United States History Review

1. United States History Review Civil War- present

2. The Civil War 1861-1865 Southern Advantages • Motivated military with exceptional leadership • Fighting a defensive war, a TIE and they win Southern Disadvantages • Ironically, they lacked a strong central government to lead organize the war • Limited industry and rails • Inability to win foreign support Northern Advantages • Established military and government • Industry and railroads (85% of factories, 70% of rails) • 800,00 immigrants during the war, many of whom enlisted Northern Disadvantages • Had to WIN the war • Moving troops long distances to the battlefield

3. The War • The North planned to blockade the Southern ports (Anaconda plan) • In addition, they planned to cut the South in 2 by taking the Mississippi River • Originally the North thought the war might last a few months • This was quickly dispelled at the Battle of Bull Run • The Northern forces were routed and retreated to Washington, DC • Antietam Creek saw the single bloodiest day of battle as 22,000 were killed or wounded • With the North struggling in 1862, Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves in rebelling states • This changed the war from saving the union to freeing the slaves

4. The War • 1863 was a turning point as the Southern economy had soured • Vicksburg and Gettysburg were decisive battles won by the North • General Sherman’s march through the South solidified Northern victory and was the beginning of the end • Lee surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse in April of 1865 • 5 days later Lincoln was killed by John Wilkes Booth • Lincoln had planned a reconciliation with the South, “with malice toward none, and charity for all” • This was not necessarily a policy adopted by Congressional Republicans following Lincoln’s death

5. Domestic Policy during the War • With the South gone Northern legislators were able to pass high tariffs to help industry • Additionally Northern legislators passed: • The Homestead Act (1861) granted land in 160 acre increments to families that would farm for 5 years • Morill land Grant Act encouraged states to develop colleges with money from the sale of federal lands • Pacific Railway Act authorized a transcontinental railroad

6. Reconstruction • Lincoln’s Plan would readmit Southerners than took a loyalty oath and accepted emancipation • States would be readmitted when 10% of the population had taken the oath • Congress passed the Wade-Davis Bill that required 50%, but Lincoln gave it a pocket veto • They also established the Freedmen’s Bureau in March, 1865 • With Lincoln’s death the Reconstruction fell to Andrew Johnson from Tennessee

7. Reconstruction • Under Johnson’s plan all 11 states were back in the Union • Johnson was very lenient to former Confederate leaders, pardoning many and giving them citizenship • The former Confederate Vice-President actually was elected to the Senate from Georgia • Southern “Black Codes” further strained the Republicans in Congress by • Prohibiting blacks from renting or borrowing money to buy land • Forcing blacks to sign work contracts • Blacks could not testify against whites in court

8. Reconstruction • Johnson stoked the radical republican fires by vetoing legislation designed to expand the Freedman’s Bureau and a civil rights bill • Republicans won an overwhelming majority in Congress in the midterm election in 1866 • This allowed the Radical Republicans to now dominate Reconstruction • The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was the first act passed, followed by the 14th Amendment, and the Reconstruction Acts of 1867 • Most of these were over the vetoes of Johnson

9. Johnson’s Impeachment • Johnson was impeached by the House of Representatives in 1867 • He was charged with “high crimes and misdemeanors” • The charges were largely of a political nature as he was hated by Congressional Republicans • Johnson’s political enemies fell one vote short in an 1868 trial of removing him from office • Some moderate Republicans thought it a bad idea to remove Johnson for political reasons

10. The End of Reconstruction • War hero Ulysses Grant was elected in 1868 • Grant won with the help of 500,000 votes from freed slaves • In response to this the Republican Congress passed the 15th Amendment in 1869 • The Civil Rights Act of 1875 guaranteed equal accommodations, but was poorly enforced • Reconstruction ended with the Compromise of 1877. • This gave Hayes the Presidency as long as he pulled troops from the South

11. The Last of the West and the New South 1865-1900

12. The Settlement of the West • The west was now a crisscross of railway, homestead fences and was growing new towns • The discovery of gold in 1849 led to the first real flood of settlers to the West • These western mines were usually staffed by at least 1/3 foreign born employees, experienced miners from Europe and Asia • This was the reason for the 1st of the anti-foreigner laws- a Miner’s Tax of $20/ month on all foreign employees • Pressure from the Westerners also led to the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 • These mines vastly increased the amount of gold and silver available which was to lead to the gold/silver debates in the coming decades.

