The 1920s: cars, radio, the Harlem Renaissance and Prohibition

Grade 11 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Cards A to F. Card A, a cause and effect chain in our words. Long-term causes: wartime fears for national security; the 1917 revolution in Russia and an over-hyped Red Scare; sometimes violent labor strikes across the country. Trigger: in 1919, a series of attacks with explosives, including at Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer's home. Effects: in December 1919 suspected radicals were deported to Russia on a ship the press called the "Soviet Ark"; in January 1920 raids in many cities arrested thousands of suspected radicals and foreigners, with poor planning. Card B, in our words: a 1921 law limited immigrants to 3 percent of each nationality counted in the 1910 census. The 1924 Immigration Act limited them to 2 percent of each nationality counted in the 1890 census and shut out all immigrants from Asia. Using an earlier census lowered the share of Southern and Eastern Europeans. Card C, exact, the 18th Amendment, ratified January 16, 1919, Section 1: "After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited." It took effect on January 17, 1920, and the 21st Amendment repealed it on December 5, 1933. Card D, a summary in our words: the FBI says the raids of 1920 taught lessons about protecting civil liberties and constitutional rights. Card E, an example made up for this sheet, not real data: the census of 1910 counted 400,000 people of one nationality, called Country X, living in the United States, and the census of 1890 counted 100,000. Card F, a note in our words: card B's quotas applied to each nationality separately, as a share of that nationality's count in the base census.

2. 1.

   Card B says an earlier census lowered the share of Southern and Eastern Europeans. Esme asks why a base year matters.

   • More people from those regions had arrived by 1890, so their limits were larger
   • A base year has no effect, since the percent is the same for each nationality
   • The 1890 census undercounted those regions, so their limits were smaller
   • Fewer people from those regions had arrived by 1890, so their limits were smaller
3. 2.

   A friend says "Section 1 made it a crime to drink." What does the text of card C show Jun?

   • It sets penalties, since "hereby prohibited" carries them with it
   • It names making, selling, moving and importing liquor for drink, not drinking
   • It names drinking, since "for beverage purposes" means drinking it
   • It names owning, since selling and moving liquor imply that a person owns it
4. 3.

   Card C shows Prohibition in force from January 1920 to December 1933. A student calls it a failed experiment because it ended. What does the card support, Kira asks?

   • That it failed, since the 21st Amendment repealed it
   • That it ended after one year, since the amendment took effect one year after ratification
   • That it ended by repeal in 1933; whether it failed is a judgment the card does not settle
   • That it worked for nearly fourteen years, since it stayed in force that long
5. 4.

   A student says the Red Scare was caused by the Russian Revolution alone. What is the best reply from card A, Luz asks?

   • Card A shows the Revolution mattered least, since it is listed second
   • Card A shows the Revolution was the trigger, so it was the cause
   • Card A lists three long-term causes and a trigger, so one is too little
   • Card A shows the strikes alone caused the Red Scare
6. 5.

   A classmate says card D shows the raids of card A were a mistake. What can Milo fairly say from the two cards?

   • The FBI ended the raids once it learned the lessons
   • The FBI approved of the raids, since it took part in them
   • The raids protected civil liberties, since the FBI says they taught lessons about them
   • Card D shows the FBI later drew lessons; "mistake" is stronger than the card
7. 6.

   A student says the quotas of 1921 and 1924 continued the Red Scare's fear of foreigners. What do cards A and B support, Noah asks?

   • The raids caused the quotas, since the raids came first
   • Both answered fear, but the raids are not shown to cause the quotas
   • There is no link, since one used arrests and the other used laws
   • The quotas ended the Red Scare, since they came after it
8. 7.

   Which statement about card B's two laws is supported, Pia asks?

   • The 1921 law shut out immigrants from Asia, and the 1924 law did not
   • The 1924 law used a larger percent and a later census, which raised that share
   • The 1924 law used a smaller percent and an earlier census, lowering that share
   • Both laws used the 1890 census, and they differed just by the percent
9. 8.

   A ship brings intoxicating liquors from abroad to sell as drink. Under card C, how does Ren treat the import?

   • It is covered if the liquor is drunk on the ship, since drinking is named
   • It is covered, since importation of such liquors for beverage purposes is named
   • It is not covered before January 1920, but it was covered from ratification in 1919
   • It is not covered, since the text names just making liquor inside the country
10. 9.

    Tala's note says: "Prohibition was repealed in 1933 because it was unpopular." What does card C support?

    • It supports the note, since repeal follows when a law has lost public support
    • It dates the repeal to December 5, 1933 but gives no reason for it
    • It contradicts the note, since a constitutional amendment ended it rather than public opinion
    • It supports the note on cost, since the card says Prohibition lasted nearly fourteen years
11. 10.

    Which phrase on card A labels the fear as bigger than the facts, Zee asks?

    • "sometimes violent labor strikes"
    • "an over-hyped Red Scare"
    • "with poor planning"
    • "suspected radicals and foreigners"