Posted: August 31st, 2022

Why did America become an empire when it did?

Why did America become an empire when it did?

I consider America turned an Empire when it did as a result of they had been on the finish of 1 struggle and had been on the point of the economic revolution. The objective was to achieve land, cash, management of commerce, and, briefly: energy. Management of commerce and the power to usher in more cash appeared like a serious motive for America turning into an Empire. The nation wished to export all of their burgeoning innovations and items that they had been quickly manufacturing with a purpose to herald more cash (Divine, 677).

On that notice, improvements, on the whole, had been feeding the concept America was a robust nation. The introduction of the transcontinental railroad led to direct routes, larger velocity, a extra reliable schedule, a bigger quantity of site visitors, the creation of recent cities, and the power to move items from one a part of the nation to a different. The export of things like beef from Texas, fruit from Florida, beer from Missouri, and grain from Minneapolis led to an improve in items that might be exported for international commerce. Divine writes that the completion of the transcontinental railroad and the Suez Canal in 1869 “knit the world collectively” (581). Additional improvements similar to metal, iron, oil, and different innovations that remodeled strange life had been causes for looking for an Empire. Divine writes, “From the 1870s onward, metal output turned the worldwide accepted measure of business progress, and nations across the globe vied for management” (Divine, 583).

Gaining land was one other manner during which America sought to become an empire. The acquisition of land meant the acquisition of extra energy, ports for commerce, management of individuals, extra sources to create exports, and so forth. The Spanish American Struggle of 1898 thrust America in to energy, bringing America in to manage of colonies and their individuals. It gave America involvement in different nations affairs (Divine, 685-86).

Throughout this time period America additionally got here in to manage of Alaska (1867), a naval base in Samoa (1878), Pearl Harbor (1887), the whole lot of Hawaii (1898), and Puerto Rico (1898) (Divine, 702)

References

Divine, R.A., Breen, T.H., Williams, R.H., Gross, A.J., & Manufacturers, H.W. (2013). The American Story (fifth ed.) Higher Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Schooling.

Who had been the Populists? What had been their objectives? What did they get achieved?

Populists within the American custom had been principally rural voters upset by a monetary system that favored jap banking pursuits; they largely merged very fortunately with the Democrats 1896; a splinter unbiased group lasted till 1908. Critics of the affect of huge banks and railroads populists backed the pursuits of their farmer base and had been on the “left” of their day whereas largely remaining social conservatives. The formal identify of the celebration was the Individuals’s Social gathering.

A fundamental objective of the Populist motion was to put controls on monopolistic companies. Farmers complained that railroads and farm product storage firms (similar to grain firms) used the truth that they had been massive, highly effective firms to extend their costs past what was thought-about truthful. Railroad firms, for instance, incessantly monopolized the rail enterprise within the areas during which they owned monitor. The excessive costs harm farmers and precipitated the retail costs of the farm items to be excessive as nicely, thus hurting different People. Thus, the Populist actions pressured the state and federal governments to manage railroad charges and break up industrial monopolies.

An vital a part of the Populist Social gathering’s success was within the financial self-help that its members had been utilizing, and later continued to make use of, to construct energy—particularly, farmer cooperatives. Populist organizations just like the Farmers Alliance used co-op fashions to allow farmers to entry economies of scale and compete with massive banks and railroads that had been making their lives very tough. The legacy of these establishments is super, from manufacturers like Ocean Spray, Land O’Lakes, and Natural Valley to legislative achievements just like the Farm Credit score System (which eased farmer co-ops’ entry to capital) and the Capper Volstead Act (which made an exemption for farmer co-op in antitrust regulation). The group efficiently raised consciousness of the plight of staff and farmers, giving option to the primary farm grants and encoded rights for staff. This may ultimately pave the way in which for baby labor being outlawed and the minimal wage.

Divine, R.A., Breen, T.H., Williams, R.H., Gross, A.J., & Manufacturers, H.W. (2013). The American Story (fifth ed.) Higher Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Schooling.

