Jazz Age Flashcards
(126 cards)
Radical Political Philosophy
Advocated for drastic revolutionary changes in society and in the government. Communists, Anarchists, and Socialists.
Conservative Political Philosophy
Advocated for preserving the existing form of government, and not changing. Tends to be pro-business.
Reactionary Political Philosophy
Advocated for moving society back to a past society, groups like the KKK.
Liberal Political Philosophy
Advocated for changes in society’s institutions to reflect the changes in society.
Red Scare
Fear of radicalism, led to strikes, bombings, street violence, and government investigation of suspected radicals. Two communists parties formed during this period (totaling 70,000 people), and anti-German hatred transferred to immigrants.
Seattle General Strike
Happened in January 1919, the most famous U.S. strike. 35,000 shipyard workers went on strike after being denied pay raises to counter inflation. Conservatives feared a labor takeover similar to Europe, and the Seattle mayor called the strikers the anarchy of Russia, asking federal troops to shut it down, then bragged about stopping a Bolshevik uprising.
Boston Police Strike
Happened in 1919, over 70% of Boston’s 1500 police officers went on strike, demanding better pay and the right to unionize. Governor Calvin Coolidge called the National Guard to respond, saying nobody had the right to strike against public safety. This resulted in 37 other cities having police strikes, Americans fearing anarchy, and the striking police officers being fired and replaced by the National Guard.
Calvin Coolidge
Governor of Boston, he stopped the Boston Police Strike by calling the National Guard. This made him a national hero, and he was elected Vice President 2 years later, stating that the primary business of American was business.
Steel Strike
Happened in 1919, occurred due to the AFL trying to organize the steel industry. They wanted 8 hour work days, 6 hour work weeks, and no more 24 hour swing shifts. Elbert Gary refused to negotiate with AFL representatives, and after much violence/ use of state/federal troops, the strike was ended January 1920, hardening many Americans to Unions due to the failure.
Elbert Gary
Leader of United States Steel, refused to negotiate with AFL representatives, saying that they were not his employees.
AFL
American Federation of Labor, attempted to organize the steel industry to try and get 8 hour work days, 6 hour work weeks, and no more 24 hour swing shifts.
United Mine Workers Strike
Happened in 1919, John J. Lewis and Gompers demanded shorter working hours and higher wages. A. Mitchel Palmer got an injunction ending the strike, and later an arbitration board gave mine workers a pay raise.
John J Louis
Part of CIO, involved in the United Mine Workers Strike, wanted shorter working hours and higher wages.
A. Mitchel Palmer (Involving Strikes)
Received an injunction preventing the Union from walking out, ending the United Mine Workers Strike.
Woodrow Wilson
After the United Mine Workers Strike, he used WW1 legislation to outlaw strikes in war related markets.
Palmer Raids/Red Scare
Attorney General A. Mitchel Palmer was given 500,000 dollars to find who was responsible for bombings. Radicals were blamed for the bombings, and radicals were deported to Russia. 5000 suspected communists were detained without food/heat/or restrooms, and some were starting to question palmer’s tactics. The Red Scare ended in May of 1920, when suspected May Day strikes didn’t happen, resulting in Palmer being discredited.
May Day Violence/Bombings
During the Red Scare, there was much violence. Several bombings, threats, and May Day violence against socialists all occurred during the Red Scare.
Sacco and Vanzetti
Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were convicted of killing 2 people in an armed robbery. Despite there not being conclusive evidence, they were charged and sentenced to death due to their Italian origin. This sparks protests in Paris, Buenos Aires, Japan, and Warsaw, as well as getting protests from distinguished people such as Albert Einstein.
Ku Klux Klan
The KKK started to rise again, especially in the Midwest, due to the film Birth of a Nation. They were more similar to the Know Nothings now, being anti-Italian and German. They were extremist and narrow-minded. The Indiana Klan started to fall when the leader David Stephenson was convicted for kidnapping and killing a woman. He also provided evidence of what other Klan officials were doing, causing it to collapse.
D. W. Griffith
Created “Birth of a Nation,” a silent film inspired by The Clansman: An Historical Romance of the KKK by Thomas Dixon.
Nativism
Anti-Immigration beliefs, led to Anti-immigration laws.
Immigration Act
Passed in 1921, ended open immigration by adding a quota and limit. 350,000 total immigrants per year, and no more than 3% of the American population according to the 1910 census.
National Origins Act
Passed in 1924, it was more harsh than the Immigration Act. Lowered limit to 152,000 people, made the percent 2%, and used the 1890 Census. Banned Asians entirely, and made Canadians/Latin Americans immune to the law.
Scopes Monkey Trial
Tennessee created a law prohibiting the teaching of evolution, and the ACLU wanted to fight it. They ran an advertisement in the New York Times, asking a teacher to break the law. John Scopes volunteered and did so. The trial was broadcasted on national radio. The case ended with John Scopes being convicted, fined $100, but the fine was discarded due to a technicality.
