Cultural Conflicts 13.3 Bootleggers, Preachers, and the Klan in the 1920’s

Cultural Conflicts13.3

Bootleggers, Preachers, and the Klan in the 1920’s

Prohibition

• Outlawed the manufacture, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors.

• People still wanted liquor

Bootleggers

• Anyone that could move booze could get rich.

• Bootleggers modified their cars to be faster than the police.

• Many would get together and race

• This tradition of racing modified “stock” factory cars became….

Rum Runners

• Captain William S. McCoy

• aka "The Real McCoy"

• Trafficked illegal liquor from Canada and the Caribbean up and down the U.S. Coastline

“Spider Murphy played the tenor saxophone,

Little Joe was blowin on the slide trombone,

The drummer boy from Illinois went crash, boom, bang,

The whole rhythm section was the Purple Gang,

Lets rock, everybody, lets rock,

Everybody in the whole cell block

Was dancin’ to the jailhouse rock.”

The Purple Gang Detroit Michigan

You don’t steal from the Purple Gang…

Speakeasies• Clubs that served alcohol illegally.• These were the “hot spots” of the day.

Organized Crime

• Since booze was illegal..– Controlled by criminals– Made criminals rich

and powerful

• Led to other activities– Prostitution, gambling,

racketeering

Prohibition leads to the rise of

Organized Crime

Al Capone

• Young• Ruthless (murdered

his way to the top)• Bought Policemen,

Judges, Congressman

• $60 million dollar a year organization ($850 million today)

Capone cont.

• Bought judges; was never convicted

• Finally convicted on tax evasion charges

Fundamentalism

• Reaction to “New Morality”

• Literal interpretation of the Bible.

• Continues to grow in strength.

• Passed Anti-Evolution Legislation

Reverend Billy Sunday

Scopes Trial

• Teacher challenges Anti-Evolution laws

• Free Speech vs. Fundamentalism

• Trial becomes HUGE.

Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiW0GOOyvro

Fundamentalists win the trial, but lose credibility because they appear backward

1919 Race Riots

• Tension over jobs and housing

• Tensions between urban whites and blacks led to the “Red Summer”

• Blacks always suffered the harsher ends of punishment

Revival of the Klan

• Spread to the North• 4 Million Members• Biggest state was Indiana• Had several marches on

Washington DC• Targeted Blacks, Jews

Catholics and Immigrants

Rise of the NAACP• Failed Anti-Lynching Legislation• Tried fighting discrimination through the courts

The Garvey Movement

• Marcus Garvey• Jamaican Immigrant• Businessman• Promoted black pride,

separation of the races, and a return to Africa

• Created the largest Pan-African Movement in History

• Controversial figure within the Black Community

• Met with Klan Leaders

• Movement failed, but inspired others