Why did the U.S. become involved within the First World Struggle when it did?

There have been numerous occasions that precipitated the U.S. to enter World Struggle I. One could be the sinking of the Lusitania. The Lusitania was a cruise ship headed from the U.S. to Nice Britain. It was goal by German submarines and the Germans, considering the cruise ship was carrying weapons, sank it, killing many People. This and different sinkings precipitated rigidity between the U.S. and Germany. Almost 1,200 individuals died together with 128 People. The sinking was worst for the reason that Titanic went down. Theodore Roosevelt known as it “an act of piracy” and demanded struggle (Divine, 775)

The US entered the struggle due to the Germans’ choice to renew the coverage of unrestricted submarine warfare, and the so-called “Zimmerman telegram,” intercepted by the British, during which Germany floated the concept of an alliance with Mexico. It acknowledged that if Mexico joined Germany within the Struggle, they might give the united statesto them. Mexico refused, not eager to damage relationships between them, however this made the tensions rise even larger. Unrestricted submarine warfare, a determined effort to counter the British blockade of Germany, would result in the sinking of American service provider ships heading for England, and had been employed by the Germans earlier than. They deserted it within the face of US stress earlier within the struggle. Its resumption was sufficient to trigger Woodrow Wilson to resign his acknowledged place of neutrality, as his struggle speech to Congress demonstrates:

The brand new coverage has swept each restriction apart. Vessels of each type, no matter their flag, their character, their cargo, their vacation spot, their errand, have been ruthlessly despatched to the underside with out warning and with out considered Help or mercy for these on board, the vessels of pleasant neutrals together with these of belligerents.

Whereas there was important opposition to the struggle in the US, the official place was that the nation couldn’t tolerate such an imposition on its rights as a sovereign nation, to say nothing of the impact of the Zimmerman telegram. American entry into the struggle broke what had been a bloody stalemate. US troops had been instrumental in repulsing a German offensive, and led the way in which in an Allied offensive, the mixed impact of which fatally weakened the German military. Politically, many Europeans hoped that US entry within the struggle would lead to a treaty based mostly on Wilson’s Fourteen Factors, however the Treaty of Versailles that formally ended the battle contained few of its provisions.

Divine, R.A., Breen, T.H., Williams, R.H., Gross, A.J., & Manufacturers, H.W. (2013). The American Story (fifth ed.) Higher Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Schooling.

5) What had been the significances of promoting and of fashionable tradition to the last decade?

Within the 1920s there was an financial growth because of a growth in new improvements and expertise. The invention of electrical energy led to elevated effectivity in factories—by 1929, 70% of all industrial energy got here from electrical energy (Divine, 812). Along with using electrical energy, the introduction of the meeting line by Ford led to a quicker and extra environment friendly churning out of merchandise and was adopted by most factories (Divine, 812). The power to mass produce objects led to a surplus of merchandise and the merchandise that had been being created led to effectivity within the dwelling which led to extra leisure time for People. The excess of merchandise, in addition to the prolonged shelf lifetime of merchandise like automobiles and home equipment, led to the conclusion that if a product had an extended shelf life, it could be awhile earlier than the buyer wanted to buy a brand new one (Divine, 812). This realization led to the concept one may create newer variations of one thing that will enchantment to the buyer, thus inflicting them the necessity to purchase it. Nevertheless, with a purpose to specific to the buyer that they wanted a brand new and improved model of the identical product, one wanted a option to attain the buyer, thus modern-day promoting was born. New merchandise like fridges and vacuums and washing machines made the lifetime of the American simpler. Family duties had been considered as a lady’s accountability and so advertisers focused ladies (Divine, 818). Advertisers labored to affiliate their merchandise with an straightforward, leisurely, pleasing life—they did this with vacuums, fridges, automobiles, and even cigarettes (Divine, 814)! These merchandise had been additionally extra available with the introduction of shops like Woolworths. These shops may produce commercials to enchantment to People and draw them in to their shops. One attention-grabbing reality from the studying was that, with the introduction of mass manufacturing and standardization, People throughout the nation all bought the identical merchandise: an particular person within the Midwest may eat the identical meals and put on the identical garments as an particular person in New York Metropolis (Divine, 815) which looks as if it would make it simpler for advertisers to churn out one advert for the complete inhabitants. Ads ran in newspapers and magazines and might be accessed by People throughout the nation. Advertisers used ways, along with associating their product with “the great life”, like intercourse enchantment and a way of deprivation for those who did not personal the product they had been pushing (Weekly readings). Advertisers additionally used the recognition of Hollywood films and spectator sports activities by having film stars and sports activities stars promote their merchandise, making them seem extra fascinating and opulent to the widespread man (Weekly readings).

