Chapter 22: Peace with Problems
The US emerged from World War II as a superpower- they had the atom bomb, the economy wasn’t messed up…
During World War II, we were allies with Russia- we joined to fight a common enemy. By the end of the war though, we were opponents. The US viewed Russia as a threat, so the US began a policy of containment- to keep Communism controlled and not let it spread. It was as if an iron curtain had descended between the US and Russia. A main goal of containment was to help with money, for example:
1. Truman Doctrine- gave money to Greece and Turkey to help their governments remain strong and not fall to Communism.
2. Marshall Plan- gave money to any European country so long as they agreed to not be Communist. Gave them money to fight chaos, hunger and desperation.
Start of the Cold War-
The Cold War began in Germany at the end of World War II. Germany had been divided into four zones, each controlled by a different world power- France, Russia, England and the US. Berlin, the capital of Germany, which was in Russia’s zone, was also divided into four zones. A couple of years after the war was over, America, France and England decided that it’s time for Germany to be whole again and they gave up their rights in their zones. Russia, however, didn’t agree with this and did not give up their zone. Russia was angry and decided that in order to prove her power, she was going to blockade West Berlin (the part that was given up). The Allies responded by airlifting supplies to West Berlin for about a year. Every fourteen minuets, another plane took off to drop supplies until Russia finally backed off and lifted the blockade.
Russia took East Berlin and Germany as satellites. Now they would be Communist, just like Russia. At this point, America needed Allies and NATO was formed- an alliance of all non-Communist nations. Russia had the Warsaw Pact.
America worked on containment in Asia also:
1. China- in 1949, China became Communist. Until 1972, America didn’t recognize Red China as a country- they didn’t trade and didn’t have a seat in the UN. Taiwan was recognized in China’s place.
2. Korea- after World War II, was divided at 38° parallel. This was supposed to be a temporary division until things could be worked out. The north was controlled by Communist nations and the south was controlled by Western nations. Before things were worked out, the north invaded the south in an attempt to unite the whole Korea. The UN sent troops to help South Korea. These troops were predominately American, headed by General Douglas MacArthur. The fighting was very intense. One of the most serious events of the Korean War was when MacArthur and his troops reached all the way to the Yalu River. Then, the Chinese got involved and pushed them all the way back down again. Now, there was a difference of thought between Truman and MacArthur. Truman didn’t want a tremendous war so he told MacArthur to lay low- he doesn’t need the whole Korea, just to get the south back their territory- limited war. MacArthur was disobedient and as a result was relieved of his position. America tried to end the war. In 1951, the US stopped fighting. They didn’t sign a treaty until 1953, and when the treaty was signed, we were back at the 38° parallel. This war showed that the US is willing to go to war for containment.
Cold War at home-
The US believed in world freedom, but sometimes, freedoms are limited. In America, in 1950, freedoms were limited. There was now a Red Scare in America. America began to look within for Communists. The HUAC was set up to search for communists. This search continued for about thirty years. Many Americans were blacklisted- accused of being Communists- and as a result, they lost their jobs, their children couldn’t get jobs… The FBI, led by J. Edgar Hoover, was also involved in searching. They worked together with the HUAC.
In 1940, the US passed the Smith Act- you can’t speak or act against the government- it’s illegal. In 1951, the Supreme Court agreed with the Smith Act in Dennis vs. USA. Eugene Dennis was a Communist and the Supreme Court ruled that he could be jailed, fined and locked away.
In 1957, the Supreme Court weakened the Smith Act with two cases:
1. Watkins vs. USA- you can’t punish a witness who refuses to cooperate.
2. Yates vs. USA- you can only punish someone who advocates a direct action against the government.
In 1947, Truman formed the Loyalty Review Board- to review the loyalty of government members. Everyone was now under suspicion. Many government officials lost their jobs due to this:
1. Robert Oppenheimer - was accused, but found innocent. However, he was never given a pass to the Oval Office again.
2. Alger Hiss- an advisor to FDR. He was charged of being a Communist. A Communist member Winacker Chambers said that he knows that Hiss is a communist. There was a whole investigation. A young Republican, Richard Nixon, decided to investigate the case heavily. Hiss was found guilty.
In the midst of all this tension, a senator from Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy decided to go on his own Communist hunt. He went on a rampage, frightening people with no facts. No one was safe from McCarthy- he accused everyone. He went so far as to accuse the army. He said that they’re not really protecting you. It was 1952 and the investigation was televised. The nation watched and realized that McCarthy was full of hot air. He lost the American people’s respect almost immediately. False, rash accusations are known as McCarthyisms.
In the midst of this tension, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were accused of selling the secret of the atom bomb to the Russians. Over the years, people have tried to prove their innocence. They died by the electric chair.
In 1952, the US passed the McKaren- Walter Act- restricted immigration from Communist countries into America.
In 1952, Eisenhower became president. He continued the policy of containment. He went even further, saying that we’re going to use massive retaliation- we’ll fire back if we have to and go to war if we have to- Brinkmanship. The US was going to be very forceful against communism.
During the Fifties, the US entered an arms race with the Soviet Union. This arms race led to greater tension. The UN tried to limit the arms race. The US and the Soviet Union were also in a space race. In 1957, the Russians launched Sputnik- a satellite that orbited the earth. It was the first. The US also launched satellites.
The US continued their policy of containment in Asia. They were afraid of the Domino Theory- that if one country will fall to communism, others will follow. Those fears were true.
In the Middle East, the US containment policy continued.
The Eisenhower Doctrine gave money to Middle Eastern countries so that they shouldn’t fall to Communism. The US supported the Shah of Iran so that he should remain in power because the shah was not a communist.
In Egypt, Nasser became the prime minister. He nationalized all business- there was no longer European control. The US supported him, as did Russia so America backed down. Nasser took control of the Suez Canal- important waterway. The Suez Canal had been under French and English control. Now, Nasser nationalized it and said that Israel can’t use the canal. Israel, England and France attacked Egypt and took control of the canal. America got involved and said not to do this because they don’t want to go to war over this. America told Israel, England and France to back down, and they listened.
In Lebanon, the US sent troops to maintain peace.
In Latin America, since the Spanish- American war in 1898, America was heavily involved in Latin America. Latin America didn’t want the US because they felt that they were being bossed around. But America still continued its involvement. In 1958, Vice President Nixon went on a tour of Latin America and they threw eggs at him. This showed the lack of good relations between US and Latin America.
In 1959, Fidel Castro took over Cuba. At first, America supported Cuba, but then Castro nationalized American businesses in Cuba and did other things to anger America- limited human rights... so our involvement with Cuba was lessened. Now there was a communist nation off of our coast, which was scary. Many Cubans fled to America and added to our cultural mix.
During the 50s, our relationship with the Soviet Union was like a roller coaster- Stalin died and in 1953, Khrushchev took over. America thought that now they would be able to work things out with Khrushchev. The US worked on a plan called the Peaceful Coexistence- we respect each other’s differences. We tried to improve our relationship.
In 1955, there were rebellions against Russia in Poland and Hungary. The soviets crushed the rebellions ruthlessly, so our relationship got worse.
In 1959, our relationship improved. We invited Khrushchev to America and met in Camp David. Things were looking good. We agreed to meet again in 1960 at the Summit Meeting and talk about things, such as arms reduction. Just before the meeting, our relationship went downhill again as a result of the U-2 Incident- the U-2, an American spy plane, was shot down over Russian territory and the Russians said that they’re not coming to meet with spies.
Life during the 50’s-
During the 50’s, Eisenhower wanted to cut back on government spending and government involvement. He was president after FDR and Truman, who increased government involvement and spending. They did cut back on defense and foreign aid, but they didn’t cut back on their welfare programs- the New Deal and the Fair Deal programs.
Prosperity of the 50’s bypassed the farmers, so they were given subsidies to help them. Much of the rest of the country was doing well because America was excited to be consumers once again:
1. People hadn’t spent for years and were now excited to spend.
2. People now had money and were excited to spend it.
The 50’s are sometimes nickname the Good Old Days.
Because of all this spending, one area of growth was in the homes- there was now an explosion of suburbia. Levittown, NY was a suburb that sprung up over night. (It was named after John Levit.) It was a development and had laws of conformity in order to maintain sameness. In general, the 50’s were years of conformity and the 60’s were years of rebellion against this conformity.
Now, the automobile became a pleasure item, not just a functional item. It also helped the growth of suburbia because people could now drive to work. The government now passed the Federal Highway Act- gave $44,000 to build highways and to help the new vistas that the car was opening for us.
America was a nation on the move- people moved from the North Eastern cities to the sunny states, from the Rust Belt to the Sun Belt.
In the 1950’s, television became a household item. It was invented in the 30’s and broadcasting began in the 40’s.
African American civil rights movement-
Truman desegregated the armed forces in the 1940’s. The first time a black joined the MLB was Jackie Robinson, in 1947.
In 1953, Eisenhower appointed Earl Warren as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He served until 1969. The Warren Court made many landmark rulings that changed America, such as Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas- this overturned an earlier ruling of Plessey vs. Ferguson of 1897. It stated that separate but equal is equal. It said that separate facilities are equal. Now, in 1954, this was changed. It was ruled that in education, separate but equal is not equal.
Many black parents wanted to send their children to local white schools- they didn’t want to send them far away to inferior black schools. One of these parents, Oliver Brown, wanted his daughter to go to the white school around the corner. The NAACP helped the African Americans bring their case to the Supreme Court.
The white southerners resisted this ruling. In Little Rock, Arkansas, nine teens enrolled in the central high school and they weren’t allowed in. Eisenhower reluctantly stepped in and told the Arkansas state troopers that they’re under his control. He issued them an executive order to let them into school. The Arkansas governor shut down the school at the end of the year. The south was totally separate.
Many blacks decided not to wait for new laws, but to disobey laws and bring change- civil disobedience. There were many cases of civil disobedience over the years. Civil disobedience is to disobey without using violence.
One of these cases was the Montgomery Bus Boycott- Rosa Parks was coming home from work and there were no seats in the black section of the bus, so she sat in the white section. She was asked to leave, but she refused so they pulled her off the bus. This caused a reaction amongst the blacks- they decided to boycott the busses in Montgomery, Alabama. This boycott lasted for 381 days and made a statement. At the end of the boycott, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on busses is illegal.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. emerged from the Montgomery Bus Boycott as the leader of the Civil Rights movement. He was a dynamic speaker. His mentor was Mohandas Gandhi.
In 1957, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act- was supposed to end segregation. It had limited effectiveness, but was the start of change. Many civil rights had a hard time getting passed because the Congressmen didn’t want to pass them. Many Congressmen would filibuster to stop the laws from being passed.
The move for civil rights and civil disobedience continued into the 60’s.
Different situation in the Civil Rights movement:
1. James Meredith- was a retired air force worker. He was black and wanted to enroll in the University of Mississippi. He was not allowed in, so he forced himself in. There were riots on both sides. The Federal government helped him enroll and for the duration of his stay there, he had a bodyguard.
2. Greensboro, North Carolina- a group of black youth decided to protest the segregation in all areas. They sat on white busses, went to white parks and sat at white lunch counters in white restaurants.
As the movement grew, whites joined the blacks to fight segregation. Some whites sponsored freedom riders- passes for blacks to go on white busses. Many were slaughtered or dragged off of the busses.
3. Birmingham, Alabama- there were efforts to desegregate the city. Blacks made a huge march. The police wanted to end the march, so they set dogs on the marchers and shot hoses at them. They jailed about 2,000 people and amongst them was Dr. King. There in jail, he wrote “Letters from a Birmingham Jail”, in which he discussed his principles of civil disobedience and his desire for equality. This protest was televised and people were shocked at how the blacks were treated- helped support the Civil Rights movement.
4. Medgar Evers- worked for the NAACP and he was killed outside of his home in Mississippi by white supremacists.
5. University of Alabama- in 1963, Governor Wallace didn’t allow for black students to enroll. Kennedy, who was president at this time, pressured him to allow them in.
6. President Kennedy spoke to the nation about the need for civil rights- he said they have to do something to help these people. This was the first time that the president spoke publicly about the Civil Rights movement. He discussed passing the Civil Rights bill – to help the African Americans gain equality.
In support of this bill, the blacks organized a huge march in Washington D.C. Whites marched alongside the blacks. It was at this march that King made his famous “I have a dream” speech. Not everyone believed in King’s dream. A few weeks after this march, there was a bomb in an African American church, killing four black girls.
In November of 1963, Kennedy was assassinated and his vice president, Lynden B. Johnson, took over. He pushed heavily to get the Civil Rights Act passed. In 1964 it was passed. It stated:
1. Voting protection
2. Opening of all public facilities
3. Commission was set up for equal job opportunities.
The Supreme Court backed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in the Heart of Atlanta Motel vs. USA- no segregation in interstate businesses.
Blacks still felt that they didn’t have total voting rights. The 24th amendment abolished the poll tax to fix this.
The blacks organized a march:
1. To get blacks out to vote and make them aware about voting.
2. To make whites aware that blacks are going to vote.
The march was from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 got rid of the literacy test and stated that the Attorney General can punish anyone who denies the blacks the right to vote.
The summer of 1964 was the highlight of the Civil Rights movement- from that point and onward, the Civil Rights movement went downhill. Blacks felt that civil disobedience isn’t working and they want to fight. Malcolm X was a more militant leader. He felt that the whites were unnecessary. He said that they’ll have a black identity and nationalism. Later, he went to Mecca and became a Muslim, changing his style somewhat. He was shot in during a NY rally.
In the late 60’s, there were riots across America. The Kerner Commission was set to discuss why the blacks are fighting. It was decided that it’s because they are angry.
Dr. King won the Noble Peace Prize for furtherance of brotherhood amongst men. Dr. King remained a powerful speaker even after splits in the Civil Rights movement. In spring of 1968, he was speaking in Memphis, Tennessee for striking sanitation workers and the next morning he was shot. His death was both sad and ironic.
