Aftermath of WWI

Unstable EconomyReturning soldiers expected jobsNeed for goods lessened after the warUnions fought to preserve wartime gainsStrikes throughout the nation were meet with

hostility By 1920 the USA faced severe economic

depression

African-AmericansService in the armed forces did little to change

attitudes of whites at homeService did give blacks a voice and increased

their determination to fight for rights

Great MigrationDuring the war Northern industrial towns were

in need of laborMany African American families moved north in

search of jobsNations demographics drastically changed1919 produced numerous race riots throughout

the nation (Red Summer)

The Red Scare1917 Russian Revolution produces a communist

governmentComintern announced plans to continue the

revolution throughout the worldAmerica feared a radical revolution at home Jan. 1, 1920 Attorney General Mitchell Palmer

arrested over 6000 in communist raidsFear soon subsided but anti-immigrant feelings

strengthened

Election of 1920Wilson was too sick to run for re-electionDemocrat James Cox ran hoping to continue

Wilson’s ideasRepublican Warren Harding opposed

internationalism and promised a return to isolationism – ‘return to normalcy’

Harding won with the largest popular vote margin in 100 years

IsolationismAmerica attempted to reduce immigration

Literacy tests Quotas

America imposed high tariffs on foreign goods Created a boom for American businesses Isolated America economically

New TechnologiesRadio

Westinghouse started commercial broadcast radio shows in 1920Shows gave people an idea of different livesSpurred growth of advertising

Automobile Ford’s assembly lines made cars more affordable

for many familiesRemoved limitations for peopleSpurred growth of other businesses

New Attitudes120,000 Americans died in WWI and over

200,000 woundedWilson had imposed severe restrictions on

many Americans during the warAfter the war many Americans wanted to forget

about the war and its costs

18th AmendmentThough prohibition had been largely ignored in

presidential campaigns it was crucial to congressional races

1919 Dries outnumbered Wets in Congress by a 3:1 margin

Congress proposed an amendment and was ratified by 36 of the 48 states thus becoming law

The Roaring TwentiesProhibition

Religious/Political DebateDries – Most Protestants (Methodists, Baptists,

Presbyterian, etc.)Wets – Catholics, Lutherans, Episcopalians

Dries believed saloons led to political corruption and that drinking was a sin

Wets believed the government should not legislate morality

EnforcementThough support for the amendment was

widespread enforcement became a problemA total of 1500 agents were placed in charge of

enforcement throughout AmericaLed to the growth of speakeasies and

bootlegging

By the Numbers1919 Cleveland had 1200 legal bars1923 Cleveland had approximately 3000 illegal

speakeasiesAn estimated 30,000 residents sold liquor of

some sort during Prohibition

Corruption/GangstersAl Capone – Chicago gangster made over $60

million in 1927, reportedly had ½ of the city’s police on his payroll