JP

WCTU and the Comstock Law in the Victorian Era

  • The Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was created by Frances Willard.
  • Main objective: stamp out making, selling, and transporting alcoholic beverages; push for pledges to quit drinking; advocate for local, state, and eventually national prohibitions.
  • WCTU expanded into other reforms later: opposed prostitution and supported women’s suffrage.
  • The Comstock Law was championed by Anthony Comstock and banned in the U.S. mail all materials that were deemed to incite lust (the phrase was interpreted broadly).
  • Consequences of the Comstock Law:
    • Targeted pornography and new art; could confiscate references to contraception or abortion.
    • Postal inspectors opened and checked mail for prohibited material.
    • Although it violated ideas of freedom of expression, the policy was considered constitutional at the time and persisted for decades.
  • Study context for exam: (a) most exam content comes from lecture notes; (b) a few textbook sections are recommended for reading:
    • Reconstructing America’s foreign policy (Section 503)
    • The West is a Treasure House (Sections 530–531)
    • JP Morgan (Sections 590–591)
  • Exam logistics mentioned by the instructor (Scantron sheets, pencils, compatibility with campus sheets).

Imperialism and the push for an American empire (late 19th – early 20th century)

  • Impetus and factors driving imperialism:
    • European imperial expansion provided inspiration; Americans asked, if they can do it, why not the United States?
    • Business/economic interests: expand overseas markets to stabilize or cushion the volatile American economy; foreign trade as a backbone of a potential empire.
    • Christian missionary influence; White Man’s Burden framed as a duty to civilize and Christianize other peoples.
    • Social Darwinism: belief that stronger/northern Western nations would dominate weaker nations; racialized hierarchy used to rationalize empire.
  • Key figure: Alfred Thayer Mahan
    • Book: The Influence of Sea Power Upon History.
    • Thesis: great nations are built on sea power; naval strength enables commerce and empire.
    • Implications for the U.S.: need for a modern navy, cruisers and battleships, and global coaling/repair outposts.
  • Key figure: William H. Seward (Secretary of State under Lincoln and Johnson)
    • Advocated for economic supremacy in the Far East; the American empire would be largely a trade empire with markets more than mass colonies.
    • Territorial acquisitions associated with Seward:
    • Midway Island (acquired 1867) as an important Pacific outpost; a naval base established there.
    • Alaska (annexed 1867). Purchase price widely cited as 7{,}000{,}000 (the transcript also notes a strange figure 7{,}000{,}007 million dollars due to a transcription error; historically around $7.2 million).
    • Note on public reaction: “Seward’s Folly” or “Seward’s Icebox” cartoon critique, contrasted with later recognition of Alaska’s resources (gold, timber, seafood; later oil and gas).
  • Pacific and Asia expansion:
    • Hawaii: rise of mission stations, sugar plantations, and strategic harbor; U.S. interests grew in Hawaii throughout the 19th century.
    • 1893–1898: Native Hawaiian government overthrown by U.S.-backed plantations; annexation completed in 1898; natives granted citizenship but tensions remained.
    • Samoa: U.S. influence in the South Pacific beginning in the 1870s; American Samoa (Pago Pago) formally annexed in 1899.
    • McKinley Tariff and sugar: the 1890s tariff favored U.S. sugar production; a 2¢ per pound bounty for sugar produced in the United States incentivized American sugar production, motivating sugar interests in Hawaii to push for annexation.
  • Latin America:
    • 1880s: James G. Blaine as Secretary of State pressed Latin American nations to lower tariff barriers; failure could lead to U.S. boycotts or bans on their products—an aggressive leverage tactic.
    • United States asserted influence in Latin America more than in other regions, leading to ongoing pushback in subsequent decades.
  • The Pacific theater and island possessions:
    • Samoa (Pago Pago) as a key port and base; American Samoa formally acquired in 1899; relatively small but strategically valuable.
    • Hawaii as a pivotal naval and sugar hub; annexation solidified U.S. influence in the Pacific.
  • The Spanish-American War as a turning point in imperialism:
    • Build-up to war fueled by yellow journalism (Hearst vs. Pulitzer) and sensational reports about Cuba’s rebellion and Spanish conduct.
    • Delone (Delome) letter: Spanish ambassador’s note insulting U.S. President; published and inflamed public opinion.
    • The sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor (February 1898) became a rallying point; initial speculation blamed Spain; later assessments suggest internal explosion.
    • McKinley’s war request: $50 million to prepare for war; Congress authorized the funding and recognized Cuban independence while ceding rights to intervene.
    • Taylor Amendment: Congress renounced any ambition to control Cuba, even as the war progressed.
    • The war’s course:
    • The U.S. Navy performed well in the Spanish theaters, notably defeating Spanish fleets; George Dewey’s victory in the Philippines was decisive; minimal American casualties in naval battles.
    • In Cuba, battles near Santiago (Santiago de Cuba) included San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill (san Juan Hill famous for Rough Riders led by Theodore Roosevelt).
    • On land, American forces defeated Spanish; the war lasted months and concluded with Spanish surrender.
    • Territorial outcomes of the war (and control gained):
    • Puerto Rico; Guam; the Philippines (the U.S. paid Spain 20{,}000{,}000 for the Philippines; the Philippines later faced rebellion—Philippine Insurrection—and U.S. concentration camps/internment practices; long-term U.S. military bases established there; independence granted in 1946).
    • The Philippines and imperial administration:
    • Local elites in the Philippines were incentivized to align with the United States; American bases established; U.S. governance extended from 1898 through World War II; Japanese occupation during WWII interrupted rule; eventual independence in 1946.
    • Open China and the Open Door policy:
    • U.S. Secretary of State John Hay promoted the Open Door Policy to keep China open to all traders and prevent partition by colonial powers.
    • The policy sought to guarantee equal trading opportunities for all nations and prevent single-power carve-ups; it persisted for about four decades until Japanese actions in China disrupted the framework.
  • The broader implications of imperialism:
    • The United States emerged as a major global power due to industrial strength, agricultural capacity, and a growing overseas empire.
    • The era is framed as the birth of the United States as a world power or “American Century.”

