Unit VI: Progressivism, First World War, Roaring Twenties, Depression and the New Deal, Foreign Policy, and World
War II. Political History 1896 to 1945 and Foreign Policy 1914 to 1945.
Progressivism
1. Democracy, Efficiency, Pragmatism – Progressivism had a large part in all of these as it was a continuation
to industrialization after the Civil War. It was also a fight against corruption and inefficiency in a
democratic government. Pragmatism brought the American public face to face with the question of
evolution as well as suggesting that the end justified the means.
2. “Muckrakers” – A nickname coined by Teddy Roosevelt for journalists who went after big businesses and
other large industries.
3. Henry Demarest Lloyd, Wealth Against Commonwealth – An American writer who won fame by showing
the practices of big business to the common people. One of the many muckracker novels of the late
1800s.
4. Thorstein Veblen, The Theory of the Leisure Class – A muckraker novel that attacked the wealthy. Veblen
was an economist who didn’t believe that the wealthiest were often the best of society.
5. Jacob Riis, How the Other Half Lives – A muckraker who exposed social and economic evils in the early
1900s.
6. Lincoln Steffens, The Shame of the Cities – A muckraker novel that dealt with the poor people in cities.
7. Frank Norris, The Octopus- A muckraker novel that discussed how railroads controlled a group of
Californian famers.
8. Ida Tarbell, History of the Standard Oil Company – A series of articles that were published into a magazine
by muckraker Ida Tarbell. Motivated people to want to outlaw monopolies.
9. Johan Spargo, The Bitter Cry of the Children – A muckraker novel that discussed the problems with forcing
children to work. Called for better education, schools, and teachers.
10. David Graham Phillips, The Treason of the Senate – A novel that criticized the government, especially
those in the Senate, for not representing the people.
11. Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Woman and Economics – Told women to get out of the house and do things. A
strong feminist.
12. Johan Dewy, The School and Society, “Progressive Education,” “Learn by Doing” – An American
philosopher and educator that founded the movement of Pragmatism. Claimed that only knowledge and
reason could be used to solve problems and fought for school reform. He was influenced by Darwin’s
Theory.
13. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Supreme court – A famous justice of the Supreme Court during the early
1900s. Called the "Great Dissenter" because he spoke out against the inposition of national regulations
and standards, and supported the states' rights to experiment with social legislation.
14. Margaret Sanger – American leader of the movement to legalize birth control during the early 1900's. As a
nurse in the poor sections of New York City, she had seen the suffering caused by unwanted pregnancy.
Founded the first birth control clinic in the U.S. and the American Birth Control League, which later
became Planned Parenthood.
15. Edward Ross – Sociologist who promoted "social psychology," the belief that social environment affected
the behavior of individuals. He believed that practical solutions to current problems should be derived
through the united efforts of church, state and science, and that the citizens should actively try to cure
social ills rather than sit passively and wait for corrections.
16. Richard Ely – an economist and social scientist who was very active in the progressive movement; insisted
that laissez-faire was outmoded and dangerous; argued that as times changed, economic theories and
laws must be modified to be relevant.
17. Initiative, Referendum, Recall – An Initiative gave the people to propose a law and a referendum allowed
the people to vote on proposed legislation. Recalls allowed the people to vote to cast out an elected
official. Caused politicians to represent the people stronger.
18. Direct Primary – by 1910, the direct primary system was almost universal; part of the Wisconsin Idea to
make the state government more responsive to the will of the people.
19. Australian Ballot (Secret Ballot) – introduced in 1888 as means of secret voting; it was strongly opposed
by party machines, but then became gradually accepted; originally began in Australia; prevented bribery
and corruption.
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Unit VI: Progressivism, First World War, Roaring Twenties, Depression and the New Deal, Foreign Policy, and World
War II. Political History 1896 to 1945 and Foreign Policy 1914 to 1945.
20. Tammany hall – New York; the organization was ruled by Richard Crocker, who was a corrupt political
manipulator; local Democratic machine.
21. 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th Amendments – 16th – 1913, authorized federal income tax. 17th – 1913, gave the
people the power to directly elect Senators. 18th – 1919, prohibited the sale and consumption of alcohol.
19th – 1920, gave women the right to vote.
22. Charles Evans Hughes – conducted an investigation of the big life insurance companies; the Republican
nominee in the Election of 1912; stiff and ineffective speaker; secretary of state in the Harding
administration.
23. Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire – disaster in New York in 1911, which killed about 150 women because
the building had no fire escapes; led to stricter municipal building codes and factory inspection acts.
24. WCTU, Women’s Christian Temperance Union – A powerful feminist group that sought prohibition.
25. Anti-Saloon League – another powerful organization in the Progressive Era that opposed the consumption
of alcohol for any reason.
26. Square Deal – one of Theodore Roosevelt’s policies that contained something for every class and person;
attracted many different types of voters; adopted by his successor, Taft.
27. Newlands Reclamation Act, 1902 – Funneled the profits made from land sales in the West into federal
irrigation projects; on of Roosevelt’s new laws, trying to pull attention away from the tariff and silver
question.
28. Forest Reserve Act, 1891 – A forest conservation act. Many similar acts were passed during the
progressive era.
