SOCIAL P

ROBLEMS IN

THE

20’S

FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION

Some Americans wanted to deny equality to people who were different

African Americans Immigrants “America First”

• Ku Klux Klan • Formed in the south in 1915• Feared African-Americans, Jews, Catholics, immigrants• Clan gained political power & helped elect two governors• Clan marches in Washington DC in 1925• By the end of the 1920’s, the Klan lost membership and power

FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION

• Immigration Act (1924)• Law limiting the number of immigrants into the country from

southern and eastern Europe• Americans felt immigrants were a threat to American democracy• Americans feared the Communist revolution in Russia would spread

to the U.S.• Communists believe in a form of government that eliminated

private property and tried to share the nations wealth equally among its citizens

FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION

• Anarchists• People that want to do away with all forms of government• Some were willing to use violence to achieve the political goals

• Red Scare• Series of bombings targeting government and business leaders • Red flag is the symbol of the Russian Communist revolution• Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer’s home is bombed• Government rounds up thousands of political radicals in the

“Palmer Raids”• These raids violate people’s civil rights and lead to deportation of

immigrants

WHAT WAS PROHIBITION

• Social Problems• Crime, violence, family

breakups, and child abuse lead to ban of alcohol

• 18th Amendment (1919)• Selling, making,

transporting of alcohol illegal

• Bootleggers• Someone who illegally

sold liquor during prohibition

• Speakeasies• Illegal bars where alcohol

is sold

• Repeal (1933)• Rise of organized crime is

an unintended consequence