The Klan's Fight for Americanism

The 1920s were a period of tension between new and changing attitudes on the one hand and traditional values and nostalgia on the other. There was tension between the old and the new because there were many changes in America during this time. Many people welcomed the changes but there were also those who could not let go of old ideas. The tension manifested itself in many ways, including in the Ku Klux Klan movement, art, music, family life, religion and in the courts. First, in Document D “The Klan’s Fight For Americanism,” the Klan is trying to hold on to old ideas. They say that they speak for Americans of the “old Pioneer Stock.” They promote racism as they are anti-black, anti-Catholic, anti-women’s rights and anti-foreigners. This is a time where Americans do not want any more Immigrants coming in and laws are passed to limit the number of them allowed in each year. The Document says the Ku Klux Klan is opposed to “intellectuals and liberals.” In the 1920s, women get the right to vote and many are having their own careers. The Klan says they represent “old-stock Americans.” They don’t want the women to work or vote and do not like immigrants because they are not American. This goes against the changes happening in the 1920s. Second, Documents B and E show the tension in the art and music of the 20s. The Bridge painting can be looked at as a bridge to the future. It is showing the way to the modern times. The war is over. The people are happy, dancing and plenty of money is being made in the 1920s. Document E by Langston Hughes talks about young negro artists having pride in being black. They can use art to promote being happy being black. This is against old ideas of white being better and negroes and their jazz music being beneath whites and white music. Third, tension in family life is reflected in the Document H chart, Marriage and Divorce, 1890-1930. The chart shows that right at 1920 marriages begin to go down in number and divorces continue to go up. The old ideas of morality are changing with the flappers dressing wildly and the new fast Charleston dances. The sale of illegal alcohol by bootleggers is also big. Gangsters are roaming the streets. Women can vote and work outside the home. There were probably all kinds of family arguments about theses changing times versus the old ideas of family values and husbands running the family. Fourth, in Document I “Aimee Rises From the Sea,” by Morrow Mayo, the newer idea in religion is to be happy and think about how pretty heaven is not how bad hell is. It says the Gospel “has a pretty color, a sweet taste, and is easy.” It says the Temple is full of flowers, music, golden trumpets, red robes and angels. Ideas before focused on what would happen to you if you weren’t good. This is probably because the horrible war was over and people were happy to be home and enjoying their lives.
Fifth, in Document C, “The World’s Most Famous Trial: Tennessee Evolution Case, 1925,” there is major tension between education and religion. A high school teacher taught the theory of evolution to his class and got in huge trouble. There was a court case about it. Just like today, education and science was advancing in the 1920s. Evolution was a scientific theory of how man came into existence. This went against the main religious view that God created man in his own image and all of the things written in the bible about creation. In the Document, Mr. Darrow is a lawyer in the case objecting to the religious view with his questioning. The trial never made a decision about it but the tension of old v. new ideas is there as a sign of the times in the 1920s.