1920's
Matthew Merrill
Table of Contents
1) Cover
2) Contents
3) Nativism
4) Politics
5) Court Cases
6) Scopes Monkey Trial
7) Innovations
8) Cartoon
Nativism
Nativism is the policy of protecting the interests of native inhabitants against those of immigrants and returns due to the new waves of immigrants entering the U.S. Laws pass with the intentions of limiting the population growth of immigrants. The Immigration Act limits the number of immigrants from any country down to only 2% of the people currently living in the United States. Along with the National Origins Act, which penalizes Japanese as well as other Asains, and also greatly restricts the flow of many Europeans. With the many conflicts surrounding Nativism comes the Ku Klux Klan, who are a group of Natavists who attack and persecute several groups of these new immigrants for being different in culture.
Politics
Warren G. Harding, 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and 29th president of the United States was given criticism due to the scandals that took place under his presidency such as the Teapot Dome scandal. Which was a bribery incident that took place when Albert Fall leased petroleum reserves to oil companies without competitive bidding. It fell under investigation and Fall was convicted of accepting bribes, and was sent to prison.
The Kellogg-Briand Pact is an international agreement that promises to not use war as means to solve their differences, but to peacefully resolve it. It was signed by Germany, France, and the United Stated and by most other nations soon after.
Court Cases
Following the Bolshevik Revolution, whats known as a red scare comes into place when Americans fear that their country will be targeted by communists who will change their way of life. Papers fueled paranoia by exaggeration and many workers went on strike.The Palmer Raids came after authorities discovered a plot for mailing 36 bombs to prominent members of the U.S. political and economic establishment. the series of raids was meant to capture and arrest anarchists.
Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were convicted of murder and armed robbery. The jury found them guilty of first degree murder based on recanted testimony , conflicted ballistics evidence, and a confession of a participant in the robbery. Both were sentenced to death and were executed by the electric chair.
Schenck v. United States is a U.S. Supreme Court decision concerning the enforcement of the espionage act of 1917 during WWI. The court, in a unanimous opinion held that Schenck's criminal conviction was constitutional. The first amendment did not protect speech encouraging men to resist induction because wartime allowed greater restrictions on free speech.
Scopes Monkey Trial
John T. Scopes was a teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, who was charged for violating Tennessee's Butler Act, which prohibited the teaching of evolution in Tennessee schools.
Clarence Darrow defended him court in which he opposed William Jennings Bryan, who attacked Darwinism. The trial ended with the court finding Scopes guilty and fined $100
Innovations
Aviation
The first world war hastened the development of airplanes so that they can travel farther and carry heavier loads. The increased capabilities of planes allowed men and women to put them to the test by setting record times and distance by traveling. The use of airplanes encouraged exploration by surveying areas that proved to be difficult by means of ground based methods.
Farmers
Farming boomed during the war, U.S. agriculture expanded to sell food to Europe, but afterwards countries returned to growing their own grain. The expansion led to over-production and too much food on the market. farmers find it more and more difficult to sell their produce. The worst conditions for farmers was in the south where farming was the main industry.
Ford
The Model T was easy to operate, maintain, and handle on the roads. It immediately became a huge success. The Ford Motor Company began a relentless drive to increase production and lower costs. Tired of interferance from t investors in the company, Henry bought them all out, becoming the soul owner of the worlds largest automobile company. Later , with more popular and comfortable cars being released, Ford could no longer ignore the declining sales figures and created the Model A.