Fundamentalism was becoming prominent and it fought with new idea of evolution. Some states prohibited the teaching of evolution in the classroom. Scopes, a biology teacher, fought fundamentalism in court. He showed the flaws in fundamentalism and the lawyer for evolution disgraced lawyer defending fundamentalism by ridiculing his ideas. This shows signs of a divided society, against the Bible Belt states with many of the northern states but it is seen as a desire to be united as it ensured that states passed laws that did not defy the US constitution.
After the Great War, Wilson had written fourteen points which were to form the basis of a new organisation that would help keep world peace-the League of Nations. Many Americans did not want to join because they did not want to be involved in carnage that would be similar to World War One. They also did not want to tie their business interest down or support France and Britain who were more involved with rebuilding their empires. Many of the immigrants which came were German and did not want to be in an organisation that was associated or supported the hated Treaty of Versailles. During the 1919 election, the Republicans campaigned for ‘normalcy’, fighting the Democrats who wanted to join the League of Nations. This showed signs of a divided society politically, but evidence proves it to be united socially as the Republican won a landslide victory in the election.
During the 1920’s there was a great influx of immigrants into America which led to a disparity between the Wasps and the new immigrants. The WASPs felt that country was being ‘polluted’ and so restricted ‘less desirable’ immigrants from southern and eastern Europe and also Asians and Africans. Although it shows a greater division in society, immigration did show unity due to the want to americanise the new immigrants and show America as one country with one nationality. Many of the immigrants moved to the industrial cities of America as here was a greater chance of them getting a job and al many of the already situated people of the same nationality lived there. This also led to groups of people from one country living in sections of the city, showing signs of division. There were also economic reasons for the disparity between the WASPS and the immigrants as many of the immigrants worked for nothing, taking jobs for the ‘native’ Americans. The ‘natives’ also treated the new immigrants extremely bad by putting them at the bottom of the job line a League of Nations with the blacks. Housing also was not as good as the WASPs and wealth was obviously divided unequally when races came into play. Also the activities of the Ku Klux Klan spread to encompass these new groups hat had arrived in America. For the reasons above, many of the recent immigrants became bootleggers and became gangsters as it was a way for them to earn a lot of money and to earn some respect. This only led to an increase in the divide between them. Also there was evidence that the ‘natives’ made the immigrants feel that their nationality was awful as Al Capone was ashamed of his Italian connection and remained adamant that he was 100% American.
The 1921 Quota Act and the 1924 Johnson-Reed Act put into place to restrict immigration. It showed Americans knew they were divided and wanted to prevent more division. It had the similar idea of the League of Nations. America wanted to stay out of Europe. ‘Native’ Americans felt that this was better as there was less undesired immigrants but recent immigrants saw it as unfair.
These all show signs of a divided society but between new immigrants and ‘native’ Americans.
The Russian Revolution of 1917 scared America so much that A Mitchell Palmer led raids on suspected anarchists, people who are against a government who enforce a set of rules. He also started the Red Scare which increased the Americans fear of anything similar to the Russian revolution. These were groups such as trade union or the Communist party. He passed two acts to ‘spy’ on these groups, the Sedition Act (1918) and the Espionage Act (1917). On 7 November 1919, Palmer arrested over 10 000 suspected communists and anarchists. There was no evidence found against any of them, but 247 were deported to Russia. Again, in January 1920 there were some Palmer Raids. Many of whom were arrested were members of Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). He arrested them with no evidence and searched their houses with no search warrant. He also held them when no evidence was produced. He broke the Fifth Amendment. This was another sign of disunity as the Fifth Amendment was completely disregarded during the arrests and questioning of the suspected anarchists. Palmer also said a revolution would occur on 1 May. This failed to materialise and he lost credit for it. Attitudes began to change towards palmer. His opponents claimed he devised the Red Scare to win the democratic presidential candidate in 1920. This shows signs of a divided society as there were opponents to Palmer. Many people were worked up due to propaganda, but it did show that America did have an underlying fear of Communism which was common in everyone, as even so little propaganda brought out all these fears in them.
