American Imperialism

For what reasons did America pursue imperialistic policies in the last decade of the 19th century? Why not before? In the last decade of the 19th century the United States had covered the entire continent and so there was nowhere else to go but overseas. The United States needed worldwide markets for its growing industrial and agricultural surpluses. Also manufactures needed new sources for raw material and conservatives wanted to distract the people with the problems at home with overseas territories. 15. To what extent could Cubans, Filipinos, and Hawaiians find fault with Americas foreign policy? Hawaiians could find fault the Americas foreign policy to a major extent because the opinion of the indigenous people was ignored and there monarch (Queen Liliuokalani) was overthrown. Philippine criticism is to a moderate extent because even though they wanted independence they were not stable enough and were still liberated from the cruel role of the Spanish. The Cubans should find little fault within Americas foreign policy because all they had to do for their independence was sign the Platt amendment. 16. Why was the handling of the Philippines different from any other territory acquired by the United States? The Philippines was acquired from a war and was heavily populated with a people of a different race and culture. Anti-imperialist argued that annexing the Philippines would be depriving the Filipinos of Life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Originally the Philippines were not intended to be a territory and the people wanted their independence and would fight for it. 17. What was the logic behind Americas Open Door Policy? The logic behind the Open Door policy was that all the countries would allow fair trade for everyone so there was no need for spheres of influence. This would also prevent the U.s from losing access to Chinas lucrative trade. The policy would also later ensure Chinas independence after the Boxer Rebellion.

Progressive Era
18. Why was the Progressive Movement successful while the Populist Movement failed? The populist movement was made up of a minority of poor farmers and created a third party that failure. The Progressive movement was made up of middle class civilians in urban areas and were not limited by ideals with their philosophy of pragmatism. The progressivist movement was successful because they were fulfilling a responsibility while the populist tried to achieve unrealistic goals with very little voting power.

19. What muckraking literature helped open Americas eyes to injustices? Were muckrakers humanitarians? How the Other Half Lives and The Shame of Cities described corrupt deals that characterized big city politics. Theodore Dreisers The Financier and The Titan portrayed the ruthlessness of industrialist. Ida Tarbell exposed the Rockefeller in her History of the Standard Oil Company. Upton Sinclairs The Jungle described the horrible meat industry and resulted in the peoples call for reform. 20. What were the key figures and the key issues involved in the movements for African-American and Womens equality? W.E.B Du bois held the Niagra movement and founded the NAACP to fight for immediate acquisition of black civil rights. Also the National Urban League called for Not Alms But Oppurtunity.Booker T. Washington sought for economic and educational progress for blacks and was head of the Tuskegee Institute. Carrie Catt ,President of NAWSA, organized the League of Women voters. Alice Paul created the National Womens Party and with constant protest got the 19th amendment passed. 21. What steps were taken to reduce corruption at the city and state level?

The Progressivist used various methods for dealing with corruption in cities. They used to recall to remove a corrupt or unsatisfactory politician from office. They had Australian/secret ballots to ensure voters werent being manipulated or intimidated into voting for a certain political party. Utilities were also taken out of the hands of private businesses and became owned by the city.

22. What role did Presidents take in the Progressive Movement? President Roosevelt took the role of trust busting and a mediator for business and labor with his Square Deal. He also created the Pure Food and Drug Act to improve the meat industry and was a leader in Conservation with his National Conservation Commission. President Taft also followed in Roosevelts and actually disbanded more trust. President Wilson progressive program attacked the triple walls of privilege tariifs, banking and trust he also tried to limit child labor laws and Federal Loan Acts.

Foreign Policy
23. What anti-imperialistic complaints were lodged against the building of the Panama Canal?

24. How did America become involved in World War I? Why did they enter on the side of the British?

The United States entered on the side of the British because also because we had closer ties to Britain and agreed with their views(democracy). Plus the unrestricted submarine warfare of Germany was responsible for the death of several Americans. The United States entered the WWI because of the Zimmerman note which told Mexico to attack the United States.

