ABSTRACT
The early 20th century saw a significant influx of non-British immigrants from Europe needed to fuel its rapid industrialization, much of it related to the transformation of the U.S. military from the horse era to the new mechanized services. Moreover, the mobilization of white males into the Army provided an impetus for freedmen and their families to trade their sharecropper existence for jobs in the industrial centers of the northern states. Both the newly arrived immigrant and the black migrants found this transition to be troublesome once the white soldiers returned home following the conclusion of the First World War. At the same time, anti-Indian sentiments were also expressed, resulting in further land grabs, treaty violations, and ill treatment at the hands of the U.S. Government. Efforts to restore Indian rights and protection occurred during the Great Depression and World War II but faced a reversal during the post-WWII “communist fear” era of conservative Republicans.