13. Native American Policies • About 2/3rds of the Western Indians lived in the Great Plains • The encroachment of American cattlemen and Homesteaders increasingly drove the Natives into smaller and smaller lands • Jackson’s reservation policy of the 1830’s disintegrated with the opening of Oklahoma to settlers in 1889 • A new policy of assimilation was floated in the late 1800’s. This policy was designed to bring Natives into “American” culture • It was codified into law in the Dawes Act of 1887

14. The New South following the Civil War • Segregation continued to handcuff Southern progress • In the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson the Supreme Court ruled that “separate but equal” facilities were legally permissible • Jim Crow Laws followed this decision and set up a segregated that would legally last until 1954 • The New South also restricted the civil rights of the newly freed former slaves • Literacy tests, poll taxes and grandfather clauses were used to restrict voting rights • The New South movement was created by Henry Grady of the Atlanta Constitution. • It argued for economic diversity and capitalism without government intervention • Cheap labor was the draw for many businesses to relocate • Despite cities like Birmingham (steel), Memphis (lumber) and Richmond (tobacco) much of the South remained poor and agricultural due to the late start at industry and a poorly trained workforce

15. Farm Problems of the late 1800’s • Mechanization was a blessing and a curse for most farmers • It allowed them to cultivate significantly more land and produce a greater crop • Unfortunately this also led to an overproduction of crops that drove prices down • Farmers had borrowed heavily to obtain the equipment and land to farm and now prices were too low to pay back mortgages and loans • Additionally the railroad pools were gouging the small farmer on prices to ship goods to Eastern markets

16. Farmers Organize Protest • Granger and Alliance Movements were developed originally to aid and educate individual farmers • They developed into more coherent political bodies through time and came to form the Populist Party • They were successful in getting the Interstate Commerce Act passed in 1886; an attempt to control the railroads • This created the first government regulatory agency, the Interstate Commerce Commission

17. The Rise of Laissez-Faire • Laissez Faire capitalism advocated for a hands off approach to regulating business • Social Darwinism was thought to rule the world of business, those most able would rise to the top • Another attempt to justify consolidation was the Gospel of Wealth. This said that wealth was the clearest sign of God’s favor for your hard work

18. Impact of Industrialization Concentration of Wealth: • A few industrialists became fabulously wealthy • The Horatio Alger Myth portrayed hard working young individuals that made it rich through diligence. This was just a myth. The expanding middle class: • Corporations created the need for salaried, white-collar workers as well, these individuals increased the demand for basic services Working women: • 1 in 5 adult women were in the workforce in 1900

19. My country, ‘is of thee, Once land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land of the Millionaire, Farmers with pockets bare; caused by that cursed snare,-- The Money Ring The Gilded Age of Politics 1877-1900

20. The Gilded Age • The Gilded Age was a phrase coined by Mark Twain to characterize the years following the Civil War. • Twain used this term referred to the superficial glitter of the age that covered the corruption not to far below the surface • The era was largely devoid of any meaningful legislation and little differentiation between the parties • The goal of politics was to gain office not to affect change, but to pass out spoils.

21. Causes of the Gilded Age Stalemate The belief in limited government • Laissez faire and Social Darwinism contributed to the idea that government should do as little as possible. Campaign Strategy • Due to the limited differences in party ideology, it was considered very risky to stray to far away from the center. Therefore no strong positions were taken on any issues. Party Patronage • The distribution of jobs and favors became a way to elicit power and influence, more so than through the voters

22. The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act • President Garfield’s assassination by a disgruntled office seeker in 1881 led to a significant reevaluation of the federal government • Public outrage over the Spoils System led to the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act which set up competitive examinations for government jobs. • One downside of the act was that it forced politicians to rely more on the rich to fund campaigns

23. Harrison and the Billion-Dollar Congress The Election of 1888 • Cleveland introduces the first real issue between Democrats and Republicans in years-tariffs • Republicans carried the day by rallying Northern business and labor with the idea that a low tariff would ruin industrial interests. The Billion-Dollar Congress • passed the 1st billion dollar budget • McKinley Tariff, Sherman Anti-Trust and Sherman Silver Purchase • Also increases in pensions to Civil War vets

