11th2nd APUSH: Unit 6.10-7 (Gilded Age)

Name 3 causes of the Great Depression in the 1890s

too much overbuilding, labor disputes, continuous agricultural depression

General government response to the Depression and the economy as a whole

welfare of the citizens is not the role of the government

How can it be argued whether the government is laissez-faire or not?

The government does act on the economy when it will benefit the national wealth (opening jobs, building railroads, supporting business owners), but the government does not act when doing so will cost a lot of money without any gain (providing welfare programs)

How did the Monroe Doctrine spur the US's increased interest in foreign markets?

the US saw themselves as the protector of the Western Hemisphere countries so eventually hosted the Pan-American Conference, promoting more political and economic cooperation between W. hemisphere countries

How would the US's current economic state promote interest in foreign markets?

increased industrialization meant a greater need for resources and markets to sell products to

What allowed for greater US influence in the Hawaii islands?

a mid 19th century treaty between the US and native Hawaii government gave the US naval rights at Pearl Harbor, giving the US more Pacific control and allowing sugar planters to come too

What catalyzed the desire for Hawaii's annexation?

once the McKinley Tariff prevented foreign producers from selling to American markets and Queen Liliuokalani began asserting more native control again, sugar planters resolved this by throwing a successful revolt

How was the annexation of Hawaii significant to the US?

increased the debate on a US imperialist empire, though Hawaii was not annexed under President Cleveland until the next Republican president, McKinley

Why would the lower classes support political machines? (at least 2)

political machines offered basic essentials to the poor, respected the culture of immigrants, helped immigrants settle, interacted with the people and listened to their problems

Why would the middle and upper classes be opposed to political machines?

they did not receive the help of political machines but still had to pay taxes towards their policies

How were political machines corrupt?

they would use their political power to assist many lower class people to induce them to vote for their political candidate

What was President Cleveland's stance on the tariff issue during his 1884 presidency?

he opposed high tariffs but was prevented from lowering them due to the Republican support for high, protective rates, which was an issue that carried over to the 1888 election

How did President Harrison's 1888 presidency lead to the reelection of President Cleveland?

Harrison raised the tariff rates with the McKinley Tariff, harming the consumers and leading to greater support for the Democrats in Congress and eventually President Cleveland, who lowered the rates via the Wilson-Gorman Tariff

Antitrust Laws

laws that prevent monopolies and promote competition and fairness, also protecting consumers from unethical business practices

Sherman Antitrust Act and its limitations

First federal action against monopolies and consolidations, though was largely targeted against labor unions which were considered "illegal combinations"

Government patronage

federal and state government politicians would use their power to open jobs to their party members, ensuring that their influence and voter base was maintained

How did the Pendleton Act address government corruption while also opening up new ways of political and economical corruption?

with no patronage, politicians could no longer rely on that money and political power to strengthen their voter pool, leading them to form relations with wealthy business owners who would fund their campaigns if the politician would promise favorable policies in return

Even in the decades after the Civil War, how would major political parties appeal to lingering Civil War divisions?

still gave people a sense of regional identity and loyalty to the morals those two parties (republican and democratic) were built on

What immigrant groups supported the Democratic party and for what reason?

Immigrants, Catholics, Jews, other non-Protestants; the Republican Party heavily promoted Protestantism and the Democratic Party operated political machines to assist the immigrants

What did the Democratic Party believe the government's role should be?

to leave more control to the state and local governments and to lower the tariffs

What groups supported the Republicans (3)

Anglo Saxon Protestants, midwest and northeast people, African Americans

What did the Gilded Age Republicans want from the government? (2)

regulate economy by supporting protective tariffs and business growth; regulate society's moral affairs such as temperance movements, religious values

Leadup to the Populist Party (1890s)

Neither of the two major political parties addressed the current depression, leaving farmers and poor industrial workers unrepresented

What beliefs of the Populist Party's Omaha Platform would give the people more say?

direct election of US senators and ability for voters to propose ballot issues

What beliefs of the Populist Party's Omaha Platform would help the people financially?

national regulation of railroad transport and fares and a free silver system

Why would the free silver system benefit farmers?

although debt is a fixed amount regardless of inflation/deflation, inflation would increase the prices farmers could sell their crops, giving them more financial flexibility to pay off the debt

