IB History of the Americas Semester Final Outlines
Question #10: Analyze social/economical effects of WWII on the United States
Thesis: After WWI, the United States changed both economically and socially, including major
alterations in gender roles, increasing discrimination towards Japanese, and immigration
restrictions as well as recovering from the Great depression and expanding towards the west.
Historical Context:


The great depression started in 1929, when the stock market crashed and wiped out 40%
of the paper values of common stock. Lasts for about 11 years.
In December 7th of 1941, the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. The United States gets
“dragged” into the war.
Economical Changes:



The great depression ends! Paid civilian employment in the executive branch of the
federal government went from 831,833 in December of 1938, to 2,915,476 in June of
1945 in the continental U.S.
Expansion/Industrialization of the west: During the 4 years of war, the federal
government invested almost $70 billion in factories, military bases and other capital
improvements in the Southwest, Mountain West and Far west.
Personal Income in some areas grew by as much as 100 percent. The demands of wartime
production created a shortage of consumer goods, so many wage earners diverted much
of their new affluence into savings, which would help keep the economic boom alive in
the post war years.
Social Changes:



The demand for labor in war plants greatly increased the migration of blacks from rural
areas of the south into industrial cities
During the depression, many Mexican farm workers had been deported to make room for
unemployed white workers. The wartime labor shortage caused farm owners to begin
hiring Mexicans again.
The number of women in the work force increased by nearly 60 percent, and accounted
for a third of the paid workers of 1945.
Historian Perspective:
Howard Zinn: Highlights the discrimination that these minorities faced despite the social changes
that occurred
“Franklin D. Roosevelt did not share this frenzy, but he calmly signed the Executive Order 9066,
in February 1942, giving the army the power, without warrants or indictments or hearings, to
arrest every Japanese American on the West Coast”
“The country was on a permanent war economy…the distribution of wealth remained unequal. In
1953, 1.6 percent of the adult population owned more that 80 percent of the corporate stock and
nearly 90 percent of the corporate bonds”
Conclusion: Although there were great changes in both the social aspects and economic aspects
of the United States due to World War II, it is important to note that most of the social alterations
were in fact, due to the economic changes and increasing demand for labor.
Question 13 Outline:
Question: Why did the United States become involved in the Second World
War?
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Introduction
1. Thesis
- The United States became involved in the Second World War
because ______________. (Ex.: the bombing of Pearl Harbor)
2. Hook to Historical Context
- Description on your reason for why the US got involved
Historical Context
1. Description of information leading to the event(s) in your thesis
- already existing tension between Japan and the US (military
power, government policy, etc.)
- US ceasing oil exports from Japan in July 1941
- Japan’s attack on China in 1937
Historians Perspective (Howard Zinn)
1. “Herbert Hoover had said, not long before the crash: ‘We in
America today are nearer to the final triumph over poverty than
ever before in the history of any land.’”
2. “Most wars, after all, present themselves as humanitarian
endeavors to help people.”
Factual Paragraph 1
1. Description of the plan to bomb Pearl Harbor
2. Roosevelt’s knowledge (predictions that something might happen,
but were not planning to enter if Japan attacked other countries)
V.
VI.
3. Actual event
Factual Paragraph 2
1. Immediate impact (killing thousands of citizens, but no soldiers)
2. Initial impact (US entering WWII)
3. How it initiated the US into WWII (day after attack, Roosevelt made
a declaration of war on Japan, Germany and Italy declared war on
US, Britain declared war on Japan 9 hours after US)
Conclusion
1. Restate of thesis
- The reasoning that the United States got involved in World War
II was because _____________.
2. Conclusion Sentence
3. Thesis: US policy in relation to European Jews before and during the Second World War
was ineffective in protecting the human rights of the Jews or in providing aid until the
tail end of the war.
4. Historian’s Perspective
a. Brinkley: “But more forceful action by the United States before and even during
the war might well have saved some lives”
b. Military leaders focused on winning the war rather than saving lives
5. Context
a. Jews were being rounded up and sent to ‘concentration camps’
b. Gas chambers, crematoriums, poisonous showers, mass graves
c. America had joined the war
6. Body Paragraph: Denying them Safe Harbor/Immigration
a. Saint Louis’s passengers forbidden from landing in America and forced to return
to Germany even though they had correct visas
b. Cuba demanded huge fees to allow Jews entry
c. “pattern established well before Pearl Harbor” (Brinkley)
d. US resisted admitting large numbers of Jewish refugees
e. Despite having knowledge of the violence, reluctant to take in Jews
f. Immigration quotas very low
g. Bill to save Jewish children shot down in Senate
7. Body Paragraph: ‘Blind Eye’
a. Incontrovertible evidence that Hitler’s forces were rounding up Jews and others
b. Public pressure for rescue of surviving Jews
c. US government consistently resisted
i. “Although Allied bombers were flying missions within a few miles of the
most notorious death camp at Auschwitz in Poland, please that the
planes try to destroy the crematoria at the camp were rejected as
militarily unfeasible. So were similar requests that the Allies try to
destroy railroad lines leading to the camps” (Brinkley)
d. Widespread racial prejudices – anti-Semetic attitudes
8. Body Paragraph: Covering their Behinds
a. Policy makers claimed that America’s intervention wouldn’t have changed
anything
b. Claimed most effective thing was concentrate on winning the war
c. Most countries offered excuses for not letting in more refugees
d. Evian Conference achieved nothing; countries still unwilling to help Jews
e. “Americans gave several reasons: Auschwitz was not within the range of Allied
bombers, military resources could not be diverted from the war effort, bombing
Auschwitz might provoke even more vindictive German action”
f. America wasn’t willing to risk their military resources to save the Jews
9. Conclusion
Anmol Jammu
Question 3 Paper 3 Outline
Compare and contrast the social impact of the Great
Depression in two different countries from the region.
Thesis statement

