Imperialism Debates Arguments - Economic; Political; Cultural
FOR Imperialism
a) Economic [2]:
- Need for raw materials
- Need for markets for goods and agricultural products
b) Political [1]:
- US had to compete with European empires
- Especially for navy
c) Cultural [2]:
- Social Darwinists beliefs (certain nations are more fit and therefore are destined to dominate other countries.
- Desire to spread Christianity.
Arguments AGAINST Imperialism
a) Economic [1]:
- Too expensive}}
b) Political [1]:
- Belief in self-determination and letting people govern themselves.
- History of Isolationism (Washington farewell address)
- US had done in getting independence from Britain}}
c) Cultural [1]:
- Rejection of Social Darwinism and other racial theories
Spanish American War - Causes (2)
1) Spanish involvement in Cuba (2)
- Sugar
- Yellow Journalism (Exaggerated accounts of Spanish atrocities in Cuba (angered Americans)
2) Sinking of USS Maine by Spanish
Yellow Journalism
Over exaggerated accounts or news reporting of atrocities in Cuba
- angered Americans
Spanish American War - Results (2)
1) US acquires island territories in Pacific and Caribbean
2) More involvement in Asia + Latin America
Teller Amendment
1898
Agreement to let Cubans run government once Spanish was overthrown
Spheres of Influence
Areas in which a country has political or economic control but does not govern directly.
European countries (and Japan) in China.
Open door policy
Policy where everyone has equal access to trade or investment in China.
- Increase in US involvement in China.
- Part of Taft philosophy "dollar diplomacy"
Dollar Diplomacy
US business brings jobs and opportunities to foreign countries and profit to US as well.
- And good will (strengthened relationships)
Gentleman Agreement
Between Japan and US.
US: End segregated schools for Japanese in California.
Japan: Restrictions on Japanese immigration to US.
Great White Fleet
Tour of US navy battleships.
Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
US has responsibility to intervene in Latin America to ensure stability and order.
Big Stick Diplomacy
Using big army as a deterent.
Platt Amendment ({{c1::1901}})
Allowed US to intervene in Cuban affairs to "preserve its independence" (protecting Cuba from foreign nations)
Expeditionary Force
Force to capture Guerilla Leader and ensure stability of government.
Muckraker (3)
Journalist who covered topics like corruption and poor living conditions.
1) Ida Tarbell
- Exposed corrupt practices of standard oil
2) Jacob Riis
- Exposed terrible living conditions in Big US cities
3) Upton Sinclair
- Exposed conditions of meat packing factories.
Ida Tarbell
Exposed corruption in standard oil companies
Jacob Riis
Covered poor living conditions of big US cities
Upton Sinclair
Covered the terrible conditions of meatpacking industry
Level of Reform - Cities (1)
1) Transfer of utilities to municipal government
2) Election of city departements.
Level of Reform - States (2)
1) Child labor laws
- 2/3rd of states passed laws that limited child labor
- Required school attendance
2) Protecting women against working long hours
- Especially after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (1911)
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
1911
Fire which helped in the advocation for protecting women against working long hours.
National Reform (6)
1) Square Deal
- Making decisions with both big business and common people in mind (labor) [Before just big business)
2) Trust busting
- Cracking down on monopolies that reduce competition and raise prices
- Keeping good monopolies
3) Elkins Act (1903)
- Strengthened interstate commerce act + punishes railroad companies that give favorable rates to certain customers.
- Interstate commerce act = reasonable rates for railroads
4) Pure food and Drug Act
- Ensures proper labeling of food and drugs.
5) US Forest Service established
6) 16th Amendment
- US government can collect income tax.
Square Deal
Making decisions with both big businesses and common people in mind.
[Prior just big businesses] Roosevelt's program.
Trust Busting
Break monopolies that reduce competition and raise prices.
- Keeping "good" monopolies."
Elkins Act
1903
Strengthened interstate commerce act (charging reasonable rates for railroads)
- Punishes railroad companies that give favorable rates to certain customers
- Note: deemed unconstitutional
- Shows how big companies controlled the government at the time.
Pure food and Drug act
Ensures proper labeling of food and drugs
16th Amendment
US government can collect income tax
New Freedom
Platform which aims to limit business and big government.
National Reform efforts - Wilson (4)
Targeted big business and big government
- 1) 17th Amendment (1913)
Direct Election of US Senator
- 2) Underwood Tariff (1913)
Greatly lowered US tariffs (limited government)
- 3) Federal Reserve Act (1914)
Creating of independent banking system that manages money supply. Instead of putting it in hands of elected government.
- 4) National Park Service (1916)
17th Amendment
1913
Direct election of US senator Key: Helped greatly lower power of big businesses and government.