The Philippines, Cuba, and the Open Door in practice: a quick synthesis

  • Cuba:
    • War for Cuban independence officially recognized by Congress; U.S. intervention aimed at freeing Cuba from Spanish rule while avoiding formal annexation (per Taylor Amendment).
  • Puerto Rico and Guam:
    • Acquired as strategic bases in the Caribbean and Pacific; Puerto Rico later became a crucial outpost for the canal era; Guam served as a Pacific base.
  • The Philippines:
    • Acquisition followed by insurgency; controversial American governance and use of concentration-like camps; eventual grant of independence after WWII.
  • China/Open Door:
    • The Open Door policy sought to preserve equal access to Chinese markets without dividing China into colonies; opened up China to American and other foreign trade while avoiding outright colonization.
  • Outcomes:
    • A shift in American foreign policy toward active global presence and naval supremacy; set stage for 20th-century conflicts and diplomacy in the Pacific and with Latin America.

The Progressive Era and progressive reform in the United States (roughly 1895–1920)

  • Core characteristics of progressivism:
    • A broad social reform movement aimed at softening the harsh aspects of industrialization and improving the American system.
    • Often described as the first nationwide reform movement; leaders tended to come from the middle class.
    • Not a single, unified movement; it was loosely connected with diverse reform goals across sectors.
  • Goals and reforms promoted by progressives:
    • Regulation and reform of industrial practices to improve working conditions and consumer protections.
    • Government reform to increase efficiency, honesty, and accountability.
    • Social improvements for workers and families; measures to regulate immigration and moral reform (e.g., temperance) were common.
    • Prohibition and drug regulation were among the era’s moral reforms.
    • Emphasis on purification of society via anti-prostitution measures and other moral campaigns.
  • Religious and ethical underpinnings:
    • Many progressives were religious and subscribed to the Social Gospel, viewing reform as a moral duty.
  • Pragmatism and the science of society:
    • Progressives prized data, research, and social science as guides to policy (using studies to demonstrate problems like child labor and food quality).
    • Anti-memorization stance in education; promoted learning by doing and practical applications; supported vocational training and experiential learning (John Dewey’s influence).
  • Influence on education and social sciences:
    • John Dewey and other reform-minded educators promoted experiential learning and vocational education as essential in an industrial society.
    • John B. Watson (a prominent progressive psychologist) helped shape early psychology and the social sciences, emphasizing empirical study of behavior.
  • Notable social and political shifts during the era:
    • Expanded regulatory frameworks for public health, safety, and labor standards.
    • Moves toward cleaner government and anti-corruption measures.
    • Expanded role of the federal government in social welfare and economic regulation (setting stage for later reforms in the 20th century).
  • Ethical and practical implications:
    • Debates over the proper balance between continued industrial growth and social protections.
    • Tensions surrounding immigration and nativist attitudes contrasted with reformist ideals.
    • Prohibition and moral reform stirred controversy about personal liberty versus social welfare.
  • The era’s legacy:
    • The Progressive Era laid groundwork for modern public administration, consumer protections, and social welfare programs.
    • It reshaped political culture by highlighting the potential for federal action to address social problems and by elevating empirical research in policy-making.
  • The excerpt ends mid-discussion of John B. Watson, indicating further topics would have followed (progressive psychology and subsequent evolution of the movement).