Unit 7: The United States Emerges as a Global Power (1898-1945)

reasons for imperialization

to promote the United States’ economic interest— controlling more countries means controlling more markets to trade with; “the white man’s burden”

“the white man’s burden”

a belief that white Europeans and Americans had a moral duty to civilize and rule non-white peoples around the world; legitimized imperialism

annexation of Hawai’i

the formal act by the United States government in 1898 to incorporate the Hawaiian Islands into the United States as a territory; followed a period of United States economic and political influence there, overthrew monarchy; Manifest Destiny

rebellion in Cuba

Cubans felt oppressed by Spanish rule; Spain sent 100,000 troops to Cuba to crush resistance and thousands of Cubans died in Spanish prison camps

Queen Lil’uokalani

the last monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii before its annexation by the United States in 1898; resisted imperialism and supported native Hawaiians from prison

explosion of the U.S.S. Maine

a pivotal event leading to the Spanish-American War; mysterious explosion of United States battleship in Cuba, blamed on the Spanish

Spanish-American War

the United States quickly smashed Spanish forces in Cuba and the Philippines and won

yellow journalism

sensationalized, often exaggerated, and sometimes fabricated news stories used to attract readers and boost circulation

negotiations after Spanish-American War

United States agrees to recognize Cuban independence, annexed Puerto Rico and Guam, purchased the Philippines for $20 million

occupation of the Philippines

the United States broke its promise to annex the Philippines; murdered and tortured tens of thousands of people; used military force to maintain control of the nation

Emilio Aguinaldo

the Filipino revolutionary and military leader who first led the fight against Spain and then against the United States for Philippine independence; first president of the Philippines

Roosevelt Corollary

an extension of the Monroe Doctrine; stated that the United States had the right to intervene in the internal affairs of Latin American countries to maintain stability and prevent European intervention

Platt Amendment

a set of provisions inserted into the Cuban Constitution by the United States; granted the United States the right to intervene in Cuban affairs, to protect American interests and maintain Cuban independence; mostly to limit Cuba’s sovereignty and control

The Panama Canal

United States supported a revolution in Panama and then took a piece of land in Panama to build a massive canal; hundreds died in construction; canal made the United States a lot of money because of its importance as a trade route

Moral Diplomacy

the foreign policy strategy employed by President Woodrow Wilson during his presidency; promoted American values and ethical standards in international relations; Puerto Ricans were given American citizenship and limited self-government, Philippines were promised independence when a stable government was established

Wilson’s Latin American interventions

United States military sent into Haiti, Dominican Republic; keeps troops in Nicaragua; military in Mexico

Progressive desires

a more democratic and less corrupt government, less economic inequality, better protections for workers and consumers, a more “moral” society

Progressive strategies

running for political office; forming organizations or political parties to promote causes, provide services, or lobby the government; expose injustice through writing

muckrakers

investigative journalists during the Progressive Era (roughly 1890s-1920s) who exposed corruption and injustices in business and government

local Progressive achievements

city governments took over utilities, city councils hire expert managers to run the city instead of party bosses, scientific management

scientific management

improve labor productivity by scientifically analyzing work processes and implementing optimized methods

state level Progressive achievments

sale of alcohol banned in 2/3 of states, state politics became more democratic, school funding, juvenile halls, restrictions on child labor, safety regulations for tenements and factories

secret ballots

a voting system where voters cast their ballots privately, ensuring that no one can see or influence their choices

Square Deal

Theodore Roosevelt brought together union leaders and company owners to make them negotiate; began trust-busting; promoted regulation of railroads to make them charge reasonable rates; supported passage of Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act; set aside land for conservation

trust-busting

he government's efforts to break up large business trusts and monopolies that controlled a significant portion of an industry, often stifling competition

Pure Food and Drug Act

a landmark Progressive Era law that prohibited the sale of misbranded or adulterated food and drugs in interstate commerce

Meat Inspection Act

a law that required government inspection of meat processing plants and ensured sanitary conditions and correct labeling to prevent adulteration or misbranding

16th Amendment

allows for a federal income tax

17th Amendment

allows for direct election of United States Senators by the people themselves

New Freedom Plan

Woodrow Wilson’s plan to reduce tariffs to bring down prices, progressive income tax, reform the banking system, leave the gold standard, further regulate businesses, promote low-interest loans for farmers, laws banning child labor

