Spring Semester Midterm Review

What did Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle (1906) expose? Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle

(1906) revealed the unsanitary conditions of

slaughterhouses and led to government regulation of

food industries

The Progressive Era led to demands for equal rights

by African Americans

Quick Class Discussion:In what ways were blacks

discriminated against?80% of lived in rural areas

in the South, most as sharecroppers

Literacy tests and poll taxes limited black voting Jim Crow laws segregated blacks in schools, hotels, restaurants, trains, and other public facilities

Plessy v Ferguson (1896) declared that segregation

did not violate the 14th amendment

Lynching and violence were common

Progressive Movement

• Four goals:– Protect Social Welfare– Foster economic efficiency– Moral Improvement– Economic Reform

Initiatives allow citizens to bypass the state

legislature by putting an issue on a state ballot and

voting to make it a law

Recalls allow citizens

to vote to remove an

elected official

States began using direct primary

elections to allow voters to choose party

candidates

U.S. Imperialism: DOMINICAN REPUBLICWhen Theodore Roosevelt became president, he used “Big Stick Diplomacy”:

Develop an active U.S. foreign policy with a strong navy to accomplish goals

TR added the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, giving the United States “police powers” to protect Latin America

from European imperialism

Reasons for U.S. Imperialism

■Americans were motivated by a variety of factors to imperialize:–In 1890, the U.S. census declared

that the frontier was closed & there were no new lands in the “west” for Americans to expand into

–During the Gilded Age, American industry grew so large that new overseas markets & new sources of raw materials were needed

European powers had acquired colonies & many Americans believed that the USA

had to imperialize in order to keep up

Reasons for U.S. Imperialism■At the urging of Admiral Alfred Mahan,

the USA developed a modern navy, allowing the U.S. to compete with other powerful nations

■Many believed that Social Darwinism gave Americans a duty to “civilize” the “inferior races” of the world by introducing medicine, technology, Christianity, & democracy

U.S. Imperialism: CUBAIn 1895, Cubans declared their independence from Spain; To put down the revolution, Spain used brutal tactics (like starvation)

U.S. newspapers sensationalized the events in Cuba (known as “yellow journalism”)

In 1898, the U.S. sent the USS Maine to Cuba to protect American interests there;

After the ship mysteriously exploded, Americans declared war on Spain

Muckraking Journalism■New “muckraking” journalism

drew attention to social problems, such as urban poverty, corruption, & big business practices:–Popular monthly magazines,

like McClure’s & Collier’s, used investigative journalism & photos

–Jacob Riis’ How the Other Half Lives (1890) was the 1st exposé of urban poverty & slums

U.S. Imperialism: PANAMATR used “Big Stick Diplomacy” to build the Panama Canal by encouraging a

Panamanians to rebel from Colombia

TR decided to run for president in 1912 but the Republican Party picked Taft as their candidate…

…so Roosevelt formed a new political party called

the Progressive Party (“Bull Moose Party”)

“I’m feeling as fit as a bull moose”

Republican voters were divided between

Taft and Roosevelt…

…and Democrat Woodrow Wilson won the election of 1912

Republicans divided by a Bull moose equals a Democratic victory!

The USA remained neutral in World War I from 1914 to 1917…

Due to German violations of free trade, the USA

declared war in April 1917

Personal liberties were restricted during World War I

Congress passed the Espionage and Sedition

Acts which made it illegal to interfere with the war

or saying anything disloyal about the war effort

In Schenk v US (1919), the Supreme Court

ruled that in wartime, speech that presents a “clear and present

danger” is not protected

Charles Schenck, a socialist and anti-war

critic, was arrested and sued arguing that the

laws violated free speech

During the war, over 2,000 citizens were prosecuted

including newspaper editors, Socialists,

anarchists, union leaders, and critics of the draft Anti-German sentiment

was high across the nation

Wilson’s Fourteen Points contained 3 main themesPoints 1-5 focused

on creating new international rules

that would eliminate future wars

No more secret treaties or alliances

International control over colonies to end

imperialism

Reduction of militariesFreedom of the seas

and free trade

Wilson’s Fourteen Points contained 3 main themesPoints 6-13 focused on dividing weak empires like Austria-Hungary and Ottoman Empire

