DBQ APUSH 1920 – Flashcards

The 1920s were a period of overall change between the traditional values and thenew ways. Many such changes led to growing tension between the old and the new.One of the biggest changes in the 1920s was the beginning shift from traditionalfundamentalism to a modern fundamentalism. Before the '20s schools taught the Bibleand Christianity's principles were stressed but in 1925 John Scopes, a substitute biologyteacher was put on trial for teaching the theory of evolution (Doc B). Though Scopes wasfound guilty, it still began the gradual shift away from creationism in school and back towards the separation of church and state. This led to tensions because it was a shiftaway from religious education. That was unheard of in that day.Another change that created tension between the old and new was the formationof a second Klu Klux Klan (Doc C). Much like the first KKK, this organization was anti-Semite, anti-Negro, and not anti-Immigrant. Much tension was created because theUnited States had almost completely open borders, freedom of religion and black were inhigher position of society. With another KKK around terror was being created once againand it had taken quite a while for things to settle down after the first KKK had disappeared.Music was changing throughout the 1920s. Jazz music was becoming a biggerpart of society (Doc D). Being exclusively a black style many blacks played it. Theintroduction of jazz music increased tension because it created a different attitude of blacks. They no longer felt inferior to the white population; they had their own exclusivemusic style and some people began to wonder, "What's next?"Women were always the ones who took care of the household and children (DocF). Women were always believed to be weaker than men in the mind and body, so whenwomen who wore short skirts and smoked tobacco; know as flappers began popping upmore and more, the WCTU especially was worried. If they began defiling their bodies,what would become of their children? Women all over the country were beginning to takeon more and more of the habits of their male counterparts and were leaving behind theiroriginal responsibilities. Republican motherhood was slowly disappearing in the UnitedStates.Not only were women abandoning their posts in the home, but also they were alsonot staying with the same husband (Doc G). From the 1890s to the 1930s, the ratio of marriages to divorces increased to one marriage to five divorces. Women were becomingmore independent and tensions increased because women were breaking away from their'protectors' and soon would be seeking positions equal or greater than those of the men.Many things changed in the 1920s and many of those changes created tensions between the traditionalists and the modernist. Just because they were the "gay" '20s didn'tmean that tension wasn't there

As to manifestations they could be anything from the violence of the KKK like lynchings and burnings to court cases to the creation of laws and even to journalism (not saying they necessarily are, just laying out your options). Keep in mind that these things can also be causes. For example the outbursts of the KKK could definitely be considered a manifestation of the old world wanted to keep back the blacks while the new world tried to boost them up (well, not really trying, but they were moving up) so eventually they tried to do it themselves.

Well, she may want something about immigration. The older generation, many of whom were immigrants clashed with the newer generation who were influenced by the red scare and a falling economy were against even more immigrants coming as they might be radicals/communists or might be depressing wages and impeding unionization (as my review book puts it). The result was the Emergency Quota Act which restricted immigration from certain countries like Italian, Greeks, Poles, and eastern European Jews and three years later the National Origins Act of 1924 which set a maximum number of immigrants allowed in the country. And an additional fact- remember this was post WWI so there were A LOT of refugees from Europe who wanted in.

basic belief that the society was better the way it was in the past. Belief that things were easier and happier in the past. Fearful of change, because of all of the negative externalities (negative consequences that can come from change, intended or unintended) Strong faith in religion, and questionable of the motives and goals of science/scientists (atheists?) Tend to live in rural areas (farms, or country) Bought consumer goods, but fearful that technology can lead to laziness, disconnect with "society", and hard work ethic See education as important, but morals and values are more important. Traditions represent the culture and the history of a society, so stopping them or ending them is seen as trying to change the society or not recognize the history Tend to be conservative Tend to be older Tend to have more strict moral standards Tend to support family values over individual freedom and expression Traditions tend to unite people Belief that traditions are what helped build and make this country and society. Tend to be realistic Not opposed to science, but object to its misapplication

strong belief in change being a good thing. Appreciation for the advancements made in society Dislike the past or belief that past was not as good. Stronger belief in science, but still religious Tend to live in cities or outlying areas Tend to support consumer culture Tend to believe that we must adapt ourselves with the changing times, else we shall deprive ourselves of the opportunity to make any progress or development See education as very important in a way to get a better paying job. Modernity tends to take people apart. Modernism is not to do away with traditions but to modify it according to changing times and people. Tend to be liberal Tend to be younger Tend to have more loose moral standards Tend to support individual freedom and expression over family values Modernity tend to separate people Belief that change is what brings progress and improves everyone's lives. Tend to be idealistic Not opposed to religion, but to religious fundamentalism