Cross of Gold Speech impact 1896

a speech in which Bryan criticized the wealthy for profiting off of the suffering of the working class; the speech allowed him to become the Democratic candidate to run against McKinley

How did big industrialists try to ensure McKinley's victory?

gave him immense campaign funding and scared their workers by saying Bryans' victory would mean the end of their large businesses and thus the workers' jobs

What happened to the Populist Party after McKinley won?

greatly diminished but underwent several reforms and influenced later politics

What were some common economic justifications for US imperialism? (4)

more markets to sell to, more employment opportunities elsewhere, prevent European foreign monopolies, develop the 'primitive societies'

Open Door Policy

US foreign policy to ensure that the US would have some influence over China by banning countries’ from forming monopolies

How would Frederick Jackson Turner's Safety Valve Thesis promote imperialism?

since the frontier struggle was seen as a source of opportunity and democratic identity, the US’s complete expansion to the west coast dissolved this frontier idea, thus encouraging expansion elsewhere

Name at least 2 common reasons for opposing imperialism

\-US isn't giving subjugated countries a chance to develop self-determination, or autonomy and equal international standing
\-Philippines' close proximity would give Chinese immigrants a stepping stone to American society, causing labor and racial tensions

\-moral debate in regards to racial theories

How did the Monroe Doctrine and increased US literacy rates play a role in the Spanish-American War?

the US felt sympathetic towards Cuba's desire to revolt against its colonizer, Spain, and were also enraged by the colonial atrocities described in circulating newspapers

How did the Maine incident shape US involvement in the war

\-the press accused a Spanish submarine of destroying the US warship 'Maine', causing the US to ally with Cubans and Filipinos (also Spanish colonized)

Why would the New York Journal publish the intercepted de Lome letter?

the letter revealed condescending Spanish opinions of US policies, society, and President McKinley, factors which would anger Americans

How did yellow journalism and muckraking contribute to the Spanish-American War?

-yellow journalism exaggerated details to cause a lot of commotion
-muckraking exposed any injustices with quality research

Treaty of Paris 1898 benefits for the US

\-US pays 20mil for Philippines

\-US has a Caribbean presence and canal control through Puerto Rico

\-US has another military presence in the Pacific with Guam

the Treaty of Paris 1898 granted Cuba independence, but the Platt Amendment did what?

Cuba would technically be a recognized nation, but the US would heavily intervene with governmental policies to shape the new government to their preferences

Leadup to President Roosevelt's new additions to the Monroe Doctrine (1904)

many L. American governments struggled to implement democracy and were influenced by radical government ideas, causing Roosevelt to state that the US would exert international police power if governments violated the natural rights of people

Why would the US government annex Hawaii despite initial hesitance a couple decades ago? (2)

Hawaii was economically and geographically strategic and the Spanish American War events altered Americans' imperialist policies

Philippine War

American military campaign that brutally suppressed the 1898-1902 movement for Philippine independence

How did Theodore Roosevelt modernize US presidency?

by stating his domestic and foreign policy clearly in his campaign and by expanding the executive branch to really protect the people— offering welfare programs, limiting large corporations

Election of 1912 controversy

After his term, Roosevelt put his trust in the new Republican candidate Taft who made policies that Roosevelt disliked, causing him to run as a different party candidate against Republican sitting president Taft and Democrat Wilson

Why didn't socialism become too popular in the US?

overall better standard of living and suffrage of workers compared to European workers lended to a more egalitarian, less hierarchal structure

what changes did Progressive reforms advocate?

place more importance on the people's voices, more federal regulation of large business

Name an example of muckracking being used to Progressives' advantage

Journalist Tarbell published a book that harshly criticized the negative impact Standard Oil Company's monopoly had on her father's business and others

How did middle and upper class women participate in social reform?

they extended their traditional maternal roles to public life, establishing settlement homes, fighting against child labor, and aiding working class mothers

How did Progressive reforms aid lower-income people? (at least 3)

improvements in housing, improved working hours, no child labor, 16th amendment income tax that burdened them less

Name 2 reasons as to why many Progressives did not include African Americans in their reform plans

-Progressive leaders such as President Wilson partook in the current prejudice
-other reform movements such as lowering tariffs was deemed more important than racial reforms

How did Progressives hope popular participation would resolve political corruption?

allowing people to directly vote for politicians and vote on issues via ballots would help prevent the bribery that occurred among government officials and their parties and among political machines and their selected target groups

How did the Progressive idea of scientific management shape governments?

since scientific management aimed to maximize efficiency, at local levels, governments took more control of key industries since private control was deemed inefficient, an action that lessened the feel of democracy partly

How did Presidents Roosevelt and Wilson reform trusts?