29. Anthracite Coal Strike, 1902, George F. Baer – Baer led the large strike by the minor’s union.
30. Elkins Act, 1903, Rebates – strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission’s hand against the
railroads by making the receiving as well as the granting of rebates illegal and by forbidding the roads to
deviate in any way from their published rates.
31. Hepburn Act, 1906 – Set stricter codes for the railroads and expanded the power of the ICC by giving them
the power to set maximum rates.
32. Mann-Elkins Act, 1910 – passed during Taft’s administration; empowered the ICC to suspend rate
increases without waiting for a shipper to complain and established the Commerce Court to speed the
settlement of railroad cases.
33. “Trustbuster” – what Roosevelt was known for because he considered monopoly problem the most
pressing issue of the times; he didn’t believe breaking up of bug businesses; jus the regulation of them;
used the Sherman Antitrust Act to pursue companies like Standard Oil.
34. Northern Securities Co. Case – The Supreme Court ordered this company led by J. P. Morgan, James J. Hill,
and E. H. Harriman to break-up because it was a trust.
35. Meat Inspection Act – After reading The Jungle, Roosevelt fought to lay down regulations for meat
packing industries.
36. Upton Sinclair, The Jungle – bestseller; was a supposed to be a narrative about socialism, but instead
exposed the filthy condition of the Chicago slaughterhouses; motivated Roosevelt to take action.
37. Pure Food and Drug Act – 1906; forbade the manufacture and sale of adulterated and fraudulently labeled
products; before this act, manufacturers were free to use any ingredients that they wished. Later turned
into the FDA.
38. Conservation Conference, 1908 – organized by Roosevelt to discuss conservation measures; as a result of
this meeting, most states created conservation commissions.
39. Panic of 1907 – “Roosevelt’s Panic”; sudden panic that struck the financial world; spread to the Stock
Exchange when speculators found that they were unable to borrow money to meet their obligations;
Roosevelt authorized the deposit of large amounts of government cash in New York banks; blamed the
President for the following depression.
40. Election of 1904: Candidates and Issues –
a. Republicans –Roosevelt
b. Democrats – Judge Alton B. Parker of New York
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Unit VI: Progressivism, First World War, Roaring Twenties, Depression and the New Deal, Foreign Policy, and World
War II. Political History 1896 to 1945 and Foreign Policy 1914 to 1945.
c.
Roosevelt swept up the country; people were suspicious of the party of Bryan; Roosevelt revived
the Sherman Act, settled the Coal Strike, and pushed for moderate reforms; business interests
regarded the Democrats as permanently and dangerously impulsive. Roosevelt won.
41. Election of 1908: Candidates and Issues –
a. Republicans - Taft
b. Democrats - William Jennings Bryan
c. Socialists - Eugene Debs
d. Taft won over the issues of monopolies and tariffs.
42. Mark Hanna –McKinley’s campaign manager who modernized campaigning techniques to allow him
maximum publicity throughout the country. Disliked Roosevelt because he was unable to control him.
43. Scientific Management, Frederick W. Taylor – developed his time-and-motion studies in the beginning of
the century; his method was to make careful analyses of each step and movement in the manufacturing
process and then teach the workers how best to perform each function; very effective.
44. Wisconsin “Laboratory of Democracy” – A nickname for Wisconsin because it was a very progressive state
and new ideas for government were often under creation there.
45. Robert La Follette – A great political leader who headed the progressive movement in Wisconsin.
46. Regulatory Commissions – commissions that were designed to study the effects of the tariff on the
economy.
47. Jane Addams, Hull House – A settlement house in Chicago in 1889; objected strongly to American
imperialism; a founder of the National Association For the Advancement of Colored People; opposed
American involvement in WWI; worldwide peace advocator.
48. Florence Kelley, Consumerism – of the Consumers’ League whose slogan was “investigate, agitate,
legislate”; the most effective women’s reform organization of the period; defended the shortened wok
day for women.
49. Home Rule for Cities – gave the cities freedom from state control in dealing with local matters.
50. Tom Johnson, Sam (Golden Rule) Jones, Brand Whitlock, Hazen Pingree – important progressive mayors;
these city reformers often destroyed the machines by changing the urban political institutions.
51. City Manager Commission Plan – Concentrating the responsibility and making it easier to coordinate
complex activities by placing integrated executive and legislative powers in the hands of small elected
commission.
52. William Howard Taft – wanted a continuation of antitrust enforcement, environmental conservation, and
a lower tariff policy to encourage foreign trade; elected in 1908; less successful in healing the Republican
split between conservatives and progressives; failed to promote political harmony; had a lack of vigor and
political ineptness.
53. Department of Labor (from 1903 Department of Commerce and Labor, Bureau of Corporations also in
1903) – department that had the ability to investigate industrial combines and issue reports.
54. Payne-Aldrich Tariff, 1909 – signed by Taft to reduce the tariff after the Republican Party fought the
President’s battle for him.
55. Ballinger-Pinchot Controversy – got Taft into trouble with the conservationists; Ballinger was Taft’s
Secretary of Interior; the Chief Forester Pinchot criticized Taft’s man for shaky decisions; Taft supported
Balling but a more adept politician would have found a way to avoid a controversy.