into new nations based on self-determination

Wilson believed that new nations should

have borders drawn with consideration to ethnic and national identities

He wanted new nations to be free to choose

their own governments

Wilson’s Fourteen Points contained 3 main themesPoint 14 focused on creating a League of Nations to settle all future international

problems by diplomacy rather than by war

In 1920, the states ratified the 19th Amendment giving women to

right to vote

During the Red Scare, immigrants were under attackIn 1920, Nicola Sacco and

Bartolomeo Vanzetti were arrested and charged with robbery and murder

Sacco and Vanzetti were Italian immigrants

and anarchistsWith only circumstantial

evidence, they were found guilty and executed

Henry Ford’s mass production techniques made automobiles affordable for many Americans

The 1920s produced some of America’s most important literature

The “Lost Generation” authors including T.S. Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, and F. Scott Fitzgerald rejected

war and criticized 1920 consumerism and conformity

The 1920s saw a burst of personal prosperity and consumer spending

Mass production led to a huge number of new products: Cars, electric

appliances, new fashions

Companies offered ways for consumers to buy on credit through monthly

installment plans Advertising boomed to convince people to

spend their money

The dominance of urban America divided society

Urban society was characterized by

diversity, consumerism, freedom, entertainment

Rural society was characterized by religious

fundamentalism, nativism, and tradition

The values of these 2 societies clashed in the 1920s

Over-production and under-consumption By the end of the 1920s, factories produced too many durable goods

(known as over-production) People did not need as many

appliances and cars by the end of the decade (under-consumption)

Too much inventory…Not enough buyers

Problems for farmers and industry The end of WWI led to a decline in demand for agricultural products and a 40% decline in crop prices

Farmers could not pay back loans and many had their farms foreclosed

End of WWI

Railroads, textiles, coal were losing money and faced competition from cars, synthetic fabrics, natural gas

Increasing American debtsMany Americans used credit to live beyond their means, generate large

debts, and had to cut back on spending by the end of the decade

The effects of the depression were made worse by the Dust Bowl

Decades of over-farming and droughts in the Plains led to

windstorms that swept away soil and made farming impossible

When the Great Depression began, Republican President Herbert Hoover tried

to solve America’s economic problems President Hoover

believed that America could overcome the depression through

“rugged individualism” (using hard work and

perseverance)

Hoover private charities to help (“volunteerism”)He encouraged business growth, wanted to keep taxes low, and avoided

direct gov’t intervention

When FDR became president be promised decisive gov’t action

to fight the depression

FDR believed the gov’t should use deficit spending (spending that causes debt) to stimulate the economy

In his first 100 days in office, FDR and Congress passed a

broad platform of legislation to attack the depression called the “New Deal”

The New Deal created long-term reforms to address weaknesses in the American economy and address the causes of the Great Depression

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was created

to bring electricity to the South and create jobs

The TVA built hydroelectric power

plants in seven Southern states providing issued

cheap power

One of the most important reforms on the New Deal was the Wagner Act

The law protected workers’ right to strike

and collectively bargain It created a Fair Labor

Practices Commission to regulate unfair practices

used by companies to discourage union

membership

Due to the Wagner Act, union membership in

the USA increased

To combat poverty among the elderly

and disabled, Congress created the

Social Security ActSocial Security

provided old-age pensions for

Americans at age 65Social Security was also America’s first welfare program

because it provided payments for blind, handicapped, and

needy children

In addition, two New Deal recovery programs (AAA and NRA) were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court

FDR feared that the Supreme Court would weaken the New Deal

FDR threatened to “pack the Supreme Court” and increase

the number of justices from 9 to 15

People were outraged as FDR appeared to be overstepping his

Constitutional powers

The New Deal created long-term reforms to address weaknesses in the American economy and address the causes of the Great Depression

