Changes in Society (T1) Flashcards
What was the idea of eugenics?
Promoted the inequality of races and believed that too many inferior peoples would threaten the superior white population.
What Immigration Law did Congress pass in 1921?
Emergency Immigration Law.
What did the Emergency Immigration Law (1921) do?
Imposed an annual ceiling on immigration from any European country, limiting it to 3%.
Who did the Emergency Immigration Law favour?
It favoured white Protestants whose descendants were more likely to have moved to the USA before 1911.
What was introduced in 1924?
The Johnson-Reed Immigration Act
What did the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act (1924) do?
Banned any immigration from Japan, other Asian groups having being barred earlier.
What ceiling did the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act (1924) set?
Set an absolute ceiling of immigration of 150,000 per year.
Who did the ceiling in the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act (1924) not apply to?
Mexicans, whom Californian farmers traditionally used as a supply of cheap labour at harvest time.
How much had food prices increased from in 1920?
Doubled since 1913
How many workers went on strike during 1914?
4 million, 1 in five of the labour force
What did people believe about these workers going on strike?
Many believed that strikers were led by communists who sough revolution in the USA.
What caused fears to grow?
- When a general strike bought the city of Seattle to a halt.
- Police in Boston were striking
Who were most likely to be identified with communism?
Immigrants from Eastern and Souther Europe.
When was the Red Scare?
In the period following WW1 and in the wake of the Russian Revolution.
What was the Red Scare?
Led to 6,000 arrests in early 1920, also known as the Palmer Raids.
Who was behind the name of the Palmer Raids?
Named after US Attorney General, Mitchell Palmer.
Who was Mitchell Palmer?
Palmer had become very popular for his exposure of ‘communist activity’ in the USA.
What was the downside to the Palmer Raids?
Most of those detained had to be released within a few days due to a complete lack of evidence against them.
How did the Red Scare die out?
- Palmer announced there was to be a huge communist demonstration in New York on 20 May 1920.
- When this didn’t happen he looked ridiculous and the Red Scare died away.
Who was Sacco and Vanzetti?
Italian immigrants, neither could speak English well.
What were Sacco and Vanzetti accused of?
- Accused of carrying out an armed robbery near Boston in May 1920, they were found to be carrying guns.
- Also claimed to be anarchists.
What was the case of Sacco and Vanzetti?
There was little concrete evidence against them, however, they were found guilty and executed in 1927.
What was the Ku Klux Klan?
An organisation that promoted white supremacy.
How influential was the Ku Klux Klan?
- Gained considerable support in the Mid-West as well as in the South.
How many supporters did the Ku Klux Klan have by 1921?
100,000
Who were the Klan opposed to?
- Black Americans, Jews, Catholics and foreigners.
- It attacked ideas it found threatening such as evolution.
How did the Klan become so influential to Americans?
It gave Americans a sense of importance, belonging and power.
How did the Klan collapse as a mass organisation?
Increasing evidence of corruption and exploitation.
What was the corruption the leaders participated in?
- Were professional fundraisers who controlled all the merchandising members were forced to buy.
- By the late 1920s members began to realise they were being exploited.
What was the problem with leaders in the KKK?
- One leader, David Stevenson, was convicted of second-degree murder after a woman whom he raped committed suicide.
- His wickedness helped kill off large-scale support of the Klan.
How did financial mismanagement impact the Klan?
By 1929 its membership had fallen to 200,000 and it gradually fell from prominence naturally.
What were concerns about immorality?
There was widespread distrust of cinema, jazz music and its associated dances.
What were the names of women who showed more freedom?
Women who wore short skirts, smoked in public and frequented ‘speakeasies’ were called ‘flappers’
How were ‘flappers’ regarded by more conservative people?
Generally regarded as shameless.
