24.2 Transformation and Backlash
4 min read•june 24, 2024
The 1920s saw a clash between traditional values and modern culture in America. and led to strict immigration laws, while urban areas embraced new freedoms. The resurged, targeting not just African Americans but also immigrants and religious minorities.
Rural and urban America diverged culturally. Cities celebrated jazz, flappers, and the . Meanwhile, rural areas clung to conservative values and fundamentalist Christianity. This divide culminated in events like the , highlighting tensions between science and religion.
Cultural Conflicts of the 1920s
Nativism in 1920s America
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- Nativism: belief that native-born Americans and their cultural values were superior to immigrants and their cultures
- Fueled by fears of rising immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe, which was seen as a threat to traditional American culture and values
- Xenophobia contributed to the growing anti-immigrant sentiment
- Immigration restrictions enacted through the (1921) and (1924), which limited immigration based on national origins and favored immigrants from Western and Northern Europe over Southern and Eastern Europe
- Resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan, which targeted not only African Americans but also Catholics, Jews, and immigrants, reaching a peak membership of 4-5 million in the mid-1920s
- Rise of the eugenics movement, a pseudoscientific belief in the genetic superiority of certain races and ethnicities that influenced immigration policies and led to forced sterilization laws
Urban vs rural cultural values
- Urban culture in the characterized by newfound social freedoms and cultural experimentation
- Rise of the "flapper" and changing gender roles for women
- Harlem Renaissance: flourishing of African American art, literature, and music (Langston Hughes, Duke Ellington)
- and the rise of speakeasies and organized crime (Al Capone)
- Rural culture emphasized traditional values, religion, and , viewing urban culture as a threat to moral order and the traditional way of life
- Rise of fundamentalist Christianity in response to perceived moral decline (Billy Sunday)
- Clash of urban and rural values exemplified by the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" Trial and the urban-rural divide in the 1928 presidential election between Al Smith and Herbert Hoover
Scopes trial's societal impact
- Background: John Scopes, a high school biology teacher, was charged with violating Tennessee's , which prohibited teaching evolution in public schools
- Defended by Clarence Darrow; prosecution led by William Jennings Bryan
- Arguments centered on the freedom to teach science and evolution (Darrow) vs the belief that evolution contradicted the biblical account of creation and undermined religious faith (Bryan)
- Outcome: Scopes was found guilty and fined $100, but the verdict was later overturned on a technicality
- Significance: The trial symbolized the conflict between and traditionalism, science and religion, highlighting the urban-rural divide and cultural tensions of the 1920s, and shaped public opinion on the teaching of evolution and the role of religion in education
Cultural Pluralism and Assimilation
- emerged as an alternative to the traditional "melting pot" theory of
- Debates arose over the extent to which immigrants should maintain their cultural identities or assimilate into mainstream American society
- contributed to the development of ethnic enclaves in major cities, fostering both cultural preservation and gradual integration
Economic and Social Transformations
Analyze the causes and consequences of the Great Migration
- Causes:
- Opportunities for employment in Northern factories during World War I
- Escape from Southern racism, segregation, and limited economic prospects
- Boll weevil infestation in the South damaged cotton crops and displaced sharecroppers
- Consequences:
- Demographic shift: over 1.5 million African Americans moved from the South to Northern cities between 1910-1930, leading to the emergence of African American urban communities and cultural movements (Harlem Renaissance)
- Increased racial tensions and competition for jobs and housing in Northern cities
- Laid the foundation for the Civil Rights Movement by concentrating African American political power in Northern cities (Chicago, New York)
Examine the impact of mass production and consumerism on American society
- Mass production techniques (assembly line) made consumer goods more affordable and accessible
- Rise of the automobile industry and widespread car ownership ()
- Expansion of the middle class and the concept of the "American Dream"
- Advertising and the rise of consumer culture promoted new products (radios, appliances), fueled consumer demand, and encouraged individualism, materialism, and the pursuit of leisure
- Changing lifestyles and social norms: increased emphasis on convenience, leisure, and entertainment, challenging traditional gender roles and family structures
- Economic impact: stimulated economic growth and job creation in the 1920s, contributing to the economic boom and the ""
Key Terms to Review (19)
Assimilation: Assimilation is the process by which immigrants or minority groups adopt the cultural traits, values, and behaviors of the dominant or mainstream culture, often to the point of blending indistinguishably into that culture. It involves the gradual absorption and integration of individuals or groups into the prevailing social structure of a society.
