History 1877

What was Theodore Roosevelt's foreign policy known as 'big stick' diplomacy?

It was based on negotiating peacefully while threatening military force, summarized as 'speak softly and carry a big stick.'

How did the U.S. acquire the right to build the Panama Canal?

Roosevelt supported Panamanian independence from Colombia, and a treaty was signed with Philippe Bunau-Varilla granting canal zone rights.

What was the Treaty of Portsmouth (1905)?

It ended the Russo-Japanese War and recognized Japan's territorial gains in Manchuria and Korea.

What was the significance of the Taft-Katsura Memorandum (1905)?

The U.S. acknowledged Japan's dominance in Korea while Japan recognized U.S. control of the Philippines.

What was the 'Gentlemen's Agreement' negotiated by Roosevelt?

Japan limited emigration to the U.S. in exchange for the rescindment of a segregation order against Japanese students in San Francisco.

What was the Great White Fleet?

A world tour of U.S. Navy battleships (1907-09) to demonstrate American naval power, partly aimed at impressing Japan.

What crisis did Roosevelt help resolve in 1902?

He mediated the Venezuelan debt crisis to prevent European intervention.

What was Thomas Bailey's assessment of Roosevelt's foreign policy?

Bailey described it as bold, energetic, and generally successful, but sometimes impulsive and risky.

Who was the African American leader invited to dinner by Roosevelt in 1901?

Booker T. Washington.

What was the Brownsville Incident (1906)?

Black soldiers were dishonorably discharged by Roosevelt despite a lack of evidence linking them to a shooting.

What was the intention of Upton Sinclair's book 'The Jungle'?

To expose poor working conditions for immigrants, leading to the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act (1906).

How did Roosevelt intervene in the Pennsylvania Coal Strike (1902)?

He acted as a neutral mediator, threatened federal takeover, and forced mine owners to negotiate with workers.

What was Roosevelt's approach to 'trust-busting'?

He distinguished between 'good' trusts that served the public and 'bad' trusts that were abusive and monopolistic.

What conservation efforts did Roosevelt undertake?

He created national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges, established the U.S. Forest Service, and protected over 230 million acres of land.

What were four reasons Americans struggled to remain impartial in WWI?

Cultural ties to Britain, anti-German sentiment, economic ties with Allies, and British propaganda shaping U.S. opinion.

What was the significance of the Lusitania incident?

The sinking of the British passenger ship by German U-boats killed 128 Americans, leading to outrage in the U.S.

What was Wilson's 1916 campaign slogan?

'He kept us out of war.'

What did Wilson call for in his January 22, 1917 speech?

He called for 'peace without victory,' expressing a desire to mediate and avoid harsh settlements.

When did the U.S. enter WWI and what were the causes?

The U.S. entered in 1917 due to Germany's resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare and the Zimmerman Telegram.

What acts limited freedom in the U.S. during WWI?

The Espionage Act (1917) and the Sedition Act (1918) restricted speech, press, and dissent.

Who was John J. Pershing?

The commander of American Expeditionary Forces in Europe during WWI.

What was the Meuse-Argonne Offensive?

The final major Allied offensive from September to November 1918, where U.S. troops played a key role in forcing German surrender.

Who was Alvin C. York?

A WWI hero who captured 132 Germans almost single-handedly, symbolizing the ordinary citizen-soldier.

Why did Britain and France dislike Wilson's Fourteen Points?

They wanted harsh punishment for Germany rather than Wilson's idealistic leniency.

What were the points of Wilson's Fourteen Points that were disregarded and honored?

Disregarded: self-determination for many nations, free seas, free trade. Honored: League of Nations (Point 14).

What was significant about the 1918 midterms for Wilson?

Republicans took control of Congress, making it harder for him to ratify the Treaty.

What was unusual about Wilson's presence in Paris?

He was the first sitting president to go abroad for negotiations.

What was the significance of Article 10 in the Treaty?

It committed League members to defend each other against aggression, which opponents saw as a loss of U.S. sovereignty.

What limitations were placed on the German military by the Treaty?

