...In the period between the 1920s and 1941, there were many occurrences in the world. The 1920s were a time of prosperity and happiness. The Great Depression hit during the late 1920s and lasted until the late 1930s. Also during the late 1930s, which ended the depression, was the start of World War II. This was a time period of the United States being isolationists, declaring neutrality and then, President Roosevelt making the big decision to join the war. The United States has had its times in which it completely isolates itself from the rest of the world. Americans viewed this as a way of preventing any future problems and war, which clearly does not function. In the election of 1920, Republican nominee spoke of his opposal to America joining the League of Nations. He believed that joining the League would interfere with the country’s independence (Doc A). Edwin L. James stated that the government should meet with other countries because America’s position in these conferences is one of the most important (Doc C). All Americans had different opinions on America’s isolationism. Some viewed it as protecting the country, while others viewed it as causing major damage to it....
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...their entrance to World War I in all aspects of society. In the early 20th century, the years prior to World War I, also known as the progressive reform era, significant progressive journalists such as Ida Tarbel and Jacob Riis, believed that the government could be a tool for change and that the promotion of safety and efficiency in the work place and a good education were the key factors to reach economic stability and success. (TRF & VOF). During this time period, American citizens looked to the government to provide solutions and plans to fix...
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...and the British Empire were in a period of conflict known as the Napoleanic Wars. After a short truce in 1802 – 1803 the wars continued causing U.S. Relations with both nations to become unstable. Commerce for America was strong between both other nations and a strict stance of neutrality was made by Congress and the president. Despite the strict stance of neutrality U.S. sailors found themselves constantly forced into the direct affairs of the wars. (DeToy, 1988) The Embargo Act of 1807 was an embargo enacted by the United States Congress during the Napoleanic Wars, prohibiting trade with both the British Empire and France. The Embargo Act was a response to violations of U.S. neutrality, when American merchantmen and their cargo were being seized by European navies as war contraband. The British Navy was resorting to impressments, by forcing American Seaman into service on British warships. The embargo was part of President Thomas Jefferson’s insistence that commercial retaliation was preferable to military mobilization. The Embargo Act was enacted on December 22, 1807 and was anticipated to produce economic hardship for the belligerent nations, and to coerce them to respect U.S. trade and neutrality. It inflicted, however, devastating hardship on U.S. economy. (Gilje, 2010) As a cumulative addition to the Non Importation Act of 1806, trade of valuable resources to the states was hindered. Such resources included leather, silk, hemp or...
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...country, where the American government avoided all treaties and alliances with foreign nations in order to evade being drawn into wars. From the end of the American Revolution to the early 20th century, the United States did not take part in any conflicts outside of itself and only fought in wars that were related to direct territorial self-defense. This 136 year-long era of isolation was broken when the First World War began. Initially, the United States was able to stay neutral from the conflict for two and a half years due to strong neutrality support among the people and government. But because of numerous attacks on American lives by...
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...to power in many countries during the 1920’s and 1930’s including Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, and Russia 2. The goal of the militarists who took control in Japan was to maintain a strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests. 3. The Treaty of Versailles ending WWI did not did not ensure peace for Europe and make the world safe for democracy but instead caused danger and did little to halt the rise totalitarian government. 4. The league of Nations responded to totalitarian aggression by France and Great Britain finally abandoned appeasement in September 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland and 5. U.S foreign policy after WWI many think of America as the country that is the resolver, the country that intervenes, and the country that steps in, in order to promote the idea of not having world conflict. 6. Example of U.S internationalism in the 1920’s and 1930’s included the United States attempted to stay out of world affairs. It was only after WWII that the U.S. took a conservative internationalist approach, first under Truman, then later under Reagan, both of whom made great strides to eliminate the threat of Communism. 7. U.S isolationism in the 1930’s was largely the result of reflected by Neutrality Act. 8. Many Americans had difficulty with the policy of neutrality because they were seeing the Atlantic...
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...$300 billion from both fighting the Axis Powers and supporting their Allies. To assist in funding these actions, the United States Treasury proposed to the Americans a series of War Bonds they could purchase during World War II. Also known as the Neutrality Act of 1939, it is a policy proposed by the United States (under Roosevelt’s presidency) to maintain neutrality while assisting the Allies. The importance of the Neutrality Acts was that it presented a isolationist facade in front of the other countries in response to Germany, but still maintained an ability to interact with...
