US History Final

Section 1: Origins of Section 1: Origins of Democracy in America and Democracy in America and

ImmigrationImmigrationAfter leaving Britain and successfully breaking free of British law, the fledgling

American nation was in need of a government. Americans were still wounded from their revolutionary battle, and believed strongly in republicanism—the idea that government should be based on the people’s consent. Eventually a republic, a governing system where citizens rule through elected representatives, was set up. To solidify that system a Constitution was drawn up and written. Power in the government was shared between three branches: the judicial, the legislative, and the executive. In doing this the American officials hoped to balance power so as to make the governing process as lawful and fair as possible.

Also during America’s early years came an influx of immigrants from all parts of the world, but mostly from northern and western Europe. 1.3 million Irishmen were driven to America by the potato famine in the mid 1800’s. Most new immigrants worked on the east coast in the large cities. Immigration rose drastically in the 1900’s, after America had grown to spread all the way across the continent. When gold was found in California thousands of Chinese and Japanese immigrants worked in the mines, and Mexican immigrants became more common in the plains. Immigration from Europe rose so high that an immigrant station in New York, Ellis Island, had as many as 11,000 immigrants flowing through it per day. Life for immigrants in the new land was rough; they often faced discrimination and poor living conditions. However, such worries did not dissuade people from all over the world to flock to the “promised land”. This time period was important because it created the “mixing pot” of ethnicities and races that is present in America today.

Section 1Section 1 Highlight: Highlight:The Yellow-Dog ContractsThe Yellow-Dog Contracts

In the early 1900’s America was just beginning to grow industrially. To protect the rights of the new workforce, labor unions formed. Labor unions are groups of workers who band together to demand something from their employer, like better hours, working conditions, or pay. Employers grew worried that their docile employees would one day band together against them, and thus the yellow-dog contract was born. The yellow-dog contract was a document or clause written as an agreement between an employee and his employer agreeing that the worker would never join a labor union. As the editor of The United Mine Worker’s Journal stated, “This agreement has been well named. It is yellow dog for sure. It reduces to the level of a yellow dog any man that signs it, for he signs away every right he possesses under the Constitution and laws of the land and makes himself the truckling, helpless slave of the employer.” The contract was highly unpopular and was outlawed in the US under the Norris-LaGuardia Act.

Section 2: IndustrializationSection 2: Industrialization

During the era of Industrialization and Urbanization cities flourished and life in America changed forever. Many groups were struggling during this time. For example, workers were burdened with long, physically taxing factory work and an under-representation of their rights. To ameliorate this, labor unions formed and began to demand things from employers, such as more reasonable hours and safer working conditions, Women during this time also had problems; they were not allowed to vote and were often less appreciated and paid less than men. Activists for women’s rights began to speak up and eventually a bill for women’s suffrage was accepted. Immigrants had problems of their own, such as how to earn enough money to maintain a family and find adequate shelter and nourishment. Some races were discriminated against, which made it more difficult for them to be accepted in America. Several shelters were set up to aid people new to the country. Achievements during the Industrial era allowed us to harness energy from different sources and expand our technological understanding of the world. This time period was important because it marks a time of development in the United States and movement towards science and technology.

Section 2 Section 2 Highlight:Highlight:Jane AddamsJane Addams

Jane Addams was born into a crowded household September 6, 1860. Her mother died of disease when she was just two, leaving Jane to be raised by her father and, later, a step mother. Addams was encouraged to pursue higher education by her father, who died in 1885 and left her $50,000, quite a sum of money in the 1800’s. She used the money to fund one of the first settlement houses in the United States, Hull House, in 1856. Hull House was a sanctuary for the out of luck-- immigrants could visit the house and take classes, cook food, work out, drink coffee, view art, join clubs, and do many other activities that they might have problems doing without the facilities. In one week, as many as 2,000 people might have visited the house. Addams herself was socially active and a part of the Hull House served as a women’s sociological society, which worked towards goals involving women’s, children’s, and worker’s rights. Meetings were open to everyone and were often attended by women, men, and children. Addams herself was openly pacifistic and was eventually elected the president of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. She was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931 for outstanding achievements of democratic spirit. Addams died at the age of 74 on May 21, 1935. Her legacy of aiding others will not soon be forgotten.