Rural America Creationism Jim Crow KKK as protector of culture (nativism) Drys Victorianism Mom and Pop stores American individualist heroes Charles Lindbergh's flight Muckrakers Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sinclair Lewis Isolationism Washington Naval Conference, Kellogg Briand, rejection of League of nations

Urban America Evolution Scopes Monkey Trial, Bruce Barton's depiction of Jesus as an adman, Dewey and educational reform Harlem Renaissance Immigration Wets Flappers Divorce rate increase Corporations and mass production Power of big business, Trickle down policy Technology movies (The Jazz Singer), radio, automobile Lost generation Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sinclair Lewis Internationalism Washington Naval Conference, Kellogg Briand

The 1920s was a decade of extreme tension between new, change-based attitudes and old, nostalgic attitudes. These viewpoints often clashed throughout the era. These tensions represent themselves in many different facets of American culture. In general, moderns criticized the traditional ideas, the traditionalists criticized the modern ideas, and the moderates tried to reconcile the two. One major cause of the growing strain between traditional and modern ideologies was the growing gap between socioeconomic classes. Many groups, like the farmers and urban workers, were left out of the middle-class prosperity of the decade. Other groups were culturally excluded. The 1920 census was the first in which more people lived in the cities than on farms. These people insisted on reforms that they felt would return them to "normalcy", like immigration restrictions and prohibition. Sinclair Lewis' excerpt in Document A highlights this growing rift between classes. His portrayal of Babbit, a middle class man, as a conformist with no ideas of his own displays Lewis' dissatisfaction toward Americans who blindly conform to traditional ideologies (Doc. A). Contrasting this bleak view of the middle class is Joseph Stella's The Bridge (Doc. B). By illustrating the Brooklyn Bridge similar to a stain-glass window, Stella emphasizes his quasi-religious love for the technological developments of the middle class of the era. The Brooklyn Bridge was built in the late nineteenth century and was widely regarded as a marvel. Religion also provided a stage for new and old ideas to collide. Modernist thinkers believed religion could adapt to accept new scientific advances, especially Darwin's theory of natural selection. Traditionalists did not. They considered religion to be fixed and condemned Darwin's work. The most notable instance of this conflict is the Scopes Trial. In it John Scopes, a Tennessee biology teacher, was arrested for teaching Darwin's theories. The famous attorney...

The very fabric of American Society was changing during the 1920's. The census taken in 1920 revealed that for the first time in American History the number of people residing in cities outnumbered those who lived in rural areas. Immigration to the United States was reaching an all-time high and many nativists felt that the America they loved was changing for the worse. In addition, the evolution of scientific thought led many to challenge traditions and religious doctrines. A combination of political ideals and cultural reforms led to tensions that shook the foundation of America during the 1920's; however, some people were able to reconcile the old and the new in order to benefit American society. In an effort to return to some kind of "normalcy" some states passed controversial laws that offended Americans. Many viewed Darwin's theory of evolution as dangerous to the church and to the American life style. The state of Tennessee passed the Butler Act which forbade teaching the theory of evolution, which angered many Americans especially the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union). In the Scopes Trial, named after the teacher who violated the law John Scopes, the defense attorney Charles Darrow was more concerned with challenging Biblical authority rather than proving his client's innocence. This trial highlighted the growing debate between fundamentalism and modernistic thought (Document C). During the 1920's the nativist movement was gaining popularity. The Ku Klux Klan was a strong, radical nativist organization that fought for traditional American values and against foreign influences. Many people supported the Klan, especially in rural areas, and during the 1920's the Klan was the strongest it had ever been with over four million members. Hiram Evens was one of the Klan's leaders and dramatized the Klan as an organization that fought for the soul of America against the "liberals who held the leadership [and] betrayed Americanism"...

