1) List four principles of the fourteen points. Which of the fourteen points did Wilson think was most important?
The four principles were to eliminate secret treaties (the main causes of war) through open diplomacy, secure freedom of the seas, develop free-trade, and encourage disarmament. Wilson believed that the most important point was the last, which called for a "general association of nations".
2) List three types of anti-German propaganda used by the U.S. during the war.
The "Americanization" of immigrants was spread as an idea that would change public (immigrant) views of the U.S. for the better; they sent out pamphlets in foreign languages that told immigrants why they should support the U.S. The Wilson administration passed the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918 which, combined, took away many rights of the people by outlawing expressions of anti-war and pro-German views. Also, the Committee on Public Information was created by Wilson.
3) What was the purpose of the Committee on Public Information?
The C.P.I. was created to promote the war domestically and shape information of the war into something that would cause as much support as possible for the war.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
America's Neutrality Pg 4-9 Questions
1) What was president Wilson's initial stance towards U.S. involvement in the war?
Wilson believed that America should "act as a model to the rest of the world," and remain out of the conflict. He maintained that the U.S. should remain neutral in this conflict and let the European nations go at it.
2) Why was it difficult to maintain neutrality?
Germany was attacking both British and American vessels as a result of the British flying U.S. flags for stealth. This led to the sinking of the Lusitania, which sent ripples of hatred and anger through the public. This strong push for war made it hard for Wilson to keep the U.S. out of the war.
3) After the Lusitania sank, two groups of people criticized President Wilson's actions. Who were they, and what problems did they see with his actions?
One group was the "Pro War" group which was pushing Wilson to go to war with Germany and criticizing his decision to stay neutral. The other group was the "Anti War" group which wanted Wilson to stay out of European Wars. They criticized his decision to allow Americans to go into war territory, saying that it would inevitably drag America into war.
4) What two actions did Germany take which led Wilson to declare war?
1 - Germany announced that it was resuming unrestricted submarine warfare. This violated the agreement that Germany had with the U.S. and caused Wilson to cease diplomatic relations with Germany and arm merchant ships, in constant threat of German attack.
2 - Germany also promised to return Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas to Mexico if it joined the war on Germany's side.
Wilson believed that America should "act as a model to the rest of the world," and remain out of the conflict. He maintained that the U.S. should remain neutral in this conflict and let the European nations go at it.
2) Why was it difficult to maintain neutrality?
Germany was attacking both British and American vessels as a result of the British flying U.S. flags for stealth. This led to the sinking of the Lusitania, which sent ripples of hatred and anger through the public. This strong push for war made it hard for Wilson to keep the U.S. out of the war.
3) After the Lusitania sank, two groups of people criticized President Wilson's actions. Who were they, and what problems did they see with his actions?
One group was the "Pro War" group which was pushing Wilson to go to war with Germany and criticizing his decision to stay neutral. The other group was the "Anti War" group which wanted Wilson to stay out of European Wars. They criticized his decision to allow Americans to go into war territory, saying that it would inevitably drag America into war.
4) What two actions did Germany take which led Wilson to declare war?
1 - Germany announced that it was resuming unrestricted submarine warfare. This violated the agreement that Germany had with the U.S. and caused Wilson to cease diplomatic relations with Germany and arm merchant ships, in constant threat of German attack.
2 - Germany also promised to return Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas to Mexico if it joined the war on Germany's side.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Progressive Era Packet Questions (continued)
4) Was Taft a true "Progressive"? Make a list of points for and against...
>FOR: Taft made, and followed through with, a pledge to cut rates on the tariff. He supported insurgents who were trying to, and succeeded in, liberalizing procedures in the House. Prosecuted more trusts than Roosevelt. Signed off on the Mann-Elkins Act which improved the regulatory powers of the ICC and supported labor reforms. 17th Amendment (direct election of US senators) passed during his presidency.
>AGAINST: Taft's bill which cut rates failed, and he signed off on a bill that restored many of the cuts. He abandoned the insurgents whom he had earlier supported. Fired Gifford Pinchot who protested Richard A. Ballinger's plan to lessen federal supervision of western waterpower sites. 16th Amendment (allowing income tax) passed during his presidency.
5) Who were the main contenders in the 1912 election? What were the election returns?
The three main contenders in the election were Wilson (democrat), Roosevelt (progressive), and Taft (republican). Taft got 1.5% of the electoral votes and 23% of the popular votes. Roosevelt got 16.5% of the electoral votes and 27% of the popular votes. Wilson, the winner, got 82% of the electoral votes and 42% of the popular votes.
