AP US History Unit 7: Imperialism, Progressivism, and Global Conflict
Debates Over American Imperialism
Definition of Imperialism: An era in US history where the United States sought to acquire external land and resources to transform into a global world power.
Arguments in Favor of Imperialism (Imperialists): * Economics: The belief that taking new territories would provide access to new markets and raw resources. * Power Politics: Observation of European colonization; the US did not want to fall behind other global powers. * Racism and the "Civilizing Mission": The belief that White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs) had a duty to "uplift" others. * Closing of the Frontier: The census signaled that westward expansion within the continent was over, necessitating expansion elsewhere. * Key Figures: Alfred Thayer Mahan and Josiah Strong.
Arguments Against Imperialism (Anti-Imperialists): * Self-Determination: The argument that maintaining an empire contradicts Republican ideals and the Declaration of Independence. * Racism: Concerns regarding the addition of non-white populations to the United States. * Isolationism: The belief that Americans should focus internal efforts and avoid overseas entanglements. * Key Figures/Groups: The Anti-Imperialist League, Andrew Carnegie, and Mark Twain.
The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences
Origins: The conflict began because Cuba sought independence from Spanish control, and the US supported this movement.
Propaganda: The era was defined by the growth of "yellow journalism."
The Sinking of the USS Maine: While the actual cause of the explosion is unknown, US propaganda blamed Spain to incite war.
Course of the War: The war was relatively short. The US Navy quickly defeated Spain in battles fought in Cuba and the Philippines.
Decisive Battle: The Battle of Manila Bay.
The Rough Riders: A prominent volunteer group led by Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt.
The Treaty of Paris: Spain surrendered Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. * Puerto Rico: Became a US territory. * Guam: Became a US naval base. * Philippines: Became a US colony for a payment of $20,000,000$.
Philippine-American War: Triggered when Filipinos, led by Ailio Aguinonaldo, sought independence. The US suppressed the nationalist movement severely.
Status of Cuba: Technically independent, but occupied by US soldiers and subject to the controlling Platt Amendment.
Broader Impact: The US became involved in Asian trade, specifically opening markets in China.
The Progressive Era
Definition: A period following the Gilded Age where reformers responded to political corruption, social injustice, and economic inequality caused by industrial capitalism and urbanization.
Nature of the Movement: Not a unified group, but a collection of various movements with shared goals. Reformers were typically middle to upper class, including many urban women.
Muckrakers: Journalists and writers who investigated wrongdoing. * Upton Sinclair: Wrote "The Jungle," exposing disgusting meatpacking conditions, which led to food regulations. * Ida Tarbell: Investigated Standard Oil to expose illegal monopoly tactics. * Jacob Riis: Wrote "How the Other Half Lives," using photography to document tenement housing conditions.
Political Reforms: * Theodore Roosevelt: Advocated for a "Square Deal" consisting of corporation control, consumer protection, and natural resource conservation. * Woodrow Wilson: Proposed a "New Freedom" focused on restoring economic opportunity by breaking monopolies, lowering tariffs, and reforming the banking system.
Women’s Rights: Roots in the Seneca Falls Convention (Unit 4); led by Susan B. Anthony, Carrie Chapman Catt, and Alice Paul.
African-American Rights: Leaders were split; Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois (referred to as "web Duke boys") demanded full civil rights.
Immigration and Environment: * Immigration: Split between those pushing for restrictions and those supporting immigrants in cities. * Environment: Split between Preservationists (nature for its own sake) and Conservationists (responsible resource management). Both agreed on creating national parks.
World War I: The American Perspective
Global Context (1914): European powers were entangled in alliances, armed with new weapons, and fueled by national pride. An assassination triggered a domino effect of war declarations.
Stalemate (1916): The war settled into trench warfare at battles like Verdun and the Somme.
US Entry: Initially neutral, the US entered in April due to: 1. Unrestricted Submarine Warfare: Germany sinking ships with Americans, most famously the Lusitania. 2. The Zimmerman Telegram: An encrypted German message to Mexico (intercepted by Britain) suggesting Mexico attack the US if the US joined the war.
American Expeditionary Forces (AEF): Played a relatively limited combat role but provided supplies that tipped the war toward the Allies.
Treaty of Versailles: Forced Germany to accept all blame and pay massive reparations.
The League of Nations: Proposed by Woodrow Wilson to prevent future wars. Wilson failed to include Republicans in the drafting, leading the US Congress to reject joining the League.
Casualties: Approximately $20,000,000$ died globally; roughly $100,000$ were Americans.
The WWI Homefront and the Red Scare
Suppression of Civil Liberties: Due to anxiety over disloyalty and radicalism, the government passed the Espionage and Sedition Acts, criminalizing anti-war or "disloyal" speech.
American Protective League (APL): Volunteers who reported suspicious characters to the government.
The First Red Scare: Following the Russian Revolution, Americans feared communists, anarchists, and radicals.
Nativism: Emerged after WWI, leading to numerical immigration limits via the Emergency Quota Act and the Immigration Act based on national origin.
The Great Migration: African-Americans moved from the south to northern industrial cities for factory work to escape Jim Crow laws and seek economic opportunity.
