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America 1920-1973Deep Dive

Deep Understanding: The FEARS Behind Intolerance

Part of Intolerance and Prejudice · GCSE GCSE History revision

This deep dive covers Deep Understanding: The FEARS Behind Intolerance within Intolerance and Prejudice for GCSE History. Revise Intolerance and Prejudice in America 1920-1973 for GCSE History with 12 exam-style questions and 16 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 3 of 14 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

Topic position

Section 3 of 14

Practice

12 questions

Recall

16 flashcards

🧠 Deep Understanding: The FEARS Behind Intolerance

Each form of intolerance was driven by specific fears. Understanding these helps you explain WHY, not just WHAT:

🚨 Fear of Communism: The Red Scare (1919-20)

Context: The Russian Revolution (1917) had seen workers overthrow the government and execute the ruling class. American business owners were TERRIFIED this could happen in America.

1917: Russian Revolution — Communists seize power, execute Tsar and aristocrats
1919: Wave of strikes in America — 4 million workers strike. Business owners blame "Reds"
1919: Anarchist (someone who wants to destroy all government authority) bombs sent to politicians including Attorney General Palmer
1919-20: Palmer Raids — 6,000+ arrested, often without evidence. Many were immigrants. 556 deported.
Legacy: Any criticism of capitalism could be labelled "communist." Unions were weakened. Fear of "radicals" persisted for decades.

⛪ Fear of "Foreign" Religions

America had been founded by Protestants. The "new immigrants" from Southern and Eastern Europe (1900-1920) were mainly Catholic, Jewish, or Orthodox Christian.

  • WASPs (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants) had dominated America since its founding. They feared losing control.
  • Catholics were seen as loyal to the Pope rather than America. Anti-Catholic prejudice was widespread.
  • Jews faced centuries-old prejudice. Conspiracy theories blamed them for economic problems.
  • The KKK explicitly targeted Catholics and Jews alongside Black Americans — claiming to defend "100% Americanism."

    • 💼 Fear of Economic Competition

    Native-born workers feared immigrants would:

  • Take their jobs — Immigrants often accepted lower wages
  • Lower wages for everyone — More workers = employers could pay less
  • Break strikes — New immigrants might not support unions

    • This economic fear combined with cultural prejudice to create powerful anti-immigrant sentiment.

    🏡 Fear of Cultural Change

    Rural, Protestant America felt under siege from modern, urban culture:

  • Cities were growing while rural areas declined — power was shifting
  • Jazz, flappers, speakeasies seemed to threaten traditional morality
  • Evolution challenged religious beliefs (Scopes Trial, 1925)
  • Immigrants concentrated in cities, bringing different languages and customs

    • The KKK, Prohibition, and immigration restrictions can ALL be seen as attempts by "traditional" America to resist change.

    🔥 The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in the 1920s

    The 1920s KKK was DIFFERENT from the post-Civil War Klan — bigger, broader, and more politically powerful:

    FeatureDetailSignificance
    Membership4-6 million by 1925Massive — this wasn't a fringe group
    GeographyNot just South — powerful in Indiana, Oregon, Oklahoma, ColoradoNational movement, not regional
    TargetsBlack Americans, Catholics, Jews, immigrants, "immoral" behaviourBroader than original KKK
    MethodsLynching, beatings, cross-burning, boycotts, intimidationViolence AND economic pressure
    Political powerControlled some state governments; members included police, judges, politiciansInside the system, not just outside
    Slogan"100% Americanism"Defined "American" as white, Protestant, native-born

    Decline after 1925: Grand Dragon David Stephenson of Indiana was convicted of the rape and murder of a young woman. This exposed the hypocrisy of the KKK's "moral" crusade. Membership collapsed rapidly.

    Keep building this topic

    Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in Intolerance and Prejudice. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.

    How to THINK About This Topic (History Skills)Immigration RestrictionsSetting the SceneLinking Different Forms of Intolerance

    Practice Questions for Intolerance and Prejudice

    Who led the government raids on suspected communists and radicals in 1919-1920 that resulted in over 6,000 arrests?

    • A. A. Mitchell Palmer
    • B. J. Edgar Hoover
    • C. President Woodrow Wilson
    • D. David Stephenson
    1 markfoundation

    By 1925, approximately how many members did the Ku Klux Klan have at its peak?

    • A. 400,000
    • B. 4-6 million
    • C. 400 million
    • D. 40,000
    1 markfoundation

    Quick Recall Flashcards

    KKK membership by 1925?
    4-6 million members
    What caused the Red Scare?
    Russian Revolution (1917), strikes, anarchist bombs — fear communism would spread

    12 questions on Intolerance and Prejudice — practise free

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    Immigration Restrictions