The 1920's were a period of tension between new and changing attitudes on the one hand and traditional values and nostalgia on the other. What led to the tension between old and new and in what ways was the tension manifested? The backlash that was caused by World War 1 in the United States left the people with differing opinions and the tension between citizens was mounting. Americans combated the results of the war with a revitalization of artistic values, heated debates over religious beliefs, and creating new political doctrines. The manifestation of these tensions was depicted by the manner in which Americans responded to the results of the Great War. Debates over religion, morality, politics, economics, and art shattered past boundaries, boundaries which used to force people to keep to themselves. The roaring 20s manifested these differences in court rooms, national politics, grass roots campaigns, and in the emerging transportation and media revolutions. American religions were at the center of the 1920s' culture wars. Mainstream Protestantism, Fundamentalism, Catholicism, and Judaism were prominent and controversial. While traditional Protestants retained control of America's commanding heights, the influx of fundamentalism among older, deeply rooted Americans and the importation of Catholicism and Judaism with "new immigrants" created a volatile mix. New York's Alfred Smith was unable to win the presidency in 1928 largely because of his Irish Catholic faith. Preachers such as Billy Sunday and Aimee Semple MacPherson attracted national audiences through their sophisticated use of new media outlets such as the radio. Ironically, modernism shaped the religious resurgence in the 1920s. MacPherson's revivals were known for having "sex appeal" and being a form of "supernatural whoopee." (Doc I) Even the fundamentalist movement was shaped by the new trends in the United States. The presidencies of Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover maintained the practice of...

Religion was at the forefront of social tensions. One example of this conflict was that between fundamentalists, who interpreted the Bible literally, and modernists who were more readily willing to interpret the Bible more flexibly. These two groups came into conflict most notably in the Scopes Monkey Trial in Tennessee. Clarence Darrow, defending the accused, John Scopes, skillfully cross-examined prosecutor and Bible expert, William Jennings Bryan (C). Darrow's cross-examination forced Bryan to explicitly state the incredible inflexibility and rigidity of fundamentalist beliefs. As a result of the trial, which was broadcast across the nation via radio and newspaper, many Americans were more readily willing to consider modernist religious interpretations.

Differing interpretations over what made Americans American also led to social conflict. The Ku Klux Klan, founded during Reconstruction, switched their ire from African-Americans to anyone different from them. As white, Anglo-Saxon Protestants, the KKK opposed any group who did not share their heritage and values (D). The KKK took such a strong stance against foreigners because it interpreted that group, even moreso than African-Americans, as the most urgent threat to their American way of life. Similarly, the Federal government passed both the Emergency Quota Act and the Immigration Act to sharply restrict immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe. Clearly, the KKK was not alone in considering most immigrants as undesirables. Two Italian immigrants, Sacco and Vanzetti, were tried, convicted and executed, ostensibly for armed robbery and murder, though their Italianness played at least as large a role in their fate. Meanwhile, African-Americans were having an artistic rebirth in the Harlem Renaissance. Although these artistic contributions are noteworthy, the shift in cultural perceptions are even more telling. Langston Hughes articulates the belief that African-Americans should not be ashamed of their heritage, and that, essentially, they are just as American and righteous as any other American (E).

Adding to these conflicts were hard-to-define shifts in cultural values. Americans had, prior to the 1920s, considered themselves blessed because of their history, thrift, and hard-working nature. With the advent of large-scale mass production in the 1920s, however, Americans began to instead focus on their futures, free-spending, and limitless consumption. Older generations often considered younger generations spoiled brats who wasted the technological marvels bestowed upon them. This tension between careful and free consumption gave rise to the "Lost Generation" of authors. One, Lewis Sinclair, criticized this excessive materialism as "at first the signs, then the substitutes, for joy and passion and wisdom" (A). Such criticisms indicate the belief that such mindless consumption blinded Americans to intangible glories of the past. And yet, the conflict between old and new was not insurmountable. Few individuals could surmount the growing divide between new and old cultural values, but those that could would universally revered. Charles Lindbergh, due to his humility and his technological, appealed to traditional and contemporary values. Thus, he was able to at least temporarily bridge the 1920s cultural gap.