A couple of months later, Robert F. Kennedy (President Kennedy’s brother) was campaigning for president and he was assassinated. The feeling now was one of disillusionment.
The Woman’s Rights movement has been going on since the 1800’s, since the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848. Many women felt that there was a glass sealing which was keeping them from getting higher end jobs.
In 1963m Bett Friedan wrote the “Feminine Mystique”- felt that since World War II, women are pushed out of men’s jobs. She wrote that many women want to get out of the home and want more to their lives. She and her book spurred on the feminist movement of the 60’s and 70’s. The term “Ms.” now became envogue.
Steps toward equality for woman-
1. Civil Rights Act of 1964 stated that you can’t discriminate by race or gender.
2. In 1966, the National Organization for Woman was formed. It worked to pass laws for woman. NOW is still a powerful lobby group today.
3. ERA- woman campaigned for an amendment to the constitution stating that woman and men are equal. It was passed in Congress in 1972. In 1982, it failed to become an amendment in the State. ERA brought much controversy- many people opposed it. Phyllis Schlafy was against it. She said that you don’t need an amendment to settle some women’s inferiority complex.
4. Equal Opportunity Act- stated that woman want equal pay for equal work. It passed in 1972.
5. Roe vs. Wade- argued women’s right to abortion. It was said that a women’s body is her own private domain and she could decide. Only up to the sixth month can a woman go pro choice or pro life.
In order to help woman and other minorities, Johnson began Affirmative Action Programs- positive steps to help the minorities. He will make sure that every job and university will accept some minorities.
Some people fought affirmative action because it causes reverse discrimination- whites being discriminated. One person who felt this way was Alan Bakke- he felt he was suffering for reverse discrimination. He felt that he didn’t get into college because blacks got in instead. In the University of California vs. Alan Bakke, they said that yes, his civil rights may have been abridged, but nevertheless, affirmative action is constitutional.
Three other groups that fought for equal rights:
1. Latinos- Spanish speaking people. Many were migrant farmers- work by the season, moving from place to place. Their lives are difficult and the pay is minimal. Cesar Chavez helped the migrant farmers. He worked through legislation to get them some benefits and equality.
2. Native Americans/ American Indians- wanted rights. The formed the American Indian Movement (AIM). This was going to:
a. Restore “red power”- pride to their heritage.
b. Worked with the government to get back all their lands. They brought many cases and won- got back many lands.
3. Disabled Americans- over the years, America has worked to help handicapped people, but in the 60’s and onward, they really made great strides:
a. Kennedy set up a commission to study the problems of the mentally handicapped.
b. Backed the establishment of the Special Olympics.
c. In 1975, passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act.
d. In 1990, passed the Americans with Disabilities Act- forbade discrimination against people with disabilities in the workforce, public facilities, busses, education, parks…
In recent years, this issue received more publicity through actors, actresses…
Domestic policies of Kennedy and Johnson-
Kennedy was the youngest man elected as president and the only Catholic president (everyone else was Protestant) until Obama. He used his youth in his favor- he said that he understands the people’s needs. He was the first televised president and the first to have a televised debate. He looked exciting on TV, as opposed to Nixon, who looked like a fluke. The nation was excited to have a young couple in the White House. People wanted to copy the young couple. In November of 1963, the Kennedys were campaigning in Dallas, Texas in an open motorcade and Lee Harvey Oswald shot Kennedy.
Two domestic programs:
1. Kennedy- New Frontier
a. Space Program- to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. This was successful. In the summer of 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon. As a result of the Space Program, there was an increase of science and math in all schools. They started the students when they were young so that they could find the minds that could be the nation’s rocket scientists. There was also an increase in money for space projects. The program cost about $25 billion.
b. Peace Corps- an effort to help poor nations. Young Americans between the ages of 18-25 went to developing countries to help them.
2. Johnson- Great Society
a. Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA)- young college students helped poor American children- helping within America.
b. Office of Economic Opportunity- economic opportunities for every American:
i. Project Head Start- takes low income children and gives them a head start. Gave free education for three to five year olds.
ii. Upward Bound- gives high school students financial aid to get into college.
iii. Job Corps- to find high school dropouts jobs.
c. Elementary and Secondary School Act- gave money to elementary and secondary schools in particular in low income neighborhoods.
d. Medicare- insurance for the elderly- those over 65.
e. Department of Housing and Urban Development gives housing, money for rent, and built houses for low income people.
f. Food Stamp Program- money for food for low income families. To initiate this program, Johnson passed the Food Stamp Act in 1964. In October of 2008, the food stamp program changed its name to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). There were 29 million Americans on Food stamps in 2008- 10% of nation. Two months ago, Obama changed the program- up until now had to be eligible for food stamps- can’t have any savings. Now Obama changed it that you can have up to $100,000 in savings and still be eligible for food stamps.
Foreign Policies of America-
1. Monroe Doctrine- in 1824, the Monroe Doctrine was issued. It stated that America is in charge of the Western hemisphere and Europe should stay out. This set our policy in the western hemisphere.
2. Spanish- American war- in 1898, the US fought the Spanish and won. This victory gave us many of Spain’s colonies in Latin America and elsewhere. One is Puerto Rico. Cuba became a protectorate. America now became an imperial nation.
3. Panama Canal- 1901- 1914. America wanted to build a canal in Panama, so they helped the people in Panama rebel against Columbia and after they gained their independence, the US built a canal in Panama. America wanted canal for trade reasons- it cut from the Atlantic to the Pacific and helped with trade. America had control of the canal till the end of the 1900s. In 1999, we gave the canal back to Panama.
4. Roosevelt corollary/ Bigstick policy- it was an addition to the Monroe doctrine- that the US will get involved in Latin America whenever Latin America does something that America feels is wrong. There was a cartoon at this time showing Roosevelt dragging Latin America behind him- “speak softly and carry a big stick”.
5. Dollar diplomacy- Taft said that we’ll invest in Latin America and we’ll be very involved.
6. Roosevelt made the Good Neighbor policy- an effort to improve relations with Latin America.
Latin America and the 60’s-
Kennedy made the Alliance for Progress- promised Latin America $20 billion as long as they don’t become Communist.
1. Bay of Pigs Invasion- the US government wanted to overthrow Fidel Castro. The CIA, with the approval of Kennedy, trained American Cubans so that one day they could go back and overthrow Castro. These trained Cubans landed at the Bay of Pigs and Castro’s soldiers captured them all (there was a leak in the CIA, so Castro knew about the invasion). This was heavily embarrassing for America.
2. Cuban Missile Crisis- Cuba allowed Russia to build a missile base in Cuba. The US told Cuba to take the missiles down. This was the tensest moment in the Cold War. America was willing to go to the brink of war. Thankfully, the Cubans backed down and dismantled the missiles. America’s pride after the Bay of Pigs invasion was now restored.
3. In 1963, America, England and Russia agreed to nuclear to the Nuclear Test Ban treaty – they agreed to ban testing in the air and space, and agreed to only do it underground.
4. After the Bay of Pig invasion, Khrushchev asked America to get the NATO troops out of Berlin. He assumed that America would listen because they were weak after the Bay of Pigs fiasco. Kennedy didn’t listen, increased help to West Berlin. In response to American aid, Russia built the Berlin Wall through Berlin. The Berlin Wall stopped the flow of Germans from East Berlin to West Berlin. In 1963, Kennedy spoke at the Berlin Wall, saying that it’s a symbol of tyranny. It stood as the symbol of the Cold War, until 1989 when it was torn down at the end of the Cold War.
Important Supreme Court cases of 60’s and 70’s:
Courts in the 60’s and 70’s protected the rights of the accused. The courts were very liberal. Liberals protect the underdogs. President Eisenhower and later President Nixon appointed the two chief justices, Warren and Berger.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
SS- Chapter 21
Chapter 21: World War II
Isolationism after World War I-
In the years between the two World Wars, the US was interested in world peace. They didn’t join the League of Nations but they did join conferences which discussed disarmament and signed pacts. Our general ideology after World War I was one of isolationism. Isolation can sometimes be interchanged with neutrality because they are similar.
In the 1930’s, America was trying to recover from the depression. They decided to research why they went to war, as it may be the cause of the depression. Senator General Nye led a whole investigation. It was decided that it was because of the businessmen that we went to war, because they wanted to get rich. This discovery led to further isolationism.
In 1935, the government passed a series of neutrality acts:
1. Not to lend money to a nation at war.
2. Not to do business with any nation at war- only cash and carry business.
In 1937, FDR gave the Quarantine speech, which said that the US will quarantine the patient, not themselves. They will be punishing the warring nations, and not themselves.
Actual events that led up to World War II-
1. Rise of the totalitarian nations- nations that totally controlled the lives of people. In this category falls fascist regimes- extreme nationalism and militarism, which was practiced by Hitler of Germany and Mussolini of Italy. With the help of Italy and Germany, Spain was becoming fascist under Franco.
2. Hitler decided to make Germany into the power that she once was. He decided to take back all the lands that he felt really belonged to Germany, but had to be given up after World War I. An example of one of these territories was Austria. Hitler said that Austria was his land. The Germans were suffering under Austrian control. Hitler had a program- first he announced that the Germans in Austria were mistreated, then he went and took over the land. He did this in Czechoslovakia too. The world watched Hitler do this, but wasn’t sure how to react. When it came to Czechoslovakia, it was a sticky situation for England and France because they promised to help Czechoslovakia in her hour of need. England and France decided to meet with Hitler, in Munich. At the Munich Agreement, Hitler said that after the Sudetenland, part of Czechoslovakia, he’ll ask for nothing else. Neville Chamberlain (England) agreed. He said that he brought, “peace in our times”. Within six months, Germany invaded Czechoslovakia and took over the whole thing. This policy that England and France tried to use is known as appeasement.
The war began in Europe in September of 1939 with Germany’s invasion of Poland. The US remained neutral, but as the war progressed, Roosevelt looked for a way to get around America’s Neutrality Act. He came up with the Lend Lease Act- allowed for America to send help, ammunition and sell war materials to England. Roosevelt justified this by saying that he has to help any country whose defense is vital to our defense. The US was to be the arsenal of democracy.
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked American naval bases in Pearl Harbor. This heavily crippled America’s navy in the Pacific. Roosevelt called this day, a “day that will live in infamy”. This attack fueled American patriotism and Congress voted to go to war.
World War II was over in Europe in May of 1945, but didn’t end in the Pacific until August of 1945.
This war pitted twenty six Allied nations vs. eight Axis nations:
1. Major Allies-
a. England- Churchill
b. Russia- Stalin
c. USA- Roosevelt
2. Major Axis-
a. Germany- Hitler
b. Italy- Mussolini
c. Japan- Hirohito
Throughout the war, the world leaders met. Meetings:
1. Atlantic Charter meeting- Roosevelt and Churchill met on a battleship in the Atlantic Ocean. There they agreed on certain principles of lasting peace such as self determination- all nations decide on their own form of government.
2. Yalta Conference- at the war’s end. FDR, Churchill and Stalin met to discuss the division of Germany and trial for war criminals.
3. Potsdam- in 1945. The Allies- Truman, Stalin and Churchill- decided to force Japan to surrender or else they would use weapons of mass destruction.
In an effort to end the war quickly, the Allies invented the atom bomb. In 1943, a group of scientist from the allied countries led by Robert Oppenheimer began to work on the Manhattan Project- to build an atom bomb. Many German refugees also helped with this project. By July of 1945, Truman was notified that the atom bomb was ready for use. He tried it out in the deserts of New Mexico and it worked. Truman told the Japanese that he’s going to use it if they don’t surrender. They didn’t, so on August 6 and 8, Truman dropped the atom bomb on Hiroshima and then Nagasaki. The instant death toll was over 100,000 people and many more people died from after effects of the radiation. These effects continued for years- for many years afterwards, children were born with defects. The world now entered an atomic age.
There was a debate as to whether the US did the right thing or not. Truman said that the Japanese wouldn’t have surrendered otherwise and many more people would have been killed on both sides. People opposed this, saying that soldiers know that their lives are at stake, but you killed innocent civilians.
The Japanese surrendered and the war was over. American general, Douglas MacArthur, was in the Pacific during World War II and remained in Japan after the war. For the next seven years, Japan was under American control as they transferred to a democracy.
A major focus of World War II was Hitler’s Final Solution- destruction of the Jews. This is an act of genocide- destruction of one race.
American patriotism-
After the bombing on Pearl Harbor, the Americans were all patriotic- were all behind Truman. They gave up a lot- their food was rationed, but they knew that they were doing it for the Allies. Actors and actresses convinced people to buy war bonds.
Woman now took over men’s places and some served in the military and army. At this time, there was a popular song about Rosie the Riveter- about woman who worked in factories. She became slang for woman working in wartime factories. Women’s efforts during the war brought about change in the woman’s work- it was now slightly more accepted for woman to work out of the house. Issues like childcare now became important issues for woman.
About one million African Americans served during World War II. They were in segregated barracks. After the war, there was a change for the blacks- now began with renewed efforts to work for civil rights. In 1948, Truman issued an executive order, which led to the end of racial segregation in the military.
Japanese in America-
American Japanese were called Nisei. Many of these Nisei fought in the American army during World War II. Many even received medals for their bravery, receiving proportionately more than any other battalion. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Americans were fearful of the Nisei. They felt that they wouldn’t be loyal to America. The government was also afraid of the loyalty of the Nisei. The Wartime Relocation Agency took all the Japanese of the West Coast and moved them into gated in camps because they were afraid to have them mingle during the war.
A Japanese man fought the internment. His case reached the Supreme Court, and in Korematsu vs. USA, the judge stated that this is a fair wartime measure. About fifty years after World War II, they said that this wasn’t nice and they reimbursed approximately 60,000 survivors with $20,000.
Demobilization- getting the country back to civilian life after the war. All the troops had to be brought back home and the army had to be cut down. Truman now passed the GI Bill- gave money to soldiers so that they could get readjusted to life, paid for their schooling, gave them money for homes and business loans.
