3. Divided Society

• Morality - Prohibition introduction

  Alchohol was seen to be the reason why morals were declining. Some politicians believed America would be better if alcohol was banned
• Rural America - Prohibition introduction

  People in rural areas saw the new and growing towns and cities where alcohol-fueled violence and crime were commonplace. There had been a strong campaign against alcohol by groups like the Anti-Saloon League
• Religious organisations - Prohibition introduction

  Many religious organisations and churches opposed alcohol because they claimed it caused social issues such as violence, poverty, addiction and dept.
• Patriotism - Prohibition introduction

  Many beers on sale in America were either imported from Germany or brewed by German immigrants. During the first world war, it was argued that Americans who drank this beer were traitors.
• Failures with prohibition

  • USA had 18,600 miles of coastline and land borders to patrol, agents had a near impossible task of preventing bootlegging (smuggling alcohol)
  • Millions of people were willing to break the law
  • It was very easy to get alcohol because criminal gangs got involved in making and supplying it
  • Speakeasies - illegal bars
  • Moonshine - home made spirit
  • Gangs made so much money that they would avoid arrest since they could bribe officers, agents, and judges.
• Organised crime

  • Made money from fixing races, running brothels, and dealing with alcohol
  • Key people: Al Caopne, 'Lucky' Luciano, 'Machine Gun' Kelly
• Impact of prohibition on society

  • 1933 - 200,000 speakeasies in USA
  • Association Against Prohibition Amendment (AAPA), said Prohibition was a threat to a person's right
  • It was argued if alcohol was legalised again, a lot of jobs would be created in the brewing industry
  • The government could also tax alcohol, so the government could make money not criminals.
  • 1932 - FD Roosevelt gained many votes because he opposed Prohibition
  • 1933 - Ended Prohibition
• Why move to America

  • Many jobs available
  • Land was cheap and rich in natural resources
  • Greater poverty in Europe
  • Europe was still divided by class
  • Standard of living and wages were higher
  • America prided itself on the idea that everyone had the right to achieve success (the American dream)
• Impact of immigration

  • Late 1800s/ Early 1900s, more immigrants began to arrive from Southern and Eastern Europe
  • Ethnic communities developed in larger cities
  • Sometimes resented due to poor English and had different traditions/ religions
  • First World War added suspicion to foreigners, Americans feared Russians would take over land, banks, and businesses as they had done in Russia in 1917
• The immigrant experience

  • Some thrived and made a good living
  • Most had poor working and living conditions
  • Poorly educated and willing to work for low wages in any job
  • Americans thought the immigrants would 'steal' jobs
• Immigration laws

  • 1917 Literacy Act - immigrants had to pass a reading and writing test
  • 1921 Emergency Quota Act - set a maximum of 357,000 immigrants each year
  • 1924 National Origins Act - maximum of 150,000 immigrants, no Asians
• KKK - Ku Klux Klan

  • Racist terror group, 1925- 5 million member
  • Most members were poor white people, mainly from rural areas
  • Looked for people to blame for their poverty
  • African Americans, Jews, Catholics, and immigrants blamed
  • Felt blacks and immigrants' willingness to work for lower wages took jobs from whites
  • Against anyone who wasn't like them - white and protestant
  • Attacked drunks and gamblers to 'clean up' society
  • Coded language, hooded costumes, strange rituals
• KKK methods

  • Dressed in white sheets, and hoods and carrying US flags
  • Used violence and intimidation
  • Did whipping, branding with acid, kidnapping, castration, and lynching - hanging without trail
• Decline of the KKK

  • 1925, popular Klan leader was convicted of the kidnap, rape, murder of a young woman
  • At his trial, exposed many secrets of the KKK
  • Sentenced to life in prison
  • Within a year, members went from 5 million to 300,00
• Rising fear of immigrants

  • Some saw immigrants as the enemy who brought 'unamerican' ideas to the country
  • Communism was feared, concerned there would be a revolution (like the one in Russia in 1917) since they had left 1.5 million Russians in
  • American Communist Party was set up in 1919, industrial unrest was increasing
  • Anarchists (believed countries shouldn't be ruled by government) feared in 1920's
  • Many Americans felt they had good reasons to fear anarchists - 1901, Leon Franz Czolgosz shot dead President McKinley
• Palmer Rains and Red Scare

  • July 1919, a bomb destroyed the house of Alexander Palmer, the man in charge of laws and police - Communist paper was found next to the body of a suicide bomber
  • Later that year, another bomber blew up 30 people in New York - no one was found guilty but communism fear increased
  • Palmer vowed to get rid of American communists
  • During 'Palmer Raids' 6000 suspected communists were arrested across 33 cities
  • Little evidence of plots was found
  • This period was called the 'Red Scare'
• The case of Sacco and Vanzetti

  • April 1920, Italian-born immigrant anarchists charged with the robbing of a shoe factory and murdering 2 staff.
  • 45 day trial began in May 1921
  • Doubts against evidence against them
  • Judge Thayer said Vanzetti 'may not actually have committed the crime but he is morally to blame because he is our enemy'
  • Pair said they were innocent
  • Argued they didn't know what was going on due to their poor English
  • No conclusive evidence, found guilty and sentenced to death