'The 1920s was a period of intolerance in the United States.' How far do you agree? Explain your answer. [40]

This question asks you to evaluate how far you agree that the 1920s was a period of intolerance in the United States. You must consider evidence of both intolerance and progress, then reach a balanced judgement.

Arguments that the 1920s was a period of intolerance:

• The Ku Klux Klan experienced a major revival, reaching an estimated 5 million members by 1925. The Klan targeted African Americans, Catholics, Jews, and immigrants, using intimidation, violence, and political influence, particularly in the South and Midwest.
• The Immigration Acts of 1921 and 1924 imposed strict quotas that deliberately limited immigration from southern and eastern Europe and excluded most Asians entirely. These laws reflected nativist prejudice against groups considered racially or culturally inferior.
• The trial of Sacco and Vanzetti (1920-1927) revealed deep prejudice against Italian immigrants and political radicals. Many believed the two men were convicted more for their anarchist beliefs and Italian origin than for the evidence against them. Their execution in 1927 provoked international protest.
• The Red Scare of 1919-1920 saw the Palmer Raids arrest and deport thousands of suspected communists and radicals, often with little regard for civil liberties or evidence.
• Racial segregation remained legally enforced across the South through Jim Crow laws. Lynching continued, with the NAACP recording numerous cases throughout the decade. African Americans in the South were denied basic civil rights, including the right to vote.
• The Scopes Trial (1925) exposed tensions between religious fundamentalism and modern science, with the state of Tennessee prosecuting a teacher for teaching evolution. This symbolised the cultural divide between urban modernism and rural traditionalism.

Arguments that the 1920s also saw progress:

• The Harlem Renaissance celebrated African American culture and creativity. Writers like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, and musicians like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong, gained wide recognition and challenged racial stereotypes.
• Women gained the vote through the 19th Amendment (ratified 1920) and experienced greater social freedoms. The "flapper" culture represented a break from restrictive Victorian norms, with women asserting independence in dress, behaviour, and employment.
• Jazz music crossed racial boundaries, with both Black and white audiences enjoying performances. Jazz clubs became spaces of cultural mixing, particularly in northern cities.
• The NAACP grew in membership and influence, campaigning against lynching and legal discrimination. Although its legislative efforts were often blocked, it built the organisational foundations for later civil rights progress.
• Urban areas generally became more tolerant and cosmopolitan. The cultural divide in America was as much between cities and rural areas as between different ethnic or racial groups.

Reaching a conclusion:

The 1920s was a decade of both intolerance and progress, and the two trends existed simultaneously. Significant and often violent intolerance (the Klan, immigration restriction, racial segregation, the Red Scare) coexisted with genuine cultural advancement (the Harlem Renaissance, women's suffrage, jazz). The decade reflected deep divisions in American society between urban modernism and rural traditionalism, between tolerance and nativism. Describing it as simply "a period of intolerance" is an oversimplification, but intolerance was undeniably a major feature.

Mark scheme guidance: Level 5 answers (33-40 marks) will avoid one-sided responses. The question invites you to test the claim of "intolerance" against evidence of progress and change. The strongest answers explain why both trends existed simultaneously, perhaps by reference to the tensions between different parts of American society (urban vs rural, North vs South, traditional vs modern). Simply listing examples of intolerance without acknowledging progress will limit your marks.