Working Americans 1880-2006: Social Movements (Working Americans: Volume 7) (Working Americans 1880-1999)

653 Pages·2006·30.38 MB·English

by  Scott Derks

W
ORKING
A
MERICANS
W A
1880–2006 ORKING MERICANS
Volume VII:
Social
1880–2006
Movements
A UNIVERSAL REFERENCE BOOK
Volume VII: Social Movements
185 Millerton Road, Millerton, NY 12546
A UNIVERSAL REFERENCE BOOK
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W A
ORKING MERICANS
1880–2006
Volume VII: Social Movements
W A
ORKING MERICANS
1880–2006
Volume VII: Social Movements
by Scott Derks
A Universal Reference Book
PUBLISHER: Leslie Mackenzie
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Laura Mars-Proietti
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Jane Murphy
MARKETING DIRECTOR: Jessica Moody
AUTHOR: Scott Derks
CONTRIBUTORS: Jim Copening,Josh Chilton,Tony Smith
ASSISTANT to the author: Brian Stanley
COPYEDITOR: Elaine Alibrandi
COMPOSITION&DESIGN: ATLIS Graphics
A Universal Reference Book
Grey House Publishing,Inc.
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Publisher’s Cataloging-In-Publication Data
(Prepared by the Donohue Group,Inc.)
Derks,Scott.
Working Americans,1800–2006 / by Scott Derks.
v. ; cm.
Title varies.
“A universal reference book.”
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
Contents:v.1. The working class—v. 2. The middle class—v. 3. The upper class—v. 4. Their children.—v. 5. At war.—v. 6. Women at work –
v. 7. Social movements.
ISBN: 1-891482-81-5 (v. 1)
ISBN: 1-891482-72-6 (v. 2)
ISBN: 1-930956-38-X (v.3)
ISBN: 1-59327-024-1 (v. 5)
ISBN: 978-1-59237-101-3 (v. 7)
ISBN: 1-59327-101-9 (v. 7)
1. 1. Working class—United States—History—19th century. 2. Working class—United States—History—20th century. 3. Labor—United
States—History—19th century. 4. Labor—United States—History—20th century. 5. Occupations—United States—History—19th century.
6. Occupations—United States—History—20th century. 7. Social classes—United States—History—19th century. 8. Social classes—
United States—History—20th century. 9. United States—Economic conditions. I. Title.
HD8066 .D47 2000
105.5/0973/0904
Copyright ©2006 Grey House Publishing,Inc.
All rights reserved
First edition published 2006
Printed in the USA
ISBN 10:1-59237-101-9
ISBN 13:1-978-1-59237-101-3
P
REFACE
This book is the seventh in a series examining the social and economic lives of working
Americans. In this volume, the focus is on the men and women who initiated or partici-
pated in social movements. These people include those willing to participate in a silent
Negro protest march against lynching, a physician who violated the law and strictures of
his community to offer birth control information, a mother’s feverish attempts to ban ac-
tion comics and a businessman willing to raise money to aid the post-World War Jewish
refugees of Poland.
The first volume, Working Americans: 1880–1999: The Working Class, explores the
struggles of the working class through the eyes and wallets of three dozen families. Em-
ploying pictures, stories, statistics and advertisements of the period, it studies their jobs,
wages, family life, expenditures and hobbies throughout the decades. The second and third
volumes, The Middle Class and The Upper Class, capture the struggles and joys of fami-
lies possessing progressively greater wealth and their roles in transforming the economy of
America from 1880 to 1999. The fourth volume, Their Children, builds upon the social
and economic issues explored previously by examining the lives of children across the en-
tire spectrum of economic status. This volume addresses parents, child labor, education,
peer pressure, food, fads and fun. Volume V examines the life-changing elements of war
and discusses how enlisted personnel, officers and civilians handled the stress, exhilaration,
boredom and brutality of America’s various wars, conflicts or incursions. Volume VI:
Women at Workcelebrates the contributions of women, chronicling both the progress and
the roadblocks along the way. This volume highlights the critical role of women on the
frontlines of change.
Working Americans VII: Social Movements explores the various ways America’s men
and women—of all ages—felt called upon to challenge accepted convention, whether the
issue was cigarette smoking in 1901 or fighting the construction of a massive hydroelec-
tric dam in 1956. This study of grassroots American protest highlights topics championed
by America’s conservatives, liberals and the deeply concerned. Some acted out of grati-
tude, like the young man who supported the Orphan Train, or anger, such as the ex-
soldier who conducted guerilla warfare demonstrations for Vietnam Veterans Against the
War. Some wanted better labor conditions, less kissing in silent films, more attention to
the environment or fewer prayers in school. Not all of those who are profiled were suc-
cessful or happy with the consequences of their protest, such as the man from Guatemala
who tried to improve his working conditions in a poultry plant, or the young woman who
protested against nuclear weapons. But like the woman who was scorned for writing a
polite letter to the editor to condemn tight-fitting corsets, they all took a stand. Some of
the issues transcend the decades, while some, like the prohibition of plume hunting to
supply the hat industry, seem happily anachronistic.
v
PREFACE
As in the previous volumes, each story is unique, as each of us is unique: the South-
ern white woman who took up the cause of the Scottsboro boys, the fight to aid the de-
spised Japanese Americans during World War II, a teenager’s determination to ban the
Beatles and a Native American’s resolve to bring pride to his community through protest.