25. To what extent were Woodrow Wilsons idealistic views accepted by Americans and the world? The world largely looked up to Wilson and saw him as a hero for the war they held strong to his ideals and widely accepted his 14 points. In the United States Wilsons views were more controversial and were typically rejected by isolationist who didnt want American participation in foreign places. Others partially agreed with Wilsons views but didnt want to be in a League of Nations particularly Henry Cabot Lodge. 26. What events helped change American public opinion from one of neutrality to one of intervention? The unrestricted submarine warfare of the Germans resulted in the deaths of many Americans most notably the sinking of the Lusitania where 128 Americans died (2 died in the sinking of the Arabia). The majority of U.S citizens sympathized with the Allies because of their heritage and our good standings with them throughout History. The Key event that changed the public opinion was the Zimmerman telegram from Germany telling Mexico to attack the U.S. Key Questions 1914-1945

World War I and the Postwar Period

1. What steps did America take to prepare economically for war?

Bernard Baruch and his War Industries Board set production priorities and established centralized control over raw materials and prices. Wilson also had four massive drives for Americans to put their savings into Liberty Bonds. Congress also increased income and corporate taxes and put an excise tax on luxury goods.

2. To what extent were civil liberties abused during World War I? Civil liberties were abused to a major extent during World War I with the Espionage and Sedition Acts. Anyone who tried to incite rebellion or stop the military could be put in prison under the Espionage act. With the Sedition act civilians couldnt even speak out against the government. Over 2000 people were prosecuted under the laws including the Socialist leader Eugene Debs. The Case of Schenck v United States the constitutionality of the Espionage act was upheld because free speech was limited by public safety.

3. To what extent did the techniques and ideologies employed by the Committee on Public Information transfer afterward to the policies employed during the Red Scare? The purpose of the Committee on Public Information (CPI) was to create propaganda to get public support for the war. The Committee used different mediums to spread the progaganda and convinced americans that outsiders were dangerous. This fear would be redirected from Germans to communist with A. Mitchell Palmer mass arrest of radicals. Palmer used the scare tactic of the CPI and convinces the public that there would be huge riots on May Day, 1920. 4. How did World War I affect African-Americans and women? As men were drafted into the army the jobs they left were taken by women. Their contribution to the war effort convinced Wilson to support the 19th amendment giving women voting rights. 400,000 African Americans served in the segregated army in hope of earning equal rights at home and those who stayed took advantage of the left open by men who were drafted. 5. What were Woodrow Wilsons main goals in his Fourteen Points? What was the public reaction to his ideas? Woodrow Wilsons key goals were Self-determination, Freedom of the seas, an end to secret treaties and the League of Nations. Wilson went on tour to rally support for his treaty but the effect of his tour was crippled by Henry Cabot Lodges opposition and his seizure. The public was for the treaty but were worried for Americas independence and didnt want to be caught up in foreign ties.

The Jazz Age/The Roaring Twenties

1. In what ways did the policies of Harding, Coolidge and Hoover reverse the successes of the Progressive Era? The Progressive era was a move toward labor unions and government intervention in the economy. Harding, Coolidge and Hoover all believed in limited intervention in the economy and were pro business. Over 40 percent of people had incomes in the poverty range during the roaring 20s and the wealth once again was starting to become in the control of a few.

2. What was the effect of the consumer products of the 1920s on social behavior?

Americans now tried to achieve status and popularity by buying the newest products and appliances. The most influential product was the automobile which changed the way Americans shopped, traveled and courted with the opposite sex. Businesses now used advertising to manipulate Americans into buying their products.

3. How did the Harlem Renaissance represent a shift in the role of African-Americans in society?

The Harlem Renaissance represents a shift because it was the cause of the shift of African Americans to the north. The largest African American community was in Harlem and was seen as a place with a lot of young and promising artist. Artist like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong were loved by both black and whites.

