APUSH Unit 7 Notes
American Imperialism (1898-1945)
- Imperialism: Expansion of a country's political, economic, and military influence.
- 1867: US purchased Alaska from Russia for .
- Initially known as "Seward's Folly," but gold discovery in 1898 changed the perception.
- Territorial expansion was already in the American mindset. after westward expansion across the continent
Imperialists vs. Anti-Imperialists
Imperialists:
- Sought raw materials and new markets.
- Used Social Darwinism to justify expansion.
- Felt the US needed to compete with European powers.
- Josiah Strong advocated for white Anglo-Saxon dominance and Christian expansion.
- Alfred Thayer Mahan argued for a strong navy to secure foreign markets.
Anti-Imperialists:
- Supported self-determination for nations.
- Invoked American isolationism (Washington's Farewell Address).
- Argued against the consequences of global entanglement such as wars and economic issues.
- Constitution should follow the flag.
Spanish American War
- American industrialists sought to expand into Cuba, a Spanish colony.
- Yellow journalism exaggerated Spanish atrocities in Cuba and influenced public opinion.
- The USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor and yellow journalists blamed Spain.
- The US won the Spanish-American War, launching the United States into imperial expansion.
Effects of The War
- Cuba: gained independence, qualified by the Platt Amendment.
- Platt Amendment: Allowed US intervention if American economic interests were threatened.
- Philippines: Annexed by the US for .
- Filipinos fought against US rule until after World War II.
- Hawaii: Annexed in 1898 due to its strategic location.
- Open Door Policy with China: US sought equal trading privileges in China.
Progressive Era
- Progressives aimed to address social injustices, economic uncertainties, and political corruption via government intervention.
Progressive Journalists
- Muckrakers like Upton Sinclair, Ida Tarbell, and Jacob Riis exposed societal problems.
- Upton Sinclair's The Jungle exposed unsanitary conditions in the meat-packing industry.
- Ida Tarbell exposed Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company.
- Jacob Riis' How the Other Half Lives exposed living conditions of the poor.
Expansion of Democracy
- Secret ballot introduced to challenge political bosses.
- Seventeenth Amendment (1913): Direct election of senators.
- Amendments:
- Eighteenth Amendment: American prohibition.
- Nineteenth Amendment: Women's right to vote (1920).
- Legislative Reforms: Initiative, referendum, and recall to empower voters.
- Frederick Taylor advocated for scientific management to increase government efficiency.
Black Progressives
- Sought social justice and racial equality.
- Niagara Movement led by W. E. B. Dubois.
- NAACP aimed to abolish segregation and expand educational opportunities.
Theodore Roosevelt
- Theodore Roosevelt became president and initiated the Square Deal program.
- Enforced the Sherman Antitrust Act and distinguished between good and bad trusts.
- Advocated for consumer protection with the Pure Food and Drug Act and Meat Inspection Act.
- Promoted conservation using the Forest Reserve Act of 1891.
World War I: Causes and US Entry
- War erupted in Europe in 1914 after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
- Triple Entente (Allied Powers): Britain, Russia, France.
- Triple Alliance (Central Powers): Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy.
- The US initially remained neutral, and then several events led to US involvement:
- Sinking of the Lusitania (1915) fueled American anger, but neutrality was still maintained.
- German unrestricted submarine warfare continued against ships entering the war zone, some of which were American ships.
- Zimmerman Telegram which was intercepted by the United States, revealed Germany offered Mexico territory if it attacked the United States
US Involvement and Treaty of Versailles
- US declared war on Germany on 04/02/1917.
- American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) initially filled gaps on the Allied lines.
- US entry tipped the balance in favor of the Allies.
- War ended with the Treaty of Versailles on 11/11/1918.
- Woodrow Wilson's 14 Points aimed to create a stable postwar world.
- Points included freedom of the seas, self-determination of nations, and The League of Nations.
- The US Congress refused to ratify the treaty due to objections to the League of Nations.
World War I: Home Front
- US mobilized economic and social resources for World War I.
- Wartime agencies like the War Industries Board and Food Administration were established.
- Espionage Act and Sedition Act restricted civil liberties and silenced dissent.
- Schenck versus The United States: Supreme Court upheld restrictions on free speech during wartime.
Post-War Anxieties
- Government suppressed reports during the Spanish Flu pandemic.
- Fear of communism (Red Scare) led to xenophobia and immigration restrictions.
- Palmer Raids targeted socialists, radicals, and labor union leaders.
Immigration and Migration
- Nativism led to immigration quotas like the Emergency Quota Act of 1921 and the National Origins Act of 1924.
- The Great Migration: Southern black population moved to Northern industrial centers.
- Black migrants still faced discrimination in the North.
- Tulsa race riots of 1921 resulted in mass destruction and deaths.
1920's Innovations and Technology
- Henry Ford's assembly line revolutionized manufacturing.
- Frederick Taylor's scientific management made factory work more efficient.
- Mass-produced consumer goods became widespread.
- Advertising industry used Sigmund Freud's psychology to influence consumers.
Communication Technologies
- Radio and cinema spread popular culture.
- Radio: Corporations broadcasted news and entertainment like the Amos and Andy show.
- Cinema: Movies attracted a large weekly audience; The Jazz Singer was the first movie with synchronized sound.
- New media emphasized regional and cultural differences.
1920's Culture and Politics
- Urbanization led to new opportunities for women in the workforce.
- International and internal migration was present. There was another large influx of immigrants from Southern Europe, Eastern Europe and Asia.
- Nativism led to Immigration Quota Acts of 1921 and 1924.
Harlem Renaissance
- Harlem Renaissance: Revival of arts and intellectual pursuits among black population.
- Jazz music flourished with artists like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington.
- Writers like Langston Hughes and Claude McKay depicted the black experience.
- Lost Generation writers (e.g., F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway) critiqued American materialism and the impact of World War I.
Urban vs. Rural Protestants
- Modernists adapted their faith to changing culture.
- Fundamentalists condemned moral decay in cities.
- Scopes Monkey Trial (1925): Clash between modernism and fundamentalism regarding evolution teaching.
Causes of the Great Depression:
- Farm overproduction
- High tariffs
- Stock market speculation
- Buying on margin
Hoovervilles
- Showed criticism of Hoover's laissez-faire economic policies
The New Deal
- Relief for the unemployed, Recovery for businesses, and Reform of economic institutions.
- PWA, TVA, CCC created by the New Deal to help employment rate.
- NIRA, set of codes agreed upon by representatives from the laboring community and representatives from the competing corporations. These codes created security for workers.
- Glass Steagall Act of 1933, increased regulation in banks
- FDIC, guaranteed people's bank deposits with federal money,
- SEC was established to regulate the stock market to help confidence.
- Social Security Act of 1935. Safety net for workers above 65.
Foreign policies
- After World war I, american foreign policy leaned towards Isolationism.
- Fording Macumber Act raised Tariffs dramatically.
- Kellogg brand pact (1928), to make war illegal or renounce ware in principle.
- 1930's fascism on the rise leading to the US's turn to an intervention side but leaning on isolationism.
- The U.S. was deeply sympathetic to Britain's cause but led America to get involved in the war without seeming like one.