APUSH Period 7 Notes

Period 7 Overview (1890 - 1945)

  • Covers 17% of the APUSH exam.

Key Time Frames

  • 1890s - 1917: U.S. expansion and imperialism
    • Territories: Cuba, Hawaii, Philippines, China.
  • 1917 - 1919: U.S. involvement in World War I.
  • Interwar Years: U.S. isolationism.
  • 1941: U.S. enters World War II.

U.S. Expansion and Imperialism

  • Motives for Expansion:

    • Closure of the Frontier: Frederick Jackson Turner notes the significance of looking abroad for opportunities.
    • Economic Motives: Seeking new markets and raw materials; e.g., China.
    • Political Motives: Competing with European powers and Japan in Asia.
    • Strategic Motives: Acquisition of naval bases, inspired by Alfred T. Mahan.
    • Ideological Motives: Belief in a duty to civilize non-Americans, bringing democracy and Christianity.

  • Significant Events:

    • Annexation of Hawaii: Removal of Queen Liliuokalani.
    • Open Door Policy: Established under President McKinley regarding China.
    • Spanish-American War (1898): Causes include:
    • Explosion of USS Maine.
    • Yellow journalism.
    • Economic interests of U.S. planters.
    • DeLome letter criticizing McKinley.
    • Consequences of War:
    • Treaty of Paris: U.S. acquires Cuba, Puerto Rico, Philippines, Guam.
    • Guerrilla war in the Philippines.

  • Presidential Policies:

    • McKinley's and Roosevelt's interventions abroad (big-stick policy, dollar diplomacy).
    • Wilson's moral diplomacy in Mexico.

World War I (1914 - 1918)

  • U.S. neutrality initially, but entry in 1917 due to:

    • Sinking of neutral ships (Lusitania).
    • Zimmermann Telegram.

  • Post-War: Wilson’s 14 Points, League of Nations proposal rejected by U.S. Senate.

The 1920s: Isolationism and Cultural Tension

  • Continued isolationism but some involvement in international agreements (e.g., Washington Naval Arms Deal).
  • Cultural Changes:
    • Espionage and Sedition Acts: Limited free speech.
    • Red Scare: Palmer Raids against suspected radicals.
    • Scopes Trial: Conflict between fundamentalism and modernization.
    • Immigration Act of 1924: Quotas established reflecting nativist sentiments.
    • Prohibition (18th Amendment) leads to organized crime.

The Great Depression (1929) and the New Deal (1933 - 1938)

  • Causes: Problems of laissez-faire capitalism.

  • New Deal Focus:

    • Three Rs: Relief, Recovery, Reform.
    • Key Programs:
    • Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).
    • Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA).
    • Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
    • Wagner Act/National Labor Relations Act.

  • Comparative Aspects:

    • Continuation of Progressive Era reforms.
    • Criticisms from conservatives and progressives alike.

World War II (1939 - 1945)

  • Economic Impact: Shift to war production ended the Great Depression; jobs for women and minorities.

  • Home Front Tensions:

    • Double Victory Campaign for African Americans.
    • Japanese internment upheld by Korematsu v. U.S.

  • Military Technology: Development of the atomic bomb and its controversial use.

  • Post-War Effects:

    • U.S. emerges as a superpower, abandoning previous isolationist stance (joining United Nations).
    • Beginning of the Cold War.