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...Return to Normalcy In the presidential election of 1920 a candidate by the name of Warren G. Harding made a campaign promise to the people of the United States for a “return to normalcy”. By this he meant to restore American society back to it’s pre- world war mentality. Harding stated that “ America’s present need is not heroics, healing; not nostrums, but normalcy; not revolution, but restoration; not agitation, but adjustment; not surgery, but serenity; not the dramatic, but the dispassionate; not experiment, but equipoise; not submergence in internationality, but sustainment in triumphant nationality” During World War I the government assembled a committee in which the purpose of was to basically regulate the country’s wartime economy. They took over control of entire industries such as the national railroad systems and the telegraph and telephone networks. Under the government’s control these industries achieved maximum efficiency, which was the goal, but government controlling industry wasn’t the way the American societal ideals claimed it was supposed to be handled. After the war the private sector took back control and attempted to carry on business as usual. Under Harding’s term as president there many pro – business policies being passed. The Supreme Court overturned a number of measures designed to regulate the activities of big business. The Court declared boycotts by labor unions unconstitutional and authorized the use of antitrust laws against unions. These...
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...From the birth of the American Republic, there has been a debate over whether the American government acts in an isolationist or interventionist manner. Throughout its history, from the Mexican-American War and Mexican Revolution, the U.S. in Nicaragua, and World War I, that the United States has undeniably and continuously acted as an interventionist in world affairs. The United State’s economic interests, as well as its mission to spread democracy, were leading causes for intervention. There is a fine line between encouraging change in countries and interfering in their international affairs; however, the U.S. has repeatedly crossed it. The Mexican-American War was a major military intervention for the US. The United States began to infringe upon Mexico’s sovereignty in the 1840s when the American mission of manifest destiny advances the United States’ economic interests of Westward expansion throughout Mexican territory (Lecture Sept. 24). In this case, the American public, which was influenced by the Polk administration, justified and disguised means for war and territorial and economic expansion as being “pioneers of civilization,” (Herring 201) and spreading the blessing of democracy; American public support for the war was strong. Moreover, Mexican land was the driving factor of the war because Polk considered Western territory to the Pacific Coast to be valuable as it would be pivotal to increase American power, as well as important to conquer before European powers...
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...United States History 2 Final Review Guide Part I: Multiple Choice Chapter 20 ● Results of the Treaty of Versailles: - The Treaty of Versailles was signed after WWI in the palace of Versailles on June 28, 1919. Its goals were to "clean up the mess" after the war. The Treaty reestablished many boundaries and borders. Colonies, namely Germany's, were split among the Allied nations. Germany was disarmed since they were considered to be a threat by the rest of the world. Germany was also forced to take full responsibility for WWI, and were charged billions of dollars, which destroyed their economy. In the long run, the Treaty did more harm than good. Due to all the problems the Treaty caused for Germany, the country was left in a bad mood and was definitely looking at the rest of the world with a vengeful eye. In a way, it could be said that the Treaty of Versailles indirectly led to WWII. ● Explain the policy of Imperialism: - Simply put, imperialism is the quest for colonial empires. Countries go to other places in the world and claim them as their own. Countries imperialized for many reasons. Some countries wanted to establish military bases. An example of this is Hawaii, which the United States took over and used as a naval base. Other reasons countries imperialized were to gain global prestige, as well as to expand their territory. ● President Wilson's rules for peace after WWI: - After the war, President Woodrow Wilson sought to repair...
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...Describe the response of America to the rise of nationalism in Japan, Italy, and Germany during the 1930s. How did President Franklin D. Roosevelt ready the nation for war? The problems in Germany Japan and Italy during the 1920s led many different groups to try to gain political power. At times there were riots in the streets among the supporters of different political parties.Both Adolf Hitler in Germany and Benito Mussolini in Italy believed in the political system called fascism. In a fascist government system, total power is given to a dictator. Individual rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press are denied. The nation and its power are what counts, not the life of the individual. In Japan, a form of fascism also took hold in the 1920s and 1930s. Japan had an Emperor named Hirohito Tojo who was a Japanese general who became a fascist dictator. He pushed Japan to join the Axis Powers of Germany and Italy. He also helped Japan plan for war with the United States. Most of the real power in Japan, however, was in the hands of a group of military leaders. Japan joined in an alliance with Germany and Italy in 1940 forming the three Axis Powers. Congress passed a series of neutrality acts so that it would prevent the US from being withdrawn into foreign war. the US stuck to these policies for some time even once the countries started to try to take more land for themselves, the US did not really respond nor did they really care...
