Nativism

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The Roaring Twenties: Nativism

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Thesis
Nativism, the opposition to immigration based on the fear that foreigners will be a threat to pre-existing culture, began in the United States with the increase of immigration and the rise of the Know-Nothing party in the 1840's and 50's. Since then, nativism has been present throughout the entire history of the United States. In the 1920s, the nativist movement was sparked by the Red Scare and the revival of the Klu Klux Klan. It served as a both a unifying and a dividing factor as it unified the stereotypical white middle-class Americans against a common enemy and as a dividing factor as it separated and labeled those living in America by race.

Overview
After the conclusion of World War I, many immigrants attempted to come to America in an attempts to escape war-torn Europe. With the surge of immigrants came a re-surge of nativism as American returned to a doctrine of isolation. They denounced foreign "radical" ideas and condemned "un-American" lifestyles. Although this literal shutting of the gates helped feed the huge economic boom, it had negative impacts on Blacks, Catholics, Jews, and other foreign immigrants. During this time period, many measure were taken to limit the number of immigrants entering the United States.
 * __Immigration Act of 1917__: Established literacy requirement for immigrants
 * __National Origins Act of 1924__: Banned all immigration from east Asia
 * __Immigration Act of 1924__ (Johnson-Reed Act): Quota for immigrants entering the United States was set at two percent of the total of that nation's residents in the United States.



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 * Nation wide fear of communists, socialists, and anarchists because of frequent anarchist bombings in 1919.
 * "Reds" = Italian immigrants


 * 1919: General Intelligence Division of Bureau of Investigation
 * Led by J. Edgar Hoover
 * Discover and deport 'conspirators'


 * The Red Summer (1919): Thirty-eight mail bombs sent to prominent members of the government


 * Wall Street (Sept, 1920): One hundred pounds of dynamite exploded, killing forty and wounding three hundred


 * __Espionage Act of 1917__: $10,000 fine and 20 years imprisonment for those who interfered with the recruitment of troops or gave out information regarding national defense.
 * Abused by A. Mitchell Palmer and John Edgar Hoover who used the act to arrest 1,500 people for disloyalty

YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zywzzl9AiU&feature=related

Klu Klux Klan

 * Re-birth under leader, William J Simmons


 * The Film "The Birth of a Nation" from 1915 showed the KKK in a positive light, increasing their membership and influence


 * By 1925 they had over 4 million members and had spread throughout both North and South


 * Goal One: To purge the United States of impure, alien influences
 * [[image:http://www.yorkblog.com/yorktownsquare/kkkX00250_9.jpeg width="181" height="198" align="right"]]Method: Pressuring blacks, Jews, Catholics, and foreigners to leave the United States through boycotts of their businesses and threatening their families.


 * Goal Two: Revert to more traditional ways
 * Method: Redefining traditional gender roles
 * Against women rights movement
 * Picketing for a compulsory Bible reading in public school


 * This united many white males across the country, but isolated and victimized minority groups

Connections to Today



 * Westboro Baptist Church
 * Extreme Christian Group


 * War on Terror
 * Fear and generalizations about people of Arab descent
 * Fear of Islam
 * Mexican border
 * Arizona Immigration Laws
 * Governor Jan Brewer approved legislation that requires immigrants to carry around their documentation and requires police to question citizens if they have a reasonable suspicion that said person may be an illegal immigrant

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