56. Uncle Joe Cannon, Old Guard – A Speaker of the House who held so much power he could make or break
legislation from 1903 to 1910. He represented the Old Guard, which controlled Congress and his tactics
led to resolutions in 1910 that limited the power of the Speaker.
57. Senator George Norris –Congressman from Nebraska who was a reformer Republican that authored the
20th Amendment and helped limit the arbitrary powers of the Speaker. Was an isolationist that tried to
keep the U.S. out of WWI.
58. Rule of Reason: Standard Oil Case, American Tobacco Case – Theodore Roosevelt during his presidency
filed a suit against Standard Oil and American Tobacco.
59. “Dollar Diplomacy” – An idea developed by Taft that stated that economic infiltration of foreign countries
would help maintain stability and also bring the U.S. profits.
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Unit VI: Progressivism, First World War, Roaring Twenties, Depression and the New Deal, Foreign Policy, and World
War II. Political History 1896 to 1945 and Foreign Policy 1914 to 1945.
60. Secretary of State Knox – Secretary of State under Taft that encouraged and protected U.S. foreign
investments.
61. Manchurian Railroad scheme – Under Taft, the U.S. planned to build a railroad to transport American
goods inside China. This would help them corner the Chinese market.
62. Roosevelt’s Osawatomie, Kansas Speech – Roosevelt introduced his New Nationalism program during this
speech.
63. Taft-Roosevelt Split – A split in the Republican party caused the Old Guard to back Taft and the
Progressives to back Roosevelt. This split the party too deeply, costing them the election.
64. Bull Moose Party – The party which Roosevelt ran under for the 1912 election.
65. Woodrow Wilson, New Freedom – Wilson believed that monopolies must be broken up and that business
must be regulated. Proposed the New Freedom economic plan which promoted competition.
66. Theodore Roosevelt, New Nationalism – Theodore Roosevelt proposed a program called New Nationalism
to compete with Wilson’s New Freedom. Government would coordinate and regulate the economy and
business.
67. Herbert Croly, The Promise of American Life – A book that stated that Hamilitonian means must be
applied to achieve Jeffersonian ends.
68. Election of 1912 Candidates and Issues –
a. Republicans – Taft
b. Bull-Moose Party - Roosevelt
c. Democrats – Wilson
d. Issues – Issues included the way the economy should work and the war in Europe.
69. Eugene V. Debs, Socialist Party – In 1900 the labor leader Eugene V. Debs ran for president on the Socialist
ticket. He polled fewer than 100,000 votes. When he ran again in 1904, he got more than 400,000 and in
later election, still more.
70. Danial DeLeon, IWW, Wobblies, “Big Bill” Heywood – In 1905 Debs, William “Big Bill” Heywood, of the
Western Federation of Miners, Mary Harris “Mother” Jones, a former organizer for the United Mine
Workers, Daniel DeLeon of the Socialist Labor party, and a few others organized a new union, the
Industrial Workers of the World. The IWW was openly anti-capitalist.
71. Pujo Committee – This committee was created to decide what to do with the Philippines after the
Spanish-American War.
72. Federal Reserve Act – Federal Reserve Act gave the country a central banking system for the first time
since Jackson destroyed the Bank of the United States. The measure divided the nation into 12 banking
districts.
73. Underwood-Simmons Tariff – Most rates were reduced from nearly 40% to 29%. A graduated income tax
was included in this measure to make up for lost tariff revenue. The “free list” (items not taxed) increased
greatly because woolens, iron, steel, farm machinery, raw materials, and foodstuffs were added.
74. Income Tax – Reinstituted after the passage of the Underwood-Simmons Tariff in anticipation of lost
revenues from tariffs. Although income taxes had formerly been declared unconstitutional by the
Supreme Court, ratification of the 16th Amendment made income taxes legal.
75. Federal Trade Commission, Cease and Desist Orders – created in 1914, it was composed of five members
who were to be appointed by the president and approved by the Senate. The FTC was to investigate
corporate practices and, when necessary, issue “cease and desist” orders. Cease and desist orders were
used to halt illegal activities of corporations under investigation by the FTC.
76. Clayton Antitrust Act, Labor’s Magna Carta (?) – Extended the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 to give it
more power against trusts and big business. It outlawed practices that had a dangerous likelihood of
creating a monopoly, even if no unlawful agreement was involved.
77. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan – Bryan was appointed to this position by Pres. Woodrow
Wilson. Despite having little experience in foreign affairs, Bryan was able to negotiate treaties between
some 30 nations during the tumultuous World War I period. His policies regarding Latin America,
especially those involving Nicaragua, produced a lot of tension and problems. Bryan resigned on June 9,
1915 because of a disagreement he had with Wilson’s policies regarding the war.
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Unit VI: Progressivism, First World War, Roaring Twenties, Depression and the New Deal, Foreign Policy, and World
War II. Political History 1896 to 1945 and Foreign Policy 1914 to 1945.
