history 2 exam

The Influence of Sea Power Upon History (1660-1783)

treatise on global naval strategy that preached building a powerful navy and naval bases around the globe to protect U.S. interests

Spanish War of 1898

Yellow Journalism

sensationalist and dishonest news reporting intended to increase profit and shape public opinion with falsehoods

Philippine-American War

USS Maine

Rough Riders

1st US volunteer cavalry

The Allied Powers

France, Great Britian, Russia

The Central Powers

Germany, Austria, Turkey

Zimmerman Telegram (1917)

plea from German Foreign minister, Arthur Zimmerman; asked Mexico to invade U.S. in exchange for German victory and TX, CA, NM, and AZ returned

Wilson's 14 Points

progressive plan for global peace, ultimately rejected by U.S. voters

V -wilson demanded France and U.K. renounce colonialism

XIV-demanded creation of international security org. led by U.S.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

originated the term "The Jazz Age" author of This Side of Paradise and The Great Gatsby

18th Amendment (1919)

Prohibited the manufacture, sale, and distribution of alcoholic beverages

Flapper

Modern Am. Woman of 1920s bobbed hairstyle, short skirts, and new dance moves

2 things granny never had (diaphragms, condoms)

19th Amendment (1920)

woman have the right right to vote

Ford Model T

rev. daily life in Am.; initiated asphalt roads, traffic lights, billboards, gas stations diners, motels etc

Great Depression

stock market DID NOT cause great depression

"buying stocks on margin"

Black Tuesday

Smoot-Hawley Tariff of 1930

Bonus Expeditionary Force

FDR fireside chats

biweekly radio broadcasts; aimed at educating voters about economics and installing optimism

Civillian Conservation Corps (CCC)

provide work relief for young men (18-25) and their families

Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA)

raise farm incomes by taking land out of production (exchange for govt subsidies)

The Grapes of Wrath

National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA)

purest example of Marxism in the entire New Deal mandated private businesses hand over govt contorl of prices and labor for govt promotion

National Recovery Administration (NRA)

was created to run NIRA

Social Security Act (1935)

Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Emilio Aguinaldo

Alfred Thayer Mahan

former USN captain who authored The Above

Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt

pro-mahan progressive Republican Secretary of the Navy; resigned to fight in Cuba in 1898

Queen Liliuokalani

queen deposed in 1893 by U.S coup for having opposed the "Americanization" of Hawaii

Commodore George Dewey

General John J "Black Jack" Pershing

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

future emperor of Austrian Empire; assasinated by a serbian terrorist August 1914-murder began World War 1

David Lloyd George

Welsh Wizard prime minister of Great Britian

Georges Clemenceau

Le Tigre prime minister of France

Charles A. Lindbergh

1st pilot in the world to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean; 33 1/2 hrs to fly 3600 mil from New York to Paris

General Douglas MacArthur

John Steinback

Wrote The Grapes of Wrath depicting the depression through a family's journey west from Oklahoma.

The Making of the Myth

The Great Depression is considered one of the most devastating events in American history, and many credit FDR and his New Deal policies for helping the nation recover. However, some argue that these policies actually prolonged the Depression. For instance, in 1939, the unemployment rate was still nearly 21%, seven years after Roosevelt took office. FDR's Treasury Secretary, Henry Morgenthau, admitted that unemployment remained high and the national debt had increased. Roosevelt believed the Depression was caused by under-consumption, or a lack of purchasing power among workers due to wealth inequality. While this theory may seem reasonable, evidence shows that before the Depression, demand for consumer goods was high, and corporate profits had not surged. Instead, worker compensation was rising as a share of corporate income. Despite this, Roosevelt focused on the under-consumption theory, which led to a push for greater government intervention in the economy, with the assumption that the wealthy and business leaders could not be trusted to manage it

Relief and the WPA

During the Great Depression, President Hoover initiated federal relief efforts in response to soaring unemployment, though many states and charities opposed this federal involvement. Roosevelt expanded these efforts with the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA). However, federal relief programs had several unintended consequences: they discouraged work, incentivized states to exaggerate their needs for aid, and often distributed funds based on political considerations rather than actual need.

Recognizing these issues, Roosevelt replaced FERA with the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which shifted from direct handouts to workfare. The WPA funded public works projects, but some believed it also led to job losses in the private sector due to higher taxes needed to fund government spending. Despite Roosevelt's promises, the WPA was often used for political gain, with workers hired or fired based on their support for the Democratic Party, and key states received more relief to secure votes. Politicians who opposed this political use of federal money were often voted out of office.

No Free Ride

Franklin Roosevelt significantly expanded excise taxes to fund his New Deal policies, extending them beyond alcohol and tobacco to cover goods like cars, gasoline, stock transfers, and telephone calls. Excise taxes are typically regressive, meaning they disproportionately affect lower-income individuals. Roosevelt justified this expansion by claiming the wealthy were not paying their fair share in income taxes. He held a conspiratorial view of the rich, believing that wealthy businessmen were hoarding wealth and blocking investments.

Although some advisors suggested tax cuts to stimulate growth, Roosevelt was paranoid about the potential rise of a fascist president if taxes were reduced. His mistrust of the wealthy led to extreme tax policies, including a 79% top federal income tax rate in 1939. Roosevelt even proposed a 99.5% tax rate for anyone earning over $100,000.

The IRS

FDR is believed to have pioneered using the IRS as a political tool, targeting political opponents, wealthy Americans, and media critics of the New Deal. He used the IRS to intimidate the wealthy into paying more taxes to fund New Deal programs. However, despite pushing for higher taxes on the rich, Roosevelt took advantage of tax deductions and loopholes to shield his own income, making his tax avoidance legal but hypocritical.

Conclusion

FDR's New Deal did not end the Great Depression; historians largely agree that full employment was achieved due to the large-scale spending and mobilization required by WWII. FDR's New Deal policies are seen as creating uncertainty that prolonged the Depression, and despite his poor economic track record, most historians praise him for his progressive views on government intervention.

Roosevelt's philosophy of government intervention to ensure equality conflicted with the Founders' belief in limited government, which focused on process rather than outcomes. His progressive policies, such as new "rights" for jobs, homes, and education, led to a significant increase in government size.

The New Deal's legacy includes lasting issues such as minimum wage laws that hurt low-skill workers, financially unsound Social Security, and costly farm subsidies. FDR's massive government intervention has had lasting effects on America's economy, politics, and presidential elections, leading voters to focus more on financial aid and subsidies rather than substance and character when selecting leaders