Lesson 4: Division and Inequality Flashcards
Anarchist Definition
person who opposes organized government
Company Union Definition
a labor organization limited to a single company that is controlled by management
Deport Definition
to forcibly remove from a country
Great Migration Definition
the movement of millions of African Americans from the South to the North during the early to mid-1900s
Nativism Definition
the belief that native-born citizens’ interests should be protected, usually involving hostility toward foreigners and immigration
Quota System Definition
a system that limits the number of certain kinds of people admitted to an institution or country; beginning in the 1920s, a system that allowed only a certain number of people from each country to immigrate to the United States
Sabotage Definition
the secret destruction of property or interference with production
How did many Americans and industries suffer due to the Culture of the Roaring Twenties?
Many Americans did not share in the boom of the 1920s. Workers in the clothing industry, for example, were hurt by changes in women’s fashions. Shorter skirts meant that less cloth was needed to make dresses. Coal miners also faced hard times as oil replaced coal as a source of energy. Railroads slashed jobs because trains were losing business to cars and trucks.
How and why did farmers suffer after World War I? What happened to their share in the national income by the end of the 1920s?
Farmers were hit the hardest. During World War I, Europeans had bought American farm products, sending prices up. Farmers borrowed money to buy more land and tractors. They planned to pay off these loans with profits from increased production. When the war ended, however, European farmers were again able to produce enough for their own needs. As a result, prices for American farm products dropped sharply throughout the 1920s. Farmers were unable to pay their debts. By the end of the decade, the farmers’ share of national income had shrunk by almost half.
What did Labor Union leaders expect of the government after WWI?
For labor unions, too, the 1920s were a disaster. During the war, unions had worked with the government to keep production high. Labor’s cooperation contributed to victory. In return, union leaders expected the government to support labor.
After the end of WWI, why were labor unions asking for higher pay? How did management crush the strikes? How was the lack of government intervention viewed by the workers? How did this enable management to gain power?
During the war, wages had not kept up with prices. Now, with the war over, workers demanded higher pay. When employers refused, unions launched a wave of strikes. Management moved quickly to crush the strikes. Because the government did not step in to help them, workers felt betrayed and management gained power.
How did strikes by labor unions after WWI turn public opinion against labor? How about the strike in Boston in 1919, concerning police officers?
The strikes turned much of the public against labor. One strike in particular angered many Americans. In 1919, the city of Boston fired 19 police officers who had tried to join the American Federation of Labor (AFL). Boston police struck in protest. The sight of police leaving their posts shocked the country.
How did the later 1920s set even more setbacks on labor? What were judges ruling? What were company unions? How did they affect membership in independent unions?
The later 1920s saw even more setbacks for labor. In one court case after another, judges limited the rights of unions. At the same time, employers created company unions, labor organizations that were actually controlled by management. As a result, membership in independent unions dropped from 5 million in 1920 to 3.4 million by 1929. Without strong unions, labor had little power to win higher wages.
Remember: In the 1920s, cities drew thousands of people from farms and small towns. Those who stayed in rural areas often feared that new ways of life in the city were a threat to traditional values. Changes abroad also spurred nationwide worries about people with differing political views.
In the 1920s, cities drew thousands of people from farms and small towns. Those who stayed in rural areas often feared that new ways of life in the city were a threat to traditional values. Changes abroad also spurred nationwide worries about people with differing political views.
How was the conflict in Dayton, Tennessee an example of a clash between old and new values during the 1920s? What was the conflict? In 1925, what did John Scopes do that led to his eventual arrest and trial? (Beginning of Scopes Trial)
One clash between old and new values erupted in the small town of Dayton, Tennessee. At the center of the controversy was Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Darwin, a British scientist, had claimed that all life had evolved, or developed, from simpler forms over a long period of time. While biologists accepted Darwin’s theory, some churches condemned it, saying it contradicted the teachings of the Bible. Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas passed laws that banned the teaching of Darwin’s theory. In 1925, John Scopes, a biology teacher in Dayton, taught evolution to his class. Scopes was arrested and tried.
How did the Scopes Trial play out? Who were William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow, and what roles did they play in the trial? What was the trial’s conclusion?
