1890 - 1945 (Economic Crisis, Reform, and World War)

Question 1

Open Door Policy

Answer 1

• 1898
• The Open Door Policy was the United States’ foreign policy for its dealings with China.
• The U.S. had become a major commercial power in Asia after acquiring the Philippine Islands.
• Europe and Japan made moves to take over portions of China, threatening U.S. interests there.
• Under President McKinley’s direction, Secretary of State John Hay sent messages to the major powers in Europe and Japan, asking them to state publicly that they would not interfere with open trade in China.
• Hay announced an agreement by all parties in July 1900.
• The policy served as a guiding principle for U.S. foreign affairs in China through the early 1900s.
• America sought to become a larger global player during the late 1800s and early 1900s, leading to territorial and economic expansion.

Question 2

Spanish-American War

Answer 2

• 1898
• Cuba resented Spain’s control, which led to rebellion.
• Spain responded with the dispatch of General Valeriano Weyler, who confined civilians to brutal camps.
• “Yellow press” in the United States labeled him “Butcher Weyler,” increasing American support against Spain.
• The United States sent the battleship Maine to Havana to protect American interests, which included sugar, but the Maine was blown up.
• America fought Spain in the Philippines and in Cuba, and it won the war.
• The Treaty of Paris gave Cuba its independence; the U.S. gained Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines while Spain received $20 million.
• Though the Teller Amendment promised Cuba’s independence, the Platt Amendment virtually made Cuba an American protectorate.
• The United States developed greater influence in the Caribbean and Latin America through land acquisitions during this period.

Question 3

Theodore Roosevelt

Answer 3

• 1901 - 1909
• Theodore Roosevelt was the twenty-sixth president of the United States.
• He dealt with poor health and advocated on behalf of the disadvantaged.
• He was part of the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War and became a hero.
• As president, he became a “trust buster”; he used the Sherman Antitrust Act to dissolve trusts that restrained interstate and foreign trade.
• His diplomatic style was “speak softly and carry a big stick”; he protected U.S. interests by ensuring the Panama Canal’s construction and U.S. authority in Latin America.
• Roosevelt served as a middleman in conflicts between Russia and Japan; he forged the Gentlemen’s Agreement of 1907.
• He supported conservation (not preservation) of national resources.
• The election and actions of U.S. presidents reflect the major issues concerning the federal government, the country’s stance in the world, political parties, and the American people.

Question 4

Muckrakers

Answer 4

• 1900 - 1912
• Muckrakers were American journalists, novelists, and critics who exposed corruption, especially in business and politics.
• President Theodore Roosevelt is said to have given the muckrakers their name.
• Famous muckrakers included Upton Sinclair, Ida Tarbell, Lincoln Steffens, Frank Norris, and Samuel Hopkins Adams.
• Their work led to increased support for the progressive movement.
• The Progressive movement sought to curb corruption and to reform economic and social inequalities through government intervention and the creation of activist organizations.

Question 5

Insular Cases

Answer 5

• Most cases occurred from 1901 - 1904
• The Insular Cased were a series of court cases held to determine if the “Constitution followed the flag.”
• At stake was weather people in areas controlled by the United States were given rights as citizens.
• The court determined that those living in new territories were not automatically granted the rights of United States citizens.
• The movement toward imperialism in the late 1800s and early 1900s created questions about how to manage the legislative, judicial, social, and political issues that arose.

Question 6

Upton Sinclair

Answer 6

• 1878 - 1968
• Upton Sinclair was a novelist and socialist.
• He used his writings to expose issues in American society, such as the need for food inspection laws and the oppressive effect of capitalism on education and culture.
• His book “The Jungle” (1906), a graphic novel about the Chicago stockyards, led to food inspection reforms and the Meat Inspection Act of 1906.
• He lost a bid to become governor of California in 1934.
• Sinclair won the Pulitzer Prize in 1942.
• The Progressive movement sought to curb corruption and to reform economic and social inequalities through government intervention and the creation of activist organizations.

Question 7

Muller v. Oregon

Answer 7

• 1908
• Muller v. Oregon established a law that limited women to ten hours of work in factories and laundries.
• Muller, a laundry owner, challenged the legality of the law, arguing that it violated the “liberty to contract.”
• Louis Brandeis, one of the attorneys arguing the case used extensive sociological evidence in his brief (the Brandeis Brief), which served as a model for later social reformers.
• In this case, the Supreme Court held that the law was constitutional.
• President Woodrow Wilson later nominated Brandeis to the Supreme Court, where he became the first Jewish justice and an advocate for social reform.
• The Progressive movement sought to curb corruption and to reform economic and social inequalities through government intervention and the creation of activist organizations.