Another part of demobilization is to allow the economy to run on its own- to get rid of price control. When government control is removed, everything still had to remain under control, so the Taft- Hartley bill was passed to control strikes:
1. If you say that you want to go on strike, you must wait eighty days before doing so.
2. Outlawed closed shop- stated that you must join a union if you want to join a certain company.
After World War II, there was a baby boom. The depression and the war were now over and people were excited to settle down and start families.
The election of 1948 was an interesting one- many of the voters were unhappy with Truman. There was an economic mess because of inflation and strikes. Everyone was sure that Dewey was going to win, but they Truman did.
After World War II, in an effort for world peace, all the nations of the world formed the United Nations.
Isolationism after World War I-
In the years between the two World Wars, the US was interested in world peace. They didn’t join the League of Nations but they did join conferences which discussed disarmament and signed pacts. Our general ideology after World War I was one of isolationism. Isolation can sometimes be interchanged with neutrality because they are similar.
In the 1930’s, America was trying to recover from the depression. They decided to research why they went to war, as it may be the cause of the depression. Senator General Nye led a whole investigation. It was decided that it was because of the businessmen that we went to war, because they wanted to get rich. This discovery led to further isolationism.
In 1935, the government passed a series of neutrality acts:
1. Not to lend money to a nation at war.
2. Not to do business with any nation at war- only cash and carry business.
In 1937, FDR gave the Quarantine speech, which said that the US will quarantine the patient, not themselves. They will be punishing the warring nations, and not themselves.
Actual events that led up to World War II-
1. Rise of the totalitarian nations- nations that totally controlled the lives of people. In this category falls fascist regimes- extreme nationalism and militarism, which was practiced by Hitler of Germany and Mussolini of Italy. With the help of Italy and Germany, Spain was becoming fascist under Franco.
2. Hitler decided to make Germany into the power that she once was. He decided to take back all the lands that he felt really belonged to Germany, but had to be given up after World War I. An example of one of these territories was Austria. Hitler said that Austria was his land. The Germans were suffering under Austrian control. Hitler had a program- first he announced that the Germans in Austria were mistreated, then he went and took over the land. He did this in Czechoslovakia too. The world watched Hitler do this, but wasn’t sure how to react. When it came to Czechoslovakia, it was a sticky situation for England and France because they promised to help Czechoslovakia in her hour of need. England and France decided to meet with Hitler, in Munich. At the Munich Agreement, Hitler said that after the Sudetenland, part of Czechoslovakia, he’ll ask for nothing else. Neville Chamberlain (England) agreed. He said that he brought, “peace in our times”. Within six months, Germany invaded Czechoslovakia and took over the whole thing. This policy that England and France tried to use is known as appeasement.
The war began in Europe in September of 1939 with Germany’s invasion of Poland. The US remained neutral, but as the war progressed, Roosevelt looked for a way to get around America’s Neutrality Act. He came up with the Lend Lease Act- allowed for America to send help, ammunition and sell war materials to England. Roosevelt justified this by saying that he has to help any country whose defense is vital to our defense. The US was to be the arsenal of democracy.
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked American naval bases in Pearl Harbor. This heavily crippled America’s navy in the Pacific. Roosevelt called this day, a “day that will live in infamy”. This attack fueled American patriotism and Congress voted to go to war.
World War II was over in Europe in May of 1945, but didn’t end in the Pacific until August of 1945.
This war pitted twenty six Allied nations vs. eight Axis nations:
1. Major Allies-
a. England- Churchill
b. Russia- Stalin
c. USA- Roosevelt
2. Major Axis-
a. Germany- Hitler
b. Italy- Mussolini
c. Japan- Hirohito
Throughout the war, the world leaders met. Meetings:
1. Atlantic Charter meeting- Roosevelt and Churchill met on a battleship in the Atlantic Ocean. There they agreed on certain principles of lasting peace such as self determination- all nations decide on their own form of government.
2. Yalta Conference- at the war’s end. FDR, Churchill and Stalin met to discuss the division of Germany and trial for war criminals.
3. Potsdam- in 1945. The Allies- Truman, Stalin and Churchill- decided to force Japan to surrender or else they would use weapons of mass destruction.
In an effort to end the war quickly, the Allies invented the atom bomb. In 1943, a group of scientist from the allied countries led by Robert Oppenheimer began to work on the Manhattan Project- to build an atom bomb. Many German refugees also helped with this project. By July of 1945, Truman was notified that the atom bomb was ready for use. He tried it out in the deserts of New Mexico and it worked. Truman told the Japanese that he’s going to use it if they don’t surrender. They didn’t, so on August 6 and 8, Truman dropped the atom bomb on Hiroshima and then Nagasaki. The instant death toll was over 100,000 people and many more people died from after effects of the radiation. These effects continued for years- for many years afterwards, children were born with defects. The world now entered an atomic age.
There was a debate as to whether the US did the right thing or not. Truman said that the Japanese wouldn’t have surrendered otherwise and many more people would have been killed on both sides. People opposed this, saying that soldiers know that their lives are at stake, but you killed innocent civilians.
The Japanese surrendered and the war was over. American general, Douglas MacArthur, was in the Pacific during World War II and remained in Japan after the war. For the next seven years, Japan was under American control as they transferred to a democracy.
A major focus of World War II was Hitler’s Final Solution- destruction of the Jews. This is an act of genocide- destruction of one race.
American patriotism-
After the bombing on Pearl Harbor, the Americans were all patriotic- were all behind Truman. They gave up a lot- their food was rationed, but they knew that they were doing it for the Allies. Actors and actresses convinced people to buy war bonds.
Woman now took over men’s places and some served in the military and army. At this time, there was a popular song about Rosie the Riveter- about woman who worked in factories. She became slang for woman working in wartime factories. Women’s efforts during the war brought about change in the woman’s work- it was now slightly more accepted for woman to work out of the house. Issues like childcare now became important issues for woman.
About one million African Americans served during World War II. They were in segregated barracks. After the war, there was a change for the blacks- now began with renewed efforts to work for civil rights. In 1948, Truman issued an executive order, which led to the end of racial segregation in the military.
Japanese in America-
American Japanese were called Nisei. Many of these Nisei fought in the American army during World War II. Many even received medals for their bravery, receiving proportionately more than any other battalion. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Americans were fearful of the Nisei. They felt that they wouldn’t be loyal to America. The government was also afraid of the loyalty of the Nisei. The Wartime Relocation Agency took all the Japanese of the West Coast and moved them into gated in camps because they were afraid to have them mingle during the war.
A Japanese man fought the internment. His case reached the Supreme Court, and in Korematsu vs. USA, the judge stated that this is a fair wartime measure. About fifty years after World War II, they said that this wasn’t nice and they reimbursed approximately 60,000 survivors with $20,000.
Demobilization- getting the country back to civilian life after the war. All the troops had to be brought back home and the army had to be cut down. Truman now passed the GI Bill- gave money to soldiers so that they could get readjusted to life, paid for their schooling, gave them money for homes and business loans.
Another part of demobilization is to allow the economy to run on its own- to get rid of price control. When government control is removed, everything still had to remain under control, so the Taft- Hartley bill was passed to control strikes:
1. If you say that you want to go on strike, you must wait eighty days before doing so.
2. Outlawed closed shop- stated that you must join a union if you want to join a certain company.
After World War II, there was a baby boom. The depression and the war were now over and people were excited to settle down and start families.
The election of 1948 was an interesting one- many of the voters were unhappy with Truman. There was an economic mess because of inflation and strikes. Everyone was sure that Dewey was going to win, but they Truman did.
After World War II, in an effort for world peace, all the nations of the world formed the United Nations.
SS - Chapter 20... more 2 follow
Chapter 20: The Great Depression
In October of 1929, the bottom fell out of the stock market with a huge “bam” and the Great Depression began. How did this happen?
1. Weakness in the overall economy-
a. Farmers weren’t doing so great in the 20’s.
b. Other industries such as the textile, railroad and coal industries weren’t doing so well.
c. The real estate market began to dip.
d. The automobile market began to dip.
e. By the end of the decade, factories were overproducing.
2. Unequal distribution of wealth-
a. Forty percent of the nation was very poor
b. Five percent of the nation owned ninety percent of all the money. Since there was no stable middle class, we were dependant on the spending of a small portion of the population for all the buying.
3. Weak business structure- Coolidge had allowed business to run, have monopolies, and expand immensely. As a result, when one business fell, they all fell because one business was controlling everything.
4. Weak banking structure- about six thousand banks failed almost immediately after the stock market crashed.
5. Inadequate government policies- all government policies that were great for business were terrible for the depression.
a. The government in the 20’s gave tax breaks for the wealthy and business, widening the gap between the rich and the poor.
b. The Federal Reserve System lowered interest rates- this makes people glad to borrow, but led to irresponsible borrowing.
6. Weak international economy-
a. Europe hadn’t picked up since World War I and America did nothing to help them.
b. America placed a tariff on foreign goods, so the economy didn’t pick up.
c. European countries owed America money.
Hoover was president in January of 1929. Hoover was a self-made millionaire. He was an excellent businessman, a humanitarian and was very involved during World War I in the relief effort. However, he didn’t satisfy America at this time.
He tried tremendously to help:
1. Passed laws to increase jobs. During his time, the Hoover Dam was built- brought about new job opportunities.
2. Passed laws to give money to the real estate and railroad companies that were on the verge of bankruptcy. This was called the Reconstruction Finance Corporation.
3. Stopped war debts.
Hoover told everyone that prosperity is around the corner- he was upbeat. But history feels that Hoover did too little, too slowly. Hoover was a believer in rugged individualism- a person shouldn’t get handouts, they should make it work.
In the summer of 1932, a group of World War I veterans came to the White House to discuss their bonuses. They wanted to receive these bonuses earlier than was decided upon, but Hoover didn’t allow for this. Hoover told the veterans to go home, but they didn’t and stayed on the lawn. Tear gas was sprayed to get them off the lawn.
Hoover believed in the Puritan work ethic- Americans can do it, they just have to work hard.
Human impact of the Great Depression-
Unemployment was at an all time high. 25% of the work force and 40% of African Americans were unemployed. African Americans and unskilled workers were hit the hardest. People selling items in the street and hobos now became a common sight.
Life in the city was difficult. Many people lost their homes. They lived in cardboard shacks, and the towns were called Hooverville. People would sleep on park benches with newspapers covering them- known as Hoover blankets.
Rural life was not much better. Farmers that were already depressed became even more depressed. In the 1930’s, there was a prolonged drought along much of the West. These states were called the Dustbowl. Some of the farmers in Oklahoma moved to California- called Oakies. John Steinbeck wrote about them in a book called “The Grapes of Wrath”.
The suffering of the people shaped the culture of the time. People now looked for inexpensive forms of leisure. Movies shut down. Many of the movies and novels of this time were escapist novels.
In 1932, Franklin Delano Roosevelt became president. He ranked as one of the best presidents the US ever had. He inspired support and confidence in the American people. He was a master politician and he knew how to connect to the people to have them back him in what he was doing.
FDR was also a controversial figure:
1. He tried to change the Supreme Court when they went against him.
2. He ran for a third term in office and then a fourth. After he died in 1951, the 22nd amendment was passed, stating that one could only be president for two terms.
Roosevelt surrounded himself with bright people, therefore he was nicknamed the “Brain Trust”. These smart people influenced his way of thinking. He appointed the first woman to the Cabinet- Frances Perkins.
Another influence on Roosevelt’s way of life was his wife, Eleanor. She was a great humanitarian and encouraged her husband to help the poor and needy. After Roosevelt’s death, Eleanor became a leader in human rights issues. She was one of the key writers of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This became the blueprint for the dogma of the United Nations.
Roosevelt introduced his program to end the Great Depression- the New Deal. He had fireside chats (spoke on the radio, which was kept on the mantle over the fireplace), to speak to the nation and tell them what he was doing. He divided his program into three basic goals:
1. Relief- direct relief for those that are suffering.
2. Recovery- for the economy, so it grows again.
3. Reform- so that something like this should never happen again.
FDR passed hundreds of laws to bring relief, reform and recovery:
1. Relief- passed laws which made hundreds of jobs and money for the people.
2. Recovery- he passed many laws to help businesses. He encouraged people to go out and shop.
a. National Recovery Act (NRA) - gave the government control of business somewhat in order to help them recover. It also set up codes of competition- have to maintain certain wages and prices. Many people loved the NRA and some even named daughters after it, calling them Nira.
b. Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) - recovery for the farmers. Encouraged farmers to throw out their surplus and reduce their crop by paying them to do so. The point of this was that there would now be a greater demand.
3. Reform- many reforms were passed:
a. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) - set up in order to regulate stocks.
b. Social Security Act (SSA) –
i. Gave benefits to the retirees. This was instituted so that there would be no old men starving. This was the start of the Social Security system that we have today- both the person and the government put away money towards his retirement.
ii. Gave benefits for unemployed, homeless, children, elderly and handicapped.
c. Wagner Act- helped the unions. The New Deal in general helped the labor unions.
Roosevelt in general wanted to help the worker through these fore-mentioned laws. He also wanted to work together with businesses. This was much harder because:
1. Not all businesses wanted to listen to him.
2. The NRA was later declared unconstitutional.
He worked intensely with the labor unions. Labor unions became very strong at this point. The AFL (skilled workers) joined together with the CIO (unskilled workers). Joining is often a sign of strength.
Controversy surrounding the New Deal-
Not everyone agreed with everything that the New Deal was doing. FDR was a pragmatic person and was interested in bringing change. He didn’t have a specific way of doing things, he did whatever worked.
FDR was influenced by populists and progressives. He wanted to use the government to help the people. He tremendously increased the power of government over businesses and the stock exchange. Roosevelt used an economic idea called priming the pump- you put a little bit of water in first to get the pump to start working. He felt that if you would put money in the economy, it would start to work on its own. The legal term for this is called deficit spending.