Underwood Tariff

notable for lowering tariff rates and implementing a federal income tax as a new source of revenue

progressive income tax

a tax system where the tax rate increases as income increases

Clayton Antitrust Act

expanded upon the Sherman Antitrust Act by addressing specific business practices like price discrimination, tying agreements, and interlocking directorates, aiming to prevent monopolies and enhance fair competition

racism in the Progressive Movement

actively supported Jim Crow laws, the KKK, racial discrimination in employment, unequal educational opportunities

classism and sexism in the Progressive Movement

some male progressives opposed women’s suffrage and participation in the workplace, looked down on working class immigrants

The Women’s Suffrage Movement

the movement advocating for the legal right of women to vote in elections in the United States; lecturing, writing, marching, lobbying, civil disobedience

19th Amendment

granted women the right to vote

successes of the Suffrage Movement

more liberal divorce laws, ability to own property after marriage, limited increases in access to education and professions, 19th Amendment

Black resistance in the Progressive Era

anti-lynching campaign, formation and major growth of civil rights organizations like the NAACP

World War I beginning

began in 1914 after the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary

American neutrality

decides to stay neutral in the Great War, even after German submarines shot down British ships with Americans on board

war preparation

selective service drafts men to fight, War Industries Board, National War Labor Board

War Industries Board

determines what factories will produce and sets prices, government takes control of railroads

National War Labor Board

arbitrates disputes between business and labor; workers earn eight hour days and union member increases

domestic economy during war

rationing, increased power of unions, increase in factory jobs available for women and people of color

The Great Migration

the large-scale movement of approximately six million Black Americans from the rural South to the urban Northeast, Midwest, and West between 1910 and 1970; escaping Jim Crow oppression, racial violence, and seeking economic opportunity

Espionage and Sedition Acts

severely limit freedom of speech and freedom of the press, allowing the government to imprison people who make “disloyal” comments

Schenk v. Eunited States

Supreme Court says these laws are constitutional, saying free speech can be limited when there is a “clear and present danger” to public safety

The Paris Peace Conference of 1919

a pivotal event in the aftermath of World War I, where the victorious Allies (including the United States, Britain, France, and Italy) negotiated the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers

Treaty of Versailles

the peace treaty that officially ended World War I; imposed harsh terms on Germany, including territory loss, disarmament, and hefty war reparations; created the League of Nations

Wilson’s Fourteen Points

a set of principles outlining a vision for a just and lasting peace after World War I

League of Nations

an international organization established after World War I, aiming to prevent future wars through diplomacy and collective security; United States never joins despite Wilson’s attempts because they were afraid the league would meddle in United States affairs

economic issues and labor conflicts post-war

no more demand for war material led to drop in factory production and falling of crop prices; economy goes into recession; many lost their jobs; greater supply of workers when soldiers came home, which reduced workers’ bargaining power; massive strikes shut down

the first “Red Scare”

growing paranoia about socialism in the United States because of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and because socialists were most critical of war involvement

Palmer Raids

the United States government arrests 6,000 socialists and labor organizers and deports 500 in fear of communist influence

violence in Chicago

lasted for multiple days; 38 deaths and more than 500 injured; began with killing of Eugene Williams who was drowned in Lake Michigan

Red Summer of 1919

a period of widespread racial violence in the United States, particularly in urban areas, following World War I; primarily targeted African Americans

Tulsa Massacre of 1921

a two-day long white supremacist terrorist attack in Tulsa, Oklahoma against the Greenwood District, which was an African American neighbourhood; resulted in destructed of hundreds of homes, businesses, and deaths

consumer economy in the 1920s

new technologies and products revolutionized American lifestyles; cars, radio, film, new appliances, buying on credit

1920s return to Laissez-Faire economics

massive economic growth in manufacturing; many Americans were still in debt— especially farmers; continued union struggles in industrial labor

Henry Ford’s assembly line

revolutionized manufacturing by using a moving conveyor belt to move the product down the line, enabling workers to specialize and perform specific tasks

open-shop

reserving jobs for non-union workers, offering workers a few benefits to stop them from joining unions

American isolationism in the 1920s

determined to stay out of war and international affairs; invested in other countries; left troops in a few countries; Open Door Policy in China

Open Door Policy

made to ensure access to trade with China

The Dawes Plan

the plan implemented in 1924 that aimed to restructure German reparations after World War I; loans cycle around Germany, France and Britain, and the United States; United States benefits from interest

Immigration Act of 1924

limited immigration to the United States and imposed extreme limitations on certain groups; all immigration banned from Asia and severely restricted from Africa, Southern Europe, and Eastern Europe

Sacco and Vanzetti

Italian immigrant anarchists who were convicted and executed for murder in 1927, despite widespread public debate and concerns about the fairness of their trial; symbol for anti-immigrant sentiment

shifting roles in the 1920s

changes to gender roles, modernist interpretation of the Bible, newer forms of art

Scopes Trial

John Scopes, a science teacher, was jailed for teaching the theory of evolution

18th Amendment

prohibited alcohol in the United States; was quickly overturned after it was blatantly disobeyed

Harlem Renaissance

an artistic, intellectual, and cultural movement centered around the neighborhood of Harlem; African-Americans; novelists, poets, dancers, musicians, etc.