Question 8

Henry Ford

Answer 8

• 1863 - 1947
• Henry Ford’s Model-T, introduced in 1908, was the first inexpensive, mass-produced automobile.
• Ford’s use of the moving assembly line heavily influenced American manufacturing.
• He paid workers $5 per day, more than doubling the average autoworker’s wage.
• He was strongly anti-union.
• Technological and manufacturing improvements increased efficiency and spurred economic growth.

Question 9

William Howard Taft

Answer 9

• 1909 - 1913
• William Howard Taft was the twenty-seventh president of the United States.
• After serving as secretary of war under Theodore Roosevelt, he was elected over William Jennings Bryan.
• He prosecuted trusts under the Sherman Antitrust Act.
• His policy of “Dollar Diplomacy” called for acting in foreign affairs to achieve a financial result on behalf of one’s country.
• His administration created the Department of Labor and the parcel-post system.
• President Theodore Roosevelt’s relationship with Taft deteriorated, leading to Roosevelt’s opposition of Taft’s reelection.
• He became chief justice of the Supreme Court after serving as president.
• The election and actions of U.S. presidents reflect the major issues concerning the federal government, the country’s stance in the world, political parties, and the American people.

Question 10

Ashcan School (New York Realists)

Answer 10

• Early 1900s
• The Ashcan School was a group of artists who painted realistic scenes.
• They focused on subjects of everyday life, with titles such as “The Wrestlers” and “Sixth Avenue.”
• Members included George Luks, George Bellows, John Sloan, Robert Henri, Everett Shinn, and Arthur B. Davies.
• The challenges and transitions that the nation was undergoing during the early 1900s provided inspiration for the artistic expression.

Question 11

Radio

Answer 11

• Early 1900s
• The first human voice was broadcast in 1906 and the first musical broadcast was in 1910.
• Woodrow Wilson was the first president to broadcast.
• KDKA was the first radio station in the United States (Pittsburgh), commencing broadcast in 1920.
• The radio helped break down regionalism and provided news and entertainment.
• New technologies created a stronger national identity, allowing for culture, news, and reforms to spread more quickly from coast to coast.

Question 12

The Great Migration

Answer 12

• 1910s - 1940s
• The Great Migration was the movement of African Americans from the South to the industrial centers of the Northeast and the Midwest.
• Causes for the migration included decreased cotton prices, the lack of immigrant workers in the North, increased manufacturing as a result of the war, and the strengthening of the Ku Klux Klan
• The African American population in such cities as Detroit, Chicago, and New York grew during this period.
• The migration led to higher wages, more educational opportunities, and a better standard of life for many African Americans, but there were also increased incidents of racial violence.
• The expansion of industry, urban communities, and a mass media audience allowed minority communities to share their voice threw the arts.

Question 13

Seventeenth Amendment

Answer 13

• Ratified in 1913
• The Seventeenth Amendment was Progressive initiative that allowed for each state to elect two senators for six-year terms by popular vote.
• It restated the first paragraph of Article 1, Section 3 of the Constitution by replacing “chosen by Legislature thereof” with “elected by the people thereof.”
• The amendment allowed citizens to have a more active participation in government.
• In the Progressive Era, advocates used legislation to promote social reforms and to broaden democratic representation.

Question 14

Woodrow Wilson

Answer 14

• 1913 - 1921
• Woodrow Wilson was the twenty-eight president of the United States.
• Before his political work, Wilson served as president of Princeton University.
• His legislation lowered tariffs, created a graduated federal income tax, and established the Federal Trade Commission to control unfair business practices.
• He initiated progressive reform that prohibited child labor and limited railroad workers to an eight-hour day.
• Wilson led the United States into World War I.
• His “Fourteen Points” outline the settlement of World War I.
• He created conflict with African Americans by supporting segregation within the federal government and having a White House screening of “Birth of a Nation”, and controversial movie negatively depicting African Americans.
• The election and actions of U.S. presidents reflect the major issues concerning the federal government, the country’s stance in the world, political parties, and the American people.

Question 15

Federal Reserve Act of 1913

Answer 15

• 1913
• The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 created the Federal Reserve Bank.
• It was in response to the Panic of 1907, the concerns of business, and President Wilson’s suspicions that banks of the time served the stock market more than the American public.
• A stable currency supply that could grow and shrink with business demands was needed.
• Wilson worked diligently to create and secure passage for the act.
• The final system divided the nation into separate regions with Federal Reserve Banks to serve as “bankers’ banks.”
• The Federal Reserve Board oversaw the system and regulated it by raising or lowering the interest rates that each Federal Reserve Bank would charge.
• The Progressive movement sought to curb corruption and to reform economic and social inequalities through government intervention and the creation of activist organizations.