During this journey we will discover a full-time pro-life advocate, a teenaged boy who
staged a labor strike for children and a Depression-era farmer who led a land revolt to
save a neighbor’s farm. Each has a story to tell.
All of the profiles are modeled on real people and events, although, as in the previous
books in this series, the names have been changed and some details added based on sta-
tistics, the then-current popularity of an idea, or writings of the time. Otherwise, every ef-
fort has been made to profile accurately the individual’s early life, education and work ex-
periences. To ensure that each profile reflects the feeling of its subject, diaries, letters,
biographies, interviews and magazine articles were consulted and used. In some cases the
person profiled represents national trends and feelings, but mostly, they represent them-
selves. Ultimately, it is the people, events and actions of working Americans—along with
their investments, spending decisions, time commitments, jobs and passions—that shape
society in our changing world.
Scott Derks
vi
I
NTRODUCTION
Working Americans 1880–2006 Volume VII: Social Movements, is the seventh volume in an open-
ended series. Like its predecessors, Social Movements profiles the lives of Americans—how they
lived, how they worked, how they thought—decade by decade. The previous volumes focused pri-
marily on economic status. This volume focuses on Americans, from all walks of life, who fought for
something they believed in—for themselves, their family, the human race.
Social Movements takes you:
• Into the home of three young girls whose mother fights for a woman’s right to not wear restric-
tive metal corsets in 1896;
• Into the office of a physician who risks public scorn by promoting birth control rather than risk
the lives of his young patients who find themselves continuously pregnant in 1921;
• Into the high school of a 15-year-old who leads a Ban the Beatles campaign after John Lennon
compared his group’s popularity to that of God in 1966;
• Onto a football field where a star football player fights for rights for the disabled after being par-
alyzed in a car accident in 1992;
• Into a community divided by the right to pray in school in 2000;
• Onto a basketball court where a coach fights for equal opportunities for his female players in 2004.
Arranged in 11 decade-long chapters, this newest Working Americans volume includes three in-
dividual Profiles per chapter, with four in the expanded last chapter. The opening sections highlight
the individual’s work, home and community, followed by historical and economic information of the
time. Historical Snapshots chronicle major milestones; Timelines pinpoint the progress of the social
issue profiled; and a variety of News Features put the topic in context. These common elements, as
well as specialized data, such as Selected Prices, punctuate each chapter and act as statistical com-
parisons between decades, as well as between Americans of different socioeconomic backgrounds.
The 34 men and women profiled in this volume represent a wide range of ages, social backgrounds,
ethnicity, and professions.
The social issues you’ll read about are not all social movements in the strictest sense of the words.
They are, however, all stories of social improvements, from the point of view of those willing to take a
stand. From trying to contain the flu epidemic in 1919, to the fight to make America alcohol free in
1937, to the struggle against the conservation of the Spotted White Owl in 1986, this volume covers
10 major topics, from Censorship to Religion, with dozens of variations. The Table of Contents fol-
lowing this Introduction provides a detailed list of topics.
Working Americans 1880–2006 Volume VII: Social Movementsis so much more, however, than
simply a list of social issues in America. It’s a window into how Americans think, act, react and get
vii
INTRODUCTION
motivated. Fighting for change is the American way, from immigrants struggling to find work, to
same sex couples struggling for the right to marry. The right to protest is one of the distinguishing
factors that sets this country apart from many others around the world.
Like the other six volumes in this series, Working Americans 1880–2006 Volume VII: Social
Movements is a compilation of original research—personal diaries, school files, family histories—
combined with government statistics, commercial advertisements and news features. The text is pre-
sented in bulleted format. There are hundreds of supportive graphics—photographs, advertisements,
magazine covers, even campaign buttons.
Like the earlier volumes in this Working Americansseries,Volume VIIis a “point in time” book, de-
signed to illustrate the reality of that particular time. Some activists were successful and some were not.
Many of the fights portrayed in this volume are still being fought. As issues are resolved, there are dozens
more waiting for their champion. This is America.
Praise for earlier volumes—
“the volume succeeds at presenting various cultural, regional, economic and age-
related points of view...[it is] visually appealing [and] certainly a worthwhile purchase...”
