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In the 1920s American society was made up of a diverse range of peoples. American politics was shaped by the country’s system of government.

The American system of government

• America became a republic in 1776.
• Its founders decided that the new system of government should ensure that power was shared across three separate branches to prevent abuse of power.
• The laws, policies and decisions made by these branches of the federal government apply to all Americans.
• Furthermore, each state has its own local form of government that governs citizens within its borders.

Political parties

Two main political parties dominated politics in America throughout the 20th century and continue to do so today. These were the Democratic and Republican parties. The priorities of each of these political parties adapted over time, but for the period 1920-1975 they can be summarised as follows.

The Republican Party

• They adopted a laissez-faire attitude. They preferred to leave businesses to push economic growth rather than intervening in the economy.
• They believed in limited government intervention and low taxes for businesses and the public.
• Their political perspective was typically conservative.
• They were known as the GOP (Grand Old Party).

The Democratic Party

• They believed that government should intervene in the economy and society when necessary.
• They created policies to support and protect vulnerable members of society.
• At the time of the American Civil War (1861-1865), the Democrats had defended slavery. However, throughout the 20th century, more and more African Americans supported the Democratic Party as it evolved to be more socially progressive.
• Their political perspective was broadly liberal after the period of the New Deal.

The American people

The diverse peoples of America reflected the nation's history and affected its development.

Native Americans

The original inhabitants of the North American continent were Native Americans. They were a diverse range of nations with different languages, cultures and ways of life. When people from Europe began arriving in America in 1492, this started a process where the native nations were dispossessed (the Europeans took land from them) and disempowered. The population of Native Americans fell from around 5 million in 1492 to approximately 250,000 at the start of the 20th century. However, during the 20th century, Native Americans continued to survive by assimilating into American society and campaigning for the right to govern themselves.

Established immigrants

The largest groups of early European settlers arrived from Britain, Germany and the Netherlands from the 17th century. Many had migrated to America in search of new opportunities and freedoms. By the 20th century, this group of early settlers were established as the most powerful and wealthy group in America.

African Americans

Millions of black people from Africa were enslaved and forced to work in America during the period 1619-1865. In 1865, slavery was abolished in the aftermath of the American Civil War. Although African Americans were given full citizenship, they were denied the right to vote and discriminated against in jobs, housing and education.

New immigrants

A new wave of immigration occurred from the mid-19th century into the 1920s. These immigrants included Catholics, who came from Ireland and Southern Europe (eg Italy), as well as migrants from Eastern Europe and China. WASPs, who were already settled, often discriminated against these groups. Eventually, many of these groups of people prospered and were accepted into mainstream American society.