Massachusetts
in the Early 20th Century
During
the beginning of the century, Massachusetts
transformed from a rural to an urban state.
As the economy expanded, Massachusetts emerged
as a leader in industry and manufacturing. The
increased job opportunities in the growing industries
drew citizens from the countryside, increasing
rural to urban migration. By 1920, 95 percent
of the population lived in the cities. Immigration
increased so much at the turn of the century
that by 1920, only 31.9 percent of the population
was native of Massachusetts. Unfortunately,
the manufacturing boom did not last through
the 1920s. The decade saw a decline in manufacturing
and over 154,000 jobs were lost.
The
Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti case came
to characterize Massachusetts during the 1920s.
Sacco and Vanzetti were two Italian immigrants
who arrived in the state in 1908. Sacco married
and worked as an edger in a shoe factory in
South Stoughton, and Vanzetti peddled fish door-to-door
in Plymouth. Both men were in their 30s and
somewhat active in the Italian anarchist movement.
In 1920, there were two robberies, one in Bridgewater
and one in Braintree that came to bring much
attention and scrutiny from across the country.
Two people were killed in the Braintree robbery.
Within a few weeks of the crimes, Vanzetti was
indicted for the Bridgewater robbery. He was
convicted on July 1, 1920. One year later, Sacco
and Vanzetti were both convicted for the Braintree
crimes. The case remained in court for six years
and became a huge political drama. Left-wing
groups took the side of Sacco and Vanzetti,
believing that the men were innocent victims
of ethnic and political prejudice. Despite the
support from various groups, the case went to
trial. The men were found guilty and sentenced
to death. They were executed on August 23, 1927.
After review of the trial records, many agree
that ethnic prejudice was present in the court,
resulting in an unfair trial.
World War I
Massachusetts
played an important role in World War I. Soldiers
at war and citizens at home both did their part
to help the war effort. The Boston and Quincy
shipyards worked at full capacity, and other
state industries manufactured various war goods.
The war created a manufacturing boom that continued
after the war, although wages remained low and
strikes were common. Manufacturing began to
decline as the textile industry relocated to
the South.
Militarily,
the 26th, also known as the Yankee Division,
fought in major battles in Europe. A total of
198,929 Massachusetts men fought in the war,
and 5,288 of them died.
The Great Depression
The
Great Depression further stimulated the rural
to urban migration that had characterized the
demographic scene since the turn of the century.
People came from the country to the cities in
search of work only to find high unemployment
rates. Boston lost 25 percent of its jobs and
suffered an unemployment rate of 19.9 percent
by 1939. Ethnic communities suffered the most
during the Depression. In Irish South Boston,
the unemployment rate reached an alarming 33
percent. The Italian North End developed the
highest population density and the highest juvenile
delinquency rate. The decade was also plagued
by Irish-Italian gang warfare. When large numbers
of Italians moved to the country and settled
in the North End, they pushed the Irish south.
This caused a territorial tension between the
two ethnic groups as the Irish tried to hold
northern territory. Attacks between the groups
developed into both large and small-scale gang
wars. Massachusetts suffered terribly through
the Great Depression and was only relived with
the economic boom that was brought by the Second
World War.
World War II
The
onset of World War Two brought the state, and
the country, out of the terrible grip of the
Great Depression. Because of the outstanding
intellectual community built from the circuit
of universities in the state, Massachusetts'
contribution to the war came in the way of research
and technological developments. Private scientific
grants and university contracts helped the country
stay ahead of her enemies scientifically, and
helped bring the universities to a new level
of research and education.
Conclusion
Since
the arrival of the Pilgrims and the Puritans
in the 17th century, Massachusetts has grown,
changed, and evolved in a number of ways. The
state's conservative history begins with Puritan
roots, only to be changed dramatically by 19th
century immigration into a state whose largest
religious group is Catholic. The state witnessed
a change from a rural-agricultural area to an
economic and educational metropolis. These advances
were possible because of the many diverse people,
from Puritans to recent immigrants, who decided
to make Massachusetts their home.
