Americans Struggle with Postwar Issues

Chapter 20 Section 1

I Revolution Abroad and Reaction at Home

• WWI left ppl exhausted and looking for “normalcy”

• 3 trends arose in Amer. society in the search for normalcy– Isolationism= US pulling away from

world affairs– Resurgence of nativism= suspicion of

ppl who are foreign born– Political conservatism= turning away

from gov’t activism of progressive era• Main threat to normalcy=

Communism

President Warren G. Harding

A. The Russian Revolution• Russia left weak after WWI took

many lives & resources– Ppl demanded changeCzar Nicholas

II abdicates throne• Bolsheviks (“the majority”) led by

Lenin took his place– Established social and econ.

Communism• International meeting calls for

worldwide revolution– Overthrow of capitalism system &

end of free enterprise & private prop.

B. Red Scare in the US• Thousands of Amer. join

new Comm. Party in US– Small % were part of party

but majority of Amer. feared call to abolish provate property & gov’t takeover

• Several bombs sent to gov’t & business leaders– Nation panicked in its fear of

“red”= communists– Attorney Gen. Palmer takes

action on “red scare”

C. Palmer Raids• Palmer appoints Hoover to antiradical

dept. that would become the FBI– Palmer raids= sending of officials to hunt

down suspected com. & anarchists• Anarchists=ppl who opposed any &

all form of gov’t• Raids ignore ppls civil rights, jaild and

deported aliens• Palmer raids did not turn up any

evidence of revolutionary conspiracy– Warned country of a communist plot to

overthrow gov’t on may 1st, 1920 but nothing happens

D. Sacco & Vanzetti• 2 most famous victims of red

scare– Anarchists who avoided draft in

WWI• Accused of killing 2 men in

mass. Factory and taking $15,000– Found guilt even despite good

alibies, weak evidence, 7 prejudice judge

• Modern ballistics proves pistol found on Sacco was murder weapon but no proof that he pulled the trigger

E. The Klan Rises Again• Red Scare & nativism used

as excuse to harass anybody • Ku Klux Klan revived – Focused on attacking Af.

Amer., Catholics, jews, and foreign born Amer.

– Klansmen threatened by changes in Amer. society

• Vented this threat through racial violence & influencing state and local politics

Classwork QuestionPick 1 of the following perspectives:1. KKK member2. Palmer raid official3. American citizen who is a member of the

Communist party OR Sacco & VanzettiPretend you were living in the 1920s and defend your position & actions which you may have taken in the 20s as learned in today’s class