78. Arbitration Treaties – treaties negotiated by U.S. as an effort to mediate the disputes between various
countries. These treaties included an agreement for a one-year “cooling off” period, in which no nation
could take action until after the one-year period. After the cooling-off period, nations could then choose
to act as they saw fit. When serious crises presented themselves, however, the treaties became null and
void.
79. Panama Tolls Dispute – Under the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty (1901), agreement had been reached that all
nations using the Panama Canal would be charged the same fees. However, in 1912, Congress passed a
law saying that American ships could use the canal without paying these fees. Great Britain was infuriated
and demanded that the law be repealed. After much arguing and discussion, Congress agreed to Wilson’s
requests, and all was well once again.
80. Colonel House – Colonel Edwin House became President Wilson’s closest advisor and often served as
liaison with members of Wilson’s administration as well as important men in the nation. In 1914, in an
effort to prevent the outbreak of war, House was sent to Europe. In 1915, he was sent to Europe again in
order to suggest a peace conference. House also served as an U.S. representative at conferences for
coordination Allied activities. House helped to draft both the Treaty of Versailles and the Covenant of the
League of Nations.
81. Louis Brandeis, “Brandeis Brief” – Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. In Muller v.Oregon (1908),
Brandeis persuaded the Supreme Court that legislation regarding minimum-hours for women was both
reasonable and constitutional. His brief, the “Brandeis Brief,” on this case consisted mainly of statistical,
sociological, physiological, and economic information. This brief, in many ways, drastically changed the
practice of law.
82. La Follette Seaman’s Act – Required a maximum of 56 hours of work per week, guaranteed standards of
cleanliness and safety, right of seamen to sue for damages against negligent ship owners, right of crews to
get half pay while in port, right of seamen to organize for all seamen.
83. Federal Highway Act, 1916 – an act approved by Wilson, it provided money from the government to build
and maintain better roads, thereby providing competition for the monopoly held by railroads on the
transportation and shipping industries.
84. Adamson Act, 1916 – established the eight-hour work day, as well as overtime pay guidelines concerning
railroad workers who were working on interstate runs.
85. Smith-Lever Act, Smith-Hughes Act – (1917), established the first Food Administration that would do the
following: fix food prices, coordinate purchases, license distributors, oversee exportation, encourage
farmers to grow more crops, and act against hoarding and profiteering.
86. Virgin Islands Purchased – purchased in 1917 from Denmark, the Virgin Islands were a strategic move in
order to protect the Panama Canal.
87. Jones Act, 1916 (Philippines) – In order to appease Filipinos and Americans alike, this “organic” law was
passed, granting Philippine independence as soon as a stable government was in place.
88. Jones Act, 1917 (Puerto Rico) – passed by Congress in 1917, it created territorial status for Puerto Rico,
thereby making its people citizens of the United States.
89. Mexican Revolution, Diaz, Huerta, Carranza – A series of revolutions that caused mass confusion and
destruction throughout the country. Dictator Porfirio Díaz was first overthrown because of the general
dissatisfaction of the people. Díaz was replaced by Francisco Madero, who was then deposed by General
Victoriano Huerta. Due to Huerta’s drunken and despotic dictatorship, Vensustiano Carranza then became
dictator. Carranza remained president until 1920 when he was killed.
90. Mexican Migration to the United States – due to both poor economic conditions within Mexico as well as
the civil unrest, many Mexicans migrated to the United States both in the 1800s and especially in the early
1900s. Many of them worked in agriculture, namely as migrant workers.
91. “Watchful Waiting” – President Monroe’s motto during the isolationism period when U.S. was trying to
avoid getting involved in international affairs. During this period, referred to Wilson’s cautiousness.
92. ABC Powers – with another Mexican War seemingly on the horizon, several nations arranged a meeting in
Niagara Falls, Canada in 1914 in order to smooth things over between Mexico and the U.S. These nation,
Argentina, Brazil, and Chile (ABC Powers), managed to get the U.S. and Mexico to agree that Huerta would
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Unit VI: Progressivism, First World War, Roaring Twenties, Depression and the New Deal, Foreign Policy, and World
War II. Political History 1896 to 1945 and Foreign Policy 1914 to 1945.
give up his power. His successor, Carranza, did not acquiesce to the agreement. The U.S. removed its
forces from Vera Cruz, extending diplomatic recognition to Carranza.
93. Pancho Villa, Gerneral Pershing – Carranza’s so-called “ally,” Pancho Villa, turned against the new
president. Villa tried to weaken Carranza by exacerbating problems with the U.S. When Villa’s men struck
Columbus, NM, killing 17 Americans, Wilson could no longer not act. He commissioned General John J.
(“Black Jack”) Pershing to find Villa, dead or alive. Pershing failed to find the ever-elusive Villa and is
quoted as saying, “Villa is everywhere, but Villa is nowhere.”
94. Archangel Expedition – 1917 – U.S. troops went to the Soviet cities Murmansk and Archangel in order to
reinforce non-Communist Russian troops. Rather than fighting against the Russian Communists, the U.S.
troops defended ports.
First World War
95. “Sick Man of Europe,” Ottoman Empire, Balkan Wars – The Ottoman Empire (Turkey) was in league
during World War I with the Central Powers. With its troops spread across Europe and elsewhere, areas of
the Ottoman Empire, such as Macedonia and Albania, rebelled in an attempt to gain their independence.
