America Theme 1 Flashcards
About Woodrow Wilson
Took America into WW1, despite campaigning with the slogan ‘he kept us out of the war’
Grew up in the Deep South, family used enslaved labour
Oversaw Jim Crow laws
Offices were segregated, black people lost jobs in government
Fought to stay out of WW1, no choice to join 1917
Nobel peace prize 1919
System of government in America
Federal government
President (executive)
Congress (legislative)
Supreme Court (judiciary)
Congress makes laws, 2 selected bodies. House of Representatives and the senate
President can pass executive orders, Congress don’t need to approve, Supreme Court can override
Political environment and society (Wilson)
The volstead act and 18th amendment made consumption of alcohol illegal.
Beginning of the promotion era
Wilson firmly believed in women’s suffrage
August 1920, 18th amendment became law, women’s vote
1915 Wilson screened birth of a nation. Controversial and racist. KKK herioc in the firm
Federal intervention during Wilson
Hundreds of agencies created to manage war effort
Many Americans paid federal taxes for the first time
Sedition act 1918 gave government more powers to silence opposition of war
1917, 5m men drafted to fight
What was the espionage act
1917
Illegal to:
• criticise American entry into war
• question US motives
• discourage enlistment
• discredit military forces
The palmer raids
1919
Wilson warned against ‘hyphenated Americans’
Wilson and government seemed scared by immigrants
Italian immigrant anarchist bombed in April 1919
During this period, 6k aliens suspected socialists, anarchists and communists arrested
Raids occurred in the context of the first red scare
The return to normalcy
Warren Harding elected 1921, promising the return to normalcy
1918-21 short , sharp economic depression
Unemployment 950k 1919 to 5m in 1921
What Did Harding have to do to fix the situation
Balance the books, decrease tax, introduce tariffs
What is isolationism
USA had to focus on itself
Meant introduction of trade tariffs that benefitted US business
Not joining League of Nations
1921 emergency quota act limited migrants to 357k per year
150k in 1924
Harding presidency
1921-1923
Demonstrated that Americans were tired of activism
Rejects League of Nations membership
Americans more concerned about deflation, less exports and more unemployment.
Promised return to normalcy
Successfully mediated in steel strike of 1921.
Harding economically
Federal expenditure down
1920 5000m
1922 3373m
Less govt in busiensss and more business in govt
Laissez faire approach
Shepherd touner maternity act
Gave states federal aid for maternity and infant health programmes
Teapot dome scandal
Broke a few months after hardings death
One of his ministers accepted bribes in exchange for leasing federal oil reserves
Calvin Coolidge
1923-1929
Continued laissez faire approach keeping federal expenditure low
USA entered period of recovery and prosperity
1926 boom in the 20’s. Living standards highest ever been.
First president to meet reporters regularly
Herbert hoover.
Shifted ideal of laissez faire and let people take care for themselves. This is called rugged individualism.
Seen as a bully, handled Congress badly
Seemed unable to cope economically following the Wall Street crash
Rugged individualism
Believed everyone, even poor, were weakened by government support
USA should isolate itself from other countries
USA should restrict immigration
The Great Depression
1929-1932/33
Unemployment soared, people lost homes banks and businesses failed
1929 hoover persuaded Congress to set up the federal farm board to help farmers sell abroad
1930 set up committee called presidents emergency committee for unemployment, temporary organisation to find work for people.
Hoover reaction to the Wall Street crash
Government provided 423m for building programmes for new jobs such as hoover dam in 1930.
1930 smooth Hawley tariff act increased tariffs on foreign imports by 50%
The bonus march
1932
40k veterans came to the White House to collect a bonus.
Camped outsdke, hoover called them communists and criminals. Sent in army. Tents on fire
2 babies dead.
Context / characterised of the FDR new deal
Promised new deal where government would do whatever needed to save country from disaster.
Asked Congress for special powers to deal with economy.
New deal very different from rugged individualism.
FDR believed that the government was responsible for the struggle of the people.
The first 100 days of FDR presidency
Set up a series of agencies to give support “alphabet agencies”
Agricultural adjustment agency. Regulated crops. Paid famers to produce less
Civilian conservation corps, jobs to single men under 25. 33-45 1m men
Federal emergency relief administration
500m to homeless.
The second new deal
1935-37
Measures aimed at reforming aspects of of divert and improving conditions for the ordinary.
Workers progress administration. Gave work to 2m people a year. Built roads, buildings, schools, bridges etc.
The social security act 1935 - state pension for 65+
Wagner act supported workers who wanted to form a union. Prevented workers getting sacked if in a union.
Opposition to the new deal
36 election showed FDR support., but 16m voted republican
Republicans clamoend that FDR was acting like a dictator, government too powerful
Business leaders didn’t like the interference, angry about support for unions.
1936, 9m unemployed
1937 government spending down. 2nd wave of depression.
How did FDR change the presidency
Didn’t want to legislate so much in first 100 days but the congress ease allowed him to
Set up seperate executive office of the presidency allowing executive orders through
Fireside chats radio broadcasts explaining policies. Connection to the public.
The impact of WW2
Hailed the USA out of depression.