Butler Act: The Butler Act was a Tennessee law passed in 1925 that prohibited the teaching of the theory of evolution in public schools and required the teaching of the biblical account of human creation. This law was a key part of the broader backlash against social and cultural transformations taking place in the United States during the 1920s.
Cultural Pluralism: Cultural pluralism is the recognition and acceptance of multiple cultures within a society, where each group maintains its unique cultural traditions and identities. It is the idea that a society can incorporate diverse cultural backgrounds while promoting mutual understanding and respect among different groups.
Emergency Quota Act: The Emergency Quota Act was a United States federal law that established a quota system to limit the number of immigrants allowed to enter the country. It was enacted in 1921 and marked a significant shift in U.S. immigration policy towards more restrictive and discriminatory measures.
Fundamentalism: Fundamentalism refers to a strict adherence to the basic or fundamental principles of any set of beliefs, often in a reactionary or conservative manner. In the context of 24.2 Transformation and Backlash, fundamentalism is associated with a religious and cultural movement that emerged as a response to perceived threats to traditional values and beliefs.
Great Migration: The Great Migration refers to the massive movement of African Americans from the rural South to the urban centers of the North, Midwest, and West between 1916 and 1970. This large-scale internal migration was driven by the desire to escape the oppressive Jim Crow laws, racial violence, and economic hardship of the South, as well as the promise of better employment opportunities and living conditions in the industrialized cities of the North and West.
Harlem Renaissance: The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural, social, and artistic movement that flourished in the African American community of Harlem, New York, during the 1920s. It was a period of unprecedented creativity, intellectual growth, and racial pride, which had a profound impact on the African American experience and the broader American culture.
Jazz Age: The Jazz Age, also known as the Roaring Twenties, was a period of cultural, social, artistic, and economic dynamism in the United States during the 1920s. It was characterized by a vibrant and innovative musical genre called jazz, as well as a general sense of exuberance and excess in popular culture.
Ku Klux Klan: The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is a racist, anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic, and anti-Semitic hate group that has existed in various forms since the end of the American Civil War. The Klan's primary goals have been to maintain white supremacy, target minority groups, and oppose Reconstruction efforts to integrate formerly enslaved African Americans into society.
Model T: The Model T was an automobile produced by the Ford Motor Company from 1908 to 1927. It was a groundbreaking vehicle that revolutionized transportation and played a significant role in the transformation of American society and the backlash against it, as well as the events leading up to the Stock Market Crash of 1929.
Modernism: Modernism is a broad movement in thought, the arts, architecture, and criticism that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, characterized by a self-conscious break with traditional styles and values, and the experimentation with new forms of expression. It was a response to the rapid changes and challenges of the modern world.
National Origins Act: The National Origins Act was a series of laws passed in the 1920s that significantly restricted immigration to the United States. The act aimed to maintain the existing ethnic composition of the American population by favoring immigrants from northern and western Europe over those from southern and eastern Europe, as well as Asia.
Nativism: Nativism is a political and social movement that promotes the interests of established inhabitants of a region or country against those of immigrants. It often involves the belief that the native-born population should be favored over newcomers in areas such as employment, housing, and political representation.
Prohibition: Prohibition refers to the nationwide ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages in the United States from 1920 to 1933. It was enacted through the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and enforced by the Volstead Act.
Roaring Twenties: The Roaring Twenties was a period of economic prosperity, social change, and cultural dynamism in the United States during the 1920s. It was a time of rapid industrialization, technological advancement, and a surge in consumerism that transformed American society.
Scopes Trial: The Scopes Trial, also known as the Scopes Monkey Trial, was a highly publicized 1925 court case in which a high school biology teacher, John Scopes, was accused of violating Tennessee's Butler Act by teaching evolution in a public school. The trial became a symbolic clash between modernism and fundamentalism in American culture during the 1920s.
Social Conservatism: Social conservatism is a political ideology that emphasizes traditional social values and practices, often resisting change and promoting the preservation of existing societal structures and norms. It is typically associated with a resistance to progressive social reforms and a desire to maintain the status quo.
Urbanization: Urbanization refers to the process by which a population becomes increasingly concentrated in urban areas, leading to the growth and development of cities. This term is closely connected to the industrialization and economic transformation that occurred in the United States during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Xenophobia: Xenophobia is the fear, hatred, or distrust of that which is perceived to be foreign or different. It is often manifested through intolerance, discrimination, or hostility towards individuals or groups from other countries, cultures, or backgrounds.