America 1.3 Divided Society Flashcards
Why was Prohibition introduced? (AM 1.3)
- Alcohol was seen as immoral.
- Religion opposed alcohol.
- Rural people blamed alcohol for violence and crime in cities.
- Patriotism; most beer on sale was German-imported or made by German immigrants.
Why was Prohibition difficult to enforce? (AM 1.3)
- 18,600 miles of coast and border to monitor for bootlegging (smuggling).
- Millions willing to continue drinking.
- Easy to get alcohol from criminal gangs, moonshine, speakeasies.
- Gangs avoided arrest/prosecution through bribes.
What else did gangs do? How much did Al Capone make from racketeering, and per week? (AM 1.3)
- Fixing horse/dog races, running brothels and racketeering.
- 10m/year from racketeering, 2m/week at his peak.
How was it clear Prohibition was failing? What reasons were there for it being repealed? (AM 1.3)
- By 1933, 200,000 speakeasies in the USA. In NY, more speakeasies than bars. Rise of gangs, crime and corruption.
- AAPA argued Prohibition was causing people to lose respect for the law. Alcohol would create jobs and could be taxed by government.
When was Prohibition repealed? (AM 1.3)
Early 1933, by Roosevelt.
What were issues immigrants had faced in Europe? (AM 1.3)
- Persecution for religious, political beliefs.
- Overcrowded and expensive land.
- Poverty.
- Class division.
Why did immigrants move to America? (AM 1.3)
- Everyone had opportunity, ‘American Dream’.
- Plenty of jobs in steel, coal, textiles, car, electrics and chemical industries.
- Cheap and fertile land, rich in resources.
- Higher wages and living standard.
What impact did immigration have on America? (AM 1.3)
- Large ethnic communities developed.
- They were resented, typically poor English and little money.
- Many Jewish or Catholic in a protestant country.
- WW1 added suspicion of foreigners. Russian Revolution of 1917 added to this.
What was the experience of an immigrant? (AM 1.3)
- Some achieved success, most were very poor and had a hard life.
- Poor education, low wages, prejudice.
- Some felt immigrants ‘stole jobs’.
What did the Literacy Act, Immigration Quota Law, and National Origins Act do? (AM 1.3)
- 1917 Literacy Act, banned entry to over 16s who couldn’t read a 40 word sentence.
- 1921 Immigration Quota Law, allowed only 350,000 immigrants entry per year.
- 1924 National Origins Act, allowed only 150,00 immigrants entry per year.
Who passed the Jim Crow laws? What did they do? Who supported this? (AM 1.3)
- White politicians.
- Kept African-Americans segregated, stopped them from voting and, in some states, banned mixed race marriage. -White judges, police and sheriffs supported them.
What happened to African-Americans who travelled north? (AM 1.3)
- Last to be hired, first to be fired.
- Worst housing in the poorest areas.
- Discriminated against in jobs and wages.
- Race riots, e.g. 1919 riot after a black youth accidentally entered a white beach in Chicago.
Who gathered in Harlem, NY, and what attracted white people there? Who entered politics and set up the NAACP, and when? (AM 1.3)
- African-American poets, writers, artists and musicians.
- Nightclubs and jazz bars.
- WEB Du Bois, 1910.
What 1915 film sparked a KKK revival? Who were their members, and who did they target? (AM 1.3)
- The Birth Of A Nation.
- Poor white people, from the south and west.
- Anyone not white and protestant.
What attracted people to the Klan? What were their methods? (AM 1.3)
- The secrecy, coded language, costumes and strange rituals.
- Whipping, acid branding, kidnapping, castration, lynching.