Roosevelt really enforced the Sherman Antitrust law by targeting businesses that harmed the public and equal competition, while Wilson strengthened the policy and exempted unions from being seen as trusts

How did President Wilson reform tariffs?

Wilson and Congress passed the Underwood Tariff of 1913 to lower the tariff but also raised the income tax

How did President Wilson reform banking?

Wilson believed that national banks only served private interests, causing him to establish a banking system with 12 federal-regulated branches

How did the 16th Amendment aim for beneficial reform?

ratified the income tax which would prevent over-burdening the poorer people while drawing more from the wealthy

How did the 17th Amendment address current issues?

following protests about government corruption, it allowed the people rather than state legislatures to directly vote for senators

How did the 18th Amendment aim for beneficial reform?

production and sale of alcohol was banned, something rural reformers (not so much Progressives) hoped would improve moral and religious behavior

Name 3 reasons for the passage of the 18th amendment

\-16th amendment would compensate for the alcohol tax

\-anti-German war propaganda that criticized Germans’ drinking behavior

\-political machines were using saloons as meeting places

19th amendment

Women's suffrage post WWI

Name 2 other reasons other than WWI efforts that allowed people to see women’s importance

\-women had valuable consumerism knowledge about the quality of goods

\-helped lead muckraking of the food and processing industry

Conservationism vs Preservationism

conservationism aims to utilize the environment for human use in a responsible manner, while preservationism wants to completely maintain the environment

How did President Roosevelt advocate conservationism? (3)

alongside federal Division of Forestry head Pinchot, he exerted federal regulation over coal deposits, water sources, ~125 mil acres of forest

How did the issue of conservationism partly lead to the Republican party split?

President Taft denied Pinchot's claims that the current secretary of the interior violated Roosevelt's conservation policies, eventually discharging Pinchot, an action that lost Roosevelt supporters

RECAP: 3 movements in the late 19th-early 20th century that showed Progressives' desire to restrict big businesses

\-scientific management

\-reinforcement of Sherman Antitrust Law

\-Muckraking

RECAP: Name at least 3 movements in the late 19th to early 20th century that showed Progressives' desire to restrict political machines

\-17th amendment

\-limitations to campaign spending

\-Pendleton Act

WWI Central Powers (4)

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire

WWI Allied/Triple Entente Powers (6)

Russia, France, Britain, Serbia, US, Japan

How did commerce reflect the US’s level of neutrality during the first part of WWI?

During a British-German blockade, instead of stopping trade with both sides, the US continued trade with France and Britain since it was more favorable

Why are “German crimes at seas” cited as a factor in causing the US to go to war?

Germany began unorthodox submarine warfare which initially just targeted armed enemy ships but then attacked the Sussex ship carrying only unarmed American civilians

Why is Germany’s offer to Mexico cited as a factor in causing the US to go to war?

Germany threatened US land by promising to help return the Mexico Cession and Texas land in return for alliance

How were President Wilson’s justifications for war different than previous, general war justifications?

rather than going to war over alliance or material/territorial gain, the US should see this as a chance to spread democracy, free trade, self-government

How were President Wilson’s justifications somewhat faulty? (3)

\-the democratic ideals like free trade would financially benefit the US

\-post war, did not agree to give colonies sovereignty

\-loaned money and weapons to Allies as a means of money

How did the American Expeditionary Forces assist the Allies?

Mainly concentrated in the France-Germany divide, land troops and marines managed to drive back the Germans from French defense lines and eventually helped win the bloody Meuse Argonne offense

What were key immigrant groups around WWI and why was this problematic?

Russian and Baltic states, Austro-Hungarians, Italians; Americans xenophobic because these groups were more religiously and culturally different, and also because they came from politically radical places

How did WWI influence American sentiment towards Germans?

nativist policies targeted people of German descent, suppressing their language, job opportunities, and German-produced works

Name 2 ways civil liberties were suppressed during WWI in the US

\-First Red Scare that instigated searches, arrests, and deportations if communists were suspected

\-Espionage and Sedition Acts allowed for the imprisonment and fining of people deemed disloyal to the government or war effort

Schenck v. United States outcome

Chief Justice justifies the Espionage and Sedition Acts, stating suppression of some rights are necessary to maintain an efficient and united country during war

How did war affect the labor unions?