Two Supreme Court cases that nixed the New Deal laws:
1. Schechter Poultry vs. USA- the Supreme Court ruled that the NRA was unconstitutional because the NRA regulated intrastate trade, which was for the state to take care of, not the government. It was felt that in general, the executive branch is taking on too much power.
2. USA vs. Butler- the AAA was struck down. The Supreme Court said that the Federal government is taking power that belonged to the states. Farms are local, so it’s for the state government to regulate.
Opposition to FDR’s programs:
1. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) changed the Tennessee Valley. It used to be that it was poverty stricken, with no jobs. A dam was built, which brought jobs and hydroelectricity. Some people looked as this as good and some looked at it as Socialism.
2. Court Packing Bill- FDR was unhappy that the Supreme Court kept on declaring his laws as unconstitutional. He wanted to change the court, so he told Congress to either kick them out when they turned 70 or add six more judges. Congress said that they aren’t going to pass this bill.
FDR ran for a third term, breaking the tradition. Then he ran for a fourth. People looked at his as a dictator. In 1951, the 22nd amendment was passed stating that a president can’t run for more than two terms.
Different groups of opposition:
1. Republicans, the wealthy, businessmen- they felt that the government was becoming too powerful and that the constitution was being threatened. They felt that the New Deal taxes were unfair to the wealthy, and that socialism was being brought in place of democracy.
2. Socialists and progressives- said that FDR isn’t doing enough. Eugene Debs was a socialist. He felt that wealth in a nation should be distributed more evenly. There were extremists.
3. Woman and African Americans- felt that many of Roosevelt’s projects were helping the white males. They felt that they were getting less pay for the same job.
Three people who opposed FDR- these people were home grown demagogues- they were an outgrowth of the people’s pain and suffering:
1. Francis Townshend- he came up with a program to help all the elderly in this country.
2. Father Coughlin- was a priest. He had a radio show in which he spoke out against the rich. He said that the rich are destroying America. He spoke about Jews so much, saying that they are the businessmen.
3. Huey Long- he was from Louisiana. He was trying to run for the presidency. He was a senator. Long was a flashy fellow. He promised the people money and that he would get them out of the depression. He was assassinated in 1935.
Assessment of the New Deal-
1. Most historians feel that it was World War II that took the nation out of the depression.
2. Nevertheless, the New Deal did help people cope with the depression. Some felt that the New Deal helped prevent further economic and social disaster.
3. Restored confidence in the government.
4. The government assumed a role and responsibility in people’s lives.
5. Increased the nation’s debt because of the deficit spending.
In October of 1929, the bottom fell out of the stock market with a huge “bam” and the Great Depression began. How did this happen?
1. Weakness in the overall economy-
a. Farmers weren’t doing so great in the 20’s.
b. Other industries such as the textile, railroad and coal industries weren’t doing so well.
c. The real estate market began to dip.
d. The automobile market began to dip.
e. By the end of the decade, factories were overproducing.
2. Unequal distribution of wealth-
a. Forty percent of the nation was very poor
b. Five percent of the nation owned ninety percent of all the money. Since there was no stable middle class, we were dependant on the spending of a small portion of the population for all the buying.
3. Weak business structure- Coolidge had allowed business to run, have monopolies, and expand immensely. As a result, when one business fell, they all fell because one business was controlling everything.
4. Weak banking structure- about six thousand banks failed almost immediately after the stock market crashed.
5. Inadequate government policies- all government policies that were great for business were terrible for the depression.
a. The government in the 20’s gave tax breaks for the wealthy and business, widening the gap between the rich and the poor.
b. The Federal Reserve System lowered interest rates- this makes people glad to borrow, but led to irresponsible borrowing.
6. Weak international economy-
a. Europe hadn’t picked up since World War I and America did nothing to help them.
b. America placed a tariff on foreign goods, so the economy didn’t pick up.
c. European countries owed America money.
Hoover was president in January of 1929. Hoover was a self-made millionaire. He was an excellent businessman, a humanitarian and was very involved during World War I in the relief effort. However, he didn’t satisfy America at this time.
He tried tremendously to help:
1. Passed laws to increase jobs. During his time, the Hoover Dam was built- brought about new job opportunities.
2. Passed laws to give money to the real estate and railroad companies that were on the verge of bankruptcy. This was called the Reconstruction Finance Corporation.
3. Stopped war debts.
Hoover told everyone that prosperity is around the corner- he was upbeat. But history feels that Hoover did too little, too slowly. Hoover was a believer in rugged individualism- a person shouldn’t get handouts, they should make it work.
In the summer of 1932, a group of World War I veterans came to the White House to discuss their bonuses. They wanted to receive these bonuses earlier than was decided upon, but Hoover didn’t allow for this. Hoover told the veterans to go home, but they didn’t and stayed on the lawn. Tear gas was sprayed to get them off the lawn.
Hoover believed in the Puritan work ethic- Americans can do it, they just have to work hard.
Human impact of the Great Depression-
Unemployment was at an all time high. 25% of the work force and 40% of African Americans were unemployed. African Americans and unskilled workers were hit the hardest. People selling items in the street and hobos now became a common sight.
Life in the city was difficult. Many people lost their homes. They lived in cardboard shacks, and the towns were called Hooverville. People would sleep on park benches with newspapers covering them- known as Hoover blankets.
Rural life was not much better. Farmers that were already depressed became even more depressed. In the 1930’s, there was a prolonged drought along much of the West. These states were called the Dustbowl. Some of the farmers in Oklahoma moved to California- called Oakies. John Steinbeck wrote about them in a book called “The Grapes of Wrath”.
The suffering of the people shaped the culture of the time. People now looked for inexpensive forms of leisure. Movies shut down. Many of the movies and novels of this time were escapist novels.
In 1932, Franklin Delano Roosevelt became president. He ranked as one of the best presidents the US ever had. He inspired support and confidence in the American people. He was a master politician and he knew how to connect to the people to have them back him in what he was doing.
FDR was also a controversial figure:
1. He tried to change the Supreme Court when they went against him.
2. He ran for a third term in office and then a fourth. After he died in 1951, the 22nd amendment was passed, stating that one could only be president for two terms.
Roosevelt surrounded himself with bright people, therefore he was nicknamed the “Brain Trust”. These smart people influenced his way of thinking. He appointed the first woman to the Cabinet- Frances Perkins.
Another influence on Roosevelt’s way of life was his wife, Eleanor. She was a great humanitarian and encouraged her husband to help the poor and needy. After Roosevelt’s death, Eleanor became a leader in human rights issues. She was one of the key writers of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This became the blueprint for the dogma of the United Nations.
Roosevelt introduced his program to end the Great Depression- the New Deal. He had fireside chats (spoke on the radio, which was kept on the mantle over the fireplace), to speak to the nation and tell them what he was doing. He divided his program into three basic goals:
1. Relief- direct relief for those that are suffering.
2. Recovery- for the economy, so it grows again.
3. Reform- so that something like this should never happen again.
FDR passed hundreds of laws to bring relief, reform and recovery:
1. Relief- passed laws which made hundreds of jobs and money for the people.
2. Recovery- he passed many laws to help businesses. He encouraged people to go out and shop.
a. National Recovery Act (NRA) - gave the government control of business somewhat in order to help them recover. It also set up codes of competition- have to maintain certain wages and prices. Many people loved the NRA and some even named daughters after it, calling them Nira.
b. Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) - recovery for the farmers. Encouraged farmers to throw out their surplus and reduce their crop by paying them to do so. The point of this was that there would now be a greater demand.
3. Reform- many reforms were passed:
a. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) - set up in order to regulate stocks.
b. Social Security Act (SSA) –
i. Gave benefits to the retirees. This was instituted so that there would be no old men starving. This was the start of the Social Security system that we have today- both the person and the government put away money towards his retirement.
ii. Gave benefits for unemployed, homeless, children, elderly and handicapped.
c. Wagner Act- helped the unions. The New Deal in general helped the labor unions.
Roosevelt in general wanted to help the worker through these fore-mentioned laws. He also wanted to work together with businesses. This was much harder because:
1. Not all businesses wanted to listen to him.
2. The NRA was later declared unconstitutional.
He worked intensely with the labor unions. Labor unions became very strong at this point. The AFL (skilled workers) joined together with the CIO (unskilled workers). Joining is often a sign of strength.
Controversy surrounding the New Deal-
Not everyone agreed with everything that the New Deal was doing. FDR was a pragmatic person and was interested in bringing change. He didn’t have a specific way of doing things, he did whatever worked.
FDR was influenced by populists and progressives. He wanted to use the government to help the people. He tremendously increased the power of government over businesses and the stock exchange. Roosevelt used an economic idea called priming the pump- you put a little bit of water in first to get the pump to start working. He felt that if you would put money in the economy, it would start to work on its own. The legal term for this is called deficit spending.
Two Supreme Court cases that nixed the New Deal laws:
1. Schechter Poultry vs. USA- the Supreme Court ruled that the NRA was unconstitutional because the NRA regulated intrastate trade, which was for the state to take care of, not the government. It was felt that in general, the executive branch is taking on too much power.
2. USA vs. Butler- the AAA was struck down. The Supreme Court said that the Federal government is taking power that belonged to the states. Farms are local, so it’s for the state government to regulate.
Opposition to FDR’s programs:
1. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) changed the Tennessee Valley. It used to be that it was poverty stricken, with no jobs. A dam was built, which brought jobs and hydroelectricity. Some people looked as this as good and some looked at it as Socialism.
2. Court Packing Bill- FDR was unhappy that the Supreme Court kept on declaring his laws as unconstitutional. He wanted to change the court, so he told Congress to either kick them out when they turned 70 or add six more judges. Congress said that they aren’t going to pass this bill.
FDR ran for a third term, breaking the tradition. Then he ran for a fourth. People looked at his as a dictator. In 1951, the 22nd amendment was passed stating that a president can’t run for more than two terms.
Different groups of opposition:
1. Republicans, the wealthy, businessmen- they felt that the government was becoming too powerful and that the constitution was being threatened. They felt that the New Deal taxes were unfair to the wealthy, and that socialism was being brought in place of democracy.
2. Socialists and progressives- said that FDR isn’t doing enough. Eugene Debs was a socialist. He felt that wealth in a nation should be distributed more evenly. There were extremists.
3. Woman and African Americans- felt that many of Roosevelt’s projects were helping the white males. They felt that they were getting less pay for the same job.
Three people who opposed FDR- these people were home grown demagogues- they were an outgrowth of the people’s pain and suffering:
1. Francis Townshend- he came up with a program to help all the elderly in this country.
2. Father Coughlin- was a priest. He had a radio show in which he spoke out against the rich. He said that the rich are destroying America. He spoke about Jews so much, saying that they are the businessmen.
3. Huey Long- he was from Louisiana. He was trying to run for the presidency. He was a senator. Long was a flashy fellow. He promised the people money and that he would get them out of the depression. He was assassinated in 1935.
Assessment of the New Deal-
1. Most historians feel that it was World War II that took the nation out of the depression.
2. Nevertheless, the New Deal did help people cope with the depression. Some felt that the New Deal helped prevent further economic and social disaster.
3. Restored confidence in the government.
4. The government assumed a role and responsibility in people’s lives.
5. Increased the nation’s debt because of the deficit spending.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
SS- Chapter 19
Chapter 19: The Roaring Twenties
The Twenties brought about tremendous change in America.
WWI brought about change:
1. Women got the right to vote.
2. Women went out to work.
3. Many African Americans moved north in the Great Migration.
Immigrants suffered during the war- they were discriminated against and there were quotas placed on them. Fewer immigrants came to America in the twenties.
After the war, the people wanted life to go back to the way it was- to “return to normalcy”. Harding won the presidency by a landslide because he promised just that. He was an awful president, but a nice person. He didn’t have great government skills- he put his friends in office who were crooks, but he didn’t know about it. They were nicknamed the “Ohio Gang”. Harding had a heart attack and died in office.
After Harding’s death, many scandals surfaced:
1. One of them involved the Veteran’s Bureau- an organization that takes care of war veterans. The head was convicted of selling hospital supplies for his own benefit.
2. Teapot Dome Scandal- the secretary of interior, Albert Fall, was accused of accepting bribes from oil companies in exchange for giving them permission to drill for oil in protected lands in Teapot Dome, Wyoming.
Harding died and Calvin Coolidge became president. Coolidge was elected on his own in 1924.
The Coolidge years were called Coolidge Prosperity- the economy was strong. Coolidge had a laissez faire attitude towards business. Coolidge had many pro-business policies:
1. Businesses and the wealthy were helped by the tax laws- gave a tax reduction to businesses.
2. Regulatory agencies helped businesses more than they regulated business.
3. Had a very relaxed attitude toward mergers- allowed businesses to merge and grow strong. By 1929, two hundred companies owned half of the nation’s wealth.
4. Place heavy tariffs on imports so that American businesses would be strong.
The farmers weren’t doing great. Post WWI, the agricultural industry, along with the textile industry slumped. Labor unions also weren’t doing so well, but life was improving for the laborers.
Another flaw in Coolidge Prosperity was the stock market speculation- people bought stocks on margin, which was a little risky.
The twenties was a time of mass consumption. People were now buying and buying.
Three major areas of industry that changed people’s lives:
1. Car- stimulated many businesses such as steel and gas.
a. Automobile industry set off a real estate boom. People now began to move out to the suburbs because they can now drive to work.
b. Produced goods for the cars.
c. More highways and roads.
d. Led to the decline of railroads.
e. Increased social equality because the car was relatively inexpensive. Ford built the car so that it could be affordable to all.
f. The car stimulated installment buying- buy now and pay later.
g. Stimulated the advertising agency.
2. Electric industry- hanged the way we work and live:
a. It changed the home, factory and city.
b. Electricity helped increase production because now there is more time to work.
c. Electric items work quicker and are more efficient. Electric appliances made life so much easier.
