Changes in Society (T1)

Question 1

What was the idea of eugenics?

Answer 1

Promoted the inequality of races and believed that too many inferior peoples would threaten the superior white population.

Question 2

What Immigration Law did Congress pass in 1921?

Answer 2

Emergency Immigration Law.

Question 3

What did the Emergency Immigration Law (1921) do?

Answer 3

Imposed an annual ceiling on immigration from any European country, limiting it to 3%.

Question 4

Who did the Emergency Immigration Law favour?

Answer 4

It favoured white Protestants whose descendants were more likely to have moved to the USA before 1911.

Question 5

What was introduced in 1924?

Answer 5

The Johnson-Reed Immigration Act

Question 6

What did the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act (1924) do?

Answer 6

Banned any immigration from Japan, other Asian groups having being barred earlier.

Question 7

What ceiling did the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act (1924) set?

Answer 7

Set an absolute ceiling of immigration of 150,000 per year.

Question 8

Who did the ceiling in the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act (1924) not apply to?

Answer 8

Mexicans, whom Californian farmers traditionally used as a supply of cheap labour at harvest time.

Question 9

How much had food prices increased from in 1920?

Answer 9

Doubled since 1913

Question 10

How many workers went on strike during 1914?

Answer 10

4 million, 1 in five of the labour force

Question 11

What did people believe about these workers going on strike?

Answer 11

Many believed that strikers were led by communists who sough revolution in the USA.

Question 12

What caused fears to grow?

Answer 12

• When a general strike bought the city of Seattle to a halt.
• Police in Boston were striking

Question 13

Who were most likely to be identified with communism?

Answer 13

Immigrants from Eastern and Souther Europe.

Question 14

When was the Red Scare?

Answer 14

In the period following WW1 and in the wake of the Russian Revolution.

Question 15

What was the Red Scare?

Answer 15

Led to 6,000 arrests in early 1920, also known as the Palmer Raids.

Question 16

Who was behind the name of the Palmer Raids?

Answer 16

Named after US Attorney General, Mitchell Palmer.

Question 17

Who was Mitchell Palmer?

Answer 17

Palmer had become very popular for his exposure of ‘communist activity’ in the USA.

Question 18

What was the downside to the Palmer Raids?

Answer 18

Most of those detained had to be released within a few days due to a complete lack of evidence against them.

Question 19

How did the Red Scare die out?

Answer 19

• 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.

Question 20

Who was Sacco and Vanzetti?

Answer 20

Italian immigrants, neither could speak English well.

Question 21

What were Sacco and Vanzetti accused of?

Answer 21

• Accused of carrying out an armed robbery near Boston in May 1920, they were found to be carrying guns.
• Also claimed to be anarchists.

Question 22

What was the case of Sacco and Vanzetti?

Answer 22

There was little concrete evidence against them, however, they were found guilty and executed in 1927.

Question 23

What was the Ku Klux Klan?

Answer 23

An organisation that promoted white supremacy.

Question 24

How influential was the Ku Klux Klan?

Answer 24

• Gained considerable support in the Mid-West as well as in the South.

Question 25

How many supporters did the Ku Klux Klan have by 1921?

Answer 25

100,000

Question 26

Who were the Klan opposed to?

Answer 26

• Black Americans, Jews, Catholics and foreigners.
• It attacked ideas it found threatening such as evolution.

Question 27

How did the Klan become so influential to Americans?

Answer 27

It gave Americans a sense of importance, belonging and power.

Question 28

How did the Klan collapse as a mass organisation?

Answer 28

Increasing evidence of corruption and exploitation.

Question 29

What was the corruption the leaders participated in?

Answer 29

• 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.

Question 30

What was the problem with leaders in the KKK?

Answer 30

• 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.

Question 31

How did financial mismanagement impact the Klan?

Answer 31

By 1929 its membership had fallen to 200,000 and it gradually fell from prominence naturally.

Question 32

What were concerns about immorality?

Answer 32

There was widespread distrust of cinema, jazz music and its associated dances.

Question 33

What were the names of women who showed more freedom?

Answer 33

Women who wore short skirts, smoked in public and frequented ‘speakeasies’ were called ‘flappers’

Question 34

How were ‘flappers’ regarded by more conservative people?

Answer 34

Generally regarded as shameless.