In the United States and Canada, the social impact of the Great Depression
was fundamentally similar in that people searched for forms of escapism, art
and media reflected a distrust of businesses, and there was a widespread
sentiment of xenophobia and large migration.
Historical context

Economic prosperity before the Great Depression
Historiography


Brinkley shows only the Great Depression in the US
o Assumption: The Great Depression had a similar effect around the
world
IB textbook shows the effects of the Great Depression around the world
o Assumption: The Great Depression had unique effects around the
world
BP 1: People searched for forms of escapism

In the US, people turned to comics and film
o Comic books and especially Superman comics became very popular


o Comedies such as Gold Diggers of 1933 often depicted characters
obtaining quick and easy wealth
In Canada, people turned to hockey
o Even though hockey matches were often too expensive to see, radio
broadcasts made them easily accessible for the average person
Difference
o While both Americans and Canadians wanted to temporarily forget
about their problems, the medium through which they found this
escapism differed
BP 2: Art and media reflected a distrust of cities and businesses



In the US, Frank Capra’s films, which romanticized small towns and the
common man, were often very popular
o Mr. Deeds Goes to Town is a film about a man who gives away his
money to move back home after seeing the greed and corruption in
the city
Canadian paintings and literature often reflected the same themes
o Kerr, a famous Canadian painter in the 1930s, painted prairies and the
Pacific coast
o The novel Who Has Seen the Wind shows the struggles of ordinary
Canadians living rural lives
Difference
o While both Canadians and Americans idealized a simple and rural
lifestyle, Americans were more openly critical of their conditions
 American literature, such as The Grapes of Wrath and U.S.A.,
presented a negative view of capitalism
BP 3: Widespread sentiment of xenophobia and large migration





Mexicans immigrated to many US cities
o However, because of fear and discrimination, many were deported
out of the country
Canadians often lashed out at immigrants from eastern and northern Europe
In both the US and Canada, thousands of people hopped on trains to travel
from city to city looking for work
There was a large migration of African Americans from southern cities to the
North
Difference
o American xenophobia was more interspersed with racism than
Canadian xenophobia

Even Mexicans who were U.S. citizens were rounded up and
deported in raids on Mexican neighborhoods
Anmol Jammu
Question 12 Paper 3 Outline
Analyze the causes of the Great Depression in one country in
the Americas.
Thesis statement

The ultimate economic cause of the Great Depression in the United States of
America was overinvestment and overproduction which exceeded
consumer demand and purchasing power. This was complemented by the
proximate economic factors of the banking crisis and protectionism. Through
a combination of these, the Great Depression was inevitable and lasted
much longer than an ordinary economic recession.
Historical context