3. Radio and movies- erased the regional differences from different areas because everyone listened to the same stations, forcing them all in the same way. The radio also increased people’s expectations and helped popularize jazz and other music. The radio additionally increased our interests in politics, sports and technology.
Together with the new business techniques, this caused a great change in America. Ford and the assembly line that mass produced cars was at the head of the change.
The twenties was also a time of shifting cultural values. Wealth, possessions and fun became the need of the day. These ideas of pursuing fun and lose morals was an idea that was influenced by Sigmund Freud. Freud was a Jewish psychiatrist who said that if you don’t go after what you want, it’ll cause you pain. He began the idea of psychoanalysis.
There was now leisure time for Monopoly, crossword puzzles, theater and board games. People began to idolize movie and sports stars. Games became in style. The new popular woman was known as the flapper. She drank, smoked, wore short dresses and bobbed her hair. Really, flappers basically only existed in the movies, but life for woman definitely did change.
90% of married woman were still home, but there were many changes. Divorce and smaller families now became more accepted. Families now went from a producing unit to a consuming unit. A large family was now a drain because each child was a consumer. There was now more emphasis on the role of a wife than the role of a mother.
In 1921, the Sheppard Towner Act was passed- to improve health care for woman, childbirth and infant mortality. Clinics were opened up to teach woman about their health and discuss health care.
Alice Paul tried to introduce equal rights amendments. It was met with tremendous disagreement. Women’s votes didn’t have a tremendous effect on politics.
Literature reflected the times. F. Scott Fitzgerald was a writer. He wrote about the excitement of the time. Hemmingway was also a writer at this time. He ran away because he said that America is too materialistic.
One of the most cultural experiences at this time was the Harlem renaissance- in Harlem, NY, there was an explosion of black music, art and literature.
Duke Ellington is the father of jazz music. The twenties is sometimes called the Jazz Age.
Langston Hughes was a black poet and writer.
There were many constitutional and legal issues in the twentiess. Some were a threat to our freedoms.
Legal issues:
1. Red Scare- in 1917 was the Russian Revolution- the Russians formed a communist government. America wasn’t happy about this. They were on the lookout for communists in America. Foreigners were the first ones to be suspected. There were events which America blamed on communists, such as:
a. Riots in NY
b. Race riots in many cities
c. Rioting against the Boston police.
Mitchell Palmer was the Attorney General and he began to raid homes without a search warrant- Palmer raids. He raided communist agencies and agencies which he believed were communist. Thousands of people were arrested and many immigrants were deported. Palmer’s actions were extreme and eventually people said that he’s crazy and the raids ended.
2. Saco and Vanzetti Trial- Mr. Saco and Mr. Vanzetti were accused of murder in a bank robbery in Massachusetts. They were anarchists- someone who believes in no government, but in absolute freedom. They stood trial for murder and were found guilty. They felt the evidence about the murder wasn’t strong and they thought they were being accused because of their beliefs. Felt they were killed for their beliefs. In 1972, they were found to be not guilty.
3. Klu Klux Klan- the Klu Klux Klan rose again. They were anti immigrants, Jews and blacks.
4. Scopes Trial- it took place in 1925, in Tennessee. It received nation-wide attention because it placed science vs. religion. As the country modernizes, we’re going to have this fight of science vs. religion. John Scopes was a teacher of biology and he wanted to teach about evolution but it was illegal to teach about religion. He was fined for teaching about evolution. There was a trial and it became a national event. William Jennings Brian was a lawyer in favor of religion. Darrow was in favor of science. Brian was a great speaker but he x speak well in public about this. Scopes was found guilty. Bryan’s confusing speech weakened religion in America.
5. Quotas- during the twenties, quotas were placed on immigrants. Immigrants weren’t allowed into the country from Europe and particularly Asia.
6. Prohibition- the eighteenth amendment was passed. It outlawed the sale, manufacturing and consumption of all alcoholic beverages. The government passed the Volstead Act, which was going to implement the Prohibition. The Prohibition proved to be unenforceable.
Organized crime now began in America- Mafia, Al Capone- famous gangster in Chicago, gangsters. Now, people smuggled- bootlegging. There were thousands of speakeasies (bars) across America.
In 1933, the twenty-first amendment was passed, repealing the prohibition.
The Twenties brought about tremendous change in America.
WWI brought about change:
1. Women got the right to vote.
2. Women went out to work.
3. Many African Americans moved north in the Great Migration.
Immigrants suffered during the war- they were discriminated against and there were quotas placed on them. Fewer immigrants came to America in the twenties.
After the war, the people wanted life to go back to the way it was- to “return to normalcy”. Harding won the presidency by a landslide because he promised just that. He was an awful president, but a nice person. He didn’t have great government skills- he put his friends in office who were crooks, but he didn’t know about it. They were nicknamed the “Ohio Gang”. Harding had a heart attack and died in office.
After Harding’s death, many scandals surfaced:
1. One of them involved the Veteran’s Bureau- an organization that takes care of war veterans. The head was convicted of selling hospital supplies for his own benefit.
2. Teapot Dome Scandal- the secretary of interior, Albert Fall, was accused of accepting bribes from oil companies in exchange for giving them permission to drill for oil in protected lands in Teapot Dome, Wyoming.
Harding died and Calvin Coolidge became president. Coolidge was elected on his own in 1924.
The Coolidge years were called Coolidge Prosperity- the economy was strong. Coolidge had a laissez faire attitude towards business. Coolidge had many pro-business policies:
1. Businesses and the wealthy were helped by the tax laws- gave a tax reduction to businesses.
2. Regulatory agencies helped businesses more than they regulated business.
3. Had a very relaxed attitude toward mergers- allowed businesses to merge and grow strong. By 1929, two hundred companies owned half of the nation’s wealth.
4. Place heavy tariffs on imports so that American businesses would be strong.
The farmers weren’t doing great. Post WWI, the agricultural industry, along with the textile industry slumped. Labor unions also weren’t doing so well, but life was improving for the laborers.
Another flaw in Coolidge Prosperity was the stock market speculation- people bought stocks on margin, which was a little risky.
The twenties was a time of mass consumption. People were now buying and buying.
Three major areas of industry that changed people’s lives:
1. Car- stimulated many businesses such as steel and gas.
a. Automobile industry set off a real estate boom. People now began to move out to the suburbs because they can now drive to work.
b. Produced goods for the cars.
c. More highways and roads.
d. Led to the decline of railroads.
e. Increased social equality because the car was relatively inexpensive. Ford built the car so that it could be affordable to all.
f. The car stimulated installment buying- buy now and pay later.
g. Stimulated the advertising agency.
2. Electric industry- hanged the way we work and live:
a. It changed the home, factory and city.
b. Electricity helped increase production because now there is more time to work.
c. Electric items work quicker and are more efficient. Electric appliances made life so much easier.
3. Radio and movies- erased the regional differences from different areas because everyone listened to the same stations, forcing them all in the same way. The radio also increased people’s expectations and helped popularize jazz and other music. The radio additionally increased our interests in politics, sports and technology.
Together with the new business techniques, this caused a great change in America. Ford and the assembly line that mass produced cars was at the head of the change.
The twenties was also a time of shifting cultural values. Wealth, possessions and fun became the need of the day. These ideas of pursuing fun and lose morals was an idea that was influenced by Sigmund Freud. Freud was a Jewish psychiatrist who said that if you don’t go after what you want, it’ll cause you pain. He began the idea of psychoanalysis.
There was now leisure time for Monopoly, crossword puzzles, theater and board games. People began to idolize movie and sports stars. Games became in style. The new popular woman was known as the flapper. She drank, smoked, wore short dresses and bobbed her hair. Really, flappers basically only existed in the movies, but life for woman definitely did change.
90% of married woman were still home, but there were many changes. Divorce and smaller families now became more accepted. Families now went from a producing unit to a consuming unit. A large family was now a drain because each child was a consumer. There was now more emphasis on the role of a wife than the role of a mother.
In 1921, the Sheppard Towner Act was passed- to improve health care for woman, childbirth and infant mortality. Clinics were opened up to teach woman about their health and discuss health care.
Alice Paul tried to introduce equal rights amendments. It was met with tremendous disagreement. Women’s votes didn’t have a tremendous effect on politics.
Literature reflected the times. F. Scott Fitzgerald was a writer. He wrote about the excitement of the time. Hemmingway was also a writer at this time. He ran away because he said that America is too materialistic.
One of the most cultural experiences at this time was the Harlem renaissance- in Harlem, NY, there was an explosion of black music, art and literature.
Duke Ellington is the father of jazz music. The twenties is sometimes called the Jazz Age.
Langston Hughes was a black poet and writer.
There were many constitutional and legal issues in the twentiess. Some were a threat to our freedoms.
Legal issues:
1. Red Scare- in 1917 was the Russian Revolution- the Russians formed a communist government. America wasn’t happy about this. They were on the lookout for communists in America. Foreigners were the first ones to be suspected. There were events which America blamed on communists, such as:
a. Riots in NY
b. Race riots in many cities
c. Rioting against the Boston police.
Mitchell Palmer was the Attorney General and he began to raid homes without a search warrant- Palmer raids. He raided communist agencies and agencies which he believed were communist. Thousands of people were arrested and many immigrants were deported. Palmer’s actions were extreme and eventually people said that he’s crazy and the raids ended.
2. Saco and Vanzetti Trial- Mr. Saco and Mr. Vanzetti were accused of murder in a bank robbery in Massachusetts. They were anarchists- someone who believes in no government, but in absolute freedom. They stood trial for murder and were found guilty. They felt the evidence about the murder wasn’t strong and they thought they were being accused because of their beliefs. Felt they were killed for their beliefs. In 1972, they were found to be not guilty.
3. Klu Klux Klan- the Klu Klux Klan rose again. They were anti immigrants, Jews and blacks.
4. Scopes Trial- it took place in 1925, in Tennessee. It received nation-wide attention because it placed science vs. religion. As the country modernizes, we’re going to have this fight of science vs. religion. John Scopes was a teacher of biology and he wanted to teach about evolution but it was illegal to teach about religion. He was fined for teaching about evolution. There was a trial and it became a national event. William Jennings Brian was a lawyer in favor of religion. Darrow was in favor of science. Brian was a great speaker but he x speak well in public about this. Scopes was found guilty. Bryan’s confusing speech weakened religion in America.
5. Quotas- during the twenties, quotas were placed on immigrants. Immigrants weren’t allowed into the country from Europe and particularly Asia.
6. Prohibition- the eighteenth amendment was passed. It outlawed the sale, manufacturing and consumption of all alcoholic beverages. The government passed the Volstead Act, which was going to implement the Prohibition. The Prohibition proved to be unenforceable.
Organized crime now began in America- Mafia, Al Capone- famous gangster in Chicago, gangsters. Now, people smuggled- bootlegging. There were thousands of speakeasies (bars) across America.
In 1933, the twenty-first amendment was passed, repealing the prohibition.
SS- Chapter 18
Chapter 18: World War I
WWI began in Europe in 1914 and lasted until 1918. The US didn’t enter the war until 1917.
Causes for WWI:
1. Nationalism- there was strong nationalistic competition amongst the European nations, in particular after the reunification of Germany in 1871. There was also ethnic unrest- groups of Czechs and Slavs wanted to free themselves from being under Austria-Hungary’s rule.
2. Imperialism- the European nations and the USA were scrambling for colonies in developing war. The fight over colonies was tense.
3. Alliance system- because of the tensions that were building up, little groups of like minded nations joined together:
a. Triple Entente/Allies- France, England and Russia.
b. Triple Alliance- Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy.
The problem with the alliance system is that when countries are upset with each other, you end up with a huge war instead of the two countries that are upset.
4. Militarism- all the nations began building up their armies, especially Germany.
Why did America enter the war? (As a general, America was neutral)
1. Cultural ties- Americans felt connected to whichever countries they came from. Some felt connected to Germany, many to England- our mother country, and some to France- our old ally.
2. Economic links to these countries- the British blockaded the North Sea and that cut off our trade with Germany, intensifying our trade with England. Now that we had economic ties with England, we wanted to help them. Most Americans felt that trading with the Allies didn’t bridge our neutrality. Wilson won his second term in office in 1916 with the slogan, “he kept us out of war”.
3. Propaganda- the media influences our thoughts. The Allies launched a very successful media campaign- they pictured themselves as agents of democracy and the Triple Alliance as barbarians. Through billboards and news bulletins, they pushed their views.
4. Issue of freedom of the seas and German submarine warfare- in 1915, the Germans tried to use submarine warfare in an attempt to end the British blockade. Germany announced that the waters around England are within a warzone and that their u-boats would be sinking ships that come into these waters. They said that neutral ships also shouldn’t come into these waters. Since submarines are vulnerable when they surface, they decided to ignore the international law that demands that neutral ships be treated differently than war ships. America felt that their freedom of the seas was being abused. The American passenger ship, the Lusitania, was attacked.
Immediate events that led America to enter the war:
1. February 1, 1917- Germany announced unrestricted submarine warfare. The Germans figured that by announcing this it would bring America into the war, but they also figured that the submarine warfare would be so effective that the blockade would be over before America came over. Why did Germany do such a dumb thing? Because they assumed they could outsmart America and they would win before America got across the Atlantic.
2. Zimmerman telegram- German foreign secretary Arthur Zimmerman sent a telegram to Mexico in which he asked for a military alliance- in case of war, join in an alliance and you’ll get back all the lands that you lost to American in the Mexican- American war. The US intercepted this telegram. It was printed in all the American newspapers and the Americans became angry at Germany for making such a suggestion.
3. March 1917- five American ships were sunk by the Germans.
4. March 1917- the Russian Revolution took place. The Russians overthrew the czar and set up a new government which seemed to be more democratic than the czar was. Wilson felt more comfortable with the new Russia as an ally. Wilson believed that he was entering the war in order “to make the world safe for democracy”.