One case that was an impact of this fear of anarchism was the Sacco and Vanzetti case. It was similar to the Palmer Raids. Both Sacco and Vanzetti were arrested on suspicion of the Braintree murders but there was barely enough evidence to prosecute them. It soon became apparent that they were being helped responsible because they were anarchists. This was one reason why Sacco did not take the stand originally as he though his political ideas would come out and he would be incriminated for that. This showed how America was undermining their own rules, acting like anarchists themselves and making America a divided society. America realised from this how they were the ones tearing their nation apart not the immigrants. It again shows how immigrants were giving different treatment than ‘natives’ just because of different ideas.
The Great Migration of blacks from the south to the north was even more evidence of disunity. The reason for the migration was due to the living conditions that the blacks had to live in. they had the worst pick of jobs and many were not allowed to vote although it was part of the constitution, the fourteenth Amendment. The states used small test to prevent the blacks from registering and so stopping them from voting. There was segregation between blacks and whites with housing and schools. Also the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan also led to many to move north as they were lynched and beaten by them just to sell their land at a fraction of the price. The blacks were also being terrorised by the Ku Klux Klan with their white hats and their burning crosses. It also made them feel inferior because of this large group of WASPs who were against them. It also mentally scarred them as a wrong word or action could easily lead them to be lynched. In the north there was less racial tension at the beginning of the 1900’s, but because of all the blacks coming up, there was a greater number of the whites signing up to the Ku Klux Klan. There was also evidence that by the 1920’s there was more racial tension in the north than before. The blacks were forced to live in lower standard accommodation and also in ghettos. Segregation still occurred and many of the blacks remained illiterate. For jobs, they were again at the bottom of the pile, below immigrants, just because of the colour of their skin.
The attitude towards blacks and immigrants showed that America was far from being the ‘land of the free’ as there were so many restrictions put up against these groups. Also it was extremely hard for these new immigrants to live the America Dream as it was so hard for them to get well paid jobs and make it. The distribution of wealth also showed the divisions as the ‘native’ whites were enjoying the majority of the wealth with the crumbs being given to the immigrants and the blacks. They also had less chance of getting the better education, the better jobs or the better living standards as there was a maintained prejudice against them from the ‘natives’.
The signs that showed America was divided were the attitudes towards immigration, the Palmer Raids, the Sacco and Vanzetti case and division of wealth. The signs that proved the country to be united were the League of Nations, Prohibition and The Scopes Trial.
America was a divided society to the extent between the ‘native’ immigrants and the new immigrants, mainly shown in immigration and exemplified the prejudice towards them in the Palmer Raids and the Sacco and Vanzetti case which summed up immigration as it showed the attitude felt towards foreigners. It shattered the image of America being ‘the land of the free’. This was also shown in Americans attitude towards the and the League of Nations as America wanted to remain out of European affairs. The treatment of blacks showed division as it ran through all the whites ending up with the formation of the Ku Klux Klan which further divided society. The distribution of wealth was also a sign of division as there was a prejudice division towards the WASPs who had the majority of America’s wealth in their pockets.
Although there were many signs of division, America also was united in their attitudes towards League of Nations. The majority did not want to get involved in these as they wanted to return to ‘normalcy’ and not get involved with Europe’s activities. Also America did have the same attitude towards Prohibition. Three quarters of the states voted for Prohibition showing that the majority of the country again was united in their fight against alcohol. This also showed in their need to ‘Americanise’ the immigrants, showing their desire to be united. The Scopes Trial also showed that America wanted to make it united as it tried to fight the states preventing any part of the US Constitution. Also the fact that America realised that it was breaking the constitution by its attitude towards anarchists showed that it realised it was divided. The immigration laws also show this and that America wanted to prevent it becoming anymore divided.
The statement, ‘to what extent was America in the 1920’s a divided society’, is concluded with the fact that there many aspects of American life that there was at least a small division, but there were areas where there were big divisions, especially with their attitude towards immigrants, blacks and the division of wealth. It also failed to uphold its image of being the ‘land of the free’ and was not able to conceal the disparity between what it wanted to be and what it was. But they were not fully divided as they stayed united with their thoughts in the League of Nations and in prohibition. America was a ‘melting pot’ of races which had a series of cracks in it.