World War I
o Broken international debt structure
Compare and contrast to the Great Recession
o Similarity: Both had a global impact because of interdependent
economies
o Difference: The Great Depression was more severe
Historiography

Interpretation 1: Peter Temin and Keynesian economics
o Great Depression caused by too little consumer spending and
demand for goods which decrease the money supply
o Governmental efforts to stimulate demand and increase purchasing
power would have avoided such a severe depression
o Assumptions
 Temin takes a liberal and almost socialist viewpoint that assumes
that increased government involvement and redistribution of
wealth are required for a stable economy
o Criticisms
 The New Deal would have ended the Great Depression because
it increased government spending
Rebuttal: The New Deal was not large enough or properly
implemented
Interpretation 2: Milton Friedman and monetarism
o Great Depression allowed to become so severe because of mistakes
made by the Federal Reserve Board which led to deflation and
decreased consumer spending
o Better monetary policy rather than increased government spending
would have greatly lessened the impact of the Depression
o Assumptions
 Friedman takes a conservative viewpoint that assumes that the
most effective economy is one in which the government has
minimal involvement in the free trade system by avoiding
spending and maintaining a small deficit
Conclusion: Temin’s Keynesian viewpoint is more valid as it takes a holistic
approach to the issue by providing an explanation for deflation in terms of
supply and demand and incorporating it into a larger view of the causes of
the Great Depression rather than looking exclusively at deflation and
monetary policy.



Argument 1: The ultimate economic cause of the Great Depression was
overinvestment and overproduction which exceeded consumer demand







AmeriTrust Co. business cycle data chart (Document A) shows a bull market
boom shortly before the Depression
Harold Syrett from A History of the American People (Document F) writes that
the boom was “competitive bidding rather … any fundamental
improvement in American corporate enterprise”
In 1928, unemployment for nonfarm employees was almost 7% with an overall
trend of further increase (Document E)
Interview with typical cotton mill worker discussing how little purchasing
power Americans had (Document I)
60% of Americans were in poverty (Document K)
President Coolidge and General Motors executives encouraged investors to
keep investing in businesses regardless (Documents B and C)
Cartoon of overproduction in farms (Document N)
Argument 2: A proximate economic (and social) cause of the Great Depression
was the banking crisis

60 percent of all automobiles and furniture were bought on installment
because debt was no longer perceived with a negative connotation
(Document H)


People began buying on margin with as little as 10% down for a stock
purchase (Document G)
The fall of one bank often led to the fall of other banks (Document L)
Argument 3: Another proximate economic cause of the Great Depression and
the reason it became more than just a recession is the increase of protectionism
in the United States



America and its tariff policy were portrayed as a fortress in a cartoon from
Zurich (Document O)
Hawley-Smoot tariff (Document P)
New York Times article on direct payments from Germany (Document D)
Conclusion

Challenging the question: Is it really worth analyzing the causes of the Great
Depression? Aren’t economic recessions simply inevitable in a capitalist
economy? Perhaps a better question is not why the Great Depression
happened, but rather what caused it to be so severe.
Question 13 Outline:
Question: Why did the United States become involved in the Second World
War?
VII.
Introduction
3. Thesis
- The United States became involved in the Second World War
because ______________. (Ex.: the bombing of Pearl Harbor)
4. Hook to Historical Context
- Description on your reason for why the US got involved
VIII. Historical Context
2. Description of information leading to the event(s) in your thesis
- already existing tension between Japan and the US (military
power, government policy, etc.)
- US ceasing oil exports from Japan in July 1941
- Japan’s attack on China in 1937
IX.
Historians Perspective (Howard Zinn)
3. “Herbert Hoover had said, not long before the crash: ‘We in
America today are nearer to the final triumph over poverty than
ever before in the history of any land.’”
4. “Most wars, after all, present themselves as humanitarian
endeavors to help people.”
X.
XI.
XII.
Factual Paragraph 1
4. Description of the plan to bomb Pearl Harbor
5. Roosevelt’s knowledge (predictions that something might happen,
but were not planning to enter if Japan attacked other countries)
6. Actual event
Factual Paragraph 2
4. Immediate impact (killing thousands of citizens, but no soldiers)
5. Initial impact (US entering WWII)
6. How it initiated the US into WWII (day after attack, Roosevelt made
a declaration of war on Japan, Germany and Italy declared war on
US, Britain declared war on Japan 9 hours after US)
Conclusion
10.
Restate of thesis
- The reasoning that the United States got involved in World War
II was because _____________.
11.
Conclusion Sentence
Essay Question 4  Compare and contrast the role of government intervention in Canada and the
United States in 1929-1939
Historian Perspective:




