Roaring Twenties

                  During the 1920's, many changes occurred for the American lifestyle, both socially and politically. In this time, people tarted to live in cities more than in farm, the nation's wealth had almost doubled. This economic growth started to consume Americans into a new lifestyle that made them into a "consumer society". Thanks to nationwide advertisement, people in America started to do the same things, because everyone saw the same things such as music, clothes, and dances, and known as "mass culture". During this time, the 19th amendment was passed, and with it came a "new woman", often referred to as "flappers". Flappers were known to be free had short bob-like hair, wore short skirts, and drank wine, as well as being "unlady-like". In reality, women during this time were free, but had more opportunities to be someone in society.  A consumer good that was extremely popular during this time was the radio, by the end of the 1920's more than 12 million home owned a radio. Credit, made it possible for consumers to have more luxurious goods such as the automobile, which was extremely popular. Jazz, became extremely popular and new dances such as the the flea hop, the Charleston, the black bottom, and the cake walk. In 1919, the 18th amendment was passed, prohibiting the manufacture and sell of intoxicating beverages. Many people simply disregarded the rule and drank in underground bars, this created dealers and gangs. The Harlem Renaissance, was a cultural movement when African Americans started to move in from the country side into the cities, introducing new type of music which was jazz and blues. Many people, especially white Americans disliked this movement and therefore joined the Ku Klux Klan. The Ku Klux Klan, was supposedly a representation of the "morals" of the past and those that wanted to conserve them.  Not only were groups formed for African Americans but also for those that disliked immigrants. The Red Scare was formed in order to promote fear towards immigrants taking over the United States. This led to the passage of the National Origins Act of 1924, which limited the amount of immigrants that could come in the country by two percent.

  

The Knights of Labor

   
                               The Knights of Labor was one of the biggest and most important labor organizations in the United States. A very important leaver was Terence V. Powderly, who was Irish politician and was head of the Knights of Labor in the late 1880s. The purpose of the Knights of Labor was in order to unite skilled and unskilled workers in order to fight for rights, and economic, and social reforms. One of the beliefs of Terence V. Powderly was that he did not want Chinese immigrants to come into the country because they took away the jobs from the Native Americans. He became acquainted with the ideology of the Greenbacks because they believed that the producers were the workers. The Knights of Labor were mainly known for doing strikes, however, Terence disliked strikes because he believed that strikes would drive the workers away and would result in simply in workers organizing and not actually making a change.

                          In 1869, the Knights of Labor adopted the Declaration of Principles, which delineated every change they wanted in the law in order for workers to have more rights.   In 1885, the union achieved the first successful national union in the United States with great influence and a large membership. One of the problems with the Knights of Labor, was that they were too disorganized to try to against the corporations that they were trying to get rights from. The reason as to why they were not able to do anything was because the leader, Terence V. Powderly, forbade them to use strike against the corporations which was one of the greatest tools they every had. In two occasions, Terence ended two major strikes for trying to get an eight hour day, in which they could have won against the Texas and Pacific Railroad and against Chicago Meatpacking House Industry. Terence was afraid of loosing the support of the Catholic Church because he did not want them to think they were trying to cause a "social revolution", which was when they started to loose a lot of their influence.

                    In the year 1886, there was a major riot, the Haymarket Massacre, in which there was a bombing against Haymarket Square. The bombing was blamed on workers and two of them were from the Knights of Labors. This riot first began as a peaceful rally in order to support that workers get eights hours a day, but a few civilians threw bombs at the police and then the massacre started. This bombs cause a lot of the memberships to be returned because of the rumors that linked the Knights of Labor with the massacre. This caused the end of the Knights of Labor because they wanted to cause a change but with the refusal of the leader they were not making any changes.

The Strikes

    



                             George C. Pullman was an engineer and industrialist who first started his career in Chicago. One of the techniques which resulted in him being extremely successful was when he went to work with his father moving houses when the Erie Canal started to flood, was shifting houses onto newly built foundations. In Chicago he wanted to built the first sewer system, but because the streets were so muddy they were not able to hold the pipes properly. As a result, he came up with the idea to put the sewer system on top of the city and then covering, this system became extremely successful. He was also responsible for being one of the engineers to want to construct bigger buildings and formed the Ely. Smith & Pullman partnership who constructed the first hotel named Tremont House. When the sleeper cars were built he created the Palace Car Company.

                          In 1864, George C. Pullman finished his first sleeper car, which was an idea taken from packet boats that traveled in the Erie Canal. One of the reasons why the sleeper car was successful was because he arranged that President Abraham Lincoln's body would be transported from Washington D.C to Springfield inside a sleeper car. People started to order more and more sleeper cars, they eventually became only affordable to the "middle class" because they cost five more times than normal railway car. He wanted to keep expanding his business to those who were rich and invented sleeper cars that had great food and expensive furniture. Those who worked in the who worked in the sleeper cars were mainly African Americans or former slaves; however, the job was considered prestigious because it paid well. The only reason as to why George C. Pullman hired African Americans was because he thought that they had the right amount of servitude in order to serve the white men in his "Palace Cars".

