Postwar Problems

Trends

• Nativism: –Prejudice against foreign-born people

that sweeps across the nation.

• Isolationism: –U.S. policy of pulling away from

involvement in world affairs.

Communism Panic

• Communism: Government run by a dictator, equalizes by ending private property and making all businesses government owned.

• Red Scare: Americans feared a world workers revolution as Communists in the U.S. became violent.

Consequences• Palmer Raids– Att. Gen. Palmer assigns J. Edgar Hoover to

hunt down communists, socialists, and anarchists. Hundreds deported and civil rights violated.

– Complete phony.• Sacco and Vanzetti– Italian Immigrants tried and executed for a

crime they may or may not have committed.

Limiting Immigration

• KKK– KKK returns, focused on immigrants and

anything “UnAmerican”.– Loses popularity over criminal activities.

• Quota System: Emergency Quota Act– Limits Immigration from certain continents and

countries.– Focused on Southern and Eastern Europe and

Japan.

Labor Unrest• Labor Board no longer controls strikes.• Boston Police Strike–Police strike ends, but all fired…Coolidge

hires vets and National Guard.• Steel Mill Strike–300,000 workers strike.– Strikers beaten by police and troops.– Strikers lose union, but get 8 hour work day.

• Coal Miners Strike–Union led by John Lewis strikes.–Miners achieve pay increase, but still have

long work hours.• End of Labor Movement–1)Immigrants willing to work in bad

conditions.–2)Unions couldn’t overcome language

barrier.–3)Migrating farmers relied on themselves.–4)African Americans excluded.