In America there was a lot of land for not many people. Immigration was encouraged so the poor from Ireland, Italy, Eastern Europe and other places came. Soon there was no majority of people just many minorities. Later laws were passed such as people had to be literate in English to enter the country. The people that came all had the same "American Dream" that they could be happy and prosperous in the "Land of the free." They thought that they could leave behind the poverty of there lives on there home countries and become rich in America.
Racism.
In America a group of people known as W.A.S.Ps (White Anglo Saxon Protestant) became unhappy at the number of Immigrants. They resented the foreigners coming to change there way of life and so a group called the "Klu Klux Klan" was started. They believed that they were better than the Blacks, Jews, Italians and other immigrants. Immigrants were Lynched by angry mobs. The immigrants were not protected by the Police as many of them were members of the KKK. Some of the Lynched people were even taken out of Police custody. Most Lynchers were never punished and the few that were got of very lightly.
Prohibition.
In the 1920s a group of people known as "Prohibitionists" supported a complete ban on alcohol. They said it was the root of problems in society such as family men spending all there money in bars while their family had no money to buy food and drink with. Eventually they got there wish and alcohol was banned. This led to the start of secret bars called "Speakeasies" in the back rooms of shop using home made or smuggled in alcohol. People who were members had a password or a secret knock to get in. Many of the Police also drank in these bars which was one of the reasons they were never closed down. The other was to do with Gangsterism.
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Gangsterism.
With the arrival of the Italians came things like Pizza, Ice Cream and the Mafia. The most famous of the Mafia was Al Capone who ran most of Chicago.