The Balkan Wars occurred even before the outbreak of World War I and signaled that the great Ottoman
Empire would soon becoming to its end. It was officially broken up in 1918.
96. Triple Entente: Allies – an unofficial understanding between France, Great Britain, and Russia based on
previous alliances. It was thought to counterbalance the Triple Alliance but was terminated when the
Bolsheviks gained control in Russia in 1917.
97. Triple Alliance: Central Powers – an alliance that lasted from 1882 until 1915 between Germany, AustriaHungary, and Italy.
98. Loans to the Allies – Before the United States was truly involved in WWI, President Wilson as early as 1914
clandestinely began approving short term loans to the Allies in order to sustain trade. By the end of the
war, the U.S. had loaned nearly $2 billion to the Allies.
99. British Blockade – starting shortly after the outbreak of WWI, the British illegal blockade of Germany and
its allies was to prevent raw materials, foodstuffs, medicine, coal, and the like. The blockade lasted until
after Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles.
100. Lusitania, Arabic Pledge, Sussex Pledge – The Lusitania, a British ship, was sunk by the Germans on May
7, 1915. Americans were outraged because among the 1,200 or so killed, 128 dead were Americans. The
Arabic Pledge was made by German ambassador Johann Heinrich von Bernstorff after the Germans sank
the British ship the Arabic. This pledge said that the Germans would halt the practice of attacking
unarmed passenger ships without warning as well as provide for the safety and well-being of crew and
passengers of any passenger ships under attack. Another ship, the French Sussex, was attacked; however,
the Sussex did not sink. After this outrage, Germany responded by changing their submarine policy with
the promise that there would be no more sinking of passenger ships and that merchant ships would first
be searched and provisions made for passengers and crew before being sunk.
101. Election of 1916: Candidates and Issues –
a. Democrat: Woodrow Wilson; Electoral Votes: 277; Popular Vote: 49.3%
b. Republican: Charles E. Hughes; Electoral Votes: 254; Popular Vote: 46.1%
c. Issues: American policy toward nations at war – remain neutral or get involved?
102. Unrestricted Submarine Warfare – this was the German practice of attacking all ships that were bound
to countries it was at war with. Many neutral countries were outraged when their private shipping vessels
were attacked by the Germans. Examples of this include the Lustiana, the Arabic, and the Sussex.
103. Zimmerman Note – an intercepted German dispatch revealing that Germany had proposed an alliance
with Mexico. The proposed alliance said that Mexico would receive back Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona
in the event of war with the U.S.
104. Russian Revolutions, 1917, March and Bolshevik – After centuries of being ruled by the czars, Russian
peasants overthrew the Russian monarchy in 1917. The first government set up after the monarchs had
be ousted was a weak democracy. Another revolution took place, overthrowing the government and
establishing in its place a Communist regime. This regime was led by the Bolshevik party under Lenin.
Lenin pulled Russia out of WWI.
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Unit VI: Progressivism, First World War, Roaring Twenties, Depression and the New Deal, Foreign Policy, and World
War II. Political History 1896 to 1945 and Foreign Policy 1914 to 1945.
105. War Declared, April 1917 – Following outrages such as the Zimmerman note and the attack on the
Lusitania, the United States felt it could no longer remain neutral. War was declared on Germany in April,
1917.
106. “Make the World Safe for Democracy” – Despite the overwhelming support for the war effort, some
people still had doubts. To appease the dissenters, Wilson coined this phrase as a reason for U.S.
involvement in WWI.
107. Creel Committee – also known as the Committee of Public Information. Created by Wilson and headed
by journalist George Creel, its purpose was to keep the public informed, or rather, to influence the public
to accept Wilson’s idea of the better world that would be created after the war. CPI writers described the
war as a crusade for liberty and democracy against the Germans and their allies.
108. Bond Drives – Finances for the war effort were scarce. Bond drives were held in order to get Americans
to buy government war bonds in order to finance the war. Many people traveled around the country
selling them and were extremely successful in raising funds.
109. War Industries Board – The board was created by Wilson to do the following for the war effort: allocate
scarce materials, standardize production, fix prices, and coordinate American and Allied purchasing.
110. Bernard Baruch – very rich financier and government advisor, Baruch had several important roles during
WWI. He advised on national defense, was chairman of the War Industries Board, and helped to delineate
the economic provisions of the Versailles Treaty.
111. Herbert Hoover, Food Administration – After the U.S. had entered WWI, Hoover became the Food
Administrator (head of the Food Administration), a member of the War Trade Council, and chairman of
the Interallied Food Council. As head of the Food Administration, Hoover was able to cut consumption of
foods needed overseas and avoided the rationing of foods on the homefront. Yet he was able to keep the
Allied forces nourished.
112. Espionage Act, 1917; Sedition Act, 1918 – The Espionage Act, signed by Wilson, imposed fines up to
$10,000 and jail sentences up to 20 years for those aiding the enemy or obstructing justice. This act also
gave the postmaster general the right to ban from the mail any materials that seemed to be treasonous or
seditious. The Sedition Act was passed in 1918, and stated that anyone saying anything to discourage the
purchase of war bonds was guilty of a crime. It also made illegal the stating or publishing of anything antigovernment.
