Paris

n Ezra Pound

n T.S. Eliot

n Gertrude Stein

n F. Scott Fitzgerald

n Ernest Hemingway

n Sinclair Lewis