1920s Politics and the Great Depression
The 1920’s were a period of significant political unrest in the United States. The decade marked the end of an era in which a Republican-dominated Congress had been in power since the end of the Civil War, and ushered in a period of tumultuous change. The 1920s saw the introduction of several new political ideas, the rise of progressivism, the emergence of the Ku Klux Klan, and the Sharpesville Massacre in South Africa. At the same time, the decade was marked by economic turmoil and the beginnings of the Great Depression in 1929. This article will take a look at the major events and changes in 1920s politics that set the stage for the Great Depression.
Progressive Politics in the 1920s
Progressivism was an effort to address the problems of industrialization and reform government in the United States. It emerged in the early 20th century with a focus on curbing the power of big business, breaking up monopolies, providing social safety nets, and regulating working conditions. This was a broad political movement that extended well beyond the 1920s, but it was during this decade that the progressive movement began to gain ground in the United States.
The Ku Klux Klan
In the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan rose to prominence as a white supremacist organization with a presence in both the North and the South. It targeted African-Americans, immigrants, and other minorities. The organization was built on a foundation of hatred and violence, but it also captured elements of a revivalist Christian tradition that eventually led to its growth and power. The Ku Klux Klan had a strong political base in the South and was a powerful force behind anti-immigrant, anti-black, and anti-Semite politics in the 1920s.
The Sharpesville Massacre
The Sharpesville Massacre was an event that had far-reaching implications for the political landscape of South Africa. In 1960, a group of anti-Apartheid activists protested against the government’s Pass Laws, which denied rights to non-white South Africans. The protest was met with a violent response from the police who opened fire and killed 69 people. The Sharpesville Massacre highlighted the deep racial inequalities that existed in South Africa and energized the anti-Apartheid struggle.
The Stock Market Crash of 1929
The stock market crash of 1929 is often pointed to as the start of the Great Depression in the United States and much of the world, but the underlying economic turmoil was brewing in the 1920s. The decade saw an overextended stock market that was largely fueled by easy credit and rampant speculation. This created a dangerous situation in which people were able to purchase stocks at inflated prices. When the market began to correct itself, it sent shockwaves that sent panic through the economy.
The 1920s was a time of significant political and economic upheaval in the United States and around the world. Progressivism was on the rise, the Ku Klux Klan was a powerful force in politics, and the Sharpesville Massacre highlighted the racial inequalities in South Africa. At the same time, the decade saw the beginnings of the economic bubble that burst with the stock market crash of 1929 and ushered in the Great Depression. The tumultuous events of the 1920s had a lasting impact on our political and economic landscape, which we still feel to this day.