America entered the war in April 1917. While they were still in a neutral state, they had already been preparing:
1. Nation Defense Act and the Navy Act (1916) - began the expansion of the army and navy.
2. Revenue Act (1916) - began to raise money to pay for the expansion of the army.
The idea of a draft had long been debated. Some people felt that a draft was wrong and that people should join voluntarily out of love for their nation. They felt that forcing people would hurt the poor people because the rich somehow always managed to get out of it. In 1917, Congress passed the Selective Service Act, which was a draft. All males between the ages of eighteen and forty- five had to join. The draft was questioned, but upheld in court. By the end of the war, 4.8 million Americans had served in the army and 2.8 million were draftees.
The US entered the war at a point when the allies were already exhausted. They supplied fresh, excited soldiers to join the weak atmosphere.
In order to get America ready for war, the government took over different aspects of society:
1. Housing
2. Labor relations
The thought behind this was that sometimes, when a country is in a state of wartime, the government takes control of fields that they hadn’t been involved in beforehand.
About sixteen percent of all males were in the military. Woman and African Americans took over their jobs.
The war was a crusade for President Wilson- he was making the world safe for democracy.
Constitutional issues during the war:
1. Opposition to the war- there were pacifists, such as Jane Adams and Robert Lafollette, who were against the war. Their actions sometimes led to reactions by the American government. In 1917, a law was passed which said that no one can come into the country without passing a literacy test. They said that the immigrants are our enemies and are causing trouble.
2. Espionage Act- it’s a crime to interfere with the draft.
3. Sedition Act- the postmaster general can bar treasonous mail.
4. Schenk vs. USA (1919)- Schenk was handing out anti-draft papers, so he was thrown into jail. He sued and when the case reached the Supreme Court, Oliver Wendell Holmes (chief justice) said that during war, freedoms can be abridged if they are presenting a clear and present danger. The example he gave was screaming “FIRE!” in a packed theater.
The war ended on November 11, 1918. America felt that they had a tremendous part in the victory.
Wilson had a dramatic role in the peace making process. He came up with a program called the Fourteen Points:
1. Open diplomacy- everyone will talk to everyone else and there will be no secrets.
2. Freedom of the seas- everyone is going to trade together and there will be no blockades.
3. No trade barriers.
4. Arms reduction.
5. Self determination- let every people decide how they want to live. America themselves had colonies, as they had fought a war in 1848 and got:
a. Guam
b. Cuba
c. Philippines
6. League of Nations- place to get together to discuss all the problems at hand.
Wilson came to Europe and was considered a hero. He was the first American president to leave American soil during his presidency. The European nations didn’t like the Fourteen Points. They wanted to make Germany pay, so they made up their own treaty.
Treaty of Versailles:
1. Germany had to admit that the war was all their fault.
2. Had to pay reparations.
3. Give up their army and colonies.
The only one of the fourteen points that was kept was the League of Nations.
Senate didn’t want to ratify the Treaty of Versailles because:
1. The Republicans were annoyed at Wilson (Democrat) that he didn’t involve them in the decision making. Henry Cabot Lodge was a powerful Republican who fought against it.
2. America wanted to go back to their policy of neutrality. They would only get involved if they wanted to.
Wilson went around the country trying to get people to sign. At this time, he had a stroke and his wife ran the country. America never signed the Treaty of Versailles, however they did sometimes send observers to the League of Nations.
After WWI, America changed from a debtor nation into a creditor nation. They emerged as a superpower.
WWI began in Europe in 1914 and lasted until 1918. The US didn’t enter the war until 1917.
Causes for WWI:
1. Nationalism- there was strong nationalistic competition amongst the European nations, in particular after the reunification of Germany in 1871. There was also ethnic unrest- groups of Czechs and Slavs wanted to free themselves from being under Austria-Hungary’s rule.
2. Imperialism- the European nations and the USA were scrambling for colonies in developing war. The fight over colonies was tense.
3. Alliance system- because of the tensions that were building up, little groups of like minded nations joined together:
a. Triple Entente/Allies- France, England and Russia.
b. Triple Alliance- Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy.
The problem with the alliance system is that when countries are upset with each other, you end up with a huge war instead of the two countries that are upset.
4. Militarism- all the nations began building up their armies, especially Germany.
Why did America enter the war? (As a general, America was neutral)
1. Cultural ties- Americans felt connected to whichever countries they came from. Some felt connected to Germany, many to England- our mother country, and some to France- our old ally.
2. Economic links to these countries- the British blockaded the North Sea and that cut off our trade with Germany, intensifying our trade with England. Now that we had economic ties with England, we wanted to help them. Most Americans felt that trading with the Allies didn’t bridge our neutrality. Wilson won his second term in office in 1916 with the slogan, “he kept us out of war”.
3. Propaganda- the media influences our thoughts. The Allies launched a very successful media campaign- they pictured themselves as agents of democracy and the Triple Alliance as barbarians. Through billboards and news bulletins, they pushed their views.
4. Issue of freedom of the seas and German submarine warfare- in 1915, the Germans tried to use submarine warfare in an attempt to end the British blockade. Germany announced that the waters around England are within a warzone and that their u-boats would be sinking ships that come into these waters. They said that neutral ships also shouldn’t come into these waters. Since submarines are vulnerable when they surface, they decided to ignore the international law that demands that neutral ships be treated differently than war ships. America felt that their freedom of the seas was being abused. The American passenger ship, the Lusitania, was attacked.
Immediate events that led America to enter the war:
1. February 1, 1917- Germany announced unrestricted submarine warfare. The Germans figured that by announcing this it would bring America into the war, but they also figured that the submarine warfare would be so effective that the blockade would be over before America came over. Why did Germany do such a dumb thing? Because they assumed they could outsmart America and they would win before America got across the Atlantic.
2. Zimmerman telegram- German foreign secretary Arthur Zimmerman sent a telegram to Mexico in which he asked for a military alliance- in case of war, join in an alliance and you’ll get back all the lands that you lost to American in the Mexican- American war. The US intercepted this telegram. It was printed in all the American newspapers and the Americans became angry at Germany for making such a suggestion.
3. March 1917- five American ships were sunk by the Germans.
4. March 1917- the Russian Revolution took place. The Russians overthrew the czar and set up a new government which seemed to be more democratic than the czar was. Wilson felt more comfortable with the new Russia as an ally. Wilson believed that he was entering the war in order “to make the world safe for democracy”.
America entered the war in April 1917. While they were still in a neutral state, they had already been preparing:
1. Nation Defense Act and the Navy Act (1916) - began the expansion of the army and navy.
2. Revenue Act (1916) - began to raise money to pay for the expansion of the army.
The idea of a draft had long been debated. Some people felt that a draft was wrong and that people should join voluntarily out of love for their nation. They felt that forcing people would hurt the poor people because the rich somehow always managed to get out of it. In 1917, Congress passed the Selective Service Act, which was a draft. All males between the ages of eighteen and forty- five had to join. The draft was questioned, but upheld in court. By the end of the war, 4.8 million Americans had served in the army and 2.8 million were draftees.
The US entered the war at a point when the allies were already exhausted. They supplied fresh, excited soldiers to join the weak atmosphere.
In order to get America ready for war, the government took over different aspects of society:
1. Housing
2. Labor relations
The thought behind this was that sometimes, when a country is in a state of wartime, the government takes control of fields that they hadn’t been involved in beforehand.
About sixteen percent of all males were in the military. Woman and African Americans took over their jobs.
The war was a crusade for President Wilson- he was making the world safe for democracy.
Constitutional issues during the war:
1. Opposition to the war- there were pacifists, such as Jane Adams and Robert Lafollette, who were against the war. Their actions sometimes led to reactions by the American government. In 1917, a law was passed which said that no one can come into the country without passing a literacy test. They said that the immigrants are our enemies and are causing trouble.
2. Espionage Act- it’s a crime to interfere with the draft.
3. Sedition Act- the postmaster general can bar treasonous mail.
4. Schenk vs. USA (1919)- Schenk was handing out anti-draft papers, so he was thrown into jail. He sued and when the case reached the Supreme Court, Oliver Wendell Holmes (chief justice) said that during war, freedoms can be abridged if they are presenting a clear and present danger. The example he gave was screaming “FIRE!” in a packed theater.
The war ended on November 11, 1918. America felt that they had a tremendous part in the victory.
Wilson had a dramatic role in the peace making process. He came up with a program called the Fourteen Points:
1. Open diplomacy- everyone will talk to everyone else and there will be no secrets.
2. Freedom of the seas- everyone is going to trade together and there will be no blockades.
3. No trade barriers.
4. Arms reduction.
5. Self determination- let every people decide how they want to live. America themselves had colonies, as they had fought a war in 1848 and got:
a. Guam
b. Cuba
c. Philippines
6. League of Nations- place to get together to discuss all the problems at hand.
Wilson came to Europe and was considered a hero. He was the first American president to leave American soil during his presidency. The European nations didn’t like the Fourteen Points. They wanted to make Germany pay, so they made up their own treaty.
Treaty of Versailles:
1. Germany had to admit that the war was all their fault.
2. Had to pay reparations.
3. Give up their army and colonies.
The only one of the fourteen points that was kept was the League of Nations.
Senate didn’t want to ratify the Treaty of Versailles because:
1. The Republicans were annoyed at Wilson (Democrat) that he didn’t involve them in the decision making. Henry Cabot Lodge was a powerful Republican who fought against it.
2. America wanted to go back to their policy of neutrality. They would only get involved if they wanted to.
Wilson went around the country trying to get people to sign. At this time, he had a stroke and his wife ran the country. America never signed the Treaty of Versailles, however they did sometimes send observers to the League of Nations.
After WWI, America changed from a debtor nation into a creditor nation. They emerged as a superpower.
SS- Chapter 16
Chapter 16: The Progressive Era
By 1900, the US was a powerful, wealthy nation. Urbanization, immigration and industrialization had made it so. Together with these changes came a slew of problems, and the Progressive Era was going to change these problems.
Problems:
1. Huge monopolies in business
2. Violence in the labor movement
3. Poverty and crime in the cities
4. Increasing gap between the rich and the poor
5. Political corruption
6. Abuse of natural resources
The Progressive Era (1900- 1920) wasn’t one group of people, it was many groups of people. They all had one basic similarity- they were middle class Americans with some extra time and money to do good. In America, it was easy to spread a movement because of the forms of communication:
1. Telephones
2. Railroads
3. Mail
Movements:
1. Muckrakers- a group of progressives who worked toward a social and economical change-. They were all journalists who wanted to expose different evils of society- wanted to dig up the “muck”.
Five Muckrakers:
a. Frank Norris- he wrote “The Octopus”. This book discusses the monopolies of the railroads in California and how the workers were mistreated.
b. Ida Tarbell- she wrote “History of Standard Oil”, which exposed the evil practices of Rockefeller- he was a thief.
c. Lincoln Stephens- he wrote “Shame of Cities”- exposed the corrupt city practices.
d. Jacob Riis- he was a photographer and wrote a photoplay “How the Other Half Lives”. He exposed the horrible living conditions of the poor in the cities. This had an impact on reform in the city. One of the goals was to improve the sewage in the city. They also wanted codes and licensing for building.
e. Upton Sinclair- he wrote “Jungle”. This book exposed the horrors of the meat packaging industry. As a direct result, two laws were passed:
i. Pure Food and Drug act
ii. Meat Inspection act
2. Peace movement- Lillian Wald and Jane Adams led the Woman’s Peace Party- against war. They were pacifists. As a result of her efforts as a pacifist, Jane Adams won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931.
Jeanette Rankin was the first female senator. She voted against our entry into WWI and WWII. She was a pacifist.
3. Temperance Movement and Prohibition- felt that it could produce better citizens if it was alcohol free. Under the leadership of Francis Willard, the temperance movement took a turn- it began to advocate for the Prohibition. The Prohibition would be an amendment to the constitution stating that alcohol consumption, selling, manufacturing and drinking is illegal. Willard formed the WCTU (Woman’s Christian Temperance Union) to stop the sale of alcohol. In 1920, the eighteenth amendment was passed, in which it stated that the sale, consumption and manufacturing of alcohol was illegal. This amendment was a big mistake and was later repealed.
4. Child Labor-the progressives worked to limit child labor. In 1912, the Federal government formed the Federal Children’s Bureau:
a. To investigate child labor
b. To pressure states to set a minimum wage
c. To pressure states to set maximum hours
5. Woman’s Rights movement- woman’s rights movements began way back in 1848. As time progressed, they decided to make suffrage their main goal.
Susan B. Anthony made it her life’s goal. Susan was very strong in her stand on woman’s rights. Lucy Stone and her husband, Henry Blackwell were more moderate in their goals. Their group joined with SBA and ECS and was called NAWSA. Susan B. Anthony died in 1906. Carrie C. Catt took over NAWSA and worked for suffrage. Alice Paul was a member of NAWSA. She was a militant and was kicked out of NAWSA.
Historians feel that it was the united efforts of woman during WWI who got the nineteenth amendment to be passed in 1920. This amendment gave woman the right to vote.
Another sign of improvement was education for woman- by the end of the 1800s, many women’s colleges had opened. By the early 1900s, a third of the people attending college were woman. Female colleges:
a. Vassar
b. Wellesley
c. Smith
Soon, co-ed colleges were started.
Another woman’s issue was the campaign for birth control. Margaret Sanger formed the Planned Parenthood Organization (aka American Birth Control League). She went into inner city homes and advocated limiting children in a family. She was jailed very often.
6. Jewish groups formed the ADL- fought against anti-Semitism.
7. Progressive efforts in the government- the government was corrupt. They wanted to end the political machines and didn’t want a mayor. They worked on a few main ideas to make the government closer to the people, and that would minimize corruption:
a. Secret Ballot- no one should know who you are voting for. This would end the intimidation of the party bosses.
b. Initiative- the voter could petition to get a law passed.
c. Referendum- voters decide whether a law should be passed. This is direct democracy.
d. Recall- people can be removed from office.
e. Direct primary- you choose the person you want to represent you.
f. Direct election of senators- the seventeenth amendment was passed, which allowed for this to happen.
