Fear and Isolationism in the 1920’s

Unit 3, Section 1: Life and Politics in the 1920’s

• World War I affected the way Americans viewed the world– Isolationism, a policy of pulling away from world

affairs, resulted from the loss of blood and treasure in World War I

– Immigration was limited through the Emergency Quota Act of 1921, which set limits on the number of immigrants that come from each country• In particular, immigration from Southern and Eastern

Europe was heavily reduced• Immigration from Japan was stopped entirely

Patterns of Immigration

Use page 622 to answer the following questions:1. What country saw the sharpest decline in

immigration between 1921 and 1929?2. How much of an effect did the Emergency

Quota Act of 1921 have?3. How do you think the Emergency Quota Act

of 1921 might have affected international relations?

• Americans became fearful of Communism in the 1920’s– Communism: All political and economic power is

controlled by the central government– The communist revolution in Russia led many to fear

that the revolutionaries might overthrow the US government

– A series of mail bombs set off a crackdown on Communists in the US• Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer ordered raids and

arrests of known or suspected communists

The Palmer RaidsAnswer the following questions based on the video1. What led to the crackdown on communists in

the US?2. Why do many see the Palmer Raids as one of

the darkest moments in American History?3. What were the consequences of the Palmer

Raids?

– Returning soldiers found that women and minorities, including immigrants, had taken a larger role in the workforce• This led to increases in racism and nativism (prejudice

against foreign-born people)

Anti-Immigration Sentiment

• Compare the following quotes and try to figure out which one is from modern day and which is from an older period in US history

Where the -------- wanted to be part of our family, millions of -------- are determined to retain their language and loyalty to ------. They prefer to remain outsiders. They do not wish to assimilate and the nation no longer demands that they do so

Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become a Colony of Aliens, who will shortly be so numerous as to --------- us instead of our Anglifying them (making them more English), and will never adopt our Languages or Customs, any more than they can acquire our Complexion.

Anti-Immigration Sentiment

• Compare the following quotes and try to figure out which one is from modern day and which is from an older period in US history

Many ---------, as a matter of fact, you know what culture they are assimilating to? The --- culture, the crime culture, anti-cops, all the rest of it.

The ----- fill our prisons, our poor houses. … Scratch a convict or a pauper, and the chances are that you tickle the skin of an --------. Putting them on a boat and sending them home would end crime in this country.

Anti-Immigration Sentiment

• Compare the following quotes and try to figure out which one is from modern day and which is from an older period in US history

[A] set of citizens, ------ and ---, wanted to get the Constitution of the U. S. into their own hands and sell it to a foreign power.

------------- can now become citizens of ------ again. The whole idea is to create this giant fifth column in the United States which can leverage the American government in elections and pressure them to do what is in the interest of the nation of ---