FDR conscious of backlash so said in a fireside chat that he would have to remain neutral
Goods supplied on a cash and carry basis
War production boosted industry and arming
Lend lease act 1941 allowed Britain to borrow supplied and pay back after a year.
51bn value.
Unemployment fall sharply, men joined army
Industry profits rose 17m in 1940 28m in 43
The second red scare
Post WW2
Many Eastern European countries emerged with soviet government
USSR had been spying on USA
1949 china communist, USSR first nuclear weapons test
Media began to question whether government was doing enough to protect civs
HUAC and loyalty borads
House of un-American activities 1938.
Set up to investigate unAmerican activities, FBI investigations
Suspects lost jobs, blacklisted, never worked Erwin
21march 1947 Truman exec order go set up loyalty boards to investigate loyalty of government employees
Joseph mcCarthy
1950-54 senator joseph McCarthy headed 2nd red scare
February 1950 made speech to republican women’s group that he had the names of 205 known communists working in state department
Next day number was 57, then 81
He remained powerful until he interviewed the army where he treated them so badly they people lost support for him.
Impact of Cold War on domestic policies
Truman very anti communist
Stalin very anti capitalist
Truman told Congress that they needed a policy of containment
Truman doctrine, Marshall plan.
Threat of nuclear attack in 50’s
Therefore, set up interstate act road network for rapid evacuation of cities in 1956
June 47 to June 48 US atomic bombs went from 13 to 50.
The impact of the Cold War on the presidency
1947 national security act reorganised US military forces under a new defence department.
Also created the CIA and national security council.
Increased possession of nuclear weapons.
After world war 2, Truman without consulting Congress made treaties to place US bases abroad.
Ordered Berlin airlift and Korea without congress consent.
The Korean War
1950-53
North Korea invaded south in 1950, supplies and advisors from the USSR helped them
Taking place in the context of the red scare
260k US troops fighting, no more than 35k from elsewhere altogether.
Defence spending hit a peak at 14% of American GNP.
Impact of Korean War on presidency
Shift in the way the media dealt with the presidency
Media began promising Truman support.
Truman made the mistake of holding back with the media because he didn’t want to inflame anti communist feelings.
Media then looked for support elsewhere
August 1950, Truman began TV briefings. However, he found it hard to regain media support for ‘limited war’
General MacArthur
In charge of Korean War from start, wanted very different war from Truman
Criticised ‘limited war’ both publicly and privately.
His views used to support republican backlash and he disobeyed orders
Sacked in April 1951, many against his sacking, even though he openly disobeyed orders.
Vietnam context
1954-1975
WAR ON TV
colonial French driven out of the country by Vietnamese rebels
UN intervened to create north and South Korea’s with communism and democracies
USA spent 50’s giving south training supplies
First troops sent in 61, JFK
guerilla war where they could not tell allies and enemies apart.
Final withdrawal in 75, having started in 69. First war loss
Vietnam policies
Similar budget measures as Korean War
One of most unpopular policies, the draft, lottery like selection of men 18-26 to fight
Lead to burning draft cards in anti-war protects ‘draft dodging’
Role of the media in Vietnam
Media coverage was intense
At the start, media reported as White House press conferences
As war went on they showed increasingly shocking stories
Massacre of mai lai village, spraying toxic agent orange on villages.
Who was Walter Cronkite
Feb 1968, Walter Cronkite returned after the tet offensive and awarded scathing criticism to the war.
Cronkite was highly influential and respected TV reporter.
LJB support went down
Vietnam impact on the presidency
Cost a shadow over 4 presidencies
Increased pressure on foreign policy. For example, protests against war.
Hey! Hey! LBJ, how many kids did you kill today.
Final withdrawal did not reflect well on govt or president
Shambolic evacuation or Saigon, killing US and Vietnamese citizens.
Media influence in the decline of government confidence
People had wider access to to media in the forms of radio TV and newspapers
Media saw their job as explaining policies
When Truman mishandelled media with Korea in 1950 criticism grew.
From 1968, media saw their job as uncovering government deception and exposing lies.
WATERGATE
WATERGATE
Early in 1971, Nixon arranged for the White House to be bugged
Later in the year he set up a team go find the source of leaks
In 1972 , election year , 4 men arrested for breaking into the democrat HQ, one of burglars was Nixons staff, Nixon re-elected
3 of men arrested resigned, other sacked.
Liberalism
Many uneasy with the political climate that took off under JFK
Liberals supported equality, civil rights and social welfare
The civil rights act, voting reform act and LJB’s great society could only have been passed by a liberal government
Decline in confidence by 1979
By 1979, 4% of Americans believed they were in deep/serious trouble.
Many planed carter but he inherited problems
Ford lost popular support when he pardoned nixon
Problems Carter inherited
Presidency greatly weakened
Vietnam and counterculture protests divided Americans
Energy and economic crises
Many Americans had lost faith in
Carter election and presidency.
Lowest turnout since 1948, 54%
Close election
Carter 49%
Ford 47%
Economy continued to suffer from inflation
USSR seemed to be winning the Cold War
Carter bad handing of Iran hostage crisis
Carter administration involved in number of scandals