4. In the conflict of fundamentalism vs. modernism, what organizations and events proved that America was not ready for changes in immigration, race relations, and social change? In the Scopes trial southern fundamentalist convicted John Scopes for teaching the theory of evolution in his biology class. The smuggling of alcohol during prohibition and its repeal in 1933 showed resistance to social change. The Emergency Quota act of 1921 and the Immigration act of 1924 showed an alarming resistance against immigration.

The Great Depression and the New Deal

1. What were five causes of the Great Depression and what were the primary catalysts? The stock market crash on Black Thursday and Tuesday caused by panicky investors selling what they had started economic turmoil. The uneven distribution of income with 5% of Americans controlling 33%of all income showing that economic success was shared by a few. The list goes on Overproduction of goods, weak farm economy, business wasnt regulated and global economic problems all contributed to the Great Depression. 2. How did the homeless and farmers respond to the Great Depression, both passively and actively? Farmers would band together and stop banks from foreclosing on their farms and evicting them. The Farm Housing Association also tried to stop all grain produced in 1932 from reaching the market. The homeless relied on relief from the government and charities to live resulting in bread lines that were miles long.

3. What choices made by Herbert Hoover guaranteed that he would not be reelected in 1932?

Hoovers lack of action in the great depression and relying on state and local governments to deal with the unfortunate made him seem uncaring. Also his order to disband the veterans protesting in Washington made him seem heartless in the eyes of the American people. The biggest blow for hoover was that 60% of Americans felt that Roosevelt could better handle the main issue of the depression.

4. What choices made by Roosevelt improved the banking situation? Roosevelts 2 week banking holiday allowed for the government to reorganize the banks. He would later create the FDIC which would insure individuals with up to $5000 deposited in their banks. His fireside chats that aired on the radio also reassured the people restored confidence in the banks. Due to this the money deposited in banks exceeded the amount withdrawn. Also his end to prohibition with the 21st amendment may have also restored confidence in banks. 5. How many??? programs did Roosevelt create to deal with massive unemployment? Roosevelt created 4 programs to deal with massive employment the CCC, PWA, CWA and the WPA. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) hired young men to work on projects on federal lands like national parks and paid their families. The Public Works Administration (PWA) gave money to state and local governments for improvement on infrastructure. The Civil Works Administration (CWA) was put with the PWA to hire men for the construction projects that were being funded. 6. What complaints did both conservatives and liberals have with Roosevelts policies?

Liberals criticized Roosevelts new deal for doing too much for business and too little for unemployed and the poor, he didnt help the forgotten men. Conservatives criticized him for giving the federal government too much power. They also didnt like the fact that his policies were that of a socialist/communist.

7. Why did Roosevelt attempt to pack the courts and what was the reaction to this choice? Roosevelt attempted to pack the courts because in his first term he wasnt able to pick any Supreme Court Justices and his new deal programs were considered unconstitutional with the Supreme Court. The reaction from Democrats and Republicans was outrage at his grab for more power and his tampering of the Checks and Balances system.

8. Why did America reenter a recession in 1937?

The recession was caused by government policy and decreased consumer spending. Roosevelt Social Security Act had decreased the spending of Americans. This paired with the fact that Roosevelt tried to reduce the deficit put the country back into a recession. An English economist by the name of John Maynard Keyes would later show that Roosevelts budgeting was pointless with his Keynesian Theory 9. To what extent was the New Deal successful? Unsuccessful?

The recession in 1937 was definitely a setback for the New Deal but domestic policy of Roosevelt was largely Successful. The economy did not skyrocket but it did improve, the unemployment rate went down dramatically. Banks had become stable and business earning were moving up, the New deal lost most of its momentum in Roosevelts 2nd term but the economy would later leave the great depression with U.S entry in to WWII.

Foreign Policy
10. What steps in the 1920s were made to keep America isolated and maintain peace? In 1921 U.S signed a treaty with Germany to end the war. Secretary of State Charles Evan Hughes initiated naval disarmament in the Washing Conference. The Four, Five and Nine Power treaties all were meant to keep peace and decrease the size of the major countries navies. The Kellogg-Briand Pact was an agreement from every country in the world that use of force to achieve national ends was illegal. 11. How did Americas foreign policy toward Latin America change in the 1920s and 1930s?