Question 16

Watchful Waiting and Mexican Intervention

Answer 16

• 1913 - 1914
• Watchful Waiting was Woodrow Wilson’s policy of rejecting alliances with leaders who took control through force until a determination of their interests could be made.
• Wilson implemented this policy by refusing to accept the leadership of Victoriano Huerta when he took control of Mexico through violent revolution.
• The policy ended when the United States sent forces to retaliate against Mexico, which had arrested American sailors in its borders.
• America’s role in global politics increased during the early 1900s, sparking debate over imperialism and intervention in worldwide affairs.

Question 17

Clayton Antitrust Act

Answer 17

• 1914
• The Clayton Anti Trust Act further outlined regulations against monopolies and other unfair business practices.
• It was an update to the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890.
• Price discrimination that was destructive to competition was declared illegal.
• The act declared an interlocking board of direct competitors illegal.
• It established the Federal Trade Commission to investigate and prosecute instances of unfair competition.
• The act served as the grounds for many suits against big corporations.
• It exempted labor unions engaged in legal activities.
• The Progressive movement sought to curb corruption and to reform economic and social inequalities through government intervention and the creation of activist organizations.

Question 18

World War I Causes and Major Players

Answer 18

• 1914
• The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by a Serbian nationalist was the short-term cause that sparked World War I.
• Growing nationalism in Austria-Hungary and France increased tensions.
• Colonial expansion in Africa and China created conflict.
• Military buildup led to war.
• Major players for the Allies (Triple Entente) were Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Belgium, Japan, and the United States.
• Major players for the Central Powers (Triple Alliance) were Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, and Bulgaria.
• The United States entered World War I in part to protect its citizens and to secure its global interests.

Question 19

Lusitania and Neutrality

Answer 19

• 1915
• At the outset of World War I, Germany began using submarines and announced a blockade of the Allied forces.
• The Lusitania was a British liner attacked by German submarines.
• While unarmed, the Lusitania did carry munitions for the Allies.
• United States citizens traveling aboard the Lusitania were killed.
• Wilson protested but remained neutral, in line with the 1914 Proclamation of Neutrality.
• One other liner with Americans, the Sussex, was sunk, and then the Germans gave a pledge to stop attacks on unarmed vessels.
• The United States entered World War I in part to protect its citizens and to secure its global interests.

Question 20

Labor Acts, 1915 - 1916

Answer 20

• 1915 - 1916
• The La Follette Seamen’s Act (1915) required safety and sanitation measures for commercial ships and regulated wages, food, and hours for sailors.
• As a result of the Adamson Act (1916), employees of railroads who were engaged in interstate commerce were given an eight-hour work day and overtime pay of time-and-a-half.
• The Keating-Owen Child Labor Act (1916) forbade the shipment of products that involved child labor in their manufacture. In Hammer v. Dagenhart (1918), the Supreme Court declared the act unconstitutional because Congress had interfered with the power of the states.
• The Progressive movement sought to curb corruption and to reform economic and social inequalities through government intervention and the creation of activist organizations.

Question 21

Reasons for the United States’ Entry into WWI

Answer 21

• 1917
• The British intercepted the Zimmermann telegram, a German message that proposed Mexico attack the United States if America entered World War I.
• Germany had begun engaging in unlimited submarine warfare against ships that entered a large zone off the coasts of Allied nations.
• Germany had broken the Sussex Pledge, which protected certain ships from warfare.
• After Russia’s revolution, the democratic Russian government made it an acceptable ally to the United States.
• America could hasten the end of the war and ensure a role in designing peace.
• The United States was already backing the Allies with supplies.
• In his war message, Wilson said that “the world must be made safe for democracy.”
• The United States entered World War I in part to protect its citizens and to secure its global interests.

Question 22

Committee on Public Information

Answer 22

• 1917
• The Committee on Public Information was formed by President Wilson and headed by George Creel.
• It established voluntary censorship of the press and created a propaganda campaign for the country’s support of World War I, portraying Germans as barbaric.
• It encouraged spying on neighbors with foreign names and reporting suspicious activities to the Justice Department.
• The committee provided speeches to volunteers, the Four Minute Men, who gave talks on the U.S. war effort during the changing of reels in movie theaters across America.
• It fostered “100% American” jingoism.
• World War I incited feelings of patriotism and xenophobia, which let to social and legislative movements to curb immigration and free speech.

Question 23

Espionage and Sedition Acts

Answer 23

• 1917 and 1918
• The Espionage and Sedition Acts established fines and imprisonment for persons who made false statements that aided the enemy, hindered the draft, or incited military rebellion.
• The acts forbade criticism of the government, flag, or uniform.
• They led to the imprisonment of major figures.
• The Supreme Court upheld the acts, allowing the government to limit free speech when words represented clear and present danger, especially during times of war.
• World War I incited feelings of patriotism and xenophobia, which let to social and legislative movements to curb immigration and free speech.

