APUSH: The Progressive Era

• Unit 7 of the AP U.S. History curriculum spans from 1890 to 1945.
• This period was transformative, marked by shifts in American society, politics, and global involvement.

Progressive Movement (1890s-1920)

• Emerged due to social and economic inequalities highlighted in Period 6.
• Sought to address the widening gap between the rich and the poor.
• Aimed to address rampant corporate power and inefficiencies in American democracy.
• Key problems addressed include:
  • Unsafe working conditions, child labor, and exploitative labor practices in industrial sectors.
  • Machine politics and the unregulated influence of big business on government.
  • Issues like racial segregation, women's suffrage, and the plight of the urban poor.
• Government regulations were introduced through legislation:
  • Sherman Antitrust Act (strengthened by later amendments).
  • Pure Food and Drug Act.
  • Various labor laws.
• Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson pushed progressive agendas.
• These agendas focused on antitrust measures, environmental conservation, and economic reform.

American Expansionism

• Driven by the desire for new markets and resources due to industrial growth.
• Aimed at strategic interests, including military and naval bases, to support U.S. global power projection.
• Influenced by Manifest Destiny and cultural superiority, leading to interventions in territories like the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and across the Pacific.
• It was believed that it was the duty of white Americans to civilize and uplift non-white societies, known as "White Man's Burden".
• The Roosevelt Corollary extended the Monroe Doctrine, asserting U.S. intervention in Latin America to prevent European involvement.

Increased Government Influence in Society

• Saw more direct involvement in economic regulation and social welfare, as evidenced by New Deal programs.
• Showed increased executive actions and the growth of the administrative state under presidents like Franklin D. Roosevelt.
• Theodore Roosevelt was known for trust-busting and conservation efforts.
• Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal represented a profound expansion of government influence to combat the Great Depression.

Key Period Events

• World War I (1914-1918, U.S. involvement from 1917):
  • Marked by U.S. entry following German provocations, such as unrestricted submarine warfare.
  • Post-war, the U.S. experienced a brief isolationist period despite President Wilson's advocacy for the League of Nations.
• Modern Era (Roaring Twenties):
  • Characterized by economic boom and cultural shifts, including the Jazz Age.
  • Characterized by significant technological advancements.
• The Great Depression (1929-1941): Began with the stock market crash of 1929.
  • Triggered unprecedented economic hardship and led to the New Deal.
• World War II (1939-1945, U.S. involvement from 1941)
  • Initiated by geopolitical tensions with Axis powers.
  • Resulted in significant domestic mobilization, culminating in the U.S. emerging as a superpower.

Early 1900s Progressivism and Latin American Affairs

• The early 1900s were profoundly influenced by the disparities brought about by the Gilded Age.
• The Gilded age was characterized by rapid industrialization and opulence of the wealthy juxtaposed against the stark conditions of the working class.
• The Progressive Movement mainly consisted of urban middle-class citizens, farmers, and workers.
• These groups were all directly affected by industrialization's negative impacts, such as poor working conditions, low wages, and lack of political influence.
• The Progressive Movement sought to address social injustices, regulate big business, improve living conditions, and expand democratic participation.

Muckrakers' Role:

• Journalists aimed to expose societal ills and corporate malfeasance through investigative journalism.
• They played a crucial role in alerting the public to the need for reform.
• Upton Sinclair exposed health violations and unsanitary conditions in the U.S. meatpacking industry in The Jungle, leading to public outcry and regulatory actions.

Social Reform Movements:

• The Feminist Movement focused on advocating for women's rights, including voting rights and reproductive rights.
• The contraceptive debate, spearheaded by figures like Margaret Sanger, emphasized the need for women's autonomy over their own bodies.
• The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) formed
  • W.E.B. Du Bois was instrumental in its founding
  • The organization emphasized the importance of civil rights and higher education for African Americans.
• The NAACP set the stage for future civil rights advocacy by addressing racial injustice and promoting equality.

Government Reforms and Legislation

• The 17th Amendment (1913) mandated the direct election of senators by the public.
  • This aimed to reduce corruption and increase governmental accountability.
• The 16th Amendment (1913) authorized the federal government to collect an income tax.
  • This allowed more direct funding of public services and regulatory initiatives.
• Child Labor Laws addressed the exploitation of children in industrial workplaces, limiting the hours children could work and the jobs they could perform.
• Workplace reforms included the establishment of safety standards, minimum wage laws, and reasonable working hours to improve adult workers' rights.

