Savage Peace in American History - Essay Example

The year 1919 was best remembered in American history as the end of the First World War. Hence, it is celebrated as such. However, the end of the war did not mean prosperity and stability in America, which one could refer to as just peace. Instead, it entailed adverse developments that made 1919 one of the darkest years in the American experience. After the war, the so-called demobilization kicked in. About 4 million men and women in uniform came home and industrial demobilization followed as war contracts were canceled (Berkin et al., 2005, p.672).

This fuelled the social and economic chaos in transitioning America. The high inflation rate, which began in 1918, was further aggravated and it ignited social unrest, which was marred by riots, strikes, terrorism, fear of Communism, and racial unrest, among others (p.113). The nation was not only effectively paralyzed but it became unusually unjust. Even the government began exerting its authority, curbing and violating individual rights in the process.