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A Backlash Against the Roaring 20’s

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.

mohammad-wilder
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A Backlash Against the Roaring 20’s

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  1. A Backlash Against the Roaring 20’s

  2. 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…

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. Speakeasies • Other people pretended to comply with Prohibition, but would sneak liquor into their homes or got to “speakeasies.” • “Underground” bars

  6. 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.

  7. 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!

  8. The Effects of Prohibition • Prohibition had hoped to wipeout crime, but instead, it created “new” crimes. • Bribing police, corruption of government officials, etc.

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  11. Control on Beliefs • A new religious movement also grew out of the backlash against the 1920’s changes. • This is called fundamentalism.

  12. 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.”

  13. 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.

  14. 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

  15. Rhea County High School, Dayton TN

  16. 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.

  17. 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.

  18. 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.

  19. 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.

  20. 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)

  21. 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.

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