World war I
"Then came the Great War. Patriotic Americans who had been in doubt on the question of restriction became aggressive restrictionists. |
While immigration laws began to tighten, World War I, lasting from 1914 to 1918, brought about a nationalist sentiment to propagate the idea of keeping America free of foreigners. After the war, loss of factory jobs made employment scarce and poverty ensued. Despite America emerging as an industrialist leader, inflation was high, so companies had to reduce wages and lay off workers. Union strength grew and workers protested these wage decreases and layoffs through strikes. The competition for jobs increased racial tensions and riots.
John E. Ayer, “Letter to Crime and Law Enforcement Commission.” 1929 [4]
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