Feminist Collections
“...easy reading that will help younger students come to an understanding of the
lives and situations of American women.”
ARBA
“The volume ‘promises to enhance our understanding of the growth and
development of the working class over more than a century.’ It capably fulfills this
promise...recommended for all types of libraries.”
ARBA
“[the author] adds to the genre of social history known as ‘history from
the bottom up,’ which examines the lives of ordinary people...Recommended for
all colleges and university library collections.”
Choice
“this volume engages and informs, contributing significantly and meaningfully to the
historiography of the working class in America...a compelling and well-organized contribution
for those interested in social history and the complexities of working Americans.”
Library Journal
“these interesting, unique compilations of economic and social facts, figures,
and graphs will support multiple research needs. They will engage and
enlighten patrons in high school, public, and academic library collections.”
Booklist
This is no dull statistical compilation of economic history. It is a very interesting,
readable account of life in the United States for the worker or laborer.
It would be very useful for undergraduate students researching laborers or
working and social conditions.
Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship
viii
T C
ABLE OF ONTENTS
1880-1899
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
1894 Profile: Child Welfare:The Orphan Train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
1896 Profile: Women’s Health: The Anti-Corset Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
1898 News Feature: “The Child’s Dearest Playmate” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
1898 Profile: Child Labor: The Children’s Jacket Makers’ Strike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
1900-1909
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
1901 Profile: Anti-Smoking Campaign: Anti-Cigaret League of America . . . . . . . . . .53
1904 Profile: Public Health/Food Additives: Pure Food and Drug Act . . . . . . . . . . . .71
1905 Profile: Animal Conservation: Plume Hunting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
1907 News Feature: “The Automobile in America” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101
1910-1919
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105
1912 Profile: Suffrage: The Kansas Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
1917 Profile: Civil Rights: Anti-Lynching Silent Protest Parade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
1913 News Feature: “A Strike and Its Remedies, the Conditions Rebelled Against” . .145
1919 Profile: PublicHealth/Flu Epidemic: Controlling the Influenza Outbreak . . . . .149
1920-1929
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
1921 Profile: Reproductive Rights: Distribution of Birth Control Literature . . . . . . .171
1923 Profile: Immigrant Reform: America for Americans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
1928 Profile: Censorship: Purity for Silent Films . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203
1929 News Feature: “Beware Big City’s Glamouring Lure...” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219
1930-1939
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221
1932 Profile: Civil Rights: The Scottsboro Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223
1933 Profile: Property Rights: Taking Charge of the Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239
ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1937 Profile: Prohibition: The Fight to Make America Liquor Free . . . . . . . . . . . . .257
1939 News Feature: “Talk About Trouble:ANew Deal Portrait of Americans . . . .273
in the Depression”
1940-1949
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .279
1943 Profile: Civil Rights: Internment of 110,000 Japanese Americans . . . . . . . . . .281
1946 Profile: Civil Rights: Desegregating the Military . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .303
1947 Profile: Refugee Rights: Helping Polish Jews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .321
1947 News Feature: “Hold Fast! Ye Southern Textile Workers” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .339
1950-1959
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .343
1954 Profile: Censorship: Banning Comic Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .345
1956 Profile: Environmental Movement: Preserving the National Parks System . . . .365
1956 News Feature: “Desegregation Will Fail” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .379
1959 Profile: Worker Rights: The New York Hospital Workers Strike . . . . . . . . . . .383
1960-1969
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .397
1965 Profile: Civil Rights: Selma Alabama Awakens America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .399
1966 Profile: Censorship: Banning the Beatles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .417
1968 News Feature: “Woman as Child...Notes from the First Year” . . . . . . . . . .433
1969 Profile: American Indian Activism: Fishing Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .435
1970-1979
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .449
1970 Profile: Environmental Movement: The First Earth Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .451
1971 Profile: Peace Movement: Vietnam Vets Against the War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .467
1971 News Feature: “Interfaith Reporter” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .487
1977 Profile: Refugee Rights: Caring for the Boat People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .489
1980-1989
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .505
1983 Profile: Nuclear-Freeze Movement: Anti-Nuclear Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .507
1983 News Feature: “Charity Begins with the Homeless” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .523
1986 Profile: Animal Conservation: Spotted Owls vs. Timbering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .527
1989 Profile: Reproductive Rights: Operation Rescue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .541
1990-2006
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .559
1992 Profile: Rights of the Handicapped: The Disability Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .561
1996 Profile: Worker Rights: The Immigrants’ Strike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .575
2000 Profile: Prayer in Public Schools: Prayer at a Football Game . . . . . . . . . . . . .587
2004 Profile: Women’s Rights: Title IX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .601
2006 News Feature: “Granny Power Takes on the Iraq War” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .613
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .615
x