The United States withdrew troops from the Dominican Republic but stayed in Haiti and Nicaragua. Dwight morrow also protected the interest of American business men and stopped the confiscation of properties in Mexico. Also American investments in Latin America doubled between from 1919 and 1929. Roosevelt would have his Good Neighbor Policy with Latin America and would completely remove U.S military presence in Latin America.

12. What choices were made during Roosevelts administration to keep America out of war? The Neutrality Acts of 1935, 1936, and 1937 all were made to ensure that the U.S stayed out of war and stopped citizens from helping any of the belligerents in any way. U.S also passed the Johnson Debt Default Act which prevented countries owed money to the U.S from getting any more loans. All of these attempts would ultimately fail and U.S would gradually side with the Western Allies from the

Quarantine Speech to U.S entry into the war. 13. Though America was technically neutral, what choices showed that they truly were participating in the war? The Neutrality Act of 1939 allowed countries to buy war materials on a cash and carry basis. The Quarantine Speech from Roosevelt also told the people to side the allies morally. The Destroyer Deal also gave Britain 50 old destroyers from WWI for 8 defensive bases in the Americas. The Committee to Defend Allies would also argue and campaign for entry into the war. The Lend-Lease Bill would be the final straw and U.S gave 50 million dollars in war materials to the Allies. 14. What events led to the attack on Pearl Harbor?

Japans attack on Manchuria broke the open door policy and the Kellogg-Briand Pact the U.S also passed the Stimson Doctrine saying it did not recognize any of its lands acquired from war. In protest of Japans attack the U.S also put an embargo on Japan. Japan was dependent on U.S oil to expand its empire and so it responded with a Surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

World War II
15. How was 1944 a shift in where and how America fought Germany?

In 1944 the United States moved the battlefield from Italy to France in a massive invasion on the beaches of Normandy on D-DAY. After this the Allied forces pushed back German soldiers out of France and all the way to Berlin. Overall the Allies took the offensive against Germany.

16. How did government take more control of Americas economy during the war?

The War production Board managed war industries and the Office War Mobilization set production priorities and controlled raw materials. Most control however came from the Office of Pricing Administration that regulated everything, it froze prices, wages and rents, and also was responsible for meat, sugar, gasoline and tires (for rubber) rations. Also the Smith-Connolly Anti Strike Act of 1943 allowed the government to take over war related businesses whose operations were threatened by a strike.

17. In what ways was World War II a total war effort? Total War is the use of all resources and population and to a large extent WWII was a total war for the United States. Every civilian made rations for the war and people of all minorities participated in working in factories and fighting in the army like entry of 5 million women into the workforce. All resources that could be used were, even the tires of automobiles were used for rubber. Even our nearby nations were used with the use of the braceros to help with the harvest. 18. What were the goals of Yalta and Potsdam? The conference of Yalta divided Germany into occupational zones, got the soviets to help on pacific front and formed the United Nations. After Yalta, President Roosevelt would die and Truman would be the newcomer in the big three at the Potsdam conference. At this conference the Big Three agreed to warn Japan to surrender unconditionally and to war crime trials of Nazi Leaders. 19. Why did America drop the atomic bombs? Why was this choice criticized? The atomic bomb was developed by the Manhattan project which cost over 2 billion dollars. So after Japan refused to surrender President Truman issued the order for 2 bombs to drop on 2 different cities in Japan. Truman didnt really grasp how powerful the atomic bomb was and over 250,000 Japanese people were killed in the 2 bombings.

Questions 1945 to May 6, 2005

1. What were the two main foreign policy issues facing America following World War II?

The two main foreign policy issues facing America Following World War II was the containment of communism which had taken captive Eastern Europe in the Iron Curtain. This lead to the development of NATO to combat these forces. Another key Foreign policy issue was the rebuilding of Western Europe which was largely successful due to the Marshall Plan.