24. The Rise of the Populists The Omaha Platform • This was the platform of the Populist Party • It included: • Direct election of senators • Initiative and referendum • Unlimited coinage of silver • Graduated income tax • Public ownership of rails • 8 hour workdays • James Weaver became one of the few 3rd Party candidates to ever win electoral votes • Cleveland returned to office, in large part due to discontent with the McKinley tariff

25. “We are Anglo-Saxons, and must obey our blood and occupy new markets, and, if necessary, new lands” American Foreign Policy 1865-1914

26. International Darwinism • This was also known as imperialism, the idea that stronger nations should gain economic or political control over others for the stronger nation’s good • Many also advocated for imperialism because they felt it would improve the dominated nation as well • Missionaries, some politicians, advocates of naval power and the press were all strong supporters of imperialism • Additionally, many felt it was simply an extension of the idea of Manifest Destiny

27. Latin America • The Monroe Doctrine in 1820 clearly spelled out American views on Latin America • One of the principal applications of the doctrine came in 1895 and 1896. A dispute between Venezuela and Britain was forced to the negotiating table by Grover Cleveland’s insistence that the U.S. would use force to keep Britain’s military at bay. • Many other examples of American intervention ensued in Latin America

28. American Intervention in Latin America The Spanish-American War • Started at the behest of the American press (yellow journalism) and as a result of jingoism the United States removed the last vestiges of the former Spanish Empire in the Western Hemisphere • McKinley finally relented to public pressure and the press by sending a war message to Congress asking for a declaration. It contained 4 key provisions • Put an end to Spanish “barbities, bloodshed, starvation, and horrible miseries” in Cuba • Protect U.S. citizens in Cuba • End the “serious injury to commerce” • End the “constant menace to our peace”

29. The Election of 1900 • The Republicans nominated McKinley, with Roosevelt as VP • The Democrats again nominate William Jennings Bryan • Bryan argued against the growing imperialism of the U.S. • The growing U.S. economy convinced voters that McKinley deserved another round as President

30. The Open Door Policy in China • Several nations had opened “spheres of influence” in the rapidly deteriorating China • Secretary of State John Hay dispatched a note to the nations saying bluntly that all nations should be welcomed to trade in China • In a shrewd move, since no one openly rejected his idea, he declared that they had all accepted

31. The Boxer Rebellion • Xenophobia was on the rise in China with the Open Door. • The Boxers attempted to throw out the foreigners with a campaign of terror • The U.S. and others sent the military to protect property and lives • The U.S. feared the an end to Chinese independence and Hay sent another round of notes • These were designed to ensure free trade in China and to protect “territorial integrity”

32. The Big Stick and Roosevelt • Following McKinley’s assassination in 1900, Roosevelt takes office • Roosevelt’s policy was to “speak softly and carry a big stick,” the big stick of course was the U.S. Navy. • The Roosevelt Corollary was added to the Monroe Doctrine in 1904 • This stated that the U.S. would intervene to protect the interests of any Latin American nation.

33. “I am , therefore a Progressive because we have not kept up with our own changes of condition, either in the economic field or in the political field” The Progressive Era 1901-1918

34. Origins of Progressivism • The origins of Progressivism can be found in the changing nature of American society • The country had changed from a relatively homogenous, farming society to a mixed ethnicity, industrial society • In addition, the country had historically been distrustful of Big Business and there was an increasing gap between the rich and the poor • The final idea was the rise of corruption and graft in political machines

35. Who were the Progressives? • Unlike the Populists of the previous century that were rural, the Progressives were largely middle class, urban dwellers • These white-collar professionals were concerned about the impact of poverty and a lack of education on democratic principles • The Progressive movement was not limited to a particular party. Republicans Roosevelt, Taft and LaFollette and Democrats Wilson and Bryan carried the Progressive torch

36. Progressive Philosophy • A new philosophy emerged in the 20th Century that was contradictory to that of previous years • This new idea was that “truth”and “good” were abstracts that could not be defined • This led to the idea that society should be more pragmatic about its search for the right formula • The scientific method was employed by Progressives as a way to govern society • The notions of laissez-faire and rugged individualism seemed outdated and impractical to the Progressives