The 1929 Stock Market Crash

the dramatic decline in stock prices that occurred in the late 1920s, signaling the beginning of the Great Depression in the United states and worldwide

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

represents the total monetary value of all final goods and services produced within a country’s borders during a specific time period

causes of the Great Depression

stock market speculation— people bet stocks would keep growing in value, so they borrowed money to buy more stock, and when the stock prices fell, people would fall into debt; economic inequality; economic inequality— people were already living paycheck to paycheck; bank panics and adherence to gold standard— people panicked and tried to withdraw all their savings, causing banks to collapse

Reconstruction Finance Corporation

lent money to some failing banks, businesses, and railroads

Smoot-Hawley Tariff

raised tariffs by 20% to protect farmers from competition, but ultimately made the Depression worse by causing trade wars and reducing global trade

Hoovervilles

shantytowns or homeless encampments that arose due to mass unemployment and evictions during the Great Depression

employment discrimination during the Great Depression

people of color were often the last hired and first fired; paid less than their white co-workers

The Mexican Repatriation

an event during the Great Depression (1929-1936), involved the forced return of Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans from the United States to Mexico

The Dust Bowl

a severe ecological and agricultural disaster in the American and Canadian prairies during the 1930s, caused by a combination of drought and poor farming practices; furthered economic hardships for farmers

Attack on the Bonus Army

a group of approximately 43,000 World War I veterans, their families, and other supporters who marched to Washington, D.C. in 1932 to demand immediate payment of their war bonuses, which were due to be paid out in 1945

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s philosophy

focused on recovery for the business and economy, relief for the unemployed, and reform of American economic institutions

The Brain Trust

a group of economists that were diverse to help advise him on the Great Depression

The First New Deal

FDR’s first 100 days in office; Glass-Steagull Act, creation of Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Deposit Insurance Commission, Public Works Administration, National Recovery Administration, and Agricultural Adjustment Association

Glass-Steagull Act

a piece of legislation aimed at separating commercial banking from investment banking in the United States

Securities and Exchange Commission

a US government agency established in 1934 to regulate the securities industry and protect investors

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

a U.S. government agency that provides deposit insurance to protect depositors' funds in banks

Public Works Administration

provided direct employment by hiring people to work on the construction of highways and public buildings

Civilian Conservation Corps

a New Deal program providing temporary work relief for unemployed young men, primarily focusing on conservation projects like reforestation and park development

National Recovery Administration

encouraged industries to establish “codes of fair competition” that would regulate wages, prices, and production

Agricultural Adjustment Act

to address the economic distress of farmers by reducing crop surpluses and raising prices; used subsidies and other measures to encourage farmers to reduce production

Second New Deal

Works Progress Administration, Resettlement Administration, National Housing Act, National Labor Relations Act, Rural Electrification Administration, Social Security

Works Progress Administration

spent billions to give people jobs as the government hired people to build bridges, airports, roads, and create artistic works

Resettlement Administration

loans to tenant farmers, sharecroppers

National Housing Act

gave out loans to help people keep their homes

National Labor Relations Law

guaranteed workers rights to join a union and outlawed unfair business practices, created the National Labor Relations Board to enforce law and protect workers; led to huge increase in union membership and strikes in the late 1930s

Social Security Act

a program that collects tax payments from employers and employees throughout a worker’s career; money used to make monthly payments to retired people, pay workers for a few months after they lose their job while looking for a new one, support for disabled people, and payments to families where the father had died

criticisms of the New Deal

Republicans feared it was moving the United States towards socialism; Liberals criticized the New Deal for not going far enough to help struggling Americans

court-packing controversy

conservative Supreme Court ruled several of FDR’s reforms unconstitutional; FDR tries to pack the court by adding several extra justices who agreed with his view; Congress stopped this but started passing most New Deal programs

racial discrimination in the New Deal

unequal wages in job programs, many state and local relief programs excluded people of color, limits on agricultural production resulting in black sharecroppers losing work, Jim Crow laws not addressed