113. Eugene V. Debs Imprisoned – During World War I, Debs was a highly vocal and visible pacifist. He was
convicted of violating the Sedition Act because of making an anti-war speech. He was sentenced to 10
years in prison, thereby causing him to run his 1920 campaign for the presidency from behind bars. He
was pardoned by President Harding in 1921.
114. AEF – the American Expeditionary Force. These were the first American ground troops to reach the
European front. Commanded by General John J. Pershing, they did not find a significant role in the fighting
until 1918. Also known as the “doughboys.”
115. Selective Service: 1917 - A predecessor to the draft, this required that all men between the ages of 20
and 45 had to register for possible military service.
116. Black Migration to Northern Cities – Because racism and lack of jobs were constant problems for
Southern blacks, many of them migrated to Northern cities where jobs were more prevalent and racism
more muted. However, the sudden surge of blacks in Northern cities led to a white backlash and more
racism.
117. Aims of Allies and U.S. at Peace Conference – The main gist of the aims of the Allies and U.S. at the
Peace Conference was that the Germans compensate them for damages and such. President Wilson had a
total of 14 points he wanted accomplished; however, only one ever came to fruition. The harsh financial
and economical punishments sent Germany into a depression and would later aid in the rise of Hitler.
118. Wartime Manpower Losses – WWI, because of its international battle stage, modern weapons, and old
fighting styles, was much more violent and deadly than previous conflicts. More men were needed from
countries throughout the world in order to fight, and therefore other people, such as women and
children, had to fill the shoes of the men in factories and in other wartime industries.
119. Fourteen Points – the name given to Wilson’s plan to make the world “fit and safe to live in.” In his plan,
he said that the peace treaty should not be secret but rather be negotiated in full view of world opinion.
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Unit VI: Progressivism, First World War, Roaring Twenties, Depression and the New Deal, Foreign Policy, and World
War II. Political History 1896 to 1945 and Foreign Policy 1914 to 1945.
The treaty should also guarantee freedom of the sees to all nations, tear down barriers of international
trade, provide for a drastic reduction of weaponry, and boundaries throughout Europe should be redrawn
so that no majority would have to live under a government not of its own selection.
120. Congressional Elections of 1918 – Wilson deeply wanted a predominantly Democrat Congress so that his
measures regarding foreign policy would be supported. His pleas for such a Congress were rejected by the
public. In this election, the result was this: 47 Democrats and 49 Republicans in the Senate; 216
Democrats and 210 Republicans in the House.
121. Versailles Conference, Versailles Treaty – This conference is where the Allies and the Central Powers met
in order to negotiate a treaty of peace. On June 28, 1919 the Versailles Treaty was signed, thereby ending
the war. The Germans suffered great punitive reparations for the war.
122. U. S. Versailles Delegation – This delegation, headed by Wilson, was the U.S. representatives to the
Versailles Conference. Wilson, along with many other advisors and American political leaders, fought for
14 specific points to be included in the final treaty. However, only one of these points was included – the
League of Nations.
123. Big Four: Wilson, George, Clemenceau, Orlando – refers to the “leaders” at the Paris peace conference
who quickly took control of the negotiations: President Wilson, Prime Minister David Lloyd George (Great
Britain), Premier Georges Clemenceau (France), Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando (Italy).
124. League of Nations – Following World War I, many prominent world leaders felt that to keep in check any
future international problems that a society of nations be formed. Wilson was a firm advocate of this idea,
incorporating the proposal for the League of Nations into his Fourteen Points speech. At the Paris Peace
Conference in 1919, Wilson was also the main advocate for the establishment of the League. The
formation of the League in the next years was based on the Covenant, which was, in itself, a mini-League.
The articles of the Covenant would later be used for the formation of the League of Nations.
125. Collective Security – an agreement between countries for mutual defense and to discourage aggression.
Article 10 of the League charter made use of this concept.
126. New Nations, Self-Determination – Following WWI, many new countries were formed because Germany
as well as many Eastern European countries and former Russian territories were divided. Wilson and
others wanted these new nations to have their own independent governments.
127. Reparations – this refers to the extreme financial penalties Germany had to pay the Allies in order to
cover the costs spent during the war. These reparations eventually led to a severe depression in Germany.
128. Mandate System – a system of trusteeships established by the Covenant for the administration of former
Turkish and German territories. The obligations for the care of the territory were assumed by the
mandate power. The system was administered by the League of Nations through a Permanent Mandates
Commission.
129. Article 10 (often written Article X) of the Versailles Treaty – Article 10 promised to protect the territorial
integrity and political independence of member nations.
130. Article 231 of the Versailles Treaty – This article was a very controversial one. It considered the Germans’
legal liability versus the moral liability.
131. Senate Rejection, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Reservations – Opposition to both the treaty and the
League of Nations came especially heavily from the Senate. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge led the dissenters.
As the chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Lodge, and his associates, opposed entry
into the League of Nations until they were sure that, through very specific and limiting demands, U.S.
interests would be protected.