The Red Summer of 1919: A series of violent attacks by white mobs on black communities in dozens of US cities following the Great Migration.
Technology and Media in the Roaring 20s
Technological Innovation: * Henry Ford: Popularized the assembly line, breaking production into repeated steps to lower costs. * Frederick Taylor: Championed "Scientific Management," prioritizing maximum efficiency. * The Automobile: Changed commuting, led to road building, gas stations, motels, and massive suburban growth.
Mass Media: * Cinema: Hollywood created shared fashion, slang, and celebrities. * Radio: Provided live broadcasts of news, music, and sports, creating a unified national culture.
Consumer Economy: Shift toward buying appliances and cars using credit and installment plans.
Culture and Social Tensions of the 1920s
Prohibition: The Amendment made alcohol illegal, leading to speakeasies, flappers, and jazz music performed by bands breaking tradition.
Harlem Renaissance: A surge of African-American culture in Harlem, NY. Key figures included writers Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes, and musicians Bessie Smith and Lily Armstrong.
Women’s Suffrage: Gained the right to vote; Alice Paul noted as a key activist.
Social Conflict and Legal Cases: * Scopes Monkey Trial: Upheld a law banning the teaching of evolution in Tennessee. * Buck v. Bell: Supreme Court ruled that forced sterilization was constitutional. * Sacco and Vanzetti: Two Italians executed after a likely unfair murder trial influenced by their heritage.
Urbanization: For the first time in US history, more people lived in urban cities than in rural areas.
The Great Depression
Four Primary Causes: 1. Overproduction: Industrial capacity exceeded consumer purchasing power. 2. Debt: Reliance on credit rather than real money. 3. Banking/Federal Reserve Failure: Risky loans and lack of oversight led to bank collapses; the Federal Reserve failed to intervene. 4. Global Weakness: European economies collapsed when US banks recalled loans after WWI.
The Spark: The stock market crash of .
Devastation: Unemployment reached . Bread lines and shanty towns (Hoovervilles) became common.
Ideological Shift: Growth of Modern American Liberalism, advocating for market regulation, social insurance, and government responsibility for economic well-being, ending the era of Laissez-faire.
FDR and the New Deal
Election of 1932: Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) defeated Herbert Hoover.
The New Deal: Policy using aggressive government intervention to stabilize the economy. Focused on the "Three Rs": Relief, Recovery, and Reform.
Programs: * Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC): Environmental jobs for young men. * Infrastructure: Projects for roads, dams, and schools. * Glass-Steagall Act: Separated commercial and investment banking. * Social Security Act: Provided old-age pensions and unemployment insurance.
Opposition to the New Deal: * Radicals: Huey Long and Father Charles Coughlin pushed for more intervention. * Conservatives: Congress and the Supreme Court tried to limit its scope (e.g., Shrek Poultry Corp v. United States).
Long-term Effect: Working-class communities began identifying more with the Democratic Party.
World War II: Entry and Mobilization
Pre-War Foreign Policy: Isolationism represented by the Dawes Plan (loaning money to Germany) and the Kellogg-Briand Pact (pledging not to use war). Both failed.
Rise of Fascism: Hitler and Nazi Germany began conquering Europe; US passed Neutrality Acts that were eventually ignored.
Pearl Harbor: Attacked by Japan, leading to official US entry.
The End of the Great Depression: Total economic mobilization for the war created millions of jobs.
Social Changes: * Women: Took male-dominated factory jobs, though many were displaced after the war. * Bracero Program: Mexican immigrants entered the US for agriculture and railroad work; faced racism like the "Zoot Suit Riots." * Japanese Internment: Executive order forced around Japanese Americans into camps based on fear and racism.
World War II: Combat and Global Impact
Ideology: Viewed as a fight for freedom and democracy against fascism and militarism.
Atrocities Revealed: The Holocaust (over Jewish people killed in camps) and the Rape of Nanking (mass murder and rape of Chinese civilians by Japan).
European Theater Turning Points: * Stalingrad: Soviet victory on the Eastern front. * D-Day (June 6, 1944): Allied invasion of northern France.
Pacific Theater Turning Points: * Battle of Midway: Destruction of Japanese aircraft carriers. * Island Hopping: US campaign to retake islands, which were defended with extreme brutality.
The Atomic Bomb: Developed through the Manhattan Project. Two bombs were dropped on Japan, leading to its surrender. Oppenheimer quote: "Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds."
Global Aftermath: Approximately $80,000,000$ deaths total. The US emerged as the most powerful country as its land was mostly untouched.
Post-War Organization: * Yalta and Potsdam Conferences: Germany divided into zones; Japan rebuilt under US supervision. * United Nations (UN): Created to promote cooperation and prevent future wars. * Cold War: The Soviet Union occupied Eastern Europe, enforcing communist ideology.
Questions & Discussion
Question: What is the student's opinion on the atomic bomb debate, specifically regarding the moral implications of dropping two A-bombs resulting in hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths versus ending the war?
Response: (The transcript leaves this as an open prompt for viewers to answer in the comments regarding the moral complexity of using nuclear weapons).