37. The Muckrakers • These forerunners to investigative journalists used the print media to spread news about the evils and ills of big business and corrupt government • By 1910 the power of the muckrakers was in decline • Banks that financed the magazines were telling them to tone down the criticism and also the sensationalism was getting tough to top • Muckrakers included: • Ida Tarbell: “The history of Standard Oil Company” (1902) • Lincoln Steffans: Shame of the Cities (1904) • Jacob Riis: How the Other Half Lives (1890) • Frank Norris: The Octopus and The Pit- Novels

38. Political Reforms in the Cities and States Changes in Voter Participation • Secret Ballot- by 1910 all states were holding secret ballots • Direct Primaries- candidates are chosen by party members voting instead of by party bosses • Direct election of U.S. Senators- the 17th Amendment required direct election of Senators • Initiative, Referendum, Recall- • Initiative- voters can force a bill to be considered • Referendum- Voters directly decide on a proposed law • Recall- Voters can remove corrupt or unsatisfactory politicians

39. Coal Miners in 1900

40. The Square Deal • Following McKinley’s assassination in 1901, Roosevelt takes over as President • The “Square Deal” was meant to favor neither business nor labor • He demonstrated this in the 1902 coal mine dispute • He called labor an management to the White House • When owners refused to bend, Roosevelt threatened to operate the mines with troops • The owners agreed to give wage hikes and lessen the work day • The Square Deal also included other provisions

41. The Square Deal Trust Busting • Roosevelt began to enforce the long dormant Sherman Anti-Trust Act, first against Northern Securities • He directed the attorney general to break up more than 40 trusts Railroad Regulation • Under the Elkins Act and the Hepburn Act, Roosevelt significantly improved the power of the ICC Consumer Protection • The Muckrakers had stirred the interest of the public and government responded with the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act Conservation • Roosevelt set aside 150 million acres for a reserve • Passage of the Newlands Act in 1902 provided sale of public lands to promote irrigation in the West

42. The Presidency of Taft • Taft was actually a more aggressive trust buster than his predecessor Roosevelt • Roosevelt was upset by Taft’s decision to reject a US Steel merger that he had approved • By the 1910 midterm elections, Taft decided to fight back against the Progressives, and support conservative candidates • This was a egregious error as the Progressive movement was at flood tide • The above reasons led to a split in the Republican Party. • Roosevelt left the Party to form the Bull-Moose Party to challenge Taft in 1912

43. Signs of the Times

44. The Election of 1912

45. “It breaks his heart that kings must murder still” World War I, 1914-1918

46. The events that led to War June 28, Sarajevo • A Serbian terrorist assassinates Archduke Francis-Ferdinand July 23, Vienna • The Austrian government threatens war against Serbia and invades on the 27th August 1, Berlin • Austrian ally Germany declares war on Serbian ally Russia August 3, Berlin • Germany declares war on France, Russia’s ally, and invades neutral Belgium, the fastest route to France August 4, London • Great Britain, ally of France, declares war on Germany

47. Public Opinion • Public opinion was against Britain from the get-go • Not only did policy favor the allies, but the newspapers reported the German invasion of Belgium, then the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915 cemented the view that Germany was a bully • As much as 30% of US population were 1st or 2nd generation immigrants, tied closely to their home country • Britain also controlled the news that came from Europe to the US

48. The War Debate • Most Americans favored neutrality, especially those who were the recent immigrants • After the Lusitania, a small but vocal group started to call for intervention • The Army and Navy were woefully unprepared for major combat • Congress passed the National Defense Act in June 1916 after vigorous campaigning from President Wilson • Peace-minded Populists, Progressives and Socialists vehemently opposed the war and build up

49. The Election of 1916 • “He kept us out of war” • This was the slogan for Wilson’s re-election campaign • This was ironic as Wilson asked for a declaration of war in April of 1917, just a month after being sworn in • The decision for war had a few immediate causes • The Zimmerman Telegram • This was a note sent from Germany to Mexico offering the return of lost territories if Mexico would ally itself with Germany • The Russian Revolution • This allowed Wilson to continue with his ‘moral diplomacy’ because autocratic Russia had been overthrown • Unrestricted Submarine Warfare • Germany disavowed the Sussex Pledge and returned to sinking ships in the Atlantic in January 1917

50. The Fourteen Points • Wilson’s plan to end the war and goals following the war were outlined to Congress in January 1918 • These points included: • Freedom of the seas • An end to secret treaties • Reduction in national armaments • Self-determination for the countries in the Austro-Hungarian Empire • A “general association of nations” • This last point becomes the basis for the League of Nations