Divine, R.A., Breen, T.H., Williams, R.H., Gross, A.J., & Manufacturers, H.W. (2013). The American Story (fifth ed.) Higher Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Schooling.

1) How did the 1920s result in the troubles of the 1930s?

The 1920s had been known as “The New Period” by companies (Divine, 815). This New Period gave the impression to be a time of prosperity however it was a little bit of an phantasm. Individuals had been distracted and blinded by the introduction of the brand new merchandise that had been making their lives simpler. Whereas individuals had been busy shopping for new automobiles and home equipment and had been going to jazz golf equipment and to the theater, as soon as affluent industries had been falling in to dysfunction. Railroads had been being outpaced and changed by the trucking business and the non-public automobile (Divine, 815). Coal was not in demand, petroleum and pure fuel had been the brand new go-to for gasoline (Divine, 815). Artificial fibers had been changing the necessity for pure crops like cotton (Divine, 815). New England Mills had been closing and the roles had been being outsourced down south the place labor was cheaper, thus placing 1000’s of staff out of labor (Divine, 815). Along with these as soon as affluent industries now floundering, there was an oversaturation of products in the marketplace. Extra merchandise had been being produced than they had been being offered (Divine, 815). There was additionally an unequal distribution of wealth amongst companies, enterprise males, administration, and staff (Divine, 816).

Now, I battle a bit with understanding the total idea of shares, however I’ve a normal thought, so I’m going to attempt to sort out this. There was loads of hypothesis surrounding shares. Individuals believed shares had been affluent and would proceed to rise, so many individuals positioned some huge cash in to shares based mostly on religion, slightly than on a concrete actuality (Readings and Divine). So, plenty of individuals purchased shares within the 1920s and the shares continued to rise, however the buying and rise was not based mostly on precise numbers, however extra within the perception that issues had been going nicely. The individuals who had been placing cash in to shares usually put their whole life financial savings in to them (Divine, 843). Individuals had been busy placing all of their cash in to shares, so that they had been concurrently not placing their cash in to shopper items BUT NO ONE SEEMED TO BE PAYING ATTENTION. From 1924 onward, the rise within the buy of huge shopper items steadily declined and by 1927, the nation was in a little bit of a recession, buying far lower than that they had in earlier years (Divine, 842). In 1929, because of a decline within the buy of shopper items, the inventory market crashed, and since so many individuals had invested all of their cash in to shares based mostly on pure hypothesis, lots of people misplaced cash. Banks suffered nice losses within the crash and had been unable to supply loans to shoppers (Divine, 844). Customers, with out loans, had been unable to make purchases. With out consumers, factories started to gradual manufacturing and needed to layoff staff. The lack of employment led to fewer purchases of shopper items which led to extra layoffs and the closure of some factories (Divine, 844). By 1932, unemployment was at 25% (Divine, 844). With out jobs, individuals turned unable to pay their mortgage and, in the event that they hadn’t already achieved so within the buying of shares, drained their life financial savings to pay their mortgages (Readings). Banks needed to shut (Readings). When banks closed, individuals who had not gone and retrieved all of their financial savings, misplaced their cash. A mistrust for the banks arose and folks rushed to withdraw all of their cash. In our textbook, on web page 845, they state, “If the billions that had gone in to inventory market hypothesis had been used as an alternative to extend wages—which might then have elevated shopper buying energy—manufacturing and consumption would have been introduced in to steadiness”. In fact, hindsight is at all times 20/20. It’s straightforward to look again and say, “You must have achieved this to forestall this” however we will solely be taught from historical past’s errors.

