Monday, November 17, 2008

U.S. History Notes CH. 13

Prohibition





The 18th amendment (1919)

What it does- Prohibits manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcohol.

However- this could not be enforced





Prohibition 1920-1933



Causes of Prohibition

*Various religious groups believe drinking alcohol is sinful.

*Reformers believed alcohol leads to wife and child abuse and accidents on the job.

*During WWI native-born Americans developed hostility to German-American brewers and toward other immigrant groups that used alcohol.





Effects of Prohibition

*Disrespect for the law developed

*An increase in lawlessness such as smuggling and bootlegging was evident

*Criminals found a new source of income.

*organized crime grew.





1920s Urban vs. Rural Values...

* The growth of cities-- Results in new urban lifestyles that conflict with traditional values.

*Rural areas

Mostly supporters of prohibition clash with

*Urban areas

Many who ignore the prohibition laws.



Urban views Clash with Rural views









The Scopes Trial

*Fundamentalists

--Believe that the bible account of the creation of thr world is literally true.

More are from rural areas

Scientific Theory of Evolution

Many other Americans believe in the modern theory of evolution. More are from urban areas

Tennessee law

Teaching the scientific theory of evolution in a public school is illegal.

Important people:

John Scopes- taught the scientific theory in a public high school classroom

Clarence Darrow- famous defense attorney who defended Scopes

William Jennings Bryan- famous politician who was the prosecuting attorney.

"What rights do Americans have in teaching science and religion in public schools?"

Scopes is found guilty, but only fined $100.00 and let go.

Women in the 1920s

Flapper

-new style of dress; represents the emancipated women of the 1920s (more in urban areas)

19th Amendment (1920)

-women gain the right to vote!

Changing Roles in the Workplace

*Women lose jobs after WWI

*Women join the workforce in huge numbers as clerical workers

*Discrimination and inequality still exists against women in the workplace

*Technological advances simplify household tasks

*Despite change the majority of women remain homemakers.

Education and Popular Culture in the 1920s

What Happens in High schools?

-Number of high school students increases fourfold.

-High schools train students for jobs and homemaking (not just college)

Magazines and tabloids are started

-The Radio Increases news coverage and gives Americans shared experiences

Heroes/stars

-There is a new phenomena of sports heroes, adventure heroes and movie stars

New styles of art and literature

-Writers express the clash of values in American society

Harlem Renaissance

A new literary movement led by African American writers.

The 1920s is known as the "Jazz age"

-African American Jazz Music centered in Harlem takes over in America during the 1920s

African American Writers

-African Americans writers write honestly about the hardships of life for blacks in America

Black writers celebrate their heritage- "black is beautiful"

Jazz greats:

Louis Armstrong

Bessie Smith

Duke Ellington

Writers:

Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes

Problems Faced by African Americans in the 1920s

The Great Migration

African Americans move from the rural south to northern cities

Riots

Tensions from more blacks in cities result in race riots: 25 in 1919.

Discrimination and segregation

Is still widespread in both the north and south.

N.A.A.C.P.

--National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is formed to actively work for the rights of African Americans

--Led by James Weldon Johnson- who works for anti-lynching laws. And W.E.B. Dubois- the first African American to get a PhD from Harvard

Marcus Garvey

--Promoted black pride, economic independence and a reverence for Africa. Also supported black separatism



Monday, November 10, 2008

U.S. Historitry Notes CH. 8 & 12

Segregation and Discrimination


I. After the Civil War

A. Legal Discrimination in the South

Voting laws:

  1. Literacy tests- if you can't read, you CAN'T VOTE.

a. Sometimes tests were five pages long.

b. Not administered equally- harder for black people.

2. Poll tax- Poor people can't afford to vote.

--Many free African Americans were working as sharecroppers and had very little money for anything but food.

3. Grandfather Clause-those whose "grandfathers" could vote before the Civil War (1866) were exempt from the poll tax and literacy tests.

a. Most all blacks couldn't vote before the Civil War and the 15th Amendment.

b. This meant that whites had a special exception to the voting restrictions.