Theodore Roosevelt's Progressive Policies

• Domestic Policy:
  • Roosevelt was a staunch advocate for conserving natural resources, leading to the creation of national parks and protected areas, "Conservation Efforts.".
  • Roosevelt used the Sherman Antitrust Act to break up monopolies and ensure fair competition, "Trust-Busting".
  • Roosevelt created the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act that established federal regulations ensuring the safety and efficacy of food and pharmaceuticals, "Food and Drug Safety".
• Foreign Policy:
  • The Platt Amendment was required to be included when Cuba drafted its own constitution after the Spanish-American War. While it allowed Cuba to govern themselves, it limited Cuba's sovereignty and allowed intervention from the U.S, "Platt Amendment".
  • He supported Panamanian independence from Colombia to facilitate the construction of the Panama Canal, which would serve crucial military and trade routes, "the Panama Canal".
  • The "Roosevelt Corollary" expanded the "Monroe Doctrine". It asserted U.S. authority to intervene in Latin American nations to stabilize the economic affairs of small states.

Expanding American Influence

• Underlying Causes:
  • Economic: The search for new markets and raw materials drove expansionist policies.
  • Security: Strategic interests in controlling the Panama Canal and other key maritime locations.
  • Ideological: The belief in the 'White Man's Burden' and the supposed obligation to spread democracy and civilization.
• Presidential Policies:
  • William Taft emphasized 'Dollar Diplomacy', promoting U.S. financial and business interests abroad.
    • This primarily took place in Latin America
  • Woodrow Wilson's 'New Freedom' platform sought to protect individual liberties, reduce corruption, and regulate the economy.
    • Wilson shaped economic regulation through the establishment of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Trade Commission

Overall Spanish American War (1898)

• The USS Maine exploded in Havana harbor which caused the U.S. entry into the war against Spain.
• The Teller Amendment stated that the U.S. would not establish permanent control over Cuba.
• During the Battle of San Juan Hill Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders played a key role.
• The Treaty of Paris (1898) ended the Spanish-American War, resulting in the U.S. acquiring Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.
• The Platt Amendment (1901) allowed U.S. involvement and represented the imperialistic approach of the U.S.

1910s – World War I Era (The Great War)

• The United States remained neutral until 1917 during World War I
• The decade of the 1910's was marked by significant shifts away from the progressive reforms of the early 1900s toward a focus on national security and international presence.

Progressivism and the War

• The onset of WWI redirected national priorities from progressive reforms to war efforts.
• Key Progressive Successes Pre-War included:
  • Labor Reforms such as the Eight-hour workday for railroad workers (Adamson Act).
  • Social Reforms where Women's suffrage gained momentum.

U.S. Entrance into World War I

• The U.S. maintained a stance of neutrality influenced by President Woodrow Wilson
• Sinking of the Lusitania (1915): A German U-boat attacked the RMS Lusitania, killing 1,198 passengers, including 128 Americans which strained U.S.-German relations
• Zimmerman Telegram (1917): The German Foreign Office proposed a military alliance with Mexico which galvanized U.S. public opinion

Legislative and Executive Actions

• Espionage Act (1917) and Sedition Act (1918): Made it illegal to interfere with military operations.
• War Industries Board: Coordinated the production of war materials under Bernard Baruch.
• Selective Service Act (1917): Authorized the federal government to raise a national army through conscription.
• There was a boom in Munitions and Manufacturing due to the war effort.
• Labor Movements and Union Activities were critical for uninterrupted production which led to improved wages

Social Changes and Domestic Impact

• The number of Women in Workforce was unprecedented.
• The Great Migration had over a million African Americans migrate from the rural South to industrial cities in the North .

Post-War America and Isolationism

• Many Americans were disillusioned by the realities of international conflict after World War I
• President Wilson faced opposition for the League of Nations
• The sinking of the RMS Lusitania by a German U-boat killed American passengers shifted public opinion towards involvement in the war.
• Zimmerman Telegram was Intercepted communication from Germany to Mexico proposed a military alliance.
• The Selective Service Act (1917) established the draft in America.
• Woodrow Wilson's proposed Fourteen Points framework which aimed at preventing future conflicts
• The Treaty of Versailles (1919) ended World War I.

1920s – Modern Culture Era

• The 1920s, often referred to as the "Roaring Twenties," was a decade of dramatic social and economic change in the United States.
• Marked by a post-war economic boom, the era witnessed the rise of consumer culture, significant technological advancements, and shifting social norms

Economic Landscape

• Context: Following World War I, the United States experienced a brief but sharp economic recession from 1920 to 1921, characterized by high unemployment and deflation
• the economy swiftly rebounded with industrial expansion.
• the government adopted laissez-faire approach and minimized regulation of businesses.
• in a climate fearing communism, the government sided with business owners during labor disputes, helping to suppress strikes and weaken unions.
• Welfare Capitalism: Businesses provide welfare services to their employees to prevent unionization and increase worker loyalty

Technological and Cultural Innovations

• Henry Ford and the Assembly Line: Ford's moving assembly line drastically reduced the cost of production, Cars were affordable to the the middle -widespread availability of automobiles facilitated greater mobility to the suburbs.