Underwood Tariff
1913
Greatly lowered US tariffs Key: limited government (they liked tariffs)
Federal Reserve Act
1914
Creation of independent banking system separate from government.
- Instead of putting it in hands of elected government.
National Association for the Advancement of the Colored People (NAACP)
1909
Main objective: abolish segregation and get equal rights for African Americans
19th Amendment
1920
Women get right to vote.
Carrie Chapman Catt.
1917 - Reasons for US Entering WWI (4)
First: tried to keep historic policy of being neutral in European affairs
1) German unrestricted submarine warfare.
- Sinking of US ships around Europe
- USS Lusitania (1915)
2) Historic relationships with Britain and France
3) Russian Revolution
- Wilson wanted to fight with right humanitarian and democratic principles. Right morals.
4) Zimmerman Telegraph
- German offer to Mexico to help them recover lost territory if they helped in WWI
Fourteen Points
1918
- Cease fire During peace talk, Wilson pushes for fourteen point.
Including: Freedom of seas; self-determination for ethnic groups, etc...
Treaty of Versailles (4)
1919
1) Colonies from Germany in Africa and Asia were taken
2) Germany had to accept guilt for war and had to pay reparations to France and Britain
3) Many independent states created throughout Europe
4) League of Nations created
Liberty Bonds
Government sold these bonds to people to help government pay for war.
Post WWI - Changes to Migrant + Settlement (2)
1) Limits place on immigration from southern and eastern Europe and Middle East were fighting with Central Powers
2) Continued rural to urban migration of war production efforts in factories
3) Beginning of "Great Migration" of Africans from South to North/West to escape Jim Crow and other discriminatory laws + find work.
- Still continued to encounter discrimination
- Including Race Riots"
Schenck vs. United States
Ruled that free speech could be limited if it represented "clear and present danger"
Red Scare
End of WWI/After WWI
- People began to fear possibility of Communism in the US.
- Led to arrests and deportation.
Roarings 20s + Causes
1920s a time of great economic success in the Us.
-Causes:
- Improve methods of mass production.
- Henry Ford assembly line
- Additional options for energy
- More use of oil over coal to power factories.
- Advancements in transportation (automobile)
Key: Growth in "consumer culture" in US.
- Household appliances."
1920s National Culture (2)
1) Radio
- First method of mass news broadcasting
2) Cinema
- Gave Americans access to music and film wherever they lived.
- Result: increase spread of American National Culture.
Modernism
Attempted to merge science, including Darwin's theory of evolution and religion, including teaching in the bible.
Fundamentals (religion)
strict interpretation of the bible
Scopes trial
1925 - John Scopes put on trial for teaching Darwin's Theory.
18th Amendment
1919
- Prohibition passed after decades of debates.
21st Amendment
1933
Allowing alcohol again
Immigration Act of 1924
Set annual limits on immigration to 2% of the US's foreign born population.
Key: effectively ended immigration from Asia until 1980s.
Lost Generations
Literature during 1920s surrounding horros of WWI
Harlem Renaissance
Growing of African American culture, including Art & Literature + music in Harlem, NYC.
Poetry - Langston Hughes
Jazz - Duke Ellington
Great Depression
1929-1933
Period of economic downturn/fall.
- Included GNI + GDP drop, bank closures, unemployment. Started due to collapse of stock in October 1929.
Causes of Great Depression (6)
1) Uneven distribution of income
- Fewer people to buy products from companies = companies lose money = lay off workers = unemployment.
2) Failure to repay bank loans
- People took out loans from Banks, didn't pay them back.
3) Buying on margin
- People took out loans to buy stock, assuming stock would go up.
- When it didn't, couldn't repay loans,
4) Tight supply of money
- Limited amount of money
- People also panicked and withdrew from banks
5) Problems in Europe
- German unable to repay war debts (economic problems in Britain and France)
6) Agricultural overproduction
- High yield of agricultural products , low prices for farmers.
Smoot-Hawley Tarriff
1930
Highest tariff rates in history
- Revenge tariffs from Europe and further economic collapse
Federal Farm Board
Helped surplus agricultural produce to raise prices.
- Not very effective
Bonus Army
WWI veterans march to Washington DC to demand for bonuses for fighting in WWI.
New Deal
FDR
- Economic programs and changes to the economy designed to bring US out of great depression.
Focused on "3Rs"
- Reform
- For economic institutions
- Relief
- For unemployment and poor
- Recovery
- For entire economy, including businesses
3 R's
- Relief = For unemployment
- Recovery = For entire economy, including businesses
- Reform = For Economic institutions
First New Deal - Relief Programs (2)
1) Public Works Administration (PWA)
- Big Infrastructure program to hire people to build roads, bridges, damns, hospitals, and schools.
2) Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
- Program for young men to work manual labor on environmental projects
First New Deal - Recovery (1)
1) National Recovery Administration
- Agency that brought businesses and labor together to determine both prices that would yield profit and fair workers for workers.
First New Deal - Reform
1) Glass-Stegall Act
- Limited how banks could invest deposits by consumers
- Separated banks into 2 types
a) Banks
- Deposit would be kept in the bank, not given out
b) Investment Banks
- Invest your money.
2) Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
- Regulate Wall Street and look out for "insider trading"
3) Federal Housing Administration
- Provides loans for lower income families to purchase homes
- Provides insurance for both the banks and individuals taking out loans from banks.
Public Works Administration (PWA)
- Big infrastructure program to hire people to build roads, bridges, dams, hospitals, and schools. Provided jobs immediately.
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
Program for young men to work manual labor on environmental projects.
National Recovery Administration (NRA)
Middle ground between Businesses and workers.
Agency that brought both of these people together to determine both prices that would yield high profit and fair wages for workers.
Glass-Stegal Act
Separated banks into 2 categories
1) Banks - keep your money in bank, not given out
2) Investment Banks - Invest your money
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
- Regulate wall street and trade
- Cracked down on "insider trading"
Federal Housing Administration (FHA)
Provided low interest loans for low income families to be able to purchase homes.
Second New Deal - Relief (1)
1) Works Progress Administration Same as PWA but larger.
Second New Deal - Recovery (1)
National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act)
- Replaced the NRA
- Guaranteed worker's rights to join unions, engage in collective bargaining, and go on strike.
Second New Deal - Reform (1)
1) Social Security Act
Program to collect percentage of worker's paychecks to ensure retired people don't die from being poor.
Works Progress Administration
Same as WPA but larger, provided infrastructure jobs for many people.
National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act)
Replaced the NRA, guaranteed rights for laborers to join unions, engage in collective bargaining and go on strike.
Fair Labor Standards Act
Set minimum wage and 40h workweek
Dust Bowls
One of the reasons farmers countinued to struggle during Great Depression Drought in much of Great Plains
New Deal Legacies (2)
1) Idea that government should get more involved in economy, especially when times are challenging.
2) Cements new Democratic supporters (immigrants, urban working-class and African Americans)
Indian Reorganization Act of 1934
Attempted to reverse policy of forced assimilation
Returned some former land to control of tribes.
Isolationism
Not getting involved in foreign affairs
Unilateralism
Making foreign policy decisions without consulting/involving others.
Washington Conference (1921)
- Conference to discuss limiting sizes of Navies
- Agreement amongst 5 biggest navies: Italy, France, Japan, US, Germany to limit navies.
- Called Five-Power Treaty.
Five-Power Treaty
5 biggest navies: Japan, US, France, Italy, Germany limited sizes
Kellogg-Briand Pact
Kellogg-Briand Pact
Agreement amongst many countries to not use war to settle disputes.
- Allowed for "defensive" wars
Dawes Plan
Plan to help Germany pay retributions to Britain and France - Money from US to Germany
Good Neighbor Policy
FDR: no intervention and interference in Latin America Nullifying the Platt Amendment
Fascism
System of government that combined nationalism and militarism
Militarism = aggressive demonstration of power and force.
America First Committee (AFC)
Group that opposed any US involvement in Europe, and WWII
Cash and Carry
Countries could purchase US arms if they used their own ships and paid in cash
- A way to get weapons to Great Britain
Destroyer For Bases deal
Deal for US to trade Destroyers in exchange for bases found in British Territories in Caribbean.
Lend-Lease Act
Policy that allowed all allies to purchase US weapons on credit.
Pearl Harbor
Japan needed oil from US to maintain possessions.
Attack pearl Harbor.
Starts involvement of US
Manhattan Project
Produced atomic weapons
Impact on Society - Post WWII
1. African Americans
- Continued migration to North + West to seek jobs in wartime industries.
2. Mexican Americans + Mexicans
- Agreement to temporarily allow Mexicans agricultural workers to enter during harvest seasons to help with farm production
3. Japanese Americans
- Irrational fear led to placement of more than 100,000 in "internment camps"
4. Women
- Massive number of women entered the workforce to take place of men fighting in war.
Battle of Midway
1942
- Stopped Japanese expansion, forced them to retreat
Yalta
1945
Divide Germany into two occupation zones Free elections for Eastern Europe
Postdam
1945
- Divide Germany and Berlin into 4 occupation zones - British, France, US, USSR
Legacy of WWII (2)
1) Massive devastation throughout Europe + Asia
- Result: US emerges as wealthiest and most powerful country in the world.
2) Creation of United Nations
- Organizations aimed to avoiding future large-scale conflict
- Most peaceful period in history.
United Nations
Organization aimed to avoid future large-scale conflict