Section 3: Religion in AmericaSection 3: Religion in America

When the pilgrims first landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620 they brought with them the first traces of Christianity in the new world. Religion slowly lost importance in the life of the settlers until their faith was revived by the First Great Awakening (1730), which was a passionate return to their puritan beliefs. The next religion brought to the US was Mormonism, and a large population of Mormons settled in Utah. In the early 1900’s other religions filtered in, brought by the immigrants flocking to America.

To keep religious discrimination from tainting the American workplace, a Separation of Church and State segment was added to the Constitution. This gave people of every background better chances of being hired, though by no means ended the racial and religious discrimination in America. It is this document which today keeps religion and work/education separate, thus continuing the American tradition of moral fairness and legality.

Section 3 Section 3 HighlightHighlight::The New Age MovementThe New Age Movement

The New Age Movement is a recent (1980’s) movement towards spiritual and natural wellness. It is a combination of astrology, cosmology, environmentalism, nature, collectivism, religion, alternative medicine, and collectivism. The movement associates with no religion in particular, but the philosophies of the movement can be traced back to several monotheistic, polytheistic, and pantheistic religions, even drawing inspiration from traditional atheism. The spirit is central in the New Age view, and can be used to healed and improved. Followers of the movement believe in holistic approaches to medicine over traditional or scientific methods, often using holistic cures. Some followers believe in Indigo children, or children with heightened spiritual powers. New Age music is very mellow and ambient, often acoustic paired with soft lyrics. New Age lifestyles can be described as “green”, or sustainable, because of the importance placed on energy conservation and recycling.

Section 4: Imperialism and Section 4: Imperialism and WWIWWI

Economic and military competition fueled American Expansion in the 1900’s. Anglo-Saxon bigotry led Americans to believe that their race was better than other races, and therefore it was its moral obligation to “civilize and Christianize” “inferior” races. President William McKinley shared this belief, which ultimately led to the annexing of the Philippines so that efforts could be made to “uplift” them. The Filipinos obviously rejected this idea, and were eventually given the right to self govern.

While that was happening in America, tensions were rising in Europe. War broke out between Germany and Belgium. America remained neutral until German submarines posed a threat to American passenger ships in 1917, which the US could not ignore. America fought with the Triple Entente (France, Russia, and Britain). The Great War eventually came to an end, with the defeat of the German military forces. At the time people believed that WWI would be the only of its kind, and wanted America to stay out of Europe’s problems (these people were later proved wrong by the occurence of WWII). This was an important time in America because it forced civilians to come to terms with the harsh realities of war, and brought disgust to the idea of more bloodshed.

Section 4 Section 4 HighlightHighlight::The Black HandThe Black Hand

The Black Hand (or Unification of Death) was a secret Serbian society who supported the unification of territories with South Slav populations in Austria-Hungary. They are held responsible for the June 28, 1914 association of the Archduke of Austria Franz Ferdinand, which was the event considered to have begun the first world war.

Section 5:Section 5:The 20’s: Intolerance, the Jazz age, and The 20’s: Intolerance, the Jazz age, and

ProhibitionProhibitionThe twenties began with the finale of World War I . Many Americans were left

exhausted from the war and an isolationist mentality seized the nation. During the RedScare a fear arose of anything related to communism. Immigrants were sometimesostracized for being suspected communists. Also among the feared were anarchists. Twowell-known anarchists, Sacco and Vazetti, were executed for the murder of a guard (towhich they pleaded innocent). The president of the time, Andrew Harding, helped returnthe US to a state of normalcy, and the panic faded.

