History 110 / Midterm Study Guide

During this part of the course we address several different themes that shaped modern America. The first is the importance of the Civil War and Reconstruction in setting the stage for the great industrial growth and development in the late 19th century. The second theme is the impact of industrialization in late 19th century America--economically, politically, socially, and culturally. A third theme centered on the emergence of an aggressive America foreign policy that in general sought to export American values and ideas so as to bring order to the international scene. The fourth major theme is the rise of progressivism in the first two decades of this century. Like the unions and Populists before them, the Progressives responded to the tremendous impact of industrialization and corporate capitalism on American society, however with much more success. A fifth theme centers on the American entrance into World War I and the war's impact on American society and politics. A sixth theme is the conflict over values and power in American society. Different groups (African-Americans, KKK, nativist/anti-immigrant, socialists, women, etc) with their own unique visions of what American society should be came into conflict over whose vision should predominate. A final theme is emergence of a powerful, welfare state in the form of the New Deal which finally addressed in a large-scale and systematic effort the negative consequences inherent in capitalism and industrialization.

Below are some questions that should help you prepare for the first midterm. These are not the actual questions that will appear on the exam, but are short, focused questions which if you can answer will prepare you for a the more broad questions that will be on the exam. Please be aware that not every issue, idea, or event that might show up on the midterm is covered in these questions.

1) Examine the changing nature of Reconstruction from 1865 to 1877. What were the key issues that northerners had to address in order to reconstruct the South? How did President Johnson's plan differ from that of congressional Republicans? How did African Americans view Reconstruction and how did they shape its development? Why did Reconstruction seem to fail to achieve its goals? Consider southern resistance, conflict within the Republican Party, the depression of 1870s, and labor unrest in the industrial north.

2) How did the South's secession from the union provide the Republican Party the chance to prepare accelerate the industrialization and expansion of the market economy in the years following the war? Be sure to indicate the specific acts or legislation the Republican Party passed during the war and explain how these helped bring about the industrial revolution in late 19th century. Also think about the American West and Native Americans in the process of industrial capitalist development.

3) How did industrialists like Carnegie and Rockefeller change the nature of business in the late nineteenth century? How did they defend or justify the new social order that resulted from the industrial revolution? In other words what arguments did they use to explain their wealth and power?

4) Describe how industrialization changed the nature of work in the late 19th century? How did workers respond to these changes? Why were unions able to organize only a small portion of workers during the late 19th century? Be sure to know the key differences between the Knights of Labor and the AFL.

5) How did industrialization and the expansion of the market economy affect the world of the farmer? Why were the Farmers' Alliance and later the Populist party attractive to many farmers? How successful was the Populist party at improving the life of the farmer?

6) How did reformers like Edward Bellamy feel about the dark side of industrialization, especially class conflict and political corruption? What solutions did they offer? Why were the 1890s so important?

7) What were the some of the reasons and justifications for American imperialism in the 1890s? What were the counterarguments of the Anti-imperialists? How was the Spanish-American War an expression of American imperialism?

8) What were the events and conditions of the late nineteenth-century that produced what we call progressivism? Who were they and what were their ideas and beliefs? What are some examples of their activity at the local (city) level and at the national (federal government) level? Compare and contrast Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson in terms of their style, policies and action regarding corporations and monopolies.

9) How did women justify their increasing expansion and entrance into the traditional male public sphere? What arguments do they provide for the granting of suffrage to women? How liberating were the 1920s and the New Deal for women?

10) During WWI and in the 1920s, the social concern and sympathy towards the less fortunate, the working class, and immigrants that in some ways marked the progressive period gave way to growing hostility and intolerance. Why did the US enter World War I? What principles and ideas did the nation emphasize in it participation in the war? Be able to discuss the nature of the debate on the League of Nations. Why did Wilson fail to achieve his goals in the Treaty of Versailles? How did the war and the Russian Revolution influence the growth of this hostility and intolerance towards immigrants, radicals, and other such groups? In what ways were the emergence of the KKK and immigration restriction (National Origin Acts) an expression of this climate?

11) What were the push and pull factors that led to the Great Migration? What was Marcus Garvey's message and why did he attract such support? What were causes of the Harlem Renaissance? How did African-Americans fare in the New Deal and World War II?

12) Be able to explain the causes of the prosperous economy in the 1920s and its collapse with the Crash of ‘29. Compare and contrast the response of Hoover and FDR to the depression. What were the problems or weaknesses of FDR's first New Deal? What were the complaints of his critics like Long and Townsend? How did FDR's second New Deal undermine and address these criticisms? What are the links between the Progressive Period and the New Deal?