Essentials for US History--Semester One
1. Students will understand the impact the Industrial Revolution had on the United States. (Ch. 6)
-more natural resources, availability of oil, steel, coal, and iron
-Govt. supported the businesses with laissez-fairre (the government is going to let the businesses do what they please)
-growing urban population, which supplied cheap labor and markets for new products
-Inventions-internal combustion engine, dynamite, typewriter, electric motor, telephone, phonograph, light bulb, radio, motion pictures, x-ray
-Railroads-made it easier to get to the west, brought available land, adventure, a new start, helped develop the country we have today, trade (products & unfortunately people). Some people didn’t like the railroads because, farmers were upset because of misuse of the land grants, railroad land was supposed to be given to farmers but it was given to other railroad companies, railroad companies would also enter in formal agreements for fixed prices which kept farmers in debt.
-The Grangers & Government Regulation of Railroads- Granger laws were set up in response to the abuses by the railroads, government fought against railroads by making laws, the interstate commerce act fought back against the railroads in order to regulate the railroads
-Andrew Carnegie-made his own steel company named Carnegie Steel in 1899, opened his first steel mill in 1875
-Monopolies- Vertical integration-buying your own products to control transportation and raw materials, Horizontal integration- combining with companies making similar products (Microsoft combining with apple), Trusts-synonym for monopolies. These strategies became key in the success of another business man.
2. Students will understand the impact immigration and urbanization had on the United States. (Ch. 7)
-we felt that the immigrants were taking jobs from the Americans because; the immigrants would take lower wages
-Immigration Stations- Angel Island-wait in filthy buildings and go through harsh questioning, they had to find a place to live, get a job, get along in daily life even though they couldn’t understand the people because they spoke a different language and had a different culture.
-Restrictions on immigration-1882-Chinese Exclusion Act, banned entry to all Chinese except for students, teachers, merchants, tourists, and govt. officials. 1906- The board of education in San Francisco separated Japanese children from American children, and put them in separate schools.
-Cities grew quickly because, people were moving from the country to the cities, farmers moved to the cities from losing their jobs. Problems-housing- in 1879 NYC passed a law, airshafts, garbage pickup, plumbing, they would get diseases from their water so the filtration system was introduced in the 1870’s, sanitation-sewage, manure, smoke, garbage(everyone threw their garbage into the streets) fire-no water, houses made of woods, candles caused fire.
- Help-Jane Adams- joined a settlement house because workers would know how to help the problems in the city, spokesperson for racial justice, and in 1931 she was the co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Social Gospel Movement- an organization that preached salvation to the people, this group tried to reach out to the people that were living in poverty,
3. Students will understand the impact of the Progressive Era on the United States. (Ch. 9)
-a period of time when our country made a lot of progress helping out the common person.
-Goals-protecting social welfare-soften conditions of industrialization, promoting moral improvement, improving the lives of the poor people and immigrants, creating economic reform, socialism which is the economic system the government owns and controls capital and sets prices and production levels, fostering efficiency- made society and workplaces more efficient.
-Prohibition-is the banning of alcohol, 18th amendment(banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol) prohibitionists feared that alcohol was undermining the American morals, Women’s Christian Temperance Union- started the act for prohibition, Carrie Nation’s Hatchitations (they would use a hatchet to go around bars and smash bottles of alcohol.
-Aid Organizations- Young Man’s Christian Association (YMCA) opened libraries sponsored classes and built handball courts, The Salvation Army
-Muckrakers- magazine journalists who exposed the corrupt side of businesses and public life, they changed elections, and reports corrupted city and state levels (ex-Upton Sinclair)
-Local Govt.- reformed itself with natural disaster, hurricanes, city councils were a huge relief, 5 members took charge and rebuilt the town, formed a government.
-Business efficiency- breaking it down into small parts, assembly lines, increased pay, reduced hours, child labor laws, couldn’t operate heavy equipment, set maximum hours, National Child Labor Committee gathered evidence and organized exhibitions with photos and statistics, joined labor unions.
-Progressives- child labor-Illinois Factory Act prohibited child labor and limited women’s working hours, states banned child labor and set maximum hours (child labor laws). Workers hours-Illinois Factory Act prohibited child labor and limited women’s working hours. Better wages-minimum wage laws were passed so wages went up. More democratic country- 17th amendment(provides for election of US senators by the people rather than by state legislatures and gave Americans more of a voice, laws, election legislatures, increased women into the public life), 19th amendment (women’s right to vote), recall- if someone in state is doing a poor job you could get them recalled(take them out) and get a new election and vote for someone else, referendum-, initiative-if the state government is doing bad you can start a bill and people would vote on it and get the bill passed (the people would do this), Direct primary-gave more power to the people, Secret Ballot- have curtain to vote in secret so only you know who you’re voting for
-Women- got the right to vote with the 19th amendment (gave them more power), they started going to school more (high school and college), working more in the workplace, push for suffrage- white women couldn’t understand why black men could vote when white women couldn’t so they really pushed for women’s suffrage, Susan B. Anthony, founded the National Women Suffrage Association, she was a leader and had her mind set that women could vote.
