Unit 7 Notes

Unit 7: 1890-1945

Big Idea 1: Debates over Expansion

• Following the settlement of the Western Frontier, the US debated expansion beyond its borders.
• Frederick Jackson Turner's Frontier Thesis: Argued that westward movement was integral to American identity.
  • By 1890, the frontier was considered closed, prompting debates about expansion.
• Imperialists vs. Anti-Imperialists:
  • Imperialists:
    • Invoked Manifest Destiny and the perceived superiority of American institutions and race.
    • Supported by industrialists seeking raw materials and new markets in Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
  • Anti-Imperialists:
    • Argued for self-determination and against restricting liberty and happiness by colonizing other regions.

Big Idea 2: Spanish-American War and American Empire

• The US victory in the Spanish-American War led to further land acquisition and the transformation of America into an empire.
• Causes of the Spanish-American War:
  • Desire for Cuba by American expansionists.
  • The explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor in 1898, resulting in approximately 200 American deaths.
  • Yellow journalists immediately blamed Spain.
• Effects of the War:
  • US acquisition of the Philippines (formerly a Spanish colony) and other Caribbean and Pacific islands.
  • Puerto Rico became a US territory.
  • Annexation of Hawaii due to its strategic location between the US mainland and the Philippines.
• The acquisition of these territories marked America's emergence as a proper empire.
• Filipino revolt against US acquisition, leading to a long struggle for independence.

Big Idea 3: Progressive Reforms

• Progressives sought strong government intervention to reform society on issues like political corruption, social injustice, and economic inequality.
• Muckrakers:
  • Investigative journalists who exposed corruption.
  • Examples: Upton Sinclair (The Jungle), Ida Tarbell (The History of the Standard Oil Company).
  • Their work alerted the public to social inequities and corruption, creating opportunities for reform.
  • Example: Teddy Roosevelt pushed for the Meat Inspection Act after reading The Jungle.
• Expanded Voter Participation:
  • Introduction of the secret ballot.
  • Direct election of senators (17th Amendment).
  • Initiative, referendum, and recall.
• Civil Rights:
  • Efforts led by black progressives like Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois.
  • Formation of the NAACP and the Niagara Movement.
• Progressive Presidents:
  • Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson.
  • Common goals: trust-busting through stricter enforcement of the Sherman Antitrust Act.
  • Emphasis on conservationism (e.g., Forest Reserve Act of 1891).
• Constitutional Amendments:
  • Seventeenth Amendment: direct election of senators.
  • Eighteenth Amendment: Prohibition (outlawing the manufacture and sale of alcohol).
  • Nineteenth Amendment: Women's suffrage (the right to vote).

Big Idea 4: World War I and the Shift from Isolationism

• The US initially maintained isolationism but was drawn into World War I due to mounting pressures; US entry turned the tide for the Allies.
• Reasons for US Entry:
  • Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare, including the sinking of the Lusitania.
  • The Zimmerman Telegram: Germany's attempt to incite Mexico into war with the US.
• Impact of US Entry:
  • Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war to make the world safe for democracy.
  • The American Expeditionary Forces played a limited but crucial role in the war.
• Post-War Negotiations:
  • Treaty of Versailles in 1918.
  • Wilson's 14 Points and the League of Nations.
  • US Congress did not ratify the treaty, preventing the US from joining the League of Nations.

Big Idea 5: Mobilization and its Consequences

• US involvement in World War I leveraged all domestic assets, leading to the suppression of civil liberties, nativism, and significant migrations.
• Total War:
  • All US assets were utilized in the war effort.
  • Woodrow Wilson established wartime agencies to centralize control over raw materials, prices, and railroads.
  • Wartime production spurred growth in American industries and led to migrations from rural to urban areas.
• Restriction on Civil Liberties:
  • Sedition Act of 1918: Made it illegal to publicly criticize the government.
  • Red Scare: Fear of communism led to the Palmer Raids, mass incarcerations of suspected socialists and radicals.
• The Great Migration:
  • Black Americans moved from the South to the North and West, seeking new opportunities but still faced discrimination.

Big Idea 6: The Roaring Twenties

• In the 1920s, new technologies focused the US economy on producing consumer goods, improving living standards, and spreading national culture.
• Economic Boom:
  • Increased productivity due to Frederick Taylor's principles of scientific management (e.g., Henry Ford's assembly line).
  • New energy technologies, such as increased use of oil and electricity.
  • Government policies, including corporate tax cuts.
• Mass Culture:
  • Spread through new communication technologies like radio and movies.
  • Hollywood became a major industry.

Big Idea 7: Urbanization and Cultural Shifts

• Urbanization offered new opportunities for women and immigrants, fostering new art forms and emphasizing regional differences.
• Urbanization:
  • By 1920, over half of Americans lived in cities.
• Women's Opportunities:
  • More opportunities in urban centers, particularly in nursing and teaching.
• Immigration and Nativism:
  • Post-World War I immigration spike led to increased nativism.
  • Immigration quotas restricted immigration from Eastern Europe and Asia.
• New Art and Literature:
  • Lost Generation (e.g., F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway).
  • Harlem Renaissance: Result of the Great Migration, featuring writers like Langston Hughes and musicians like Louis Armstrong.
• Crisis in American Values:
  • Conflict between modernists and fundamentalists in Christianity, exemplified by the Scopes Monkey Trial.

Big Idea 8: The Great Depression and the New Deal

• The Great Depression caused policymakers to transform the US into a limited welfare state through the New Deal, defining modern American liberalism.
• Causes of the Great Depression:
  • Stock market crash of 1929.
• Franklin Roosevelt's Response:
  • Government intervention based on Keynesian economics.
  • The New Deal focused on relief for the unemployed, recovery for business, and reform for economic institutions.
• Key New Deal Programs:
  • Public Works Administration (PWA): Provided employment for infrastructure work.
  • Glass-Steagall Act: Increased regulation in banks and limited investment practices.
  • Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC): Insured bank deposits with federal dollars.
• Impact of the New Deal:
  • Its effectiveness in pulling the US out of the Depression is debated.
  • World War II ultimately solved the economic crisis.

Big Idea 9: World War II - From Isolation to Involvement

• Before entering World War II, the US maintained isolationism while aiding the Allied efforts, entering the war after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
• Initial Isolationism:
  • The US remained isolated but supported Britain and the Allied side.
  • Cash and Carry program: Allowed belligerents to purchase arms with cash and transport them themselves.
  • Lend-Lease Act: Allowed Britain to obtain arms on credit.
• Entry into the War:
  • The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and other US territories led to US entry.

Big Idea 10: Mobilization for World War II and Civil Liberties

• Required mobilization transformed American society economically while creating the opportunity for violations of civil liberties.
• Economic Transformation:
  • World War II ended the Great Depression through increased federal spending for war production.
• Civil Liberties Violations:
  • Internment of Japanese Americans: Over 100,000 Japanese American citizens were forced into internment camps due to racist beliefs and fears.
  • Korematsu v. United States: The Supreme Court upheld internment as a wartime necessity.

Big Idea 11: World War II - Fighting Fascism

• Americans fought for the survival of democracy against fascist totalitarianism.
• Two Theaters of War:
  • European Theater: Decisive turning point with D-Day, leading to Germany's surrender on May 7, 1945 (Victory in Europe Day).
  • Pacific Theater: Decisive victory at Midway Island, followed by an island-hopping campaign.
• End of the War:
  • Use of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki led to Japan's surrender (Victory in Japan Day).