Two of the nation’s best-known figures opposed each other in the Scopes trial. William Jennings Bryan, who had run for President three times, argued the state’s case against Scopes. Clarence Darrow, a Chicago lawyer who had helped unions and radicals, defended Scopes. As the trial began, the nation’s attention was riveted on Dayton. Reporters recorded every word of the battle between Darrow and Bryan. “Scopes isn’t on trial,” Darrow thundered at one point, “civilization is on trial.” In the end, Scopes was convicted and fined. The laws against teaching evolution were defeated, or overruled, in later years.
How did wartime worries of Americans influence their perception of foreigners? Due to the rise of communism, what did Americans view labor Union strikes as?
During World War I, Americans had been on the alert for enemy spies and sabotage, or the secret destruction of property or interference with work in factories. These wartime worries led to a growing fear of foreigners. The rise of communism in the Soviet Union fanned that fear. Lenin, the communist leader, called on workers everywhere to overthrow their governments. Many Americans saw the strikes that swept the nation as the start of a communist revolution.
How did the actions of anarchists add to the sense of danger? Who did one group of anarchists plot to kill? Due to the fact that anarchists were typically foreigners, what actions did the Government take against these “reds”? What happened during the Red Scare?
The actions of anarchists, or people who oppose organized government, added to the sense of danger. One group of anarchists plotted to kill well-known Americans, including John D. Rockefeller, the head of Standard Oil. Because many anarchists were foreign-born, their attacks led to an outcry against all foreigners. The government took harsh actions against both anarchists and Communists, or “reds.” During the red scare, thousands of radicals were arrested and jailed. Many foreigners were deported, or expelled from the country.
How did the trial of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti symbolize the anti-foreign feeling of the 1920s? What were they convicted of? What did they admit? What was the conclusion of the trial?
The trial of two Italian immigrants in Massachusetts came to symbolize the antiforeign feeling of the 1920s. Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were arrested for robbery and murder in 1920. The two men admitted being anarchists but insisted they had committed no crime. A jury convicted them, however. Sacco and Vanzetti were then sentenced to death.
What controversy did the Sacco and Vanzetti trial create? What were the two sides? After six years of trying to overturn their convictions, what happened to Sacco and Vanzetti in 1927?
The Sacco and Vanzetti trial created a furor across the nation. The evidence against the two men was limited. The judge was openly prejudiced against the two immigrants. Many Americans thought that Sacco and Vanzetti were convicted, not because they were guilty, but because they were immigrants and radicals. The two men waited in jail during a six-year fight to overturn their convictions. Their appeals were turned down. In 1927, they were executed.
What did some Americans believe the Sacco and Vanzetti trial proved about the American Government?
The issue of whether Sacco and Vanzetti received a fair trial has been debated ever since. In the meantime, some Americans felt the case proved that the United States had to keep out dangerous radicals.
Remember: In the end, the Red Scare died down. Yet, hostility toward foreigners led to a new move to limit immigration. As you recall, this kind of antiforeign feeling is known as nativism.
In the end, the Red Scare died down. Yet, hostility toward foreigners led to a new move to limit immigration. As you recall, this kind of antiforeign feeling is known as nativism.
After World War I, why did many Europeans immigrate to America? What worries did this cause? As a result, what was the Emergency Quota Act of 1921? What did it state and set up? What was a quota system?
After the war, millions of Europeans hoped to find a better life in the United States. American workers feared that too many newcomers would force wages down. Others worried that communists and anarchists would flood in. Congress responded by passing the Emergency Quota Act in 1921. The act set up a quota system that allowed only a certain number of people from each country to enter the United States. Only 3 percent of the people in any national group already living in the United States in 1910 could be admitted.
Which countries did the quota system, set up by the Emergency Quota Act of 1921, favor? In 1924, what other actions were taken to limit immigration?
The quota system favored immigrants from northern Europe, especially Britain. In 1924, Congress passed new laws that further cut immigration, especially from eastern Europe, which was seen as a center of anarchism and communism. In addition, Japanese were added to the list of Asians denied entry to the country.