As the country recovered, America prospered during the twenties. Consumerspending rose greatly; sales of new appliances, like the refrigerator and automobile, wentthrough the roof. Culturally, America during this time period was evolving. Girls woreshort skirts, dance-a-thons were in abundance, and new style of music, jazz, emerged.Jazz was upbeat and played with a swing, which gave it a bluesy feel. Also during thistime prohibition was introduced. Prohibition, which was the banning of alcoholicbeverages, was put into effect to try to wean Americans off of the addicting substance.Americans, however, did not stop drinking (they used speakeasies and smuggling to gettheir liquor) and the effort failed.

This period in time was important because it shows a revolution and new“spunk” in American culture.

Section 5 Section 5 HighlightHighlight::The Flapper MovementThe Flapper Movement

The roaring twenties was not only famous for its jazz music, but for the young women who danced to such music: the flappers. Flappers were young women who sported short bobbed hair, miniskirts, and make up. They were the picture of rebellion--youth breaking away from the conservative reforms of the past century. It was not unusual to see several of these irreverent ladies dancing provocatively at nightclubs in the 1920’s. Flappers were promiscuous, and dated often. They are infamous for their drug use (cocaine, which was legal in the 20’s) and cigarette habits. Many words in American slang evolved from flapper slang, such as “the cat’s pajamas” (“awesome”) and “baloney” (“rubbish”). The flapper fad ended when the Great Depression overcame America, but their youthful image will never be forgotten.

Section 6: Section 6: The 30’s: Great Depression and New The 30’s: Great Depression and New

DealDealDuring the 1930’s America fell into an economic depression, the beginning of

which was marked by the crash of the stock market in 1929. The Depression was caused by Americans buying on credit and spending money that they did not have, which rapidly dropped them into debt. During the Depression thousands of people lost their jobs and homes and more than 1,300 banks were forced to close. The president at the time, Herbert Hoover, adopted a “wait and see” approach; he believed that if the economy was left alone it would eventually stabilize and, in essence, fix itself.

Perhaps Hoover’s cavalier attitude towards the economy was what lost him the 1932 presidency to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. FDR promised change to the desperate Americans eager for it, and he certainly followed through. The New Deal was an aggressive recovery plan for America’s financial situation. Within the first 100 days of the plan plenty of legislation was passed. Programs like the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (to help those in need) and the Works Progress Administration (to create jobs) were founded. A Bank Holiday, the one-day closing of all American banks, was put into effect to assess each individual institution. Though America did not pull itself out of the Depression until WWII, the New Deal gave Americans the hope and strength to pull through this rough patch in their nation’s history.

Section 6 Section 6 HighlightHighlight::Anna Eleanor RooseveltAnna Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt was born October 11, 1884 in New York City to a rich family. She lost both her parents at a young age and was subsequently raised by her maternal grandmother, Mary Hall. Eleanor met her future husband, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, at age of 17 (he was 20 at the time). They were married March 17, 1905. When he became President in 1933 she supported him fully while launching her own campaign for civil rights. As First Lady of the United States Eleanor Roosevelt was extremely active: she wrote her own newspaper column entitled “My Day”, held weekly press conferences, and freely communicated with the public. She was outspoken in her support of the female and African-American civil rights movements, which gained her some infamy but infinitely more respect. Roosevelt died in 1962 and was buried in the plot next to Franklin’s. She is remembered as a strong, empowered individual, who, in the words of Adlai Stevenson, “would rather light a candle than curse the darkness.”

Note From the Author :)Note From the Author :)

Hannah Browne was born October 11, 1992 to Barry and Lori Browne. She lives in southern California, but was born in Wisconsin and has lived in several other states. She enjoys listening to and playing music, social networking, creating graphics (every graphic collage in this report was put together by the Hannah herself) and getting good grades (!).She has learned so much about the history of America from this online class, and cannot believe she has even memorized some dates. She believes that history is important because it reminds us of past mistakes so that we do not allow them to repeat. I would like the reader of this packet to take with them some small bit of knowledge that interested them and revisit it, so that the lesson can be remembered.

Fin!