Jim Crow Laws

Laws requiring separate facilities for blacks and whites: drinking fountains, restrooms, restaurants. Segregation in all public places

B. Plessy v. Ferguson

  1. 1896- Supreme Court case
  2. Held that Jim Crow segregation laws were constitutional
  3. Did NOT deny blacks their equal protection under the constitution as long as the separate facilities were of equal conditions.
  4. "Separate but equal" is OK.
  5. In fact, separate facilities for blacks actually DID NOT have equal conditions.

C. Violence Against African Americans in the South

  1. Lynching-illegal executions, without trial, by a mob
  2. Ida B. Wells- fought against lynching
  3. Lynching was used as a method to terrorize African-Americans who were beginning to gain wealth and property

II. Discrimination and Problems in the North

  1. Segregated neighborhoods especially in cities
  2. Lowest paying jobs
  3. Often could't join unions
  4. Race riots- Happened in some cities (N.Y.-1900)

A. Mexican Americans

  1. Suffered discrimination
  2. Lower pay for the same work
  3. Debt peonage- became almost owned by a landowner until they paid off a debt.

B. Chinese Americans

  1. Discrimination
  2. Riots
  3. Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882- People from China could NO LONGER immigrate to the America

1920's Reaction to The Threat of Communism

Russian Revolution

1917 communist revolution in Russia

Red Scare

Fear of communists. Workers may start a violent revolt in America

Palmer Raids

Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer raids suspected anarchists, socialists, and communists; deports immigrants. Civil rights denied in the interest of safety

Sacco and Vanzetti

Radical immigrants are put to death after an unfair trial

Ku Klux Klan

Membership increases; promotes terrorism and violence against people who are "different," such as: African Americans, Jews, Catholics, and immigrants. "Protect America from impure races an un-American people.

3 Trends in America in the 1920's

  1. Isolationism- the U.S. does not want to get involved in the affairs of the world.
  2. Nativism- mistrust of immigrants. Restrictions on immigration.
  3. Conservatism- keep things the way they are; no more progressive changes!

LABOR VS. BIG BUSINESS

In the 1920's---> Workers are inspired by the Russian Revolution and socialists in America to seek better pay and conditions

<--- Business Owners and the public are afraid of communists revolt and do not respect unions

<--- Conservative U.S. government tends to side with big business. Strikes are put down with force. There is little progress in workplace reform.

Labor Problems in the 1920's

I. The Boston Strike (1919)

-Boston police go on strike for a decent wage.

a) Massachusetts Governor Calvin Coolidge -says "Police have no right to strike if it threatens public safety."

-Coolidge calls in the National Guard to restore order

b) Policemen fired!!!! Others hired in their place.

New officers get everything that was asked for

II. U.S. Steel Mill Strike (Sept. 1919)

Mill workers were working 7 days a week 12 hours a day in hot, dangerous conditions.

a) U.S. Steel Mill strikers went on strike when their demands for better conditions weren't met.

b) Security police, state militia and federal troops kill 18 workers.

c) strike breakers are hired.

d) Newspapers report lies that strikers are really led by communists who want to destroy the country.

III. Coal miners strike (Nov. 1, 1919)

a) Led by John L. Lewis

b) workers received a 27% pay increase.

Harding-U.S. Foreign Policy

* U.S. encourages all nations to disarm-scrap most existing weapons. and build no more.

POSITIVE

*Kellog Briand Pact

- 64 nations sign treaty never to go to war.- problem; no provision to enforce the treaty if it is violated.

*Dawes Plan

- U.S. banks loam Germany $2.5 billion so they can pay reparations to France. Helps avoid a military conflict.

Harding's Return to Normandy Foreign Policy

Isolationism

Fordney-McCumber

a.60% Tariff on imports

Tariff

b. to protect U.S. businesses

U.S. does not join the League of Nations

Limits to Imigration

a. quota system

b. "They might take away jobs"

c. They can't be trusted to be loyal tot he U.S.

d. Red Scare

U.S. demands that France and Britain keep their word and pay back all debts from WWI.