Question 24

Women and Minorities in WWI

Answer 24

• 1917 - 1919
• Women served as clerks or in medical units during the war.
• 400,000 African American men were drafted or enlisted.
• African Americans were kept in segregated unites and generally used in labor battalions or in support activities, though some saw combat.
• To support the U.S. effort in World War I, minority communities were permitted to play an expanded role in the military, and the government more actively managed the country’s resources.

Question 25

United States’ Home Front During WWI

Answer 25

• 1918
• President Woodrow Wilson controlled raw materials, production, prices, and labor relations to ensure supplies for the war effort.
• He appointed future president Herbert Hoover as the head of the food administration.
• Wilson oversaw the use of fuel, railroads, and maritime shipping.
• He resolved labor disputes through offers of employee benefits.
• To support the U.S. effort in World War I, minority communities were permitted to play an expanded role in the military, and the government more actively managed the country’s resources.

Question 26

Fourteen Points

Answer 26

• 1918
• The Fourteen Points formed the basis of a peace plan presented by President Wilson in an address to Congress.
• It called for open (rather than secret) peace treaties, and it promoted free trade, transportation along the seas and arms reduction.
• The plan recommended a general association of nations to preserve the peace.
• Reactions in Europe were mixed as some countries wanted to punish Germany, and they found the terms in the Fourteen Points too accommodating.
• American citizens were also uncertain in their support because they feared future international entanglement.
• In the end, the Treaty of Versailles went against many of the Fourteen Points.
• America’s role in World War I would establish its place as a global power while creating isolationist sentiments among many citizens.

Question 27

Treaty of Versailles

Answer 27

• January 1919
• The Treaty of Versailles was a result of the Paris Peace Conference.
• It formed the League of Nations to protect the territorial integrity and political independence of all members.
• Germany was held responsible for the war (war guilt clause), required to pay heavily for damages (reparations), and limited to a small defensive force.
• New national boundaries were drawn, including for Yugoslavia, Austria, Hungary and Poland.
• German colonies were made mandates of the League and were under trusteeship of the Allies.
• The aftermath of World War I established boundaries, economies, and international relations that set the stage for World War II.

Question 28

Wilson’s Treaty and Henry Cabot Lodge

Answer 28

• 1919
• Republican Senator Lodge led oppostion against the Paris Peace Treaty because of its war entanglement with other members (Article X).
• President Wilson collapsed during a antional tour advocating for the League of Nations.
• Wilson returned to D.C. and suffered a severe stroke.
• The president never fully recovered, but he wrote to Democrats to oppose treaty changes by Lodge.
• By not compromising, the treaty he supported was defeated, and the United States did not join the League; a joint resolution enacted peace instead.
• The aftermath of World War I established boundaries, economies, and international relations that set the stage for World War II.

Question 29

Results of WWI

Answer 29

• 1919 - 1920s
• America emerged as the political and economic leader of the world.
• In the United States, European demand for its goods led to inflation; this strengthened the American economy but increased prices.
• Workers in America led several major strikes because of these increased prices.
• European states went into decline after the war.
• Germany was devastated by the conflict.
• The aftermath of World War I established boundaries, economies, and international relations that set the stage for World War II.

Question 30

Major Strikes After WWI

Answer 30

• 1919 - 1920s
• The Boston police attempted to unionize, and Governor Calvin Coolidge fired its members to recruit a new force.
• Seattle had a general strike in 1919.
• The AFL attempted to organize the steel industry, but the strike was broken after violence and the use of federal troops.
• United Mine Workers struck and gained minor wage increased.
• Labor conflicts and radical movements grew after World War I, and this incited a forceful response by some within society and within the American government who feared widespread disorder or revolution.

Question 31

U.S. v. Schenck

Answer 31

• 1919
• During World War I, Charles Schenck created a pamphlet opposing the military draft; he was convicted of attempting to obstruct the military under the Espionage Act.
• In the case U.S. v. Scheck, the Supreme Court determined that speech may be suppressed if it creates a clear and present danger (one cannot yell “fire” in a crowded theater).
• In following years, the “clear and present danger” test was limited to violent actions rather than the support of these ideas.
• World War I incited feelings of patriotism and xenophobia, which let to social and legislative movements to curb immigration and free speech.

Question 32

Prohibition

Answer 32

• 1919
• Temperance movements began to grow in the early 1800s.
• Carry Nation, a member of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, used rocks, hammers, and hatchets to destroy liquor stores and saloons.
• The Eighteenth Amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale, transport, or import of liquor.
• The Volstead Act defined what counted as an alcoholic beverage and imposed criminal penalties for violations.
• Prohibition led to bootlegging (illegal production or distribution of intoxicating beverages), government corruption, and speakeasies (secret bars operated by bootleggers).
• Al Capone was one of the most famous bootlegging gangsters.
• In 1933, the Twenty-first Amendment was ratified to repeal Prohibition.
• Moral, economic, technological, and cultural changes in the United States increased conflicts throughout American society.