132. “Irreconcilables:” Borah, Johnson, La Follette – There were some in opposition to the League of Nations
who would have reconsidered their opposition had certain specifications had been made.
133. Red Scare, Palmer Raids – As the Communist Party gained support in the U.S., American fear of
Communism was growing as well. In 1920, Attorney General Palmer approved raids in 33 cities. Palmer’s
raiders broke into meeting halls and homes without warrants. Some 4,000 “Communists” were jailed;
some were even deported.
134. Strikes: 1919, Coal, Steel, Police – The striking fervor of 1919 began with strikes in anthracite coalmines.
Then some 350,000 steelworkers went on strike as well. Even the police of Boston went on strike. These
strikes badly damaged labor unions.
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Unit VI: Progressivism, First World War, Roaring Twenties, Depression and the New Deal, Foreign Policy, and World
War II. Political History 1896 to 1945 and Foreign Policy 1914 to 1945.
135. Inflation During the First World War – Temporary shortages had caused inflation. Inflation then caused
labor problems. Labor unions had grown stronger during the war and were demanding wage increases.
Over 4 million workers were on strike during 1919. Strikes and the like exacerbated shortages, causing
greater inflation and more strikes. Unemployment was unusually high when prices, especially agricultural
ones, dropped suddenly.
136. Election of 1916: Candidates and Issues –
a. Democrat: Woodrow Wilson; Electoral Votes: 277; Popular Vote: 49.3%
b. Republican: Charles E. Hughes; Electoral Votes: 254; Popular Vote: 46.1%
c. Issues: American policy toward nations at war – remain neutral or get involved?
137. Brief Depression, 1920-1921 – Following WWI, prices rose sharply, and consumers stopped buying.
Unemployment jumped nearly 10% as industry and export trade virtually came to a halt.
Roaring Twenties
138. Election of 1920: Candidates and Issues –
a. Democrat: James M. Cox; Electoral Vote: 127; Popular Vote: 34.6%
b. Republican: Warren G. Harding; Electoral Vote: 404; Popular Vote: 61%
c. Socialist: Eugene V. Debs; Electoral Vote: 0; Popular Vote: 3.5%
d. Issues included Wilson’s “normalcy” and prohibition.
139. Vice Presidential Candidates – Calvin Coolidge ran with Republican candidate Warren G. Harding; F.D.
Roosevelt ran with Democrat candidate James Cox.
140. Normalcy – After several tumultuous years on the international scene, most Americans were ready for a
return to isolationism and the quiet “serenity” they had enjoyed during the post-Civil War, pre-World War
I period.
141. Esch-Cummins Transportation Act – This act provided for a change in railroad regulation. It allowed for
the railroads to return to private control. It also widened the powers of the ICC.
142. Harding Scandals: Charles Forbes, Harry Daugherty, Secretary of the Interior Fall, Teapot Dome, Harry
Sinclair – Before Harding’s death, rumors of corruption and scandals surfaced regarding the Veterans’
Bureau, the Office of the Alien Property Custodian, and the departments of the Interior and Justice.
Charles Forbes stole millions of dollars from the Veterans’ Bureau. That was only the surface of the
corruption. Harry Daugherty, Attorney General under Harding, was charged with being implicated in the
Teapot Dome affair and other scandals of the Harding administration. After Harding’s sudden death, the
Teapot Dome scandal was exposed. It was a complex scandal that included the oil reserves at Teapot
Dome, Wyoming, and at Elk Hills, California. In 1921, control of these reserves was given to the
Department of the Interior. Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall, without competitive bidding, leased
the Teapot Dome fields to Harry Sinclair, an oil operator. The fields at Elks Hill were given to Edward
Doheny. It was later found out that Secretary Fall had been “loaned” large amounts of money from both
Sinclair and Doheny. Fall was convicted of accepting bribes. Doheny and Sinclair were acquitted.
143. Harding’s Death, Coolidge Takes Over – Due to both his bad health and increasing pressure regarding the
numerous scandals in his administration, on August 2, 1923, President Harding died. V.P. Calvin Coolidge
took over the presidency.
144. Bureau of the Budget – formed in 1921, the sole purpose of the Bureau was to prepare the annual
budget for presentation in January. It was also to control the management of the budget, thereby
improving and encouraging government efficiency.
145. Secretary of Treasury Mellon, Tax Cuts – Mellon, a wealthy financier, was appointed as Secretary of the
Treasury by Harding. He also served under Coolidge and Hoover. Under his control, the government
reduced debt from WWI by $9 billion, and Congress was able to cut income tax rates greatly.
146. Senator George Norris, Muscle Shoals – Norris is often called The Father of Tennessee Authority and also
served in Congress for 40 years. The Tennessee Authority was a series of dams and power plants created
to supply electricity to poor areas of the United States.
147. Election of 1924: Candidates and Issues – Calvin Coolidge-nominated again-Republican
a. Republicans were united, election was broadcast on radio. Platform: “Keep cool with Coolidge,”
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Unit VI: Progressivism, First World War, Roaring Twenties, Depression and the New Deal, Foreign Policy, and World
War II. Political History 1896 to 1945 and Foreign Policy 1914 to 1945.
tax reduction, opposition to farm subsidies, eight-hour work day, end of child labor, anti-lynching
law, protective tariff, collection of foreign debts, and staying out of the League of Nations.
b. John W. Davis-Democrat, former ambassador to Great Britain. Platform: graduated income tax,
tough enforcement of anti-trust laws, public works projects to alleviate unemployment, farm
relief, tariff reduction, Philippine island independence, and a referendum on the League of
Nations.
c. Robert M. La Follette-Progressive-public management and conservation of natural resources,
acknowledgement of worker’s rights, elimination of child labor, and dissolution of monopolies.
d. Coolidge wins with 382 electoral votes. Davis: 136, Follette: 13
148. McNary-Haughen Bill, Vetoes – The McNary –Haughen Bill was a plan to increase the prices of farm
products. The government was permitted to buy and sell the products at the current world price and
tariff. Coolidge, the president during the era, vetoed the bill twice. In the 1930’s agricultural programs, it
led the way.
149. Federal Farm Board – Hoover permitted this act under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1929. It was
established this semipublic stabilization corporation with authority to buy up surplus wheat and cotton,
however, he refused to countenance crop or acreage controls. The corporations poured out hundreds of
millions of dollars without checking falling agricultural prices because farmers increased production faster
than the corporations could buy up the excess for disposal abroad.
150. Election of 1928: Candidates and Issues – Coolidge decides not to run again.
a. Hoover-easily won the Republican nomination-modern approach to capital and labor, opposed
union busting and trust-busting, and was highly critical of Europe.
b. Al Smith-Democrat-conservative platform, advocated social reform programs.
c. Hoover: 58.2 % of popular vote, 444 electoral votes, Smith: 40.8% of popular, 87 electoral votes
151. Bruce Barton, The Man Nobody Knows, 1925 – One of the advertising “geniuses” of the era, wrote a
best-selling book, The Man Nobody Knows (1925), in which he described Jesus as the “founder of modern
business,” the man who “picked up twelve men from the bottom ranks…and forged them into an
organization that conquered the world.”
152. H.L. Mencken, Editor of the Magazine The American Mercury – Reflected the distaste of intellectuals for
the climate of the times. Mencken, a Baltimore newspaperman and founder of one of the great
magazines for the era, the American Mercury, was a thoroughgoing cynic. He coined the world booboisie
to define the complacent, middle-class majority, and he fired superbly witty broadside s at
fundamentalists, prohibitionists, and Puritans. “Puritanism,” he once said, “is the haunting fear that
someone, somewhere, may be happy.”
153. “The Lost Generation” – Gertrude Stein named several of the writers of the time period as the “the lost
generation.” She was referring to many of the restless young writers who congregated in Paris after WWI.
These writers also thought that the U.S. was very materialistic and criticized how the people were always
conforming to the “normal.”
154. F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby – Fitzgerald dissected a modern millionaire—coarse, unscrupulous,
jaded, in love with another man’s wife. Gatsby’s tragedy lay in his dedication to a woman who, Fitzgerald
made clear, did not merit his passion. He lived in “the service of a vast, vulgar, meretricious beauty,” and
in the end he understood this himself.
155. Sinclair Lewis, Main Street, Babbitt – Lewis was probably the most popular American novelist of the
1920’s. Main Street (1920) portrayed the smug ignorance and bigotry of the American small town so
accurately that even Lewis’s victims recognized themselves; his title became a symbol for provinciality and
middle-class meanness of spirit. In Babbitt (1922), he created what many people considered the typical
businessman of the 1920s, gregarious, a “booster”, blindly orthodox in his political and social opinions, a
slave to ever cliché, and full of loud self-confidence but under the surface a bumbling, rather timid fellow
who would have liked to be better than he was but dared not try.
156. Theodore Dreiser, An American Tragedy – A writer in the Naturalism movement, this book, written in
1925, criticized repressive, hypocritical society. It tells about a weak young man trying unsuccessfully to
rise out of poverty into upper class society who is executed for the murder of his pregnant girlfriend.
157. Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms – Hemingway drew on his military experiences to describe the
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Unit VI: Progressivism, First World War, Roaring Twenties, Depression and the New Deal, Foreign Policy, and World
War II. Political History 1896 to 1945 and Foreign Policy 1914 to 1945.
confusion and horror of war.
158. T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land – The poem, written in 1922, contrasts the spiritual bankruptcy of modern
Europe with the values and unity of the past. Displayed profound despair. Considered the foundation of
modernist, 20th century poetry. Eliot is considered to be one of the most influential poets of the early
20th century.
159. Sigmund Freud’s Theories – Freud was from current day Austria. His theories covered a variety of
grounds including the personality, moral development, psychosexual development, and the formation of
the personality.
160. KDKA, Pittsburgh – KDKA, Pittsburgh was one of the first radio stations to initially use commercial radio
broadcasting in 1920.
161. Prohibition, Volstead Act, Al Capone – Prohibition called for the total abstinence from alcohol. The
Volstead Act stated that 1) The manufacture, transport, export, sale or possession of alcoholic beverages
was prohibited within the