                 In 1880, George C. Pullman bought four-thousands acres of land in Chicago, for eight hundred million dollars. The reason why he bought the land was in order to create a model community in order to attract skill workers and create a healthy environment that would be available to every working class. In 1884 the town was completed and it had over one thousands homes with water and gas. In 1894, the Pullman Strike begun, since most of the factory workers were required to live in the company town. Not only were the workers required to live their, but also hop, attend school, and were paid only in company money. The workers felt like prisoners living in the town because everything they wanted to do needed to be approved by George C. Pullman. In 1893, there was an economic downfall and George C. Pullman was forced to reduce wages of his workers by twenty five percent. This resulted in the downfall of the company town because often the prices of the shops stayed the same or even rose. The only way for the workers to gain the justice they deserved was by going on a strike until George C. Pullman met their demands. This attempt was destroyed by President Grover Cleveland who ordered federal troops to eliminate the strike, and while doing so many workers were killed in the violent attempts.

Reconstruction and Race Problems Historians

Kenneth M. Stampp: Radical Reconstruction:

The historian, Kenneth M. Stamp, argued that the only way that African Americans would obtain their rights is by getting assistance in the Homestead Acts. He also believed that the only way for African Americans to obtain equality is for them to have a land to work for themselves. A life changing agency was the Freedman's Bureau which aided freed slaves to obtain everything they needed to start a new life. This Bureau provided food, shelter, and medical care for those who were previous slaves and help establish themselves from the difficult transition of being a slave to becoming a civilian. President Andrew Johnson decided to veto the bill, however, Congress did not allow him to. After this scandal, the bill was exteded this helped the freed slaves because the agency had the right to verify work contracts and have courts for African Americans. 

Guion Griffis Johnson: Southern Paternalism Toward Negroes After Emancipation:

During this transition of slaves adating to civilian life many people had different ideas as to how this came to be. Guion Griffis Johnson, explained that this way of thinking could be defined in five different way of thinking. One way was called modified equalitarianism, which was to give freed slaves the right education in order to be able to advocate in politics and order important work positions. Another form of thinking was benevolent paternalism, white men claimed that they knew what the freed slaves needed and believed that they owed and great debt to the freed slaves for working on their lands for so long. Separate but equal, believed that freed slaves deserved education but it could not be the same as the whites. Those who were separate and permanently unequal claimed the African Americans were their own race and would never achieve high ranking positions. The last way of thinking was, permanently unequal under parental supervision believed that freed slaves were intellectually blind and could not advance in education, the whites said that they would be able to protect them as long as they continued to be slaves. 

C. Vann Woodward: Capitulation to Racism:

The historian, C. Vann Woodward, published a book in which he explains the Jim Crows laws in the South. He claims that these laws were not there to create hatred but that the hatred was already established in the South. One way that hatred was not thrown fully out into the South was because of the Northern Liberalism who were always talking about rights in ways such as the press, and in government. The Northerners started to say that the laws were the ones who created racism. Capitulation to Racism was the right to vote for freed slaves, and the reason as to why freed slaves did not vote was because of the fear that the whites caused in freed men. The historian believed that racism was caused by the progress of the South and accepting the freed slaves. 

American Reformer

                                     

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was an abolitionist in the women’s suffrage movement who was also an editor and a writer. She married  Henry Stanton on 1840 and together went to the World’s Anti- Slavery Convention in London. In 1848 with the help of Lucretia Mott they held the first Women’s Rights Convention at Seneca Falls, New York. She is the author of the “Declaration of Sentiments”, expressing her ideas on how to change the laws and society in order for women to have a higher role. She made petitions in order to for the congress to pass the the New York Married Women’s Property Act. In 1851 she met Susan B. Anthony and began to write articles, speeches and books. In 1876 with the help of Matilda Gage wrote the “Declaration of Rights” in which Susan B. Anthony delivered at the Philadelphia Centennial celebration. She was the president along with Susan B. Anthony of the National Women Suffrage Association. In 1880, she wrote three volumes of the “History of Women Suffrage” with the help of Susan B. Anthony and Matilda Gage. This book talked about the struggles and protests and different ways that the women suffrage movement was fought. She also wrote articles on women and religion, she published the “Woman’s Bible” which talked about her belief in religion and how it affected women’s rights. Another book she wrote was an autobiography titled, “Eighty Years and More” talking about the events and work of her life.