The liberal reforms of the New Deal did not transform the American system; they
conserved and protected American corporate capitalism, occasionally by absorbing
parts of threatening programs. There was no significant redistribution of power in
American society, only limited recognition of other organized groups. . . . The New Deal
failed to solve the problem of depression, it failed to raise the impoverished, it failed to
redistribute income, it failed to extend equality and generally countenanced racial
discrimination and segregation
“A normal person would not argue that the New Deal prolonged the Great Depression” – Brad
DeLong
o In other words: No one would argue that the New Deal made the Great Depression last
longer; meaning that FDR’s plans to improve the wellbeing of the nation actually did
help the people get through the Great Depression
Some historians say New Deal a "revolution" in social polity
Most Scholars think “that the New Deal was a significant (and most agree valuable) chapter in
the history of the reform, but one that worked within rigid, occasionally crippling limits”
Thesis: The Great Depression, a time where there were economic failures and struggles financially,
lasted from 1929-1939. The Great Depression had not only impacted the American people, but also
many countries around the world such as Canada. In the United States, President Franklin Roosevelt had
set out many plans to help the United States get back on top, including the New Deal he had set out.
During the depression however, the Canadian government did not help the Canadian economy out of
the depression, but worsened the economy for the people.
BODY PARAGRAPH 1 –
Topic Sentence: The United States and the Canadian government had both set out plans to help out the
economy when the depression had hit. FDR had set out the New Deal, while the Richard Bennett had
tried establishing a relief system and many other measures to fight the depression.
(Context) CD: The Great Depression and the Americas, 1929-39 (IB Companion)




“At the federal level, Prime Minister Bennett established a number of other measures to
fight if not the causes then the symptoms of the Depression…”
“Roosevelt acted quickly to reform a broken system, providing a foundation for
recovery, and much-needed relief for those most affected by the Great Depression in
the United States…”
Both leaders of the countries had set out to help their economy
Again, FDR with the New Deal and Bennett setting out numerous laws/acts against the
government
BODY PARAGRAPH 2 –
Topic Sentence: Although the governments of both Canada and the United States had plans of helping
the economy, they were different in the sense that FDR was successful in carrying out his New Deal
while Bennett and King were not very successful.
CD: The Great Depression and the Americas, 1929-39





“Roosevelt acted quickly to reform a broken system, providing a foundation for
recovery, and much-needed relief for those most affected by the Great Depression in
the United States…”
“Roosevelt acted quickly to reform a broken system, providing a foundation for
recovery, and much-needed relief for those most affected by the Great Depression in
the United States…”
“Economy Act…attempted to balance the federal budget by cutting salaries and
reducing pensions”
“The first two years of the New Deal brought more agencies to assist with reform, relief
and recovery. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), established in 1934, brought power
and flood relief to the Tennessee River region…”
Roosevelt’s New Deal had been set out into action

While King didn’t necessarily help out the government
o The approach that he took was that he thought that the economy would fix
itself, so he didn't really do anything political to help out with the depression
BODY PARAGRAPH 3 –
Topic Sentence: The United States was successful in helping the U.S. economy during the Great
Depression.
CD: The New Deal (Brinkley)


“The Emergency Banking Act…the new law stabilized large banks, gave the Federal
Reserve Bank additional powers, took the dollar of the gold standard, and mandated
inspection of banks by the Treasury Department before they reopened…”
Like stated earlier, the U.S. had took some action and Canada didn’t really take any
actions
CONCLUSION:
Restatement of thesis -- The Great Depression had not only impacted the American people and also
impact countries such as Canada. In the United States, President Franklin Roosevelt had set out many
plans to help the United States get back on top, including the New Deal he had set out. During the
depression however, the Canadian government did not help the Canadian economy out of the
depression, but worsened the economy for the people.
Study guide question #5
By: Austin and Byron


Thesis statement: Franklin D. Roosevelt’s greatest achievement wasn’t making a more financially
secure United States because of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, The National
Recovery Administration, and The Farm Credit Administration.
Context:
-Great depression in full effect
-Herbert Hoover left office ineffectively trying to stop the great depression
-Franklin D. Roosevelt comes into power

Historian’s perspective
-Nothing the new deal did ended the Great Depression, but some of its policies kept it from
getting worse.
-Unemployment and poverty remained high throughout the New Deal.