Hardings Scandal

Good appointments:

a. Charles Evans Hughes- secretary of state

b. Andrew Mellon- secretary of Treasury

c. Herbert Hoover- secretary of Commerce

Ohio Gang

Harding's friends working in Washington

Teapot Dome Scandal

a. secretary of the interior, sells federal land to big oil companies for a kick back $$.

Business in the 1920s

New Inventions

--changes lifestyles:

automobile industry (Henry Ford), airline industry, electrical conveniences (such as the radio, refrigerator, toaster, electrical stove, and the vacuum cleaner)

Advertising

sells more products: the new "age of advertising"

The Installment Plan

allows people to buy more products on credit without having the money.

The economy booms!

it is based on people buying new things with money they don't have.

Urban Sprawl

cities expand- new cars and commuter trains allow workers to live farther away from cities

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

U.S. History CH. 11 Notes WWI

CAUSES OF WWI

Nationalism

Wilhelm
-Deep devotion to one's nation
-Rivalry
-Competition for dominance


Imperialism
-Fierce competition for colonies in Asia and Africa
-Competition for economic power


Militarism
-Glorifying military power and keeping an army prepared for war
-Arms race/arms build-up


Alliances
-Nations agree to fight for each other


Before the war:
Triple Alliance- Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy
Triple Entente-France, Great Britain, and Russia









WWI Begins-July 28, 1914

Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary is assassinated by a Serbian Nationalist









Trench Warfare
Boths sides of the fighting looked similar. The middle of the two trenches was known as "No Man's Land" because it was almost impossible to survive there.







Why the U.S. Enters the War

Unrestricted submarine warfare

Germany attacks merchant and passanger ships


British Propoganda

"Germans are barbarians!"


President Wilson

"The world is unsafe for democracy"


Zimmerman Note

Secret letter from Germany
encourages Mexico to attack the U.S.


Economic Ties
Loans to British and French

U.S. businesses had been loaning money to the Allies more.
They wanted England and France to win so they would get their money back


Russia Withdraws

5.5 million soldiers killed in WWI
Food and fuel shortages- because of the war people were starving
The Czar abdicates March 1917


Czar's government collapses


Bolsheviks take over
Led by Vladimir Lenin
Nov. 1917
Marxist/Communist government
Lenin does not want to support a capitalist war









The War at Home

Business/ Goverment Cooperation

Government controls industry

W.I.B.- War Industries Board
--set production quotas
--allocated raw materials increase

Other Agencies:
-Railroad Admin.
-Fuel Admin.
-National War Labor Board


Conservation of food and resources
--People grow their own "Victory Gardens"
Jobs increase- testing to help people find the right jobs


Selling the War

George Creel heads the Committee on Public Information
--75,000 "Four Minute Men" sell the war with 60 million pamphlets, booklets, and leaflets



Attacks on Civil Liberties

Anti-immigrant, anti-German, Austro-Hungarian hysteria
-Lost Jobs
-Lynchings


Espionage and Sedition Act- Prohibited saying anything bad about the govt. or anything that would make young men not want to go to war. Led to Attacks on Socialists, labor leaders, and conscientioud objectors
--violated First Amendment right of free speech








Social Changes

Great Migration of African Americans

African Amerifcans move from the south to war industry jobs in the north

The war provides new job oppurtunities for African Americans

Lived in crowded, segregated ghettoes

Race riots in some cities. White workers angry at blacks for being strikebreakers and taking their jobs



Women
--Moved into war jobs that were formerly held by men
--However, after the war they lost their jobs.
--They did win more respect.
-19th Amendment (1920)- Women finally win the right to vote after WWI.

Flu Epidemic

1918-500,000 Americans died in one year. More than were killed in WWI.

40 million die worldwide

Treaty of Versailles

President Wilson's 14 Points

-Countries should agree to terms which will create a world where war will never happen again

-Create a League of Nations: