American Imperialism and Expansion

• The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw a rise in American imperialism, stemming from economic interests, new market desires, and a belief in American cultural superiority.
• In 1867, the U.S. bought Alaska from Russia, eliminating Russian imperialism in North America.
• Expansion continued in the Pacific with naval bases in Samoa and the annexation of Hawaii in 1898, despite Hawaiian protests.
• The Spanish-American War in 1898 led to the U.S. acquiring Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.
• Sparked by the USS Maine explosion and fueled by yellow journalism, the war emphasized the need for a strong navy.
• The Panama Canal, opening in 1914, was constructed due to advocacy from Admiral Alfred T. Mahan.
• "Dollar diplomacy" was employed in Latin America and East Asia to foster economic and political stability.
• The U.S. transitioned into a global empire, impacting both the nation and its acquired territories.

The Progressive Era

• The Progressive Era (1900–1920) addressed issues like industrialization, urbanization, and corruption through social and political reform.
• Progressives aimed to improve working conditions, regulate big business, and broaden democracy.
• Jane Addams, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Theodore Roosevelt were key figures in the movement.
• Muckraking journalists, such as Upton Sinclair, exposed corruption and social ills.
• Religious groups pushed for the social gospel, advocating for minimum wage laws and shorter workdays.
• The 19th Amendment in 1920 granted women the right to vote, marking a milestone for the women's suffrage movement.
• Direct primaries, initiatives, referendums, and the 17th Amendment (direct election of senators) were introduced.
• Theodore Roosevelt's "Square Deal" focused on controlling corporations, conserving resources, and protecting consumers, initiating nearly 25 anti-trust suits.
• The Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act were significant legislation passed during his administration.
• Woodrow Wilson's "New Freedom" platform included the Federal Reserve Act and the Clayton Anti-Trust Act, continuing progressive reforms.
• Progressivism often excluded the poor and failed to address racial inequality.

America and the Great War

• The U.S. remained neutral in World War I until 1917, which began in 1914.
• The sinking of the Lusitania and the Zimmermann Telegram prompted the U.S. to join the war.
• The Wilson administration mobilized the nation with propaganda, the Selective Service Act, and war bonds.
• The Great Migration saw African Americans moving north for industrial jobs, resulting in significant social changes.
• The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote.
• Wilson's Fourteen Points aimed to establish a peaceful post-war world, but the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations faced U.S. opposition.
• The war ended in 1918, but the U.S. faced post-war issues: the Red Scare and the Spanish Flu pandemic.
• The U.S. became a global creditor, but post-war isolationism grew, rejecting Wilson's internationalist vision.

A Clash of Cultures

• The 1920s brought cultural and social changes, including consumer culture, mass media, and modernism.
• Radios and automobiles transformed daily life amid an economic boom.
• The flapper challenged traditional gender roles.
• The Harlem Renaissance celebrated African American culture and art.
• The Scopes Trial highlighted the science vs. religion tension.
• Modernism in art and literature rejected traditional norms, with figures like T.S. Eliot and Gertrude Stein.
• The Lost Generation conveyed disillusionment with post-war society.
• Consumer culture and mass advertising promoted a more homogeneous American society.
• The Ku Klux Klan and restrictive immigration laws, like the Immigration Act of 1924, arose as a backlash.
• The 1920s saw progress and reaction as American society dealt with modernity's swift changes.

The Reactionary Twenties

• The 1920s involved reactionary conservatism through the Ku Klux Klan, immigration restrictions, and Prohibition.
• The Klan promoted "100 percent Americanism," targeting African Americans, Catholics, Jews, and immigrants.
• The Immigration Act of 1924 restricted immigration from southern and eastern Europe and banned almost all Asian immigration.
• Prohibition, via the 18th Amendment, aimed to reduce social ills but boosted organized crime and lawbreaking.
• The 1925 Scopes Trial pitted modern science against traditional religion.
• The stock market crash of 1929 ended the Roaring Twenties and started the Great Depression amid consumer culture and the stock market boom.
• The Depression caused widespread unemployment, poverty, and social unrest.