2. To what extent were containment, NATO, and the Marshall Plan extensions of the Truman Doctrine? The Truman doctrine originally was a response to Greece and Turkey and was an attempt to contain communism there. With the containment policy and the Marshall plan the doctrine was made more general and applied to all nations. The goals of all the policies were the same which was to keep democracy strong where it was present and to stop the spread of communism. 3. What international and domestic conditions led to the Red Scare?

The spread of communism abroad to China and the investigation of federal employees worried the people and the government of an attempt to overthrow the government. Also Espionage cases of Alger Hiss and the Rosenbergs worried Americans. There conviction was due to the Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) which was reactivated to find communist in the united states one of the notable red catchers was Richard Nixon.

4. In what ways did Eisenhowers New Conservatism translate to how the federal government dealt with labor relations? With Eisenhowers dynamic conservatism he would be liberal people and their rights but conservative with money. So he would keep many aspects of the deal and add some of his own but he would also watch labor unions with the Landrum-Griffin Act. Even though his conservative side meant he would be harder on unions he still increased the minimum wage and tried to help farmers. 5. During the 1950s in what ways was America taking steps forward toward racial integration? Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play on a major League team. Brown vs. Board of Education overturned Plessy vs. Ferguson and made separate but equal facilities unconstitutional. The Montgomery Bus Boycott successfully segregation in Montgomery, Alabama. Also the Civil Rights Laws signed by Eisenhower in 1957 and 1960 were a step forward. 6. How did MacArthur and Truman differ on the handling of the Korean War? Truman wanted to contain communism and simply wanted to stop its spread to South Korea so he was fine with North Korea being pushed out of the South. Macarthur wanted an all-out war to end communism and called for bombings on China and its invasion. In the end this discrepancy would get Macarthur fired and made Truman seem like he was soft on communism. 7. What domestic policies did Eisenhower undertake during the 1950s? Eisenhower was conservative with money and liberal with the people. As a fiscal conservative he fought to balance the budget and the deficit spending. As a moderate he kept many New Deal programs and extended them. He created the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare under Oveta Culp Hobby. The Interstate High Act also created 42,000 miles of interstate highways that linked all of the nations major cities. 8. What were the various ideologies/policies of the 1950s to handle the spread of Communism? The new look to U.S foreign policy was Dulles Diplomacy which took the initiative against communism. Dulles advocated placing greater reliance on nuclear weapons and air power if communist powers went to the brink of war they would stop due to the U.S nuclear power. This method of massive retaliation would put pressure on enemies and during this time of development the hydrogen bomb was created.

9. In what ways did America respond to nationalism in Third World nations? The U.S used undercover intervention to deal with nationalism in third world nations. In 1953 the CIA helped overthrow a government in Iran that tried to nationalize foreign oil companies and reinstated their former monarch. U.S also would use troops to deal with nationalism in Vietnam and create SEATO to stop the domino theory 10. What were links between Kennedys New Frontier and Johnsons Great Society? Kennedys New Frontier called for aid to education, federal support of health care, urban renewal and civil rights many of his bills would not be passed during his administration. Johnsons Great Society would fulfill Kennedys New Frontier and expand it. A clear example of this is Johnson persuading Congress to enter Kennedys Civil Rights Bill and his proposal for an income tax cut. 11. To what extent was Cuba the sight of Kennedys greatest foreign policy success and worst foreign policy fiasco? With the Bay of Pigs Invasion Kennedys foreign policy with Cuba was a fiasco, assisting rebels in overthrowing a government and failing was big trouble. Yet he was very successful with the Cuban Missile Crisis because he managed to get the Soviet Union to remove their missile Silos in Cuba and from their was able to start with nuclear disarmament. 12. To what extent was Johnson more successful with his social programs than Kennedy? To a large extent Johnson was more successful with his social programs than Kennedy. Kennedy wasnt able to get most of his programs passed in Congress. The job was left for Johnsons Great Society which not only accomplished passing the bills Kennedy failed to pass but also created Medicaid and Medicare and put more funding into schools and created more New Deal like programs like HUD and DOT. 13. over the course of the 1960s, how did the African-American methods of attaining equality evolve?

it evolved in that there was new group of black civil rights activists the black Muslims and Malcolm X who advocated self-defense using black violence to counter white violence. Also, various liberal groups began to identify with blacks struggle against oppressive controls and laws. The first groups to rebel against established authority were college and university students.