4. Students will understand the impact imperialism had on the United States and world. (Ch. 10)
-means- one strong country taking over other weaker countries around the world. (Colonizing)
-imperialism became very common with the major powers of the world
-Major Powers-Great Britain, France, Italy, Russia, US, Japan, Spain, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire (Turkey)
-Imperialism- brings military power and prestige to your country, brings naval bases and refueling stations, money for natural resources as well as opening new markets to sell your goods (trade), belief in cultural superiority(called the White Man’s Burden, McKinley: “to take them all and to educate the Filipinos and uplift and civilize them.” Taft: “We must help our “little brown brothers” on the Philippines
5. Students will understand the causes for US involvement in World War I and the effects it had on the United States. (Ch. 11)
Focus on these topics for the test:
-Causes of WWI-Assassination of Archduke Frans Ferdinand spark of the war. Mutual defense alliances-countries didn’t like each other so they formed alliances with the countries they did like. Imperialism-taking over other countries, British Empire, expanded over 5 continents, wanted Africa and Asia because of raw materials. Militarism-maintain a large military, France and German armies doubled, competition b/w Britain and Germany for master of the seas. Nationalism, pride in your country, Slavic people in Bosnia wanted to be part of Serbia instead of Austria-Hungary, in other countries, strong nationalism contributed to the beginning and extension of the war,
-Causes for US involvement- US was very upset with both sides in the war(GB and Germany were both stopping and sinking US ships) eventually US drew closer to the war and allies, because Germany was sinking British ships and killing US citizens, Sinking of the Lusitania, Trade with England increased, trade with Germany nearly stopped, The Zimmermann Note- a telegram sent by the secretary of the German empire, sent to the German ambassador in the US, intercepted and decoded by British cryptographers, letter was given to the press, said that Germany tried to get Mexico to declare war on the US, Germany promised Mexico would get the Mexican cession back if they won, Germany wanted to keep the US out of Europe. War hawks (people who thought we should be at war). British and American propaganda. Preparedness program (1915) preparing the military (militarism). American business-munitions business pushed US into war to make money. German declaration of “unlimited submarine warfare” ties into sinking ships and killing Americans
-Trench Warfare and weapons-Trench Warfare-battling b/w two opposing armies that are both in trenches, trench fever happened a lot because there were many men trapped in these small trenches, rats were horrible in the trenches, soldiers would write letters to their loved ones during the day, they would get up for morning and night ‘stand to’ where they would just get up and prepare for possible surprise attacks, sometimes the two armies would agree to a breakfast truce where they wouldn’t shoot at each other during the morning hours. Weapons-bayonet, flamethrower, poison gas, submarines “U-boats”, tanks, machine guns, airplanes
-US Homefront-it was where the people did what they could to help with the war, worked in factories, made victory gardens(planted food to help supply the soldiers with food), supported the war by sending weapons, food, and bullets and a lot of other materials to the French and Russia, women worked in the factories at men’s jobs, African Americans managed the war efforts, worked in factories to make goods for the war, they were nurses to help the sick, supported the war with boycotts and bonds, the women took the place of the men that died in the armed forces, women-stayed home to manage house and families, worked in factories, production from ammunition, worked in factories for very long hours, worked in US, women gained respect from politicians because they were strong and independent, women’s suffrage was granted.
-Wilson's 14 Points
1. Open covenants of peace
2. Absolute freedom of navigation of the seas-3 rules-general peace, no fighting with other nations, League of Nations remains neutral
3. Eliminate high tariffs and trade barriers around the world
4. Adequate guarantees given and taken-you cannot have too many weapons/lessen weapon numbers, domestic safety – protection against invasion
5. A free, open minded, and absolutely impartial adjustment of all colonial claims-can’t pick sides b/w colonies, listening to both sides of the colonial opinions
6. Evacuation of all Russian territories-evacuate German troops out of Russian territory, Russia can decide what form of government they want without any interference (determine their own political set up)
7. Belgium must be evacuated and restored-German troops need to evacuate Belgium, Belgium deserves to be independent like they were before the war
8. All French territory should be freed and the invaded portions restored-France has taken Germany’s control of French territory, France is allowed to recover Alsace Lorraine (region in NE France)
9. All Italians are allowed to live in Italy and gain some land from Austria-Hungary
10. people that live in Austria-Hungary should have self-determination
11. Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro should be evacuated and restored-people of the Balkan states should be independent, must evacuate the central powers of Serbia, Montenegro, and Romania
12. Turkish people should be governed by Turkish government, non-Turkish people should govern themselves
13. Poland should be independent and should have access to the sea
14. League of Nations is created to make independence to all states
-Treaty of Versailles-Points- the treaty forced Germany to give territories to Belgium, Czechoslovakia, and Poland, took away about 13.5% of Germany’s 1914 territory and some 7 million people and possessions, German army reduced to 100,000 men with a ban on heavy artillery, gas, tanks, and aircraft, Germany navy had to ship under 10,000 tons with a ban on submarines, Germany had to take full responsibility for starting the war, they had to pay 33 billion dollars, the League of Nations was set up(a world-wide peace keeping organization). Never passed because, Wilson was a democrat, but the party that was at Congress was republican
6. Students will understand the political, social and economic changes that occurred in the 1920’s in the United States. (Ch. 12/13)
Focus on these topics for the test:
-Roaring 20's and the return to normalcy-Route 66 "the mother road", most people had cars, went from Chicago to los Angeles, a lot of people were taking road trips. No more horses or manure in the streets. Mahjong was made and played in the 1920's. Jazz music. Companies were making money. People were getting hired. Flappers "the new age women" ex-Clara Bo. Flagpole sitting. Fashion: baggy pants "oxford bags", hats, corset is gone, fur coats, suits, short pants, fedora hats, double-breasted suits, short ties, paisley, silk stockings, high heels. Charlie Chaplin. The Marx Brothers. Harry Houdini. The Golden Age of sports-Babe Ruth (baseball), Jack Dempsey(boxer), Bobby Jones, Bill Tilden(tennis), Red Grange(football, basketball, baseball). F. Scott Fitzgerald (wrote the Great Gatsby). Louis Armstrong (trumpet musician). A "return to normalcy"-means-return to normal by staying out of European wars, we went back to the policy of isolationism “stay to ourselves"
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