6) Define Wilson's "New Freedom" platform.
Concentrated economic power threatened individual liberty and monopolies had to be broken up so the marketplace would be generally open. He did not believe in cooperation between business and government.
7) What reforms were passed during Wilson's presidency?
His administration passed the Clayton Antitrust Act which helped to prevent corporate abuses and corrected problems that the Sherman Antitrust Act had. He also passed a bill which created the FTC which investigated companies and gave orders against unfair trade practices. Also, the Federal Reserve Act established the first national bank since the expiration of the second national bank in 1836. He set the Underwood Tariff to restore competition by encouraging imports. Finally, the Adamson Act, which mandated an 8 hour work day and set overtime pay for railroad workers, was passed.
>FOR: Taft made, and followed through with, a pledge to cut rates on the tariff. He supported insurgents who were trying to, and succeeded in, liberalizing procedures in the House. Prosecuted more trusts than Roosevelt. Signed off on the Mann-Elkins Act which improved the regulatory powers of the ICC and supported labor reforms. 17th Amendment (direct election of US senators) passed during his presidency.
>AGAINST: Taft's bill which cut rates failed, and he signed off on a bill that restored many of the cuts. He abandoned the insurgents whom he had earlier supported. Fired Gifford Pinchot who protested Richard A. Ballinger's plan to lessen federal supervision of western waterpower sites. 16th Amendment (allowing income tax) passed during his presidency.
5) Who were the main contenders in the 1912 election? What were the election returns?
The three main contenders in the election were Wilson (democrat), Roosevelt (progressive), and Taft (republican). Taft got 1.5% of the electoral votes and 23% of the popular votes. Roosevelt got 16.5% of the electoral votes and 27% of the popular votes. Wilson, the winner, got 82% of the electoral votes and 42% of the popular votes.
6) Define Wilson's "New Freedom" platform.
Concentrated economic power threatened individual liberty and monopolies had to be broken up so the marketplace would be generally open. He did not believe in cooperation between business and government.
7) What reforms were passed during Wilson's presidency?
His administration passed the Clayton Antitrust Act which helped to prevent corporate abuses and corrected problems that the Sherman Antitrust Act had. He also passed a bill which created the FTC which investigated companies and gave orders against unfair trade practices. Also, the Federal Reserve Act established the first national bank since the expiration of the second national bank in 1836. He set the Underwood Tariff to restore competition by encouraging imports. Finally, the Adamson Act, which mandated an 8 hour work day and set overtime pay for railroad workers, was passed.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Progressive Era Packet Questions
1) What role did President Roosevelt want the federal government to serve?
President Roosevelt wanted the federal government to involve itself more in business affairs and national concerns such as the progressives and their goal of eliminating harsh working conditions and giving more power to the workers instead of letting the big business owners control society.
2) What reforms were achieved during Roosevelt's presidency?
Roosevelt used antitrust laws to eliminate the abuse of the public through trusts occurring in the railroad, meatpacking, and oil companies. He also helped to get the Hepburn Act passed, which gave the ICC more authority to set railroad freight and storage rates. However, it also gave courts the authority to overrule the set rates. Roosevelt supported the Meat Inspection Act which required that government agents monitor the quality of processed meat. Finally, he also supported the Pure Food and Drug Act that prohibited dangerously adulterated foods and addressed abuses in the patent medicine industry.
3) How did Roosevelt handle the 1902 United Mine Workers' Strike? How did this illustrate his stance toward unions?
He forced the mining company to recognize the union and accept arbitration of the dispute by a special commission. This illustrated the side of Roosevelt's belief that there are legitimate labor demands that should be recognized and met by the employer. However, this does not show the other side of his belief which is that there are also illegitimate/inappropriate labor demands that the President and/or federal government should put down.
President Roosevelt wanted the federal government to involve itself more in business affairs and national concerns such as the progressives and their goal of eliminating harsh working conditions and giving more power to the workers instead of letting the big business owners control society.
2) What reforms were achieved during Roosevelt's presidency?
Roosevelt used antitrust laws to eliminate the abuse of the public through trusts occurring in the railroad, meatpacking, and oil companies. He also helped to get the Hepburn Act passed, which gave the ICC more authority to set railroad freight and storage rates. However, it also gave courts the authority to overrule the set rates. Roosevelt supported the Meat Inspection Act which required that government agents monitor the quality of processed meat. Finally, he also supported the Pure Food and Drug Act that prohibited dangerously adulterated foods and addressed abuses in the patent medicine industry.
