“1919: The Year That Changed America” by Martin W. Sandler.
Bloomsbury Children’s Books, New York, 2019, 192 pages, Grades 7-9.
Throughout American history, the nation has suffered from painful issues. Though founded as a free nation, the United States allowed slavery to flourish in parts of the country. One of the results of this terrible practice was the outbreak of the Civil War.
As the country developed, immigrants flooded into the nation to improve their lot in life. But the immigrants were treated in two different manners. First, they were widely employed in low-paying jobs. Much of American development came through their hard work. Second, immigrants were discriminated against because they supposedly took American jobs. However, you can’t have it both ways. People either get their full rights or they don’t.
Martin Sandler looks at these two issues and their consequences in this outstanding work of nonfiction. He also traces important social changes and events that began immediately at the end of World War I. The name of this fine book is “1919: The Year That Changed America.”
The first episode detailed in the book is the Molasses Flood of 1919. On the North End of Boston, a huge tank holding 2.3 million gallons of molasses is hastily built. The molasses is mixed with other liquids and is being used for war munitions and the traditional rum production. Since the 18th Amendment prohibiting alcohol was recently passed, the owners of the tank want to quickly sell as much molasses as possible. In their haste, the tank is poorly constructed and has inadequate engineering specifications.
On January 15, 1919, the tank explodes, sending a tidal wave of molasses into the North End. 14,000 tons of molasses rush into the North End in a 30-foot wave. Houses, buildings, train lines are destroyed and people are killed. It now becomes apparent what happens when some businesses are not subject to inspection. Perhaps the government should play a more active role in regulation.
Similarly, another issue erupts across the nation. African American soldiers are returning with the rest of the American Expeditionary Force. Having fought for American freedom, they demand freedom from their country. Many people in the country do not want an integrated country. Quickly, riots break out across the country that lead to shootings, burnings and lynchings. In a number of cases, the National Guard has to be called out to stop the riots.
At times encircling government buildings, the National Guard eventually overpowers the demonstrators and the violence subsides. But the country is on a knife’s edge. Will hatred and bigotry overcome reason? How does the country heal?
Sandler discusses several other major events of 1919. A comprehensive account of the passage of women’s suffrage is included. The Red Scare is discussed in detail and the events surrounding the passage of Prohibition form a major part of the book. To find out more about the critical issues of this important year, go to the library and check out “1919: The Year That Changed America” by Martin Sandler.
In this award-winning book, Sandler doesn’t shy away from the trying events of 1919. However, he shows that the nation grew through its sufferings. Given the horrible events that took place in the nation’s capital recently, we would do well to learn and grow from this awful event. As Sandler writes, our ancestors rose to the occasion and created a better America. We can do the same.
