US-G+Chapter+22

1. Examine rising racial tensions, the great northward migration of African-Americans, the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan, and the emergence of Garveyism. During the World War I, many white men took their duties as soldiers in the war and left United States in the hands of women, immigrants and African Americans. Of those left, African Americans, who had been limited to the land in the south, had a chance to move up north, where the departure of the white soldiers left many jobs open to the emerging minorities. Due to this northward migration of African Americans, America had to face serious racial tensions and some of its consequences. Overall, this movement of the blacks was a laudable movement because it set a basis for more rights for African Americans today. Even in the 1920s, after the war ended, 800,000 more African Americans continued to move up north, taking up jobs and opportunities in the north. These men took this bold action because they believed the north provided economic opportunities as well as freedom from segregation and discrimination. Nonetheless, white men who returned from the war were dissatisfied with the black men who took over their jobs and land, and finally, many incidents of violence occurred due to racial tensions. On July of 1919, Chicago, the death of a black teenager from a rock thrown by a white shop-owner resulted in the largest violent brawls. Since the judges did not punish the white man, African Americans got furious and had protest, but conversely, got lynched. Along with many violent disputes among the two races, the Ku Klux Klan revived, reaching almost 5 million members in the mid 1920's. The rise of the Ku Klux Klan resulted from the white men's hate towards the black northward movement and the great impact of the Red Scare. The Klan discriminated harshly against blacks and other radicals, lynching, burning property and doing other illegal activities, some which even included murder. Nevertheless, African Americans fought back to gain their rights. Many blacks joined up in National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to promote anti-lynching campaigns. Although they had a rough beginning, NAACP accomplished many goals including acts supporting their cause and better conditions in their work. Also, African American unionization gave roots to much better conditions and equality in the working conditions of African Americans. Finally, Pan-Africanism, a movement supporting the black people's return to Africa, gained prominence as Marcus Garvey took charge of the act. Many African Americans nationwide took similar stances with Garvey and they accomplished much return, better known now as Garveyism. With the African Americans fiercely fighting for their rights, the Ku Klux Klan was reduced to mere 9,000 members in the 1930's and African Americans gained a place in the Americas. This movement of the blacks to the north built the base for the racial equality in the United States today.

2. Assess the political climate of the Red Scare and the hostility toward foreigners and radicals. With the sudden revolution in Russia promoting communism as well as other countries converting to communism aroused fears of a communist world in the United States. Demobilization as well as the myriads of massive strikes that the media denounced as communist gave root to the immense fear built in the minds of the United States citizens. Having fear is justifiable; nonetheless, their radical and brutal actions against the foreigners and radicals was unacceptable. Many strikes were being born in the United States, and with the newspapers claiming that these strikes were leading to a communist goal, gave base to the rising fears in the minds of the American citizens. This fear, referred to as Red Scare, led to many unnecessary actions to be taken against innocent peoples. After the successful communist revolution in Russia, Lenin, the Marxist leader, created Marxist International, an organization fit to create Marxist communities all across the globe. In America, the Socialist party, led by Eugene Debs, gave extensive fears to the worrisome citizens of America. Many believed there were great numbers of Communists in the United States, and soon the citizens saw communism and socialism as equal enemies of democracy. With mail bombings against magnates such as Rockfeller, the fears of the citizens were maxed out. However, when the Attorney General, Mitchell Palmer was damaged from the bombs, he set out an eradication of anyone who was associated with communism. In this search he arrested thousands of suspects in 33 cities. Many of these suspects were arrested without proper evidence; nonetheless, most were deported from the country or severely punished otherwise. In the summer of 1920s, the extensive fear of communism settled down and these radical tactics were put to an end. Although used to carry out an important job in the United States, the radical deportation and punishment of suspected communist were uncalled for. These tactics were truly against the democratic methods and peace of the United States.

3. How did the process of demobilization alter the lives of many women, factory workers, and farmers? During the World War I, women, African Americans and other minorities filled in the jobs and responsibilities left available due to the departure of the prominent white men to the army and war over seas. During these times, the substitutes did truly well; however, when the white soldiers made their return, demobilization came into effect. The social and economic devastation caused by demobilization, the transition from wartimes to peaceful times, was, in the long run, beneficial to the United States welfare. When the white soldiers returned from their jobs, women were forced to give up their jobs and return to their original, house keeping states. The women’s relinquish of their jobs and return to the housework was seen as a from of patriotism, just as the women had to take the jobs white men could not during the actual warring times. Factories were also greatly affected by the inconsistencies in consumer action. America faced a sudden rise of purchase of goods right after the war, resulting in a skyrocketing of prices of goods. Nonetheless, citizens whimsically started to purchase extremely small amounts of goods right afterwards, greatly damaging the welfare of the factories. Due to the havoc caused to the factories, the workers also suffered from worse working conditions and pay, and the citizens suffered from a declining economy. Similarly, American farmers, who had reaped beneficial effects from the mammoth demand for food during the wartimes, suffered greatly from demobilization. European farmers, who now could export crops due to the ending of the war, competed extremely well with the American farmers. Also, the decrease in demands caused immense damage to the farmers. These negative effects of demobilization, however, soon were replaced with better effects of reform. The strikes that follow give these workers better rights and the women and minorities gain prominence from their roles during the war as well. So, in the long run, the demobilization had a positive effect.

