Late 1800s-1945 (Wars) Flashcards
What is Imperialism?
US expansion politically, economically, culturally, and military influence beyond its boarders
What are some factors that led to imperialism?
- Increased demand for raw materials & new markets
- Growing military power seeking new military bases
Monroe Doctrine (1823)
Warned European powers from interfering in the Western Hemisphere
Roosevelt Corollary (1904)
Stated that the US would intervene to ensure that other nations in the Western Hemisphere (Latin American & Caribbean countries) fulfilled their obligations & didn’t violate the rights of the US
Spanish-American War (1898)
- Spain lost
- US gained territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, Philippines, and Cuba
Panama Canal
US took over this failed French construction project & build canal across Panama, gaining control of the waterway
Why did the US want to initially stay out of WWI?
- Strong sense of isolationism (Americans believed to not get involved in Eur conflicts)
- Declared policy of neutrality
Why drew the US into WWI?
- Germany’s attempt to ally with Mexico (Zimmermann telegram)
- Submarine warfare (sinking of the Lusitania - a British passenger ship, causing lots of deaths)
What are some laws implemented because of WWI?
- Espionage Act (1917) - “Crime to convey info intended to interfere with military”
- Sedition Act (1918) - imposed harsh consequences for dissenting speech
- Schenck v. US (1919) - speech could be a crime if it presented a “clear and present danger” to national security
Wilson’s 14 Points
Supported idea of lasting peace
- Emphasized trade equality, ending of secrete treaties/ alliances, freedom of the seas
- Established League of Nations (international organization focusing on maintaining world peace) - US never joined
What is the Roaring Twenties?
- A period of great change in America (1920s)
- Jazz music, flappers, new scientific ideas (evolution), Prohibition (failed)
What was the conflict with this modernization?
- Conflicted with traditional ideas
- Some new scientific discoveries challenged traditional religious beliefs
What is the Prohibition and why did it fail?
Nationwide ban of alcohol, established by the 18th Amendment. Created too many problems (rise in organized crime)
Why is the 1920s known as a time of an “economic boom?”
Strong economy driven by developments like the assembly line & Ford’s innovations in factory production, as well as growth in market for new consumer products.
What is nativism?
- Prejudice against immigrants
- Increased in the 1920s
- E.g. Rebirth of KKK; Red Scare; Immigration Acts of 1921 & 1924 (limited # of immigrants)
Harlem Renaissance (end of WWI - mid 1930s)
Period of cultural and artistic activity among African Americans
- Lanston Hughes, Duke Ellington, etc
Great Migration
Period from 1910s-1970s) when many African Americans moved from the South to the North, Midwest, West to escape Jim Crow laws
What are some of the main causes of the Great Depression?
- Overproduction of consumer goods (factories produced too much, not enough consumption, caused bankruptcies)
- Overproduction of farm crops (oversupply & low prices, farmers struggled)
- Too much credit (people/ businesses couldn’t pay credit debts)
- Speculation on the stock market (stock market crash, many lost lots of money)
How did President Herbert Hoover respond to the depression?
He ignored people, saying “things will get better soon”
Dust Bowl
Drought in Great Plains + overfarming = lots of dust causing farmers to flee
Bonus March
WWI veterans demanded the bonus that the gov promised them (violent)
What is the New Deal?
Combination of public works projects for jobs, money, and improvements in the banking system enacted by President Roosevelt (1933-1938) to resolve the depression
What is the court-packing scandal?
Congress stopped FDR from increasing the number of Supreme Court justices that supported his New Deal
Neutrality Acts
Number of laws Congress passed saying US can’t take sides in WWII