All these ideas were presented by the Populist Party, but weren’t passed until now.
The state of Wisconsin was used as a role model for progressive reform under their governor Robert Lafollette. Wisconsin enacted many progressive reforms. They passed laws to:
1. Regulate railroads
2. Correct banks
3. Stop corruption
Lafollette was nicknamed “Fighting Bob”.
Other states copied and tried to bring change:
1. California under Hiram Johnson
2. New York under Teddy Roosevelt
The first three presidents of this century were all progressives:
1. Roosevelt
2. Taft
3. Wilson
Roosevelt became president in 1901. He was elected as vice president in 1900, but when McKinley was killed, he became president. Roosevelt was a proactive person. He was the first president in history who was heavily involved with the people. Today, presidents are extremely involved with the people.
He was heavily involved in social and economic reform. He promised every American a Square Deal- a fair chance that they should be serviced in this country. It was under Roosevelt that the Pure Food and Drug act and the Meat Inspection act were passed.
Roosevelt was heavily involved in regulating business. He wanted to strengthen the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) - set up to regulate business. In order to do this, he passed the Elkins and Hepburn Act- force railroads to set formal rates. They made it illegal to give out free passes to friends. The ICC also regulated ferries, bridges and pipelines later on.
Roosevelt was known as the “Trust Buster”- he checked into trusts. If they were good trusts that benefited the city, they could remain, otherwise not.
He convinced Congress to set up the Bureau of Corporations- division of the department of labor. The bureau would investigate trusts and let the public know what they doing wrong. They would bring the trusts to court if they were doing something wrong.
Two major trust busting cases:
1. Northern Security vs. USA- broke up the railroad monopoly, so the court ruled against it.
2. Swift and Co. vs. USA- it was a meat packaging company. The court ruled that the monopoly had to be crushed. This case was a clear deviation of EC Knight vs. USA because then, the court ruled in favor of the monopoly.
In this time period, America was moving away from laissez faire.
Roosevelt also worked to help labor unions grow. In 1902, the Pennsylvania coal miners went on strike but the owner refused to do anything. Roosevelt called them down to the White House to talk with them and force them to work with the labor unions. This is called arbitration. This was the first time that the government got involved with the unions to favor the worker.
Roosevelt passed the Employer’s Liability Act- bosses need some form of insurance in case the workers get hurt on the job.
Lockner vs. NY- limiting the work hours.
Roosevelt was a conservationist- he loved the outdoors. Roosevelt was influenced to set aside land by:
1. John Muir
2. Pinochet
National parks were built now and the National Reclamation Act was passed- took money from the sale of public land and used it for irrigation and to fix things. The National Forest Reserve Act was also passed- set aside land for forests.
Roosevelt organized the Conservation Convention- a meeting of many governors of many states to discuss conservation issues.
In 1908, Roosevelt decided not to run for a third term, and told Republicans to vote for Taft. Taft won the presidency.
Taft was a progressive and there were many reforms under Taft:
1. Trust Buster- busted many trusts, even more than Roosevelt. Standard Oil Co. vs. USA- felt that they were violating the Sherman Anti Trust Act- the Supreme Court used the rule of reasoning- look deep into the trust and see if it’s illegal.
2. Man Elkins Act- gave more power to the ICC.
Taft ran into a money problem and he wasn’t politically capable. He made two mistakes:
1. As the progressives wanted to lower the tariff, he promised to. However, not all the members of his party were progressives. In fact, many of the Republicans wanted to raise the tariff. The tariff was indeed raised. The Payne Aldrich Tariff raised the tariff. Many people didn’t agree.
2. Taft fired the head of the forest department- Pinochet. Taft fired him because Taft’s friend Balinger had been taking land for business and Pinochet said that he’s doing the wrong thing. People were upset that Taft fired him.
Election year of 1912- Roosevelt said that he’s going to run for a third term, but the Republican Party nominated Taft because people don’t like change.
Roosevelt formed the Bull Moose Party- to take care of things on his own. Now, the Republican Party was split. This paved the way for the democratic victory which occurred. Woodrow Wilson now became president. Wilson was also a progressive. “New Freedom” was Wilson’s slogan- he wanted to change finance in the city.
Reforms:
1. Underwood Tariff- lowered the tariff. This was the first time the tariff was lowered since the Civil War. It also added a provision to the sixteenth amendment that was passed at the end of Taft’s term. The sixteenth amendment started an income tax. Now, a provision was added- Graduated Income Tax- the amount was based on an individual percent of income.
2. Federal Reserve System- reshaped the banking system in America. Wilson divided the USA into twelve banking districts. In each of the sections, he placed a Federal bank. All these banks had to answer to a Federal Reserve Board, which regulated the banks. The Federal Reserve Board issued new currency and made all the decisions for the banks. The main goal of the Federal Reserve Board was to regulate interest rates- raise of lower according to what the economy needs.
Wilson made two business regulations:
1. Federal Trade Commission- to investigate unfair business tactics.
2. Clayton Anti Trust Act- was stronger than the Sherman Anti Trust act. It controlled business and was against unfair business practices. It tried very hard to end the practice of using anti-trust laws against labor unions. In an effort to crush unions, the trusts stated that unions are trusts, therefore they have to be crushed. The Clayton Anti Trust Act still busts trusts until today.
By 1900, the US was a powerful, wealthy nation. Urbanization, immigration and industrialization had made it so. Together with these changes came a slew of problems, and the Progressive Era was going to change these problems.
Problems:
1. Huge monopolies in business
2. Violence in the labor movement
3. Poverty and crime in the cities
4. Increasing gap between the rich and the poor
5. Political corruption
6. Abuse of natural resources
The Progressive Era (1900- 1920) wasn’t one group of people, it was many groups of people. They all had one basic similarity- they were middle class Americans with some extra time and money to do good. In America, it was easy to spread a movement because of the forms of communication:
1. Telephones
2. Railroads
3. Mail
Movements:
1. Muckrakers- a group of progressives who worked toward a social and economical change-. They were all journalists who wanted to expose different evils of society- wanted to dig up the “muck”.
Five Muckrakers:
a. Frank Norris- he wrote “The Octopus”. This book discusses the monopolies of the railroads in California and how the workers were mistreated.
b. Ida Tarbell- she wrote “History of Standard Oil”, which exposed the evil practices of Rockefeller- he was a thief.
c. Lincoln Stephens- he wrote “Shame of Cities”- exposed the corrupt city practices.
d. Jacob Riis- he was a photographer and wrote a photoplay “How the Other Half Lives”. He exposed the horrible living conditions of the poor in the cities. This had an impact on reform in the city. One of the goals was to improve the sewage in the city. They also wanted codes and licensing for building.
e. Upton Sinclair- he wrote “Jungle”. This book exposed the horrors of the meat packaging industry. As a direct result, two laws were passed:
i. Pure Food and Drug act
ii. Meat Inspection act
2. Peace movement- Lillian Wald and Jane Adams led the Woman’s Peace Party- against war. They were pacifists. As a result of her efforts as a pacifist, Jane Adams won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931.
Jeanette Rankin was the first female senator. She voted against our entry into WWI and WWII. She was a pacifist.
3. Temperance Movement and Prohibition- felt that it could produce better citizens if it was alcohol free. Under the leadership of Francis Willard, the temperance movement took a turn- it began to advocate for the Prohibition. The Prohibition would be an amendment to the constitution stating that alcohol consumption, selling, manufacturing and drinking is illegal. Willard formed the WCTU (Woman’s Christian Temperance Union) to stop the sale of alcohol. In 1920, the eighteenth amendment was passed, in which it stated that the sale, consumption and manufacturing of alcohol was illegal. This amendment was a big mistake and was later repealed.
4. Child Labor-the progressives worked to limit child labor. In 1912, the Federal government formed the Federal Children’s Bureau:
a. To investigate child labor
b. To pressure states to set a minimum wage
c. To pressure states to set maximum hours
5. Woman’s Rights movement- woman’s rights movements began way back in 1848. As time progressed, they decided to make suffrage their main goal.
Susan B. Anthony made it her life’s goal. Susan was very strong in her stand on woman’s rights. Lucy Stone and her husband, Henry Blackwell were more moderate in their goals. Their group joined with SBA and ECS and was called NAWSA. Susan B. Anthony died in 1906. Carrie C. Catt took over NAWSA and worked for suffrage. Alice Paul was a member of NAWSA. She was a militant and was kicked out of NAWSA.
Historians feel that it was the united efforts of woman during WWI who got the nineteenth amendment to be passed in 1920. This amendment gave woman the right to vote.
Another sign of improvement was education for woman- by the end of the 1800s, many women’s colleges had opened. By the early 1900s, a third of the people attending college were woman. Female colleges:
a. Vassar
b. Wellesley
c. Smith
Soon, co-ed colleges were started.
Another woman’s issue was the campaign for birth control. Margaret Sanger formed the Planned Parenthood Organization (aka American Birth Control League). She went into inner city homes and advocated limiting children in a family. She was jailed very often.
6. Jewish groups formed the ADL- fought against anti-Semitism.
7. Progressive efforts in the government- the government was corrupt. They wanted to end the political machines and didn’t want a mayor. They worked on a few main ideas to make the government closer to the people, and that would minimize corruption:
a. Secret Ballot- no one should know who you are voting for. This would end the intimidation of the party bosses.
b. Initiative- the voter could petition to get a law passed.
c. Referendum- voters decide whether a law should be passed. This is direct democracy.
d. Recall- people can be removed from office.
e. Direct primary- you choose the person you want to represent you.
f. Direct election of senators- the seventeenth amendment was passed, which allowed for this to happen.
All these ideas were presented by the Populist Party, but weren’t passed until now.
The state of Wisconsin was used as a role model for progressive reform under their governor Robert Lafollette. Wisconsin enacted many progressive reforms. They passed laws to:
1. Regulate railroads
2. Correct banks
3. Stop corruption
Lafollette was nicknamed “Fighting Bob”.
Other states copied and tried to bring change:
1. California under Hiram Johnson
2. New York under Teddy Roosevelt
The first three presidents of this century were all progressives:
1. Roosevelt
2. Taft
3. Wilson
Roosevelt became president in 1901. He was elected as vice president in 1900, but when McKinley was killed, he became president. Roosevelt was a proactive person. He was the first president in history who was heavily involved with the people. Today, presidents are extremely involved with the people.
He was heavily involved in social and economic reform. He promised every American a Square Deal- a fair chance that they should be serviced in this country. It was under Roosevelt that the Pure Food and Drug act and the Meat Inspection act were passed.
Roosevelt was heavily involved in regulating business. He wanted to strengthen the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) - set up to regulate business. In order to do this, he passed the Elkins and Hepburn Act- force railroads to set formal rates. They made it illegal to give out free passes to friends. The ICC also regulated ferries, bridges and pipelines later on.
Roosevelt was known as the “Trust Buster”- he checked into trusts. If they were good trusts that benefited the city, they could remain, otherwise not.
He convinced Congress to set up the Bureau of Corporations- division of the department of labor. The bureau would investigate trusts and let the public know what they doing wrong. They would bring the trusts to court if they were doing something wrong.
Two major trust busting cases:
1. Northern Security vs. USA- broke up the railroad monopoly, so the court ruled against it.
2. Swift and Co. vs. USA- it was a meat packaging company. The court ruled that the monopoly had to be crushed. This case was a clear deviation of EC Knight vs. USA because then, the court ruled in favor of the monopoly.
In this time period, America was moving away from laissez faire.
Roosevelt also worked to help labor unions grow. In 1902, the Pennsylvania coal miners went on strike but the owner refused to do anything. Roosevelt called them down to the White House to talk with them and force them to work with the labor unions. This is called arbitration. This was the first time that the government got involved with the unions to favor the worker.
Roosevelt passed the Employer’s Liability Act- bosses need some form of insurance in case the workers get hurt on the job.
Lockner vs. NY- limiting the work hours.
Roosevelt was a conservationist- he loved the outdoors. Roosevelt was influenced to set aside land by:
1. John Muir
2. Pinochet
National parks were built now and the National Reclamation Act was passed- took money from the sale of public land and used it for irrigation and to fix things. The National Forest Reserve Act was also passed- set aside land for forests.
Roosevelt organized the Conservation Convention- a meeting of many governors of many states to discuss conservation issues.
In 1908, Roosevelt decided not to run for a third term, and told Republicans to vote for Taft. Taft won the presidency.
Taft was a progressive and there were many reforms under Taft:
1. Trust Buster- busted many trusts, even more than Roosevelt. Standard Oil Co. vs. USA- felt that they were violating the Sherman Anti Trust Act- the Supreme Court used the rule of reasoning- look deep into the trust and see if it’s illegal.
2. Man Elkins Act- gave more power to the ICC.
Taft ran into a money problem and he wasn’t politically capable. He made two mistakes:
1. As the progressives wanted to lower the tariff, he promised to. However, not all the members of his party were progressives. In fact, many of the Republicans wanted to raise the tariff. The tariff was indeed raised. The Payne Aldrich Tariff raised the tariff. Many people didn’t agree.
2. Taft fired the head of the forest department- Pinochet. Taft fired him because Taft’s friend Balinger had been taking land for business and Pinochet said that he’s doing the wrong thing. People were upset that Taft fired him.
Election year of 1912- Roosevelt said that he’s going to run for a third term, but the Republican Party nominated Taft because people don’t like change.
Roosevelt formed the Bull Moose Party- to take care of things on his own. Now, the Republican Party was split. This paved the way for the democratic victory which occurred. Woodrow Wilson now became president. Wilson was also a progressive. “New Freedom” was Wilson’s slogan- he wanted to change finance in the city.
