1912 - 1920 - Emergence on the World Stage Flashcards
How was Wilson progressive?
- Reduced tariffs on imports
- Strengthened the Sherman anti-trust act
- Reformed national banking system
- Extended the authority of federal gov
How was the federal reserve act of 1913 progressive?
It maintained a balance between the interests of big business and the needs of the public.
Clayton anti-trust act
- 1914
- Made certain business practices illegal
- A big hit for big business
What financial reforms did Wilson introduce?
- First ever income tax
- Revenue act of 1916 taxed the rich and redistributed wealth
Underwood tariff - When and what?
- October 1913
- Reduced many duties
What was Wilsons attitude to trade unions?
In the 1913 coal miners strike he sent federal troops to break the strike
Wilsons social reforms
- 1916 Workmen’s compensation act gave sick pay
- Adamson act laid down max 8 hour working day
Wilson and AA’s
- Opposed anti-lynching legislation
- Appointed white southerners who extended segregation
Reasons for US neutrality in WW1
- Prevailing public opinion that the war had nothing to do with them
- Didn’t want to waste money on conflict when there was no threat to American land
4 Tensions concerning neutrality
- Pro-British feeling
- Anti-German feeling due to stories of German atrocities, and Wilson saw a German threat to US interests
- Allies benefitted more from US trade than Central powers
- Unrestricted submarine warfare
Unrestricted submarine warfare
- First between Feb-Aug 1915
- Stopped when Wilson demonstrated anger at sinking of Lusitania
- Resumed January 1917 with just 8 hours notice, stating that Germany would sink all ships in the war zone.
Sinking of the Lusitania
May 1915
How many Americans died in the Lusitania sinking?
128, out of 1200 people
What two key events happened in January 1917 that caused US to enter WW1?
- Resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare
- Interception of the Zimmerman telegraph
What was Wilsons justification for his decision to enter the war?
- Realised that US could only influence the post war peace settlement if the US had fought
- Preferred to fight Germany now with an ally rather than potentially fight them alone in the future
When did the USA declare war on Germany?
April 1917
How much did the government collect in taxes for the war effort?
$10.5 billion
During the war, food production increased from 12.3 million tons a year to…
18.6 million tons a year
How many AA’s migrated north between 1914 and 1918
500,000
What was the aim of Wilsons 14 points
To prevent any international conflict happening again.
How did the war make the USA the worlds leading economy and industrial nation?
US hadn’t suffered huge losses, and had significantly profited from trading and loaning money.
By 1920 the USA was producing and consuming what % of the worlds oil?
70%
How was US society by 1920?
- Very diverse, and still unequal and divided
- AA’s were more conscious of their inequality
- Many Americans still championed laissez faire, so federal authority was still limited
In 1920 what was the prevailing mood for foreign affairs?
A return to isolationism
Why didn’t US want to join Wilsons League of Nations?
Because they wanted to return to isolationism, so didn’t want any international commitments.
