Aftermath of WWI
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Transcript of Aftermath of WWI
Aftermath of WWI
Unstable EconomyReturning soldiers expected jobsNeed for goods lessened after the warUnions fought to preserve wartime gainsStrikes throughout the nation were meet with
hostility By 1920 the USA faced severe economic
depression
African-AmericansService in the armed forces did little to change
attitudes of whites at homeService did give blacks a voice and increased
their determination to fight for rights
Great MigrationDuring the war Northern industrial towns were
in need of laborMany African American families moved north in
search of jobsNations demographics drastically changed1919 produced numerous race riots throughout
the nation (Red Summer)
The Red Scare1917 Russian Revolution produces a communist
governmentComintern announced plans to continue the
revolution throughout the worldAmerica feared a radical revolution at home Jan. 1, 1920 Attorney General Mitchell Palmer
arrested over 6000 in communist raidsFear soon subsided but anti-immigrant feelings
strengthened
Election of 1920Wilson was too sick to run for re-electionDemocrat James Cox ran hoping to continue
Wilson’s ideasRepublican Warren Harding opposed
internationalism and promised a return to isolationism – ‘return to normalcy’
Harding won with the largest popular vote margin in 100 years
IsolationismAmerica attempted to reduce immigration
Literacy tests Quotas
America imposed high tariffs on foreign goods Created a boom for American businesses Isolated America economically
New TechnologiesRadio
Westinghouse started commercial broadcast radio shows in 1920Shows gave people an idea of different livesSpurred growth of advertising
Automobile Ford’s assembly lines made cars more affordable
for many familiesRemoved limitations for peopleSpurred growth of other businesses
New Attitudes120,000 Americans died in WWI and over
200,000 woundedWilson had imposed severe restrictions on
many Americans during the warAfter the war many Americans wanted to forget
about the war and its costs
18th AmendmentThough prohibition had been largely ignored in
presidential campaigns it was crucial to congressional races
1919 Dries outnumbered Wets in Congress by a 3:1 margin
Congress proposed an amendment and was ratified by 36 of the 48 states thus becoming law
The Roaring TwentiesProhibition
Religious/Political DebateDries – Most Protestants (Methodists, Baptists,
Presbyterian, etc.)Wets – Catholics, Lutherans, Episcopalians
Dries believed saloons led to political corruption and that drinking was a sin
Wets believed the government should not legislate morality
EnforcementThough support for the amendment was
widespread enforcement became a problemA total of 1500 agents were placed in charge of
enforcement throughout AmericaLed to the growth of speakeasies and
bootlegging
By the Numbers1919 Cleveland had 1200 legal bars1923 Cleveland had approximately 3000 illegal
speakeasiesAn estimated 30,000 residents sold liquor of
some sort during Prohibition
Corruption/GangstersAl Capone – Chicago gangster made over $60
million in 1927, reportedly had ½ of the city’s police on his payroll