The reason as to why Elizabeth Cady Stanton, joined the women’s suffrage movement was when she met Lucretia Mott at the World’s Anti-Slavery Convention. In 1848, with the help of Lucretia Mott and her sister they organized the Seneca Falls Convention. In the convention she presented the “Declaration of Sentiments”, which was presented to over 300 people. She found inspiration from the Declaration of Independence, which she stated that both men and women were created equal. In order to reach people she wrote the “Revolution” a newspaper to reach people and help them become aware of the women’s suffrage movement.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton believed that the biggest issue facing society was that there was no equality even though it was stated. The government does not focus on the people but if the people fight just enough they will be able to change the course of events. She believed that human nature is good but that people need to become aware of their surroundings. Laws give people power and because women did not have any they were not taken seriously, like in the World’s Anti-Slavery Convention in which women were voted not to speak. Immediate change is needed because people need to be treated equally. The government should be their for the people and the people must be involved in order to make a change. A good society is composed of people who have the same opportunities and the same equality.

American Reformer

Susan B. Anthony, a woman suffrage movement activist, was a working teacher who decided to take action in equal rights after she discovered that men were earning triple the salary than women. Susan B. Anthony not only advocated for equal women rights but for actions that she believed were wrong. She joined the Daughters of Temperance, an organization that focus on the negative effects of alcohol and what how it can destroy homes. What truly motivated her to join the suffrage movement was a speech made by Lucy Stone in the 1852 Syracuse Convention. In 1853, she started a campaign in order for women to gain rights to property in New York. In order to make this a reality Ms. Anthony had to speak at meetings, collect signatures for petitions, and tried to convince the state legislature to change their minds. Ms. Anthony even went as far as to voting in the 1872 election and was arrested and put in trial in the Ontario Court House. Susan B. Anthony has made a numerous amount of accomplishments that has influenced society today. She encourage other women to speak up and not be afraid to be given a right. A remarkable way to reach others was through The Revolution, a newspaper that talked about equality and challenge those who went against the suffrage movement. Even after she was not sentence for “illegal” voting, arguing that her rights as a citizen were being violated, she served as president for the National Women Suffrage Association. With the help of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Ms. Anthony founded the National  Women Suffrage Association, this association advocated for a constitutional amendment all throughout America. Susan B. Anthony believed that, “failure is impossible” and she was able to prove it throughout her lifetime of fighting for equality.

One of the motivations behind Ms. Anthony  participating in the Women’s Suffrage movement was a speech made by Lucy Stone at the 1852 Syracuse Convention. Susan B. Anthony was fighting for the equality of women who during this time period did not have the right to vote. She believed that the only way for women to be acknowledge into politics is by first obtaining the right to vote. Susan B. Anthony started to fight for women to get the right to property in 1853 by submitting petitions and speaking in meetings. She also spoke in the National Women's Rights Convention in 1854. She was able to create the American  Equal Rights Association and became the publisher of “the Revolution” to make people aware of the injustices and inform them of what people can do to help the cause.  She also formed the National Women Suffrage Association, in 1869 and was president along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton.   

Susan B. Anthony believes that the biggest issue facing society is the lack of equality amongst society. The government is currently unaware of the struggles that other people, however, Ms. Anthony believes that the government has the potential to be able to listen to the demands of the people. Susan B. Anthony believes that people are good because regardless of the bad decisions they made, they are able to change their minds. She believes that legislature does have such a power because that is where people have their faith on, she believed that men had no respect for women because they did not have a vote. Immediate changes should be to look forward to because the more there is to wait the worst things will get and less respect women will have, they would simply be treated as objects. People need to be involved with the government because they are the ones making decisions for the people and at their convenience. A good society is based upon equality and making sure everyone gets the same treatment.     

Jacksonian Democracy

                                             The Jacksonian Democracy: For the People              
                     
                     The Jacksonian Democracy, changed the who political movement because it was made for the common man. This movement was all about tactic and learning how to appeal to the people and their needs. The Jacksonian Democracy promoted a limited government, equality for laws and rights, but also promoted a strict power this gave an electoral advantage over any other political party. This party was able to acknowledge the needs of the people and unlike other political political powers such as the Whigs who focus solemnly on the economy. According to historian Marvin Meyers, the Jacksonian central ideas remain present to this days such s liberty, equality, honesty, and dignity. These are some of the values that must be practiced in the government, this will help the people trust the government and the decisions they make. The Jacksonian Democracy revolutionized political parties with these morals because other political parties were extremely corrupt and only focus on the rich white men. The Whigs would persuade the public by their economic progress and promises for the future, while the Jacksonian focused on issues happening at the time. Even though the Jacksonian Democracy created controversy it helped shape some if the government that i s in present day.