14. Aside from African-American Civil Rights, what elements of the protest created the New Left?

university restrictions on student political activities and university rules which were against drinking and dorm visits from members of the opposite sex, the U.S involvement in the Vietnam War. Also, Counterculture this was the rebellious styles of dress, music, drug use and communal living.

15. How did Johnsons handling of Vietnam differ from that of his predecessors?

It differed in that he used U.S troops to fight the Vietcong in South Vietnam. He expanded operations in Vietnam to save the Saigon government. Then he continued to escalate U.S involvement in Vietnam with American Generals using search-and-destroy tactics.

16. Why was 1968 considered a turning point in American history?

it was considered a turning point due to the fact that as the year unfolded Americans wondered if their nation was coming apart from internal conflicts on the Vietnam war, the race issue and the generation gap between the baby boomers and their parents. The Tet Offensive and withdrawal of Johnson from the presidential race to the senseless murder of Martin Luther King Jr.

17. What strategy was employed by Nixon to end American involvement in Vietnam?

a process called Vietnamization in which Nixon gradually withdrew U.S. troops from Vietnam and gave the South Vietnamese the money, the weapons, and the training they needed to take over full conduct of the war. Also, extending disengagement in other parts of Asia, The Nixon Doctrine declared that in the future Asian Allies would receive U.S support but without the extensive use of U.S ground Forces.

18. What events led to Nixons resignation?

the events of Watergate in which President Nixon was involved in, a group of men hired by Nixons reelection committee were caught breaking into the offices of the democratic national headquarters in the Watergate complex in Washington,D.C. This was all a part of a series of illegal activities conducted by the Nixon Administration and the (CREEP) Committee to Re-Elect the President.

19. What foreign and domestic problems were blamed on Carter?

For Foreign problems Carter was blamed for the Iran and hostage crisis. In 1979, Islamic fundamentalists in Iran, led by Ayatollah Khomeini, overthrew the shahs dictatorial government. U.S incompetence in dealing with the crisis became more evident in November 1979 when Iranian militants seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran and held more than 50 members of the American staff as prisoners and hostages. Carter approved a rescue mission but it failed. For Domestic Problems Carter was blamed for the biggest issue in America at that time which was inflation. Carter failed either to reduce the consumption of oil or to check inflation. In 1970-1980, inflation seemed completely out of control and reached the unheard of rate of 13 percent.

20. How did Ronald Reagan take America out of its national malaise?

The very day that Reagan was inaugurated, the Iranians released the 52 American Hostages. Two months later, he survived a serious gunshot wound from an assassination attempt. Reagan emerged from the ordeal as an even more popular leader. He pledged that his administration would lower taxes, reduce government spending on welfare, build up the U.S. armed forces and create a more conservative federal court and he delivered on all four promises.

21. What role did America have in third world nations during the 1980s?

America played the role of keeping communism out of these countries. Reagan increased spending for defense and aid to anticommunist forces in Latin America. Reagan supported friendly right-wing dictators who wanted to keep out communism. 22. What were the negative effects of Reaganomics?

The negative effects were the rich-poor gap did widened; the annual debt increased substantially under Reagan and the deficit in trade was also increasing. America became the world's biggest borrower of money. Reagan added almost $2 trillion to the national debt. The idea of trickle-down economics, helping the rich would cause money trickle down to the working classes was false.

23. What are the primary characteristics of the New Right? the primary characteristics of the New Right were that they opposed big government, New Deal liberalism, gun control, feminism, gay rights, welfare, affirmative action, sexual permissiveness, abortion and drug use. Religion became an instrument of electoral politics