2. Postwar Trends
After the war
Debate over the league of nation left US divided
Economy suffered without war orders
Soldiers faced unemployment, or took their old jobs away from
women and minorities
Nativism: prejudice against foreign-born people
Isolationism: policy of pulling away from
involvement in world affairs
3. Fear of Communism
Red Scare:
Bolshevik revolution in Russia- called for spread of
communism
Communist party formed in the US
Palmer Raids:
Mitchell Palmer, J.E. Hoover, and agents hunted down all
communists, socialists, and anarchists
Invaded homes and offices, and jailed people without trials-
turned up nothing
4. Sacco and Vanzetti
Italian immigrants and anarchists
Were arrested and charged with robbery and murder
Both provided alibis and all evidence was
circumstantial
They were found guilty and sentenced to death
5. Limiting Immigration
Nativists believed fewer immigrants should be let
into the country
The KKK made a come back and began keeping
blacks “in their place” and driving foreign born
people out of the country
Quota System: Emergency Quota Act of 1921
Established the maximum number of people who could enter
the US from each foreign country
Later limited immigration from each European nation to 2 percent
of the number of its nationals in the US in 1890 and prohibited
immigration from Japan
6. Labor Unrest
More than 3,000 strikes in 1919- strikers were
labeled as communists
Boston Police Strike: Boston police went on
strike when representatives were fired for asking for
a raise
Calvin Coolidge sent in the national guard to end the strike
Strikers were not sent back to work, new police were hired
instead
7. Labor Unrest Cont.
The Steel Mill Strike: Steel workers wanted to
Unionize and negotiate for shorter hours
300,000 went on strike and were beaten by police
They were called communists
Eventually won a shorter work day, but no union
Coal Miners Strike: John Lewis lead coal miners
on a strike, even after it was ended by a court order
Won a 27% pay increase
8. Labor Movement Loses Appeal
Union membership dropped by 2 million
The number of immigrant workers
Were willing to work in poor conditions
Spoke many different languages
Farmers who moved to factory jobs were used to relying on
themselves
Most unions excluded African Americans