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...Under the leadership of the American Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes the representatives of the USA, Great Britain, France, Italy, and Japan pledge not to exceed the designated sizes of their respective naval fleets. America First Committee – AFC was established September 4, 1940, by Yale Law School student R. Douglas Stuart, Jr., along with other students, including future President Gerald Ford, future Peace Corps director Sargent Shriver, and future U.S. Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart.[The America First Committee (AFC) was the foremost non-interventionist pressure group against the American entry into World War II. Peaking at 800,000 paid members in 650 chapters, it was one of the largest anti-war organization in American history.[1][2] Started in 1940, it shut down after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Recent organizations with similar names are not in any way connected to this historic group. The “Black Market” – The Nye Committee – officially known as the Special Committee on Investigation of the Munitions Industry, was a committee of the United States Senate which studied the causes of United States' involvement in World War I. It was a significant factor in heightening public and political support for neutrality in the early stages of World War II. Nye created headlines by drawing connections between the wartime profits of the banking and munitions industries to America's involvement in World War I. Many Americans felt betrayed and questioned...
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...Harlem Renaissance: The Harlem Renaissance was a movement that created and redefined a new social and cultural landscape by African Americans that originated in Harlem in New York. It was a period in the 1920s when African American’s accomplishments and endeavors in the arts, literature, and music flourished. It was during this time that for the first time African American writers, artists and musicians were renowned for their contributions to contemporary culture, crossing racial lines and for some, working towards the attainment of equality and civil rights. Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Langston Hughes were some of the leading figures notable during the Harlem Renaissance. Executive Order 8802: The Executive Order 8802 was signed...
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...back in the 1920s. They had made massive income, selling weapons to other countries during World War I. Everybody was profiting, but this nation was undergoing many, many, changes in this era as well. Since the Civil War the southern states had fallen behind to the north in education, but had somewhat recovered in terms of materials. As Americans began to move into larger cities and areas, often to the Northeast, and society became more urbanized, it would seem very reasonable for new ideas to begin emerging; popping up and taking effect. And one of these specific philosophies was the idea of modernism, with things such as changes to education, and making education mandatory. The US was...
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...Scrap metal drives were held, women drew lines down the backs of their legs to stimulate nylon stockings, consumer goods like automobiles and refrigerator were simply not produced, and backyard gardens produced up to 8 million tons of food (The American Homefront). The astonishing extent rationing and preservation that occurred on a nation level quite accurately fueled an entire war. 5. At the start of World War I, the U.S declared itself neutral. This neutrality was questionable. While the U.S may not have been directly fighting for Axis or Allies, weapons and materials were supplied to Allied countries in great numbers. They may not have been in the trenches, they may not have bad to fire a single round, but the U.S was undoubtedly funding the frothing war...
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...America and the Great War Jerry Bryant Devry University United States History Morgan Deane June 23, 2013 The nineteenth and twentieth centuries were a time of colonization of Asia and Africa by European powers. England was in control of most of Africa and India; the Belgians controlled Congo; Germany, France, and Italy also inhabited African lands. These colonies were responsible for the economical statues and even the foreign business of European products, and therefore expansion became necessary. To add to the fire, land available was quickly sought after due to Germany, France, England, Italy, and Belgium occupying most. Border disputes broke out between colonists of different nationalities; the Boer War in South Africa between the Dutch and the English and the Middle East, the crumbling Ottoman Empire was tempt to Austria-Hungary, the Balkans and Russia. Germany set an example in military organization and efficiency; Europe was similar with large reserves and detailed planning of the Prussian system. Technological and organizational developments led to general staffs with accurate plans for mobilization and attacks that could not be reversed. The German von Schlieffen Plan was to attack with Russia which drew more countries into war than France before Russia. By 1889, the British had a new principle; in order to maintain naval superiority in the event of war, they would have to have a navy two and a half times as large as the second-largest navy; which motivated...
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