Since a united and efficient workforce was needed, the government created the National War Labor Board to settle labor disputes and strikes

How does the war open up job opportunities for more marginalized groups (EX: women, POC)

war economy meant a high demand and thus higher pay for workers, while the absence of white men opened many good jobs

Other than suffrage, why didn’t women gain much change post WWI?

women were replaced by returning men and still earned less wage, mainly attributed to the feelings of female inferiority and the notion that women were just doing their part for the specific time

What factors caused the Great Migration during the 1910s to 1930s?

Discriminatory acts in the South as well as newspapers and Northern employees advertising economic opportunity in the North

Harlem Renaissance

movement of African American culture during the Great Migration that spread ideas like literature and jazz

How did African Americans still experience discrimination in the North?

During the “Red Summer” of 1919, concern over black people taking over jobs and overall racism led to white people instigating violence with little legal consequence: riots, destroying homes

How was the end of WWI aftermath messy?

the war ended suddenly and gave the Allies little time to have formal discussions before entering into the Treaty of Paris

How did differing personalities impact the Paris conference?

Wilson supported self determination and peace, but the French leader wanted to punish Germany, while the British prime minister recognized Wilson’s point but knew his people wanted German punishment

Why weren’t Friedrich Ebert and Lenin invited? (2)

\-losing powers weren’t invited

\-Russia left and was occupied with a communist revolution, something which concerned the other anti-communist conference participants

How were initial nationalist ideals going into the war stunted with the Treaty of Versailles?

many European colonies were given the impression of independence after the war but were not given it, with Wilson believing that the ‘civilized’ nations should still have mandate rule over the ‘primitive’ colonies

Article 231

Especially backed by France and Belgium, a clause that was meant to put all the blame on Germany and force them to repay 33 billion USD

SUMMARIZE: 3 key reasons for the Treaty of Versailles failure

\-LoN failure

\-Germany resentful and economically ruined

\-strong nationalism meant many countries/groups were angry about not receiving expected land

How did the US’s melting pot culture hinder the ratification of the Treaty of Versaille?

Germans and Italians disliked the harsh terms on their countries, while Irish feared a LoN would give too much power to the British

Why did the Treaty of Versailles ratification process create a political divide in the US?

Wilson did not take a bipartisan approach to discussing treaty matters, thus alienating different political parties, while Irreconcilables wanted the US to maintain isolationism and Reservationists, headed by Henry Cabot Lodge, disliked the LoN since it bound the US to assist in war without needing Congress permission

How did Reservationists play a role in the Treaty of Versailles ratification?

they submitted revised versions with their own reservations and amendments, which received opposition from Wilson and his Democratic supporters and pushed Wilson to ratify his own version

New 1920s innovations and how they opened up new job opportunities

automobiles, airplanes, household appliances, chemical advances, etc. opened work in those fields while also leading to more jobs in industries related to those fields such as repair, gas, steel

How did Henry Ford help stimulate mass consumption?

his assembly line utilized a conveyor belt and quickly sped up production, allowing him to cut car prices and increase wage to encourage workers and consumers in general to buy more

How did mass consumption lead to new financial transaction methods?

since people had more money and marketers wanted to take advantage of this, they offered a down payment and incremental interest plan so consumers could actually afford products

Name 2 ways the growth of a mass consumption culture harmed people

\-concentration among urban centers and middle/upper class, disadvantaging lower classes and rural residents

\-spread of new agricultural inventions (ex: tractors) alongside post war drop in demand led to excess crops

Name at least 3 factors that contributed to the growing entertainment industry

radios become more affordable, growth of radio stations, sound improvements, increasing wages, more leisure time, post-war desire for escapism

How did the growth of the movie industry lead to a new pop culture?

theaters became increasingly more common, spreading the movie culture that glamorized such themes like romance, rags to riches, fame

How did jazz reflect ethnic and regional identities?

Jazz reflected the Cosmopolitan culture of New Orleans and Southern African American culture as a whole: combination of black church spirituals, European instruments, African drumbeats