Unit 4 – Modern America Emerges

Chapters 9 - 11

The Origins of Progressivism• Reform movement aimed at restoring

economic opportunities & correcting the injustices of American Society– Protecting Social Welfare:

• Efforts to bring opportunity, dignity to lives of the industrial poor (soup kitchens, YMCAs)

– Promoting Moral Improvement:• Efforts to improve the behaviors of the poor;

including prohibition (WCTU, Carrie A. Nation)

– Creating Economic Reform:• Efforts to restore competition to marketplace,

improve working conditions, ban child labor

– Fostering Efficiency• Scientific management studies targeted long

shifts, work-related accidents; taken the extreme: assembly line production (Henry Ford)

– Cleaning up Government• Local gov’t: City Commission & City Managers• Reform-minded mayors and governors• Initiatives, referendums, recalls empower voters• 17th Amendment: Direct election of Senators

Women in Public Life• History of Women’s Rights in America

– Women in many states quickly lose voting rights following American Revolution

– Seneca Falls Convention, 1848: 100+ delegates sign “Declaration of Sentiments & Resolutions”• Modeled after Declaration of Independence: “All

men and women” created equal, all have rights

– Women Lead Progressive Reforms• Political reform difficult for women (why?)• Colleges increase educational opportunities

• Women’s Suffrage Movement– Forms after passage of 14th & 15th Amendments– 1869: Anthony & Stanton form NWSA, NAWSA– Strong Opposition to women’s voting rights

• Liquor industry feared temperance, prohibition• Industry feared legislation banning child labor

– A Three-Part Suffrage Strategy• Convince state legislatures to grant voting rights• Pursue court cases to test the 14th Amendment• Push for Constitutional Amendment for women

Roosevelt’s Square Deal• Theodore Roosevelt becomes President at

age 42 after McKinley’s assassination– Famous leadership in Spanish-American War– Federal responsibility for national welfare

• Roosevelt’s Progressive “Square Deal”– Use of Federal Power in behalf of the people

• Trust-Busting: target those harmful to public• Intervenes in Coal Strike of 1902 (precedent)• Able to establish real regulation of railroads

– Public Health Measures• Sinclair’s Jungle leads to Meat Inspection Act• Pure Food & Drug Act creates truth in labeling

– Natural Resources and Conservation• John Muir: preservation vs. conservation• Creation of Nat’l Parks, Federal projects in West

• Roosevelt and Civil Rights– “Progressive” fails to support Civil Rights– Black leadership split of segregation policies

• Booker T. Washington’s Tuskegee Institute vs. W.E.B. Du Bois’ Souls of Black Folk, NAACP

Imperialism and America• Spirit of Empire-Building

– Expansion a theme of American history– European Powers race for Africa, Asia– Get involved in imperialism or get left behind

• Desire for military strength (naval bases, fleets)• Thirst for new markets (overproduction in US)• Belief in cultural superiority (Social Darwinism)

• “Seward’s Folly”: The U.S. Buys Alaska– Lincoln’s Sec. of State negotiates purchase from

Russia for 7.2 million in 1867 ($.02/acre)• Abundant timber, minerals, eventually oil

• The United States takes Hawaii– Important stop on trans-Pacific voyages– 1820s: Americans establish sugar plantations

• Imported laborers from all over Asia• Could import sugar to U.S. duty-free (no tax)• 1890: Facing taxes, planters call for annexation

– Planters and marines lead “revolution” to replace Queen Liliuokalani with Sanford Dole• Cleveland opposes, McKinley approves in 1898

The Spanish-American War• 1895: Cuba fights Spain for independence

– Big Business backs Spain, public pulls for Cuba– Spanish Gen. Wyler herds Cubans into camps

• War Fever Fueled by “Yellow Journalism”– Sensationalized reports published to sell papers– “You furnish the pictures…I’ll furnish the war”– DeLome Letter: stolen note insults US President – U.S.S. Maine in Havana to recover US citizens

• Ship explodes, 260 men killed, cause unknown

• 1898: U.S. Declares War with Spain– Spain agrees to all demands, but US wants war– US destroys Spanish presence in Philippines

• Philippine forces aid US effort to remove Spanish

– Ill-prepared US troops invade, take Cuba• Spanish fleet sunk trying to escape blockade

• Treaty of Paris Sparks Imperialism Debate– Cuba “free”, US claims Guam and Puerto Rico– McKinley’s annexation of Philippines draws

public criticism from many American leaders

America as a World Power• Managing New Territorial Possessions

– Puerto Ricans become US citizens– US Military continues to occupy Cuba

• Platt Amendment s make Cuba a protectorate

– Filipinos repel against US annexation, fail

• Growing Interest and Influence in China– China weakened by war and foreign influence– Hay pens Open Door Notes, setting free trade

• Boxers lead rebellion against “foreign devils”• Uprising stopped by int’l coalition of forces

• U.S. aides Panamanian independence, begins work on Panama Canal– Creates a short-cut between Atlantic & Pacific– Work begins in 1904, canal opens in 1914

• Roosevelt Corollary to Monroe Doctrine– Roosevelt: “Speak softly and carry a big stick”– Disorder in Latin America might “force the U.S.

to exercise international police power”• US will intervene to protect economic interests

“A fair field and no favor!”

America Joins the Great War• President Wilson Seeks War Neutrality

– WWI seems an issue between Europeans– Atlantic Ocean buffers US from conflict– US industry can profit from war production

• Trade Causes US entanglements in WWI– US exports to Britain double than to Germany

• Allied orders flood American industry– British blockade of Germany limits US trade

• The War Hits Home– German U-Boats sink British, American ships– Unrestricted Sub Warfare forces Wilson’s

hand– Zimmerman Note further provokes US pride– Fall of Russian Czar allows US to join Allies

• America Turns the Tide (1917-1918)– Convoy System overcomes German U-Boats– Pershing’s “doughboys” uplift Allied trenches

• Allies victorious at Second Battle of Marne• German retreat, mutiny leads to Armistice

– Congress refuses to ratify Treaty of Versailles

The War at Home• Scale of WWI = Expanding Role of

Gov’t– Entire economy had to focus on war effort– Congress gives Wilson direct economic

control• War Industries Board improves production

20%

– Selective Service Act institutes the “draft”

• Selling the War– U.S. spends $35.5 billion on war effort– Paid off through taxes, war bonds–  Committee on Public Information

•  Gov’t propaganda to popularize war•  Posters, speakers, pamphlets shape opinion

• Wartime Attacks on Civil Liberties–  Anti-German hysteria across the country–  Espionage and Sedition Acts curbs free

speech•     Targeted socialists & labor leaders

• War Encourages Social Change– Du Bois encourages blacks to support war– Great Migration: blacks move North to

escape discrimination & lynching, find work

Wilson’s “New Freedom”• A Focus on Financial Reforms

– Clayton Antitrust Act outlaws monopolies– Legalized labor unions, strikes, pickets– Federal Trade Commission police unfair

business practices– 16th Amendment creates federal income tax– Federal Reserve System regulates nation’s

banks

• Women Win Suffrage– Catt, Paul, others revitalize campaign– Conservative, radical strategies – Women’s role in war effort aid suffrage cause– 1920: 19th Amend. grants women right to vote

• Wilson and Civil Rights– Born in South, gains political status in North– Campaigns on equality platform

• Fails to act on civic rights while in office

– Appoints many fellow Southerners to cabinet• Segregates most federal government buildings• Views lynching as an issue for states to tackle