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.

This inspired a big push towards putting controls back on to Americans…

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.

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.

Speakeasies Other people pretended to comply with

Prohibition, but would sneak liquor into their homes or got to “speakeasies.”“Underground” bars

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.

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!

The Effects of Prohibition Prohibition had

hoped to wipeout crime, but instead, it created “new” crimes.Bribing police,

corruption of government officials, etc.

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.

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.

Control on Beliefs

A new religious movement also grew out of the backlash against the 1920’s changes.This is called

fundamentalism.

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.”

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.

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

Rhea County High School, Dayton TN

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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.