• 1920s saw the increase of people purchasing non-essential goods. The proliferation of credit systems and installment buying ("buy now, pay later," fueled spending.

• Role of Radios: The widespread adoption of the radio transformed advertising, allowing businesses to reach a much larger audience.

• women entered the workforce, taking on primarily clerical roles ("pink-collar jobs")

• The passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920 granted women the right to vote women the right to vote gave significant improvements in the workforce.

• Youth Culture increased with teenagers gaining independence aided by the access to automobiles. -Centered in Harlem, New York, saw explosions of art and music -Figures like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston emerged as influential voices in the community.

Political and Social Backlashes

-The 1920s saw a surge in the KKK. that promoted "100% Americanism" with anti-sentiment.

• Quotas and Legislations: Emergency Quotas Act of 1921 and the Immigration Act of 1924 limited immigration from East and Southern Europe.
• Prohibition prohibited the manufacturer, sale and transport of Alcohol.
• Washington Naval Conference(1921-1922): prevented arms races by limiting major powers. Kellogg-Brand Pact- treaty used to outlaw war

Interwar Period (1918-1939)

• Washington Naval Conference (1921-1922): Aimed to prevent an arms race by limiting naval capacity among major powers.
• Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928): A multinational treat that attempted to outlaw war
• Scopes Trial (1925):Highlighted the conflict between modernist and traditionalist perspectives.
• Prohibition(1920-1933): amendment that outlawed alcohol.

1930s – The Great Depression Era

• The stock market crash of 1929 started the Great Depression
• Known as "Black Tuesday," on October 29, 1929

Causes of the Great Depression

• impractical Loans: Banks extended loans, leading to bank failures and Economic Impact
• Due to overproduction , industrial and agricultural output led to the collapse economic activity, which decreased revenue.
• Corporate behavior, excessive investments and bankruptcy decreased number of jobs and increasing employment.
• laissez-faire economics and a drop in global activity

Government Response under President Hoover

• Hoover was criticized for underestimating the crisis and not involving the government.
• the government initiated projects like the Hoover Dam to create jobs and simulate activity and Smoot Tarrif.

###The New Deal under President Franklin D. Roosevelt

• During the Emergency Banking Act there was a bank temproary shut down to restore public confidence in the banking system. Agencies: (AAA) boost Agricultural prices (PWA) create jobs (FDIC) reduce risk of banks. (SEC) reduce banks speculation.
• Economic Stabilization: reduced jobs
• labor act: increase worker membership.

Transition to World War II

• Great Depression and New Deal: · Neutrality (1935-1937): Prevented future conflicts reflecting sentiment · Wagner act: established right of workers to and engage in collective bargaining · Executive 9066 (1942): that autohorized the interment

1940s – WWII Era

• Kellogg-Brand Pact (1928):Purpose and Impact: Originally signed to outlaw war as a national policy and encourage peaceful resolutions.

• Good Neighbor Policy (1933/initiated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, this policy marked a departure from explicit military intervention in America

• The repeal of the Platt Amendment exemplified a shift towards less direct control over Cuban affairs, aiming to improve U.S.-Latin American relations.

_early 1930 were meant to protect local industries. , contributed to global economic tension. The Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act(1934): This act allowed to rejuvenated global trade in the depression.

America’s entrance to the car

• Neutrality:series’d act to prevent American wars. Banning wars on loans and arm sales.
• shift towards the following
• Land Lease act (1942): Supply allied the nations with payment. signaling a move away. Pearl harbor
• Government and Industry: The federal government took industry, converting wartime production. Agencies directed resources on war production
• Segregation in the Military: some members of the community was segregated till civil movement

Post-War America and New Global Role

• Allied Victory: with an impact post war task force of of dealing with holicasts

• the founding of united nations America’s transition from a leader and to protect democracy

• Manhatten Project:project that researched the first nukes

• Talta Conference (1945): met to strategy against Japan

• Potsdam Declaration(1945): declared the allience

• Increasing social Involvement: by women becoming actively involved in social reforms advocating for society

• Suffrage movement the right to vote to catalizings movements

• women increasingly pursued teaching. nurse. etc.

• the 1920 rise of harlem was an increase with leaders in their community that influenced the population

• the great migration. population surge led to a the need for social equality and the Harlem Renaissance.

• native assimilation the government advocated for assimilation. the education pursued created diversity.