3) How did Roosevelt handle the 1902 United Mine Workers' Strike? How did this illustrate his stance toward unions?
He forced the mining company to recognize the union and accept arbitration of the dispute by a special commission. This illustrated the side of Roosevelt's belief that there are legitimate labor demands that should be recognized and met by the employer. However, this does not show the other side of his belief which is that there are also illegitimate/inappropriate labor demands that the President and/or federal government should put down.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Triangle Factory Fire Response
My reaction to these events would be frustration, outrage, and sadness. Sadness/mourning obviously because of the workers who died due to shortcuts taken by the owners to save themselves a few bucks. Frustration because this isn't the first time that workers have been injured and/or killed in their workplace. Finally, outraged because there isn't one big-business owner out there who is actually putting worker safety where it should be, ahead of money. I think that these business owners should be put in prison for indirect murder of their employees by purposefully ignoring any sort of common-sense safety measures.
The events during and after the Triangle Factory Fire tie into the Progressive Era because people after the fire began pushing for changes in workplace safety measures. They began saying that it's not right to let your workers die for the sole purpose of saving some money. This push for progression in workplace safety measures is very similar to the other pushes for workplace progression during the Progressive Era.
The events during and after the Triangle Factory Fire tie into the Progressive Era because people after the fire began pushing for changes in workplace safety measures. They began saying that it's not right to let your workers die for the sole purpose of saving some money. This push for progression in workplace safety measures is very similar to the other pushes for workplace progression during the Progressive Era.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Response to Prompt
Respond to the prompt:
"Explain why unions had little success during the period 1871-1900 in improving the economic and social position of U.S. workers."
Unions had little success in improving the positions of U.S. workers because the Big Businesses were becoming too big and too powerful for the unions to take on. Strikes were the only true way to make a change to the treatment of workers; and therefore, going on strike was the most effective tactic of the Union Workers. However, this soon became one of the worst things to do because there were so many immigrants and cheap-laborers that once the normal workers had gone on strike, they were fired completely and the business gave their position to one of the immigrants. With their main tactic useless, the unions had little other choice but to go at the businesses politically. This was even more pointless than going on strike because many if not all of the most powerful people that the unions could turn to were being bribed by the businesses to give nothing to the unions. With political corruption and immigrants waiting to take the jobs of strikers, there was nothing that the unions could do for their members, making them ineffective during this time period.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
OPVL 1
9-12-10
C-Block
Document #2
ORIGIN:
This document is a secondary document because it is a translation of a translation of a "speech" made by a Native American Wovoka (Jack Willson).
PURPOSE:
The document's purpose was to allow the Americans to read what was said. The purpose of the oral message was to inform the other Native Americans that they must dance for 5 days and obey the Americans and not cause them trouble or harm, and at the end of the dancing, when they returned, the messiah would come down and return the Native Americans and their land back to its roots. He would also make the Americans leave their land.
VALUE:
For one thing, this document, which the Americans used as an excuse to attack the Native Americans, shows not only that the Native Americans were going to act peacefully, but also that the would obey the Americans. This means that the Americans attacked the Native Americans out of either fear or desire, but not self-defense.
LIMITATION:
Though this document tells us that the Native Americans were going to obey the Americans peacefully, it does not tell the Americans' side of the story, so the cause of the attack cannot truly be determined from this document alone.
C-Block
Document #2
ORIGIN:
This document is a secondary document because it is a translation of a translation of a "speech" made by a Native American Wovoka (Jack Willson).
PURPOSE:
The document's purpose was to allow the Americans to read what was said. The purpose of the oral message was to inform the other Native Americans that they must dance for 5 days and obey the Americans and not cause them trouble or harm, and at the end of the dancing, when they returned, the messiah would come down and return the Native Americans and their land back to its roots. He would also make the Americans leave their land.
VALUE:
For one thing, this document, which the Americans used as an excuse to attack the Native Americans, shows not only that the Native Americans were going to act peacefully, but also that the would obey the Americans. This means that the Americans attacked the Native Americans out of either fear or desire, but not self-defense.
LIMITATION:
Though this document tells us that the Native Americans were going to obey the Americans peacefully, it does not tell the Americans' side of the story, so the cause of the attack cannot truly be determined from this document alone.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)