4. Analyze the factors that lead to Mexican immigration, immigration restriction in 1924, and the closing of the “Golden Door.” As the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s took place, it also encouraged the idea of protecting the inhabitants and native born Americans. Many Americans feared that the immigrants from other countries were running the United States. In the year 1920, nearly twenty five percent of the population in the United States was nonwhite or foreign born. Moreover, at the end of World War I, the immigrants were again coming into United States. The number of immigrants rose exponentially. In 1919, the estimated population of the immigrants was 140,000. In 1921, the estimated population of the immigrants was 805,000. Therefore, Americans feared that immigrants were taking jobs of the native-born Americans and holding radical views also. This led many citizens in demanding limits on the immigration to United States. In 1921 Congress passed a law limiting the number of immigrants from each country allowed in the United States. However, for Asians, they were not allowed to come in at all. In 1924, the Immigration Act of 1924 reduced the number of immigrants for each country set in 1921 (three percent of the 1890 population figures for each nationality) to two percent. Furthermore, by 1925, the restrictions on the immigrants reduced the total number of immigrants from Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe to about 153,000. The restrictions on the immigrants did not affect the Mexicans. This was becase many employers in the southwest were eager to use the Mexicans to fill cheap labor and low wage jobs. Therefore, during the 1920s, 500,000 immigrants rushed in to the United States from Mexico. Mexico at the time suffered poverty, jobs were scarce, and political upheaval from a revolution persisted. However, Mexicans did not only work in the Southwest, some moved in urban areas working in factories in cities such as Chicago and Detroit. As Mexican men came first establishing a living in the United States, they brought in their wives and children. Once again, these restrictions show debatable cases about the "New Colossus" where it says that United States welcome the foreign immigrants and the idea of the Golden Door where the United States is full of opportunities.

5. How did the Republicans pro-business policies affect the U.S. economy? President Hardling's administration introduced a lot of policy changes. Hardling's main goal was to provide "less government in business and more business in government." It had similar ideas of laissez-faire. His successful cabinet leaders included Andrew Mellon in Secretary of Treasury and Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover. These men also believed that the government should not interfere with the economy except in aiding the business. Hardling's administration set two main goals for the economy which were to reduce national debt and to promote economic growth. The war had caused and raised national debt from about $1 billion in 1914 to more than $25 billion in 1919. The head of the Bureau of the Budget, Charles Dawes tried to eliminate debt by slashing the spending. In 1922, he turned the annual government's budget to a surplus. Therefore, it helped reduce the national debt. The Congress led by the Republicans supported the business by passing the Fordney-McCumber Tariff Act in 1922. This act raised the manufactured goods' tariff to the max (all time high). This also increased profit. These pro-business policies affected the economy and the lives of many Americans. The surplus capital also caused industry to boom. Business favored mergers because it was more effiecient and brought higher porfits and more than 1000 mergers (combining two or more companies) took place in this era. From 1923 to 1929, business profits increased about 60 percent. Moreover, the workers' incomes grew about 10 percent. Farmers struggled through the Fordney McCumber Tariff Act. The act imposed high demand on imported farm goods to boost the American crop prices but farmers still continued to face shriking markets, low prices, high interest rates, and crushing debt. Organized labor also suffer in the 1920s. The government wanted to prevent the labor gains that happened in the Progressive Era. Therefore, the government and federal courts upheld "yellow-dog contracts" which prevented workers to join unions. Business leaders are favored this act and supported a policy known as the American Plan which was to support union-free open shops. In conclusion, 5 million members of unions shrank down to 3.6 million members in 1923. The pro-business policies affected a surplus in the economy but many lives of the Americans were to change or to suffer.

6. Analyze how the emergence of the “New Woman” challenged Victorian values. As women were granted the right to vote through the Nineteenth Amendment, it did not revolutionize the United States politics as many Americans hoped and as many Americans feared. The suffrage campaign no longer aimed for women's suffrage. Most of the women who were in the campaigne looked forward to different directions. For example, Jane Addams aimed for world peace in the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. Such divisions in the women's movement resulted in a debate over the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). This amendment stated that "men and women shall have equal rights throughout the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction." The supporters of this amendment argued that special legislation for women do not help the female job-seekers but actually hurt them mostly in male-dominated occupations. The supporters of this amendment claimed that new directions that women seeked discourage employers to employ or to hire women because of legal limitations on the hours women were allowed to work. However, the movement of this amendment failed to win the political support. These emergence of the "New Woman" challenged the Victorian values in a way that women in the United Stated had their stances. This challenged the Victorian values because women did not have their stances or what to stand up for during the Victorian Era.