Reforms:
1. Underwood Tariff- lowered the tariff. This was the first time the tariff was lowered since the Civil War. It also added a provision to the sixteenth amendment that was passed at the end of Taft’s term. The sixteenth amendment started an income tax. Now, a provision was added- Graduated Income Tax- the amount was based on an individual percent of income.
2. Federal Reserve System- reshaped the banking system in America. Wilson divided the USA into twelve banking districts. In each of the sections, he placed a Federal bank. All these banks had to answer to a Federal Reserve Board, which regulated the banks. The Federal Reserve Board issued new currency and made all the decisions for the banks. The main goal of the Federal Reserve Board was to regulate interest rates- raise of lower according to what the economy needs.
Wilson made two business regulations:
1. Federal Trade Commission- to investigate unfair business tactics.
2. Clayton Anti Trust Act- was stronger than the Sherman Anti Trust act. It controlled business and was against unfair business practices. It tried very hard to end the practice of using anti-trust laws against labor unions. In an effort to crush unions, the trusts stated that unions are trusts, therefore they have to be crushed. The Clayton Anti Trust Act still busts trusts until today.
SS- Chapter 15
Chapter 15: Immigration and Urbanization
From 1870 to 1920, a new wave of immigrants came to the US. Many different types of immigrants came:
1. Asian- they looked different. They came through Angels Island, which is in California.
2. Eastern Europeans- they came through Ellis Island. They also looked different. The eastern European immigrants came from Russia, Czechoslovakia…
To get through these immigration centers, they had to pass through a series of tests: literacy and a physical exam. They had to have an address of wear they were going, at least twenty five dollars, and be able to prove that they would be an asset to the country.
Once they finally got through, the immigrants experienced a culture shock. They would often live in ghettoized areas. The children got accustomed much quicker than the adults. This led to difficulties for the parents because there was now a gap between them and their children.
Sociologists have different theories on how Americans blended in this country:
1. Melting Pot- immigrants came and all their cultures blended and formed the new Americans.
2. Assimilation- when you totally blend.
3. Pluralism (Salad Bowl) - when an immigrant comes and they don’t give up on their culture, living happily, side by side with other cultures. Some times, some cultures rub off onto another, but the original culture is still highly visible.
There was an extreme reaction against immigrants because they dress and act differently:
1. Chinese- Yellow Peril. They felt that little, yellow men had descended upon their country. Americans weren’t welcoming. In 1882, after much pressure from California, the US issued the Chinese Exclusion Act, which didn’t allow for any more Chinese immigrants.
2. Japanese- the Japanese complained that they were being discriminated against. The Japanese government complained that the Japanese weren’t being treated nicely. Japan said, we modernized just like you, so the US government passed the Gentleman’s Agreement in 1907. It said that Japan won’t send anymore immigrants, but those that already in the US will be treated very nicely.
In 1921, they passed the Emergency Quota Act- sharply limited the amount of immigrants that the US was willing to take in.
In 1924, the National Origins Act was passed, stating that especially from eastern Europe immigrants shouldn’t be allowed in.
Immigrants built this nation.
Urbanization-
The cities exploded over night because of:
1. Flood of immigrants
2. Factories drew people from the south and from the farms
The cities exploded over night. Immigrants flooded the cities. The factories were in the cities so they got jobs and made money. Blacks and farmers came to the cities in search of jobs.
Who lived in the cities?
1. The poor- they had a hard life. They lived in slums and worked in factories with horrible conditions. They could hardly enjoy the benefits of the city.
2. Middle class- they were able to benefit. They were the doctors, lawyers, teacher… Some of the middle class were able to own their own homes and have appliances. The middle class had some leisure time to enjoy the benefits of the city.
3. Wealthy- lived very well.
This period in history is sometimes called the Gilded Era. It looked like America was getting very rich. Really, there were many poor people and the gap between the rich and poor was widening.
Cities offered a lot in the way of culture. They had:
1. Concert halls
2. Libraries
3. Music halls
4. Parks- Fredrick Olmstead designed Central Park.
The cities offered better education. There were high schools, colleges and philosophers. John Dewey was an educator and philosopher who wanted to improve education.
Cities had:
1. Subways (elevated train)
2. Streetcars
3. Skyscrapers
4. Electricity
5. Street lights
There were many problems in the cities:
1. Housing- there were now so many people. The middle class lived in row houses. If they moved out, seven immigrant families would move in. The government tried to help these families by building apartment buildings called tenements. They were built with many windows for air. The tenements were good, but they weren’t great.
2. Sanitation issue- there was no formal system of disposing of waste. Now there was much more garbage because of new objects such as tin cans.
3. Water- now was the start of indoor plumbing, but there wasn’t enough water.
4. Fires- there was no fire department. Almost every city experienced a fire at this point, but there were no firemen or water to put out the fire.
5. Crime- cities were full of crime. Little children without parents watching them led to crime. Poverty also leads to crime. There was no official police dept at this time. There were some reformers who tried to minimize crime and improve the situation. They set up community centers which served lunch and taught people how to read. Two community centers:
a. Hull House- settlement house in Chicago that was set up by Lillian Wald.
b. Henry Street Settlement House- in NYC. It was set up by Jane Adams.
6. Political machines- an organized group of men that control the activities of a political party. Every city had at least one political machine. At the head of the political machine is the party boss. This group of men controlled the city by being very in touch with the people, especially the poor. If there was a problem, they were on the scene helping and they would tell people to remember them and vote for them. The poor were very loyal so they voted for them. They got the vote and they had the power. Once you have power, it leads to corruption.
“Boss” Tweed was a very powerful party boss in NYC. He controlled the city and was corrupt. He built a town hall- Tammany Hall- headquarters of the party. He rebuilt the headquarters on NYC tax dollars. He taxed people tons to build the town hall and he pocketed the extra money. This is one example of the types of corruption that occurred. Graft means to steal money.
Eventually the political machine was destroyed. A cartoonist by the name of Thomas Nast helped destroy the political machines by writing many of cartoons showing how corrupt the political machines were. The government made little effort to improve corruption.
President Cleveland tried to pass laws to minimize corruption, but he was killed in office and didn’t manage to pass the law. Vice president Chester Arthur managed to pass the act. The Pendleton Act ended the spoils system and began the implementation of the civil service exams- tests that had to be taken before working in the government. This helped corruption in general but not the political machine issue.
America felt that now, at the end of the 1800s, the frontier was closed. Fredrick Jackson Turner wrote an essay,”The Significance of the American Frontier”. He said that the frontier made America into the powerful nation that it will become.
During these yrs, America changed majorly from farm life to city life. America shifted to fads and styles. They went from making things on their own to shopping in department stores. Even people still living on the farms could get whatever they needed by ordering from catalogs.
Blacks didn’t benefit much from the change. They were still poor and discriminated against. In the south, they were extremely discriminated against and in the north, they were discriminated against too.
People who helped blacks:
1. Ida B. Wells- worked to fight against lynching- a method of killing blacks by hanging them, which took place in the south.
2. Marcus Garvey- a black man. He formed the United Negro Association- for blacks to form their own economic community. The blacks don’t need the whites- they can be self sufficient.
3. Booker T. Washington- He felt that all blacks should learn a vocation- a skill. He opened up a vocational school, Tuskegee Institute. He felt that if you establish yourself on an economic level, you’ll have money and you’ll be ok. He felt that education was the key to African success.
4. W.E.B. Dubois- felt that being educated will lead to success. He encouraged people to get a formal education- go to college, universities… He formed the Niagara Movement- spoke about his ideas of education. An outgrowth of this movement was the NAACP, a powerful black education which helps blacks until today. Provides them with services when in need.
From 1870 to 1920, a new wave of immigrants came to the US. Many different types of immigrants came:
1. Asian- they looked different. They came through Angels Island, which is in California.
2. Eastern Europeans- they came through Ellis Island. They also looked different. The eastern European immigrants came from Russia, Czechoslovakia…
To get through these immigration centers, they had to pass through a series of tests: literacy and a physical exam. They had to have an address of wear they were going, at least twenty five dollars, and be able to prove that they would be an asset to the country.
Once they finally got through, the immigrants experienced a culture shock. They would often live in ghettoized areas. The children got accustomed much quicker than the adults. This led to difficulties for the parents because there was now a gap between them and their children.
Sociologists have different theories on how Americans blended in this country:
1. Melting Pot- immigrants came and all their cultures blended and formed the new Americans.
2. Assimilation- when you totally blend.
3. Pluralism (Salad Bowl) - when an immigrant comes and they don’t give up on their culture, living happily, side by side with other cultures. Some times, some cultures rub off onto another, but the original culture is still highly visible.
There was an extreme reaction against immigrants because they dress and act differently:
1. Chinese- Yellow Peril. They felt that little, yellow men had descended upon their country. Americans weren’t welcoming. In 1882, after much pressure from California, the US issued the Chinese Exclusion Act, which didn’t allow for any more Chinese immigrants.
2. Japanese- the Japanese complained that they were being discriminated against. The Japanese government complained that the Japanese weren’t being treated nicely. Japan said, we modernized just like you, so the US government passed the Gentleman’s Agreement in 1907. It said that Japan won’t send anymore immigrants, but those that already in the US will be treated very nicely.
In 1921, they passed the Emergency Quota Act- sharply limited the amount of immigrants that the US was willing to take in.
In 1924, the National Origins Act was passed, stating that especially from eastern Europe immigrants shouldn’t be allowed in.
Immigrants built this nation.
Urbanization-
The cities exploded over night because of:
1. Flood of immigrants
2. Factories drew people from the south and from the farms
The cities exploded over night. Immigrants flooded the cities. The factories were in the cities so they got jobs and made money. Blacks and farmers came to the cities in search of jobs.
Who lived in the cities?
1. The poor- they had a hard life. They lived in slums and worked in factories with horrible conditions. They could hardly enjoy the benefits of the city.
2. Middle class- they were able to benefit. They were the doctors, lawyers, teacher… Some of the middle class were able to own their own homes and have appliances. The middle class had some leisure time to enjoy the benefits of the city.
3. Wealthy- lived very well.
This period in history is sometimes called the Gilded Era. It looked like America was getting very rich. Really, there were many poor people and the gap between the rich and poor was widening.
Cities offered a lot in the way of culture. They had:
1. Concert halls
2. Libraries
3. Music halls
4. Parks- Fredrick Olmstead designed Central Park.
The cities offered better education. There were high schools, colleges and philosophers. John Dewey was an educator and philosopher who wanted to improve education.
Cities had:
1. Subways (elevated train)
2. Streetcars
3. Skyscrapers
4. Electricity
5. Street lights
There were many problems in the cities:
1. Housing- there were now so many people. The middle class lived in row houses. If they moved out, seven immigrant families would move in. The government tried to help these families by building apartment buildings called tenements. They were built with many windows for air. The tenements were good, but they weren’t great.
2. Sanitation issue- there was no formal system of disposing of waste. Now there was much more garbage because of new objects such as tin cans.
3. Water- now was the start of indoor plumbing, but there wasn’t enough water.
4. Fires- there was no fire department. Almost every city experienced a fire at this point, but there were no firemen or water to put out the fire.
5. Crime- cities were full of crime. Little children without parents watching them led to crime. Poverty also leads to crime. There was no official police dept at this time. There were some reformers who tried to minimize crime and improve the situation. They set up community centers which served lunch and taught people how to read. Two community centers:
a. Hull House- settlement house in Chicago that was set up by Lillian Wald.
b. Henry Street Settlement House- in NYC. It was set up by Jane Adams.
6. Political machines- an organized group of men that control the activities of a political party. Every city had at least one political machine. At the head of the political machine is the party boss. This group of men controlled the city by being very in touch with the people, especially the poor. If there was a problem, they were on the scene helping and they would tell people to remember them and vote for them. The poor were very loyal so they voted for them. They got the vote and they had the power. Once you have power, it leads to corruption.
“Boss” Tweed was a very powerful party boss in NYC. He controlled the city and was corrupt. He built a town hall- Tammany Hall- headquarters of the party. He rebuilt the headquarters on NYC tax dollars. He taxed people tons to build the town hall and he pocketed the extra money. This is one example of the types of corruption that occurred. Graft means to steal money.
Eventually the political machine was destroyed. A cartoonist by the name of Thomas Nast helped destroy the political machines by writing many of cartoons showing how corrupt the political machines were. The government made little effort to improve corruption.
President Cleveland tried to pass laws to minimize corruption, but he was killed in office and didn’t manage to pass the law. Vice president Chester Arthur managed to pass the act. The Pendleton Act ended the spoils system and began the implementation of the civil service exams- tests that had to be taken before working in the government. This helped corruption in general but not the political machine issue.
America felt that now, at the end of the 1800s, the frontier was closed. Fredrick Jackson Turner wrote an essay,”The Significance of the American Frontier”. He said that the frontier made America into the powerful nation that it will become.
During these yrs, America changed majorly from farm life to city life. America shifted to fads and styles. They went from making things on their own to shopping in department stores. Even people still living on the farms could get whatever they needed by ordering from catalogs.
Blacks didn’t benefit much from the change. They were still poor and discriminated against. In the south, they were extremely discriminated against and in the north, they were discriminated against too.
People who helped blacks:
1. Ida B. Wells- worked to fight against lynching- a method of killing blacks by hanging them, which took place in the south.
2. Marcus Garvey- a black man. He formed the United Negro Association- for blacks to form their own economic community. The blacks don’t need the whites- they can be self sufficient.
3. Booker T. Washington- He felt that all blacks should learn a vocation- a skill. He opened up a vocational school, Tuskegee Institute. He felt that if you establish yourself on an economic level, you’ll have money and you’ll be ok. He felt that education was the key to African success.
4. W.E.B. Dubois- felt that being educated will lead to success. He encouraged people to get a formal education- go to college, universities… He formed the Niagara Movement- spoke about his ideas of education. An outgrowth of this movement was the NAACP, a powerful black education which helps blacks until today. Provides them with services when in need.
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