chapter_12_section_1_notes_for_combined_test..._no_strike_stuff.ppt | |
File Size: | 3087 kb |
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Life in the U.S. immediately following WWI was dominated by 3 "isms"
NATIVISM
3 and a half minutes long. links WWI era Anti-German stuff to the 1920s Eastern European discrimination and the Quotas that get put into effect.
Nativism - prejudice towards foreign - born people
After WWI ends, millions of Europeans attempted to come to the U.S. to start a new life (homes had been destroyed, loved ones had died, etc...). These immigrants began competing with people already in the U.S. or returning soldiers for jobs. For the first couple years after the end of the war, industry had to change from one based on war to one based on peace (a consumer driven economy). That period of adjustment led to a temporary rise in unemployment across the nation. People born in the U.S. became frustrated with their increasingly difficult situation, and began to blame foreign-born people (and their customs... which sometimes included drinking) and African - Americans for their problems. This led to a rise in popularity of hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan (who wanted to protect traditional White Anglo Saxon (Anglo Saxon basically refers to English people) Protestant "American" values and the adoption of the 18th Amendment, which prohibited alcohol. Prohibition will be discussed in greater detail in Chapter 13.
Rise of the KKK in the 1920s
This 3 minute clip describes why the KKK rose in popularity during the early part of the 1920s
Isolationism - pulling away from involvement with foreign affairs
President Woodrow Wilson developed the idea of a League of Nations at the end of World War I. This League would allow countries to discuss and settle disagreements peacefully. The U.S. Congress did not allow the U.S. to join the League out of fear that it would be like joining an alliance and drag the U.S. into some type of future conflict.
Communism - an economic and political system where one governing party controls all property and attempts to distribute it evenly throughout society so all citizens have an equal share of everything.
Business owners and the U.S. Government became fearful that there might be an attemtped communist revolution in the U.S. like there was in Russia during WWI. This "Red Scare" (the Red part comes from the fact that the Russian flag is red) challenged the entire U.S. economic and political system, so government officials began to investigate people that were suspected of wanting this system in place. Thousands of people were jailed or deported (a lot of times illegally... with no search warrant to collect evidence, no access to an attorney, and no trial), but no evidence was ever presented to show that our country was on the verge of a massive revolution.
Specifically, labor unions became targets of investigation and generally became labelled "communist". These unions had gained popularity during WWI after successfully negotiating better pay, hours, and benefits for all employees. Immediately after the war was over, those with jobs (in unions) became targets of those without jobs (the unemployed) as well as business owners that wanted to lower their wages and benefits back to pre WWI levels.
for anyone still unclear on exactly what Communism is... a 2 minute video describing it in an easy to understand way.
The Red Scare
This 3 and a half minute clip describes what communism is, why most people in the US didn't like the idea of it, the different bombings that occurred in the US in the late 1910s and early 1920s, the Red Scare, and Sacco & Vanzetti
3 Strikes.... and I'm out
Boston Police Strike (1919) - workers wanted a raise and the right to form a union but were not allowed to, so they walked off the job. They were replaced by unemployed WWI veterans the very next day under orders from then Massachusetts Governor (and future U.S. President) Calvin Coolidge. Strike not successful. For a more detailed synopsis of this event, click here
Steel Mill Strike (1919) - workers wanted a raise, shorter hours, better working conditions, and to be able to form a union. Over 350,000 people in Pennsylania walked off the job for around 3 months. Management wouldn't negotiate with the workers and the War Labor Board that helped settle disagreements during WWI (to make sure production wasn't stopped... which might affect the outcome) had been discontinued. The strike was not successful. For a more detailed synopsis of this event, click here
The part between 45 seconds and 1 minute 35 seconds summarizes the steel mill strike well
In 1919, steel mill management used bribery, threats, intimidation, and the press to break the strike. Asserting that the walk out had already failed, this advertisement (printed in Novemeber of 1919 and written in eight languages), associated union leadership with "aliens" and the "un-American teachings of radical strike agitators." Associating unions with communism was very successful in not allowing unions to form around the U.S. during this era in our history.
Coal Miners' Strike (Nov. 1919) - they already had a union in existence for around 30 years. Management tried to cut their wages (usually paid in scrip... which was discussed in Chapter 9), increase their hours, and raise "prices" in company owned stores. Workers walked out of the mines. Coal was extremely important to daily life in the U.S., especially during winter months. It was used tfor many different purposes, including heating homes in many areas of the country (before electricity was widespread), running locomotives, and cooking with. The National Government ended up acting as an arbitrator to end this strike since it affected so many different people. Miners did receive a significant raise as a result of the settlement. This was the most successful of all strikes during this time.
Matewan
I've shown the above movie in class before (not sure if we'll be watching it this year) to illustrate nativism & prejudice, what conditions were like for people in coal towns and the difficulties unions had in organizing. The movie revolves around what life was like during the 1920s in the town of Matewan, West Virginia. Matewan is a coal town where the local miners' lives are controlled by a powerful coal company. The company practically owns the town, reducing workers' wages (paid in scrip) while raising "prices" at the company-owned supply and grocery. The citizens' land and homes are not their own, and the future seems dim. When the coal company brings immigrants and minorities to Matewan as cheaper labor, union organizer Joe Kenehan comes to town to unite all miners in a strike (the above clip is about the importance of having a union) As the crisis grows, strikers and their families are removed from their homes by representatives from the coal company, resulting in a final shootout on Matewan's main street . There are parts of this movie that are real good, but it is also slow in certain areas. If I show this during class, it'll be in a version that is 30 - 40 minutes shorter than the finished version (I'll cut out the slow parts).
Postwar Economy, Communism, and Harding
The first 2 minutes and 15 seconds of the above clip discusses the postwar economy, labor strikes,and Red Scare. The remaining 4 minutes covers content in Section 2 about Harding's Presidency (his return to Normalcy, accomplishments in office, and scandals (including the Teapot Dome). This is the 1st video clip that we watched in class that had ?s that went along with it.
Postwar Nativism
The 4 minute clip discusses what life was like after the war for African Americans and recent immigrants, the rise of the KKK, immigration quotas, the Red Scare, and Sacco and Vanzetti. This is the 2nd video clip that we watched in class that had ?s that went along with it.
Communism, Anarchism, The Red Scare, and Sacco/Vanzetti Explained
3 minute video that does a good job explaining the topics in the title in an easy to understand way
Political Cartoon on Chapter 12 Test
This will appear on the test with 5 multiple choice questions. The questions are pretty direct (and easy), but I promised I'd put this up on the website, so here it is.