Divine, R.A., Breen, T.H., Williams, R.H., Gross, A.J., & Manufacturers, H.W. (2013). The American Story (fifth ed.) Higher Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Schooling.

What did America’s involvement in World Struggle II imply to the struggle effort? What did it imply after the struggle?

People appeared to completely help their entrance in to the struggle following the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, and this help led to a patriotism and willingness to make sacrifices within the identify of a future victory (Weekly readings). People who remained at hand-crafted nice sacrifices within the identify of the struggle effort. Many items had been wanted to help troopers and, as such, People started to ration seemingly all the pieces: meals, clothes, automobiles, paper, something that might be used to help the American navy. In actual fact, People had been required to make use of ration coupons with a purpose to buy meals. Some People supplemented these coupons with Victory Gardens (the place they grew their very own meals). Many People traded coupons with a purpose to buy the meals they wanted. People even had Meatless days with a purpose to ration their meat for troopers. People additionally rationed their clothes, with larger hemlines, much less materials, no zippers, just one pair of sneakers per 12 months—all supplies saved from this extra went to the manufacturing of uniforms and parachutes. Additionally they ceased shopping for automobiles as a result of the rubber and metal had been wanted for struggle supplies, together with bombs. People erected watch towers and civil protection methods in each city. Males, ladies, and youngsters volunteered to maintain an eye out for German or Japanese threats. People additionally participated in nightly blackouts, during which all lights needed to be out after darkish. Even kids participated by saving their gun wrappers and turning them in for using the aluminum foil. Concurrently, the economic system was booming. Girls and black males had been in a position to enter the workforce by the use of the struggle business, the place they obtained the chance to take part within the jobs that had been as soon as held for center class, white males. FDR enforced an anti-discrimination regulation for struggle industries, so ladies had been in a position to make the identical wage as males for any job associated to the struggle effort. Industries that boomed had been those who had been making items for the struggle effort: Ford and GM started producing planes and tanks, slightly than automobiles; textile mills started working once more and producing uniforms and parachutes. Following the struggle, most ladies returned to their function as homemaker. (All of this data gathered from weekly readings).

In the course of the struggle, FDR signed an govt order that was meant to ban racial discrimination in struggle associated industries, known as the Honest Employment Practices Committee (Divine, 897). This led to an increase in employment for African People, in addition to a migration from South to North, as African People sought employment in automobile, airplane, and shipbuilding industries. This migration led to a nationwide realization of the issue of segregation and racism in America (Divine, 897). Tensions over housing and sources led to violence and riots. There could have been some financial acquire for African People in the course of the struggle, however the actuality with which they skilled discrimination and inequality turned blaringly apparent (Divine, 897). As one black soldier described it, within the struggle he was only a “black man…combating a yellow man for the safety of a white man” (Divine, 897).

Along with racism, at dwelling, FDR signed for the interment of the Japanese in America in 1942 (Divine, 898). A few of these Japanese had been born in Japan, however many had additionally been born on American soil and had solely ever lived in America. The Japanese misplaced their land and their possesions and had been saved in camps from 1942 till 1946, at which level they weren’t given their land again (and wouldn’t obtain any reparations for this till the 1980s (Divine, 898 and Weekly readings). Not too surprisingly, 5000 Nisei (Japanese People, born on American soil) selected to maneuver to Japan, following the top of the struggle.

Divine, Robert A., Breen, T.H., Williams, R. Hal, Gross, Ariela J., Manufacturers, H.W. (2013). The American Story (fifth Version). Higher Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Schooling Inc.