Paragraph #1
-Agricultural Adjustment Administration
-set production caps for farmers
-pay subsidies for leaving some land idle
-ineffective because it favored large farmers over smaller ones
-ineffective because it did nothing to discourage planters from evicting tenants and
sharecroppers and firing field hands to reduce acreage
Paragraph #2
-National Recovery Administration
-set a temporary minimum wage and a maximum work week
-abolished child labor
-leveled prices
-ineffective because codes were hastily and poorly written
-ineffective because Large producers dominated the code writing
-Section 7A- allowing workers to bargain and join unions, contained no enforcement
mechanisms
-Industrial production declined months after
Paragraph #3
-Farm Credit Administration
-Mortgage relief
-Refinanced one-fifth of all farm mortgages
-25% of all American farm owners lost their land by 1934
Kate Khazoyan and Sara Madden
6th Period
6/12/13
Question 1: Examine the view that the Great Depression was caused primarily by
political rather than by economic factors
Essay Outline:
I.
II.
Introduction
a. Thesis: Although economic factors formed the basis of a recession, political factors
accelerated the economic downfall of the nation. These political factors ultimately
transformed a moderate recession into the Great Depression.
Historical Context
a. Brief introduction of time leading up to Depression
i.
World War I ended in 1918, the United States entered the war relatively late
ii.
United States emerged from the war in a superior position to most other
countries, many of whom were in debt to the United States
iii. American businesses, industries, and the stock market prospered
iv.
Americans were generally content during the 1920s, but this perception was
misleading
III.
Historian's Perspective
a. Milton Friedman and Anna Schwartz, Monetary History of the United States caused by drastic contraction of the currency, mistakes made by the Federal
Reserve Board; turned recession into the Depression
b. Michael Bernstein, The Great Depression - timing of the collapse transformed it
from a recession to a depression
IV.
Initial Economic Downfall - United States
a. Americans spending money they didn't have
b. Banks giving out loans with limited regulation
c. Stock market and speculation
V.
VI.
Political acceleration of developing Recession
a. President Calvin Coolidge assured Americans that they could look to the future
with optimism
b. Other countries owed a lot of money to US
c. Tariff policies isolated US economy
d. America exported more than it imported, limiting its ability to function as a creditor
nation
Conclusion
#11
Introduction paragraph:
Thesis: We disagree upon the necessity of dropping the atomic bomb to end World War II in order to
protect the reputation of the United States
Paragraph One Topic: Destruction on Japan
“At least fifteen square miles of the city were consumed in the resulting firestorm. /In the first six hours
the firestorm, more than one hundred thousand people died.”
"before the month was over, her ordered the firebombing of three more Japanese cities. By the end of
the war, LeMay had ordered the firebombing of sixty-four Japanese cities"
"When American victory was certain, twenty-two thousand Japanese civilian on the islands, many of
them women and children committed suicide by jumping off high cliffs."
Paragraph Two: Relationship with other countries
"Both policymakers and scientists in the United States and Britain watched Germany's advances in
nuclear research with growing anxiety...."
"President Truman, who at the time of the test was meeting with British Prime Minister Winston
Churchill, Soviet leader Josef Stalin, and Chinese President Chiang Kai-shek in Potsdam, Germany now
had the responsibility of deciding if an how the atomic bomb would be used."
Paragraph three: Consequences of using the atomic bomb (U.S.)
In the first thirty-one months after Pearl Harbor, 106,000 Americans either died or were severely
wounded in the Pacific War. From July 1944 to July 1945, U.S. casualties topped 185,000.
"The scientist faced several problems, including designing a bomb that would use the smallest amount
of fissionable material needed for a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction."
"After twelve years of research and more than $2 billion in expenditures, an idea that a generation of
physicists had only imagined as a theoretical possibility was suddenly a reality."
Conclusion
#11
Introduction paragraph:
Thesis: We disagree upon the necessity of dropping the atomic bomb to end World War II in order to
protect the reputation of the United States
