The Klan of the 1920s and Nativism

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The Klan of the 1920s and Nativism
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In Context

• 1920s were a time of unparalleled scientific and
  economic growth
• The effects of large scale immigration were being
  felt for the first time
• Catholic v. Protestant
• Prohibition after all had been passed as a check
  on the out of control society

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Anti-immigration sentiment

• People felt immigrants were taking jobs away from
  native born Americans
• Prohibition was an attempt to control the
  drinking of the immigrants

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1921 Immigration Law

• Established the first quota system
• Immigration from a country could not exceed 3 of
  the immigrant country population in the United
  States in 1910
• Example
• Cut immigration from 800,000 to 300,000 in one
  year
• Nativists werent satisfied

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National Origins Act of 1924

• Banned immigration from Asia entirely
• This angered Japan (think ahead)
• Reduced the European quota from 3 to 2
• Changed the basis year from 1910 to 1890
• Made southern and eastern Europeans more
  difficult to get in
• Why?

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The New Klan

• Re-established in 1915 at Stone Mountain, Georgia
• The Birth of a Nation
• Glorified the klan as heroes after the Civil War
• Nativism made them go after different groups

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New Klan Targets

• African Americans
• Primary concern shifted to Catholics, Jews,
  foreigners
• Anyone but WASPs were seen as a problem

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Who made up the Klan?

• Protestant whites
• More political than violent
• Controlled the state legislature in Indiana for a
  short time
• Family Values
• Traditional Values

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Traditional Values

• Klan persecuted anyone who went against their
  religious teachings
• Irreligion
• Sexual promiscuity
• Drunkenness
• Compulsory bible study in public schools
• Punish divorce

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Similar to Gangs to today

• Provided people with a sense of belonging in a
  world which was growing chaotic
• Rituals, uniforms, structure
• People clung to all of this as their worlds were
  rapidly changing

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Downfall of the New Klan

• 1925
• David Stephenson
• Raped a young secretary, kidnapped her, and
  watched her dies after taking poison to commit
  suicide
• Klan basically died out again by WWII only to be
  brought back by Civil Rights movement