The Roaring Twenties: First Red Scare

• The "Roaring Twenties" was a period in the US marked by social, economic, and cultural changes

First Red Scare (1919-1920s)

• The First Red Scare was characterized by intense fear of communism infiltrating and changing US society.
• The Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, led by Vladimir Lenin, established a communist government in Russia.
• Post-war strikes in 1919, involving workers seeking better pay and conditions, were attributed to radical motivations.
• Race riots occurred in northern cities between 1917 and 1920 due to changing demographics and competition for resources.
• Major bombings in 1919-1920 heightened fears of a communist revolution.
• Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer led the "Palmer Raids" in 1920, targeting suspected radicals, resulting in thousands of arrests and deportations.

Immigration Restrictions

• The Palmer Raids fueled nativist sentiment against "new immigrants".
• The Quota Act of 1921 limited immigration based on 3% of a country's existing population in the US as of 1910.
• The National Quota Act of 1924 further restricted immigration to 2% of a country's population in the US as of 1890.
• The Act of 1924 aimed to limit "new immigrants".
• Asian immigration was severely restricted; Japanese immigration was prohibited.
• Immigration from North America (Mexico) remained unrestricted.
• Overall immigration to the US significantly decreased over the next 40 years.

Sacco and Vanzetti Case

• Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, Italian immigrants and anarchists
• In 1920-1921, both men were convicted of robbery and murder.
• Despite appeals highlighting nativist bias, they were executed in 1927.
• The case highlighted heightened nativist sentiment and tensions in the 1920s.

Resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan

• The Ku Klux Klan resurged in the 1920s, fueled by nativism.
• The KKK expanded its targets beyond blacks to include immigrants, Catholics, and radicals.
• The KKK promoted white Anglo-Saxon culture.
• The pro-KKK film "Birth of a Nation" (1915) inspired the KKK's resurgence.
• By 1925, the KKK had over 5 million members, primarily Protestants from small cities and towns, and held significant political influence until 1929.

Rise of the "Mass Consumption Economy"

• By 1920, there were more urban than rural dwellers.
• The 1920s saw strong economic prosperity and stock market growth.
• Many bought stock shares "on margin".
• Stockbrokers and investors borrowed heavily for speculation.
• Availability of electricity drove demand for new consumer goods like appliances, cosmetics, and radios.
• Buying goods "on credit" became popular, leading to debt for many.
• The advertising industry matured and manipulated consumer demand.

Scientific Management and the Assembly Line

• Frederick W. Taylor's "The Principles of Scientific Management" (1911) advocated streamlining production for increased productivity.
• Henry Ford implemented the assembly line in 1913, reducing production costs and making the "Model T" affordable.
• Automobiles became integral to American culture and the economy and symbolized independence for women.
• The assembly line led to growth in steel, rubber, gas, glass, and road construction.
• Charles Lindbergh's solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927 made him an instant celebrity due to radio coverage.

Mass Media: Radio, Movies, and Celebrity Culture

• The first radio broadcast in November 1920 announced Warren G. Harding's election victory.
• Radio fostered shared experiences through news, ads, and music.
• Radio ownership increased from 20,000 households in 1920 to 13.7 million in 1930.
• The movie industry rose in Los Angeles (Hollywood) in the 1920s.
• "The Jazz Singer" (1927) was the first movie with sound ("talkie").
• Movie attendance soared.
• Radio and movies created the modern "celebrity culture".
• Babe Ruth became a national baseball celebrity for his homerun power.

Changing Social Customs

• Young people, especially women, challenged social customs.
• "Flappers" challenged traditional values with make-up, cars, jazz, and drinking.
• Labor-saving devices and automobiles gave women more free time.
• Margaret Sanger advocated for birth control, founding what became "Planned Parenthood".

Traditional vs. Modern Values

• Conflicts arose between traditional rural values and modern urban values.
• The Fundamentalist movement emphasized the literal truth of the Bible.
• Radio preachers like Billy Sunday spoke against vices.
• The Scopes "Monkey" Trial (1925) in Tennessee, about teaching evolution, highlighted tensions between modern and traditional religious views.
• William J. Bryan led the prosecution, while Clarence Darrow defended John Scopes.

Prohibition

• The 18th Amendment (1919) outlawed alcohol, starting Prohibition in 1920.
• The Volstead Act enforced the 18th Amendment.
• There was strong opposition to Prohibition, especially in cities.
• "Bootleg" liquor was served in "speakeasies".
• Organized crime rose in major cities which brought in illegal liquor.
• Al Capone controlled the Chicago liquor market.
• Prohibition was considered a failed "noble experiment", and was overturned by the 21st Amendment in 1933.

Harlem Renaissance and the "Lost Generation"

• The "Great Migration" of blacks to northern cities continued.
• Jazz music moved north from New Orleans and became popular.
• Harlem became the cultural center for blacks during the "Harlem Renaissance".
• A black racial pride emerged, characterized by the idea of a "New Negro".
• Marcus Garvey founded the United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), promoting black pride and separatism.
• Middle-class blacks and artists rejected Garvey's segregationist message.
• The "Lost Generation" of American expatriate writers criticized aspects of the 1920s.
• Writers like Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald criticized small-town values, religious views, materialism, and war.

The Roaring Twenties saw the First Red Scare, marked by fears of communism. Factors included the Bolshevik Revolution, post-war strikes, and bombings. Attorney General Palmer led raids targeting suspected radicals, leading to arrests and deportations.