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A Backlash Against the Roaring 20’s. America…a changing place?. The changes of the 1920’s were liberating and exciting for some people, but other Americans were quite concerned with what they saw as the nation’s “moral and intellectual” decay. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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America…a changing place? The changes of the 1920’s were liberating
and exciting for some people, but other Americans were quite concerned with what they saw as the nation’s “moral and intellectual” decay.
This inspired a big push towards putting controls back on to Americans…
Prohibition Prohibition in practice was NOT working.
It proved impossible to enforce: state and federal agencies were understaffed and underpaid.
Some Americans enjoyed openly defying Prohibition.
Alcohol could be sold with a doctor’s prescription.
Finding a way around Prohibition Alcohol was made
in homes (dangerous)!
And “Near Beer” was legal.½ beer, but you had
to make 100% beer and then dilute it down.
Speakeasies Other people pretended to comply with
Prohibition, but would sneak liquor into their homes or got to “speakeasies.”“Underground” bars
Bootlegging Obtaining alcohol from other
places Importation of alcohol from
Canada and the West Indies
It was extremely profitable and organized crime gangs fought to control bootlegging markets.
Organized Crime Prohibition increased
the power of organized crime--gangsters.
The most famous gangster of the 20’s was Al Capone of Chicago.Ruled for 6 years
and made millions!
The Effects of Prohibition Prohibition had
hoped to wipeout crime, but instead, it created “new” crimes.Bribing police,
corruption of government officials, etc.
Morality in the Movies In the 1920’s, filmmakers had wanted to
draw more people into the theatre, so they put more sex and sexuality into their films.As some negative public
response began to surface, filmmakers decided to censor themselves with a production code that limited the amount of sex, bare skin, violence, and crime.
Morality on the Dance Floor To discourage close dancing, “respectable”
dance halls began implementing new rules.Couples had to remain 6 inches apart.Dance halls would no long sponsor “moonlight
dances” (dances where the lights were turned down low).
Soon city and state governments across the country had passed over 300 laws controlling dancing.
Control on Beliefs
A new religious movement also grew out of the backlash against the 1920’s changes.This is called
fundamentalism.
Fundamentalism This was a religious movement that grew in
response to the increased importance of science in society, the changing roles of women, and the changing religious ideas affecting the nation.Fundamentalists wanted a return to America’s
“traditional ways.”
Fundamentalists Attack Evolution Fundamentalists across the country began
to pass laws that outlawed the teaching of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution in Public Schools.The argument was that the Theory of Evolution
contradicted the biblical account of the world’s creation.
Some Americans felt that these laws violated the Constitution.
The Scopes Trial The best example of the
clash with fundamentalism was the Scopes Trial in Dayton, Tennessee in 1925.
John Scopes, a teacher in Dayton, was arrested for teaching evolution
The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) took on the task of defending Scopes with famous attorney Clarence Darrow.
The prosecution hired former Presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan.
The Entertainment of the Trial Due to the radio, the trail became a
national sensation. People all across the country listened to the
courtroom proceedings and many made the trip to Dayton to hang out in town while the trial went on.
The Verdict
Scopes was found guilty of violating the law and fined $100.The TN Supreme Court threw out the fine.
Eventually, though, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that similar laws are unconstitutional—they promote a certain religious view.
The Evolution debate continues today.
The Revival of the KKK
In 1920, the KKK launched a massive recruitment campaign.By October 1921, it had 85,000 NEW recruits.At its height, the Klan claimed to have between
3-5 million members. The Klan control extended across the
country—no longer just a southern institution.
Victims of the Klan The KKK was NOT limited to just African
American discrimination. It attacked all non-European Protestant
groups.Anti-Catholic, anti-Jew, anti-immigrant, anti-
communist, anti-internationalist, anti-evolutionist, anti-bootlegger, anti-gambling, anti-adultery, anti-birth control
Pro-WASP (White Anglo Saxon Protestant)
Decreasing Popularity of the KKK The demise of the KKK came in 1925
when Indiana Klan leader, David Stephenson went to jail for 2nd degree murder of a woman he kidnapped and brutally killed.Stephenson claimed, “I am the law in
Indiana.” The Klan’s popularity decreased, but it
remained very much alive and would again resurge throughout the mid to late decades of the 20th century.