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was created to regulate the stock market

and prevent another crash

The New Deal focused on the three “Rs”N

ew D

eal P

rogr

ams

ReliefRelief checks and job programs

to lower unemployment

RecoveryPrograms to stimulate agriculture, industry, and the economy to end

the depression

ReformPrograms to correct problems in the economy and prevent future

depressions

African Americans ■During WWII, African Americans

fought in the military & at home:–The war led to factory jobs &

increased the Great Migration of blacks in the North & west coast

–African Americans faced racial discrimination; civil rights leader A Philip Randolph forced FDR to offer equal pay for black workers by creating the Fair Employment Practices Commission

The Japanese dominated Asia, crippled the U.S. navy after the Pearl Harbor attack,

& seized most Western colonies in the Pacific

However, U.S. entrance into the war in 1941 helped the Allies turn the tide and defeat the Axis by 1945

FDR & Churchill agreed that defeating Hitler was the top priority, but American troops would be

deployed to fight Japan at the same time

By 1944, the Allies decided to open a

Western Front by invading

Nazi-occupied FranceOperation Overlord (called D-Day) in June

1944 was the largest land & sea attack in history

The Normandy invasion was deadly, but the

Allied victory created a Western Front…

America: Story of Us: D-Day

…and allowed the Allies to push towards

Germany from the West

At the same time, the Soviet army pushed from the East

By March 1945, the Allies were fighting in Germany & pushing

towards Berlin

Forced to fight a two-front war,

Hitler ordered a massive counter-attack at the

Battle of the Bulge...but lost

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the

USA sent troops to the Pacific theater

The turning point in the war in the

Pacific came at the Battle of Midway

After Midway, the Allies began to regain islands

controlled by Japan

The Pacific war revealed a new kind of fighting by using

aircraft carriers

By May 1945, the war in Europe was over &

U.S. began preparing for a land invasion of Japan

Despite losing control of the Pacific & withstanding

firebomb attacks, Japan refused to surrender

…But, perhaps a land invasion was not necessary…

In July 1945, the Big Three met at the

Potsdam Conference to discuss the end of WWII

Truman learned the atomic bomb was ready & issued the Potsdam Declaration to Japan: “surrender or face destruction”

When Japan refused to surrender, Truman ordered the bombing of Hiroshima

on August 6, 1945

After 3 days, Japan did not surrender so a

2nd atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki

After the second atomic bomb, Emperor Hirohito agreed to a surrender

Women ■World War II led to opportunities for

women in the workforce & military:–6 million women entered the

workforce, many did clerical work but others did “men’s work”

–200,000 women joined special, noncombat military units

–Led to an increase in daycare centers & child delinquency

–After the war, women were forced out of high-paying factory jobs

African Americans ■During WWII, African Americans

fought in the military & at home:–More than 1 million black soldiers

served in segregated units under the command of white officers

–Unlike WWI, black soldiers were allowed to fight; the “Tuskegee airmen” in the U.S. military were recognized for heroism & bravery

Japanese-Americans■Due to Pearl Harbor, people feared

that Japanese-Americans were spying or helping prepare for a Japanese invasion of the USA–In 1942, FDR issued Executive

Order 9066 which ordered 112,000 Japanese-Americans to move to internment camps

–The Japanese in camps faced bad living conditions & a lack of rights

–Faced racial stereotypes (“Japs”)

Korematsu v. United States (1944)

n120,000 Japanese living on U.S. Pacific coast were relocated to internment camps inland following 12/7/41. Isei and Nisei interned.

Korematsu sued to terminate policy. Supreme court upheld the evacuation

as a reasonable wartime emergency measure

This was despite the fact that the Court ruled the same day that once the loyalty of any citizen had been established, internment had to end for that citizen (Ex parte Endo)

In 1988, Congress offered an official apology and $20,000 to each internee still alive.

Meanwhile, the Soviet army stopped the German attack at Moscow & Leningrad in 1942

The Soviets defeated the German army at

the Battle of Stalingrad

The Soviet victory at Stalingrad was a turning point in World War II because the Russians began pushing

towards Germany from the East by 1943