Why did the Second Purple Scare occur? What had been its repercussions?

The second Purple Scare is usually referred to McCarthyism. I’m selecting to handle this Question Assignment as a result of, sadly, my nice grandfather was one of many “dangerous guys” throughout McCarthyism (and by one of many dangerous guys, I imply he was a md of the Home of UnAmerican Actions—and it’s all unusual to me as a result of the remainder of our household falls in a really completely different place, politically talking, so please nobody suppose we’re dangerous individuals!). Anyway, the Home of UnAmerican Actions Committee was created in the course of the struggle to weed out undesirable residents. Nevertheless, it was following the struggle, the HUAC turned extra lively and started to give attention to authorities staff by issuing loyalty checks which had been presupposed to weed out any attainable Communists (Divine, 929 and Readings). The worry of communism adopted the second world struggle in to the race for energy that continued between the US and the Soviet Union in the course of the chilly struggle. A giant worry of People was that the Soviets would use nuclear energy and would bomb us at any second. This was why we feared the Soviets and why People fleed away from excessive inhabitants cities to the suburbs, constructing bomb shelters and inventory piling meals (which my husband’s grandmother nonetheless does, may I add) (Readings). The worry of nuclear menace had People on edge and afraid of Soviets and anybody who suspicious of leaning towards communism. In 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed to have an inventory of 205 names of identified communists (however he by no means confirmed this listing) (Divine, 931 and Readings). People, already afraid of nuclear menace and communists, jumped on this and their fears peaked. McCarthy saved capturing off new accusations, so his detractors had been by no means in a position to sustain with refuting his false claims (Divine, 931). McCarthy made many accusations in opposition to large names in politics and in Hollywood and these accusations value individuals their careers (Divine, 932 and Readings). McCarthy’s accusations went in opposition to individuals who confirmed any signal of previous or current pacifism or liberal leanings. Individuals feared McCarthy as a result of they knew that even when they had been merely accused, they may lose all the pieces and talking out in opposition to his wrongdoing may have them find yourself as one of many accused (Readings). McCarthy was ultimately outed for his wrongdoing, on tv, and he was censured by the senate. McCarthy left an enduring affect, nonetheless. His marketing campaign in opposition to supposed communists led to a worry in folks that they might be accused on little to no foundation and will lose all the pieces. This led to conformity amongst People, based mostly out of worry (Divine, 934 and Readings). Conformity led to People becoming a really particular normal: white males wore the identical fundamental clothes, they saved their hair brief, they did not have facial hair, they labored and had been the only suppliers for his or her household—all of these items, they feared, would have them labeled as a communist sympathizer (Readings). Households moved to the suburbs, center class ladies stayed in as homemakers and lived a really particular function of homemaker and PTA mother who cooked and cleaned and did it all (Readings).

As for my Nice Grandfather, he participated within the accusations in opposition to the Hollywood Ten. The Hollywood Ten was a bunch of ten screenwriters and administrators who refused to provide in to the investigation carried out by the HUAC. Not solely did they refuse to cooperate with the questioning from the HUAC, however in addition they known as it out as violating their rights as residents. These males, together with many different accused writers and different Hollywood figures, had been mainly blacklisted from Hollywood as a result of nobody wished their work to be related to an accused Communist sympathizer. For what it’s price, my nice grandfather went to jail for 9 months for his actions. My mom does have fond reminiscences of him as a grandparent, nonetheless, and my grandfather (his son) might be probably the most exceptional males that I do know. So, I suppose, we both be taught from the errors of our mother and father or, we simply are our personal individuals who can kind our personal values.

https://www.historical past.com/subjects/cold-war/hollywood-ten (Hyperlinks to an exterior website.)

Divine, Robert A., Breen, T.H., Williams, R. Hal, Gross, Ariela J., Manufacturers, H.W. (2013). The American Story (fifth Version). Higher Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Schooling Inc.

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