Salameh 1

Senecca Salameh

Block B

Mr. Marshall

2/6/17

Conflicts of The 1920s

Delving into the extensive history of the United States proves not only to be riveting and

fascinating; certain time periods, such as the 1920s, was engaging and greatly influential.

Commonly referred to as the “Roaring 20s” which the name itself suggests a true depiction of a

decade consisting of entertainment and leisure, the 1920s was also a period of controversy and

dissension. Conflicts such as nativism, fear of communism, and differences between the new

modern world and the old rural world plagued the golden era.

As America began to prosper and grow at a moderately fast rate, word of its success and

fortune reached other countries. Immigrants rushed over to the U.S, in hopes of forging a new

life full of liberty, freedom, and opportunity. Although the U.S preached a worldwide message of

a warm welcome and opportunities for all, those who actually made it to America received a

less-promising welcome that wasn’t as true to its word. Tensions rose between immigrants,

minorities, and people of color against white Americans. Nativism, a belief that favorited the

interests of native-born people over foreigners, increased and often struck against immigrants

with racial discrimination and prejudice. Even African-Americans that already lived in America

still experienced racial intolerance. The rise of the Ku Klux Klan and the deportation of

immigrants was a common occurrence within the 1920s. The KKK was a white terrorist

supremacy group focused towards extremist actions towards those who were different and of

color. In a passage by Hiram W. Evans, from the North American Review, called the “The Klans
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Fight For Americanism” he advocated the actions of the Klan and their efforts to carry out the

true intentions of the American public against “alien” groups that corrupted and beset the

American communities, “Thus the Klan goes back to the American racial instincts, and to the

common sense which is their first product, as the basis of its beliefs and methods . . .” (Evans

196) Nativist attitudes also resided against immigrants. A high percentage of immigrants were

deported after World War I, out of fear that immigrants were anarchists and communists that

disagreed with American democracy in a time period known as “red scare”. Immigrants were

often discriminated against, even for conflicts such as crimes that they may have not committed.

Bartolomeo Vanzetti, an Italian immigrant, was accused or murdering another man on little to no

proof whatsoever. The basis for his accusation was simply due to his background and his

standing within American society. His speech to the court on April 9th, 1927, pointed out that

the grounds of the court were false due to their fear of immigrants and communism, “The jury

were hating us because we were against the war, and the jury don’t know that it makes any

difference between a man that is against the war because he believes the war is unjust, because

he hate no country, because he is a cosmopolitan, and a man that is against the ar because he is in

favor of the other country . . .” (Vanzetti 331) Due to his origins being from Italy and the era of

the red scare, he was still found guilty of the crime, showing a prime example of discrimination

against immigrants.

The fear of communism deeply resided within Americans and continued to do so for

many years. Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer conducted “Palmer raids” on radicals,

charging into homes without warrants nor warning. Palmer and his men wanted to get rid of the

foreigners, believing that they infested America with their radical ideas. Emma Goldman, an

immigrant who wrote about her deportation in her autobiography, Living My Life, described the
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scenes of her deportation due to unease towards foreign groups, “I felt dizzy, visioning a

transport of politicals doomed to Siberia . . .Russia of the past rose before me and I saw the

revolutionary martyrs being driven into exile. But no, it was New York, it was America, the land

of liberty!” Although foreigners were taken without question and often left without trial, their

few rights gave them no say in their future. Deportation was a common occurrence during the

red scare, tearing apart families and erasing opportunities of those who worked hard to live in

America, only to increase tensions and agitation within American society.

Differences within the new world and modern world also provided more fuel for conflicts

of the 1920s. Modern and traditional values clashed as urbanization began to progress and

society began to move forward. Henry Ford, the creator of the automobile and Ford cars,

inadvertently added to this progression of urbanization. Due to his creation of the automobile,

masses of people began to spread out and move to large cities, all the while creating a newer

urban and cosmopolitan culture. Ford, having originated from the quiet countryside, represented

the old world values in his attitude towards urbanization, which contrasted with the new modern

values which weren’t as conservative. Even norms for femininity began to reshape, unveiling the

era of the flapper of women who were much “bolder, slangy, and informal in manner . . .”

(Slosson 175) However, as cities began to develop new and exciting lifestyles for Americans,

conservatives were still determined to stop the new urban culture. Thus the Prohibition came to

life, a nationwide constitutional ban on the manufacture, importation, and sale of alcoholic

beverages. Ultimately, the ban was ineffective as it was weakly enforced, as Americans still

found ways to drink whether it was visiting speakeasies or buying directly from bootleggers.

Moreover, the Prohibition also called for a swift increase of crime and delinquency. Gangs began

to form, making their profit off of the production, sale, and transportation of alcohol; meanwhile
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marking their territories. Establishment of gang territories meant tension and criminal violence,

“It is impossible to tell whether prohibition is a good thing or a bad thing. It has never been

enforced in this country.” (LaGuardia) Eventually, the Prohibition was abdicated in 1933, yet it

still proved as a large contributing factor to conflict within the 1920s.

In conclusion, many issues of the 1920s led to conflicts that definitely marked the decade

as a wild one. Fear of communism, old world vs. new world values, and immigrants were highly

controversial.