The army was capped at 100,000 men, conscription was banned, and restrictions were placed on the navy and air force.

What was the significance of Article 231 and reparations?

The 'war guilt clause' blamed Germany for the war and justified heavy reparations, leading to economic and political resentment.

What were the positions of the three groups regarding the Treaty?

Irreconcilables opposed the treaty entirely, Reservationists wanted amendments, and Senate Democrats supported it without changes.

Who was Henry Cabot Lodge?

A Republican senator and leader of the Reservationists who sought amendments to the Treaty.

What were Wilson's two major mistakes regarding the Treaty?

He excluded Republicans from the delegation and refused to compromise on the treaty in the Senate.

What were six traumatic postwar events?

Influenza pandemic, labor strikes, racial violence ('Red Summer' 1919), First Red Scare, economic recession, and disillusionment with the war's outcome.

What were the legacies of the Progressive Era?

Government regulation, expanded democracy, social reforms, conservation, and a stronger presidency.

What unfinished business remained after the Progressive Era?

Civil rights, racial equality, and women's equality beyond voting.

What was the outcome of the 1920 election and its significance?

Warren G. Harding won by a landslide, symbolizing a rejection of Progressivism and a desire for 'normalcy.'

What did Harding's victory symbolize in the 1920 election?

A rejection of Progressivism and Wilson's internationalism, reflecting a desire for 'normalcy.'

List the seven characteristics of modernity.

Urbanization, mass consumer culture, technological innovation, mass media, changing gender roles, cultural experimentation, and secularism.

What was Charles Lindbergh known for?

He made the first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic in 1927, symbolizing modern technology and global connectedness.

How did Henry Ford impact American industry?

He revolutionized the automobile industry by introducing the assembly line, making cars affordable and transforming middle-class life.

Name three sports heroes of the early 20th century.

Bobby Jones (golf), Jack Dempsey (boxing), and Babe Ruth (baseball).

Who were some notable cultural figures of the early 20th century?

F. Scott Fitzgerald (novelist), Langston Hughes (poet), Louis Armstrong (jazz musician), and Al Capone (gangster).

What defined the Lost Generation?

Writers disillusioned by WWI and materialism, focusing on themes of alienation and critique of consumer culture.

What was the Harlem Renaissance?

A cultural flowering of African American art, music, and literature centered in Harlem, NY.

What were flappers known for?

Young women who rejected traditional norms, characterized by short hair, short skirts, and a liberated lifestyle.

How did the KKK's focus change from the 1860s to the 1920s?

In the 1860s, it was anti-Black; in the 1920s, it became nationwide and also anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic, and anti-Jewish.

What were the immigration restrictions of the 1920s?

Quota laws severely limited immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe and excluded Asians almost entirely.

What was Calvin Coolidge's reputation?

He was seen as quiet and reserved, known for his morality during a corrupt era, earning the nickname 'puritan in Babylon.'

What did the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 accomplish?

It granted full U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans.

Was the U.S. fully isolationist in the 1920s?

No, while it avoided military alliances, it engaged economically through loans, trade, and treaties.

What was the Dawes Plan of 1924?

It restructured German reparations and stabilized the economy with U.S. loans.

What did the Five-Power Naval Limitation Treaty of 1922 achieve?

It limited battleship construction with a ratio of Britain 5, U.S. 5, Japan 3.

What was the significance of the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928?

It outlawed war as a tool of national policy.

What was the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and its impact?

A factory fire in 1911 that killed 146 workers, leading to significant workplace safety reforms.

What was the Social Gospel movement?

A Christian movement that applied faith to social reform, criticized by Fundamentalists for mixing politics with doctrine.

What was the purpose of the NAACP?

Founded in 1909, it fought legal battles against segregation and lynching.

What were the 16th and 17th Amendments?

16th: Federal income tax; 17th: Direct election of senators.

What did Wilson's Fourteen Points emphasize?

Open diplomacy, freedom of the seas, free trade, arms reduction, and self-determination.

What was the main appeal of Coolidge's administration?

Prosperity through stability, order, and honesty in government.