Paragraph One Topic: Destruction on Japan
“At least fifteen square miles of the city were consumed in the resulting firestorm. /In the first six hours
the firestorm, more than one hundred thousand people died.”
"before the month was over, her ordered the firebombing of three more Japanese cities. By the end of
the war, LeMay had ordered the firebombing of sixty-four Japanese cities"
"When American victory was certain, twenty-two thousand Japanese civilian on the islands, many of
them women and children committed suicide by jumping off high cliffs."
Paragraph Two: Relationship with other countries
"Both policymakers and scientists in the United States and Britain watched Germany's advances in
nuclear research with growing anxiety...."
"President Truman, who at the time of the test was meeting with British Prime Minister Winston
Churchill, Soviet leader Josef Stalin, and Chinese President Chiang Kai-shek in Potsdam, Germany now
had the responsibility of deciding if an how the atomic bomb would be used."
Paragraph three: Consequences of using the atomic bomb (U.S.)
In the first thirty-one months after Pearl Harbor, 106,000 Americans either died or were severely
wounded in the Pacific War. From July 1944 to July 1945, U.S. casualties topped 185,000.
"The scientist faced several problems, including designing a bomb that would use the smallest amount
of fissionable material needed for a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction."
"After twelve years of research and more than $2 billion in expenditures, an idea that a generation of
physicists had only imagined as a theoretical possibility was suddenly a reality."
Conclusion
Thesis: The main causes of the Great Depression were social and economic. The sub causes
relating to the social aspect of it were that firstly, the “buy now, pay later” mentality that
spread through the U.S. and secondly the idea of anyone being able to afford luxury items. The
sub cause relating to the economic aspect of the Great Depression was the poor structure of
the banking system and poor structure of the stalk market.
Historical Context
-
End of WWI stock market rise
Stock prices rise
Stock manipulation
Stock market crash 1929
“Buy now, pay later”
Accumulation of debt
Everyone can afford the luxuries
Unemployment rates rise
Overproduction = strain on farm industry
Out of depression in 1940s
Historian’s perspective
-
Brinkley
Body Paragraphs
-
Buy now, pay later
Anyone can afford luxury items
Poor banking structure
Poor stalk market Structure
Franklin D Roosevelt's greatest achievement was to make a more financially
secure United States. To what extent do you agree with this statement?
I.
Thesis: Franklin D Roosevelt's greatest achievement was to make a more
financially secure United States, through many of the policies that the New Deal
brought, yet it was not as permanent solution, it was merely a relief.
II.
Historiography: Brinkley- Alan Brinkley sees Roosevelt's role as a quick actor,
because he acted swiftly to reform the broken system, helping to recover
America's economy. His charisma helped the American peoples to become more
confident. He passed laws to stabilize large banks, and bring the economy back
to its former glory.
III.
Context:
a. The stock market crash on black Tuesday
b. During the great depression, economy was down, unemployment was up.
Major cities saw unemployment rates from 50% to 80%. Many hoovervilles
were established.
c. Hoover did not feel a need to help the people with their economic
struggles.
d. Franklin D Roosevelt came up with a multitude of policies to go along with
the New Deal, which he intended to bring the United State's economic
status to a more secure level.
IV.
Body Paragraphs:
a. Economy Acts:
i. Designed to stabilize fiscal conservatives.
ii. Emergency Banking act stabilized large banks, and gave FRB
(federal reserve bank) more power.
iii. Also took the dollar off the gold standard, and inspected banks.
b. Triple A:
i. Brings a rise for farm incomes 50%.
ii. Its purpose was to rise farm prices, so that farmers could survive
through the depression.
c. Unions - Industrial Recovery Act:
i. Promises workers to form unions and bargain.
ii. Created a lot of tension between employers and workers
iii. (Example is the untied we sit)
V.
Conclusion:
a. Franklin D Roosevelt's goal was to create economic relief for the people of
the united states. This was accomplished through his use of the new deal
and the policies that it created weather it was from specific acts like the
Economy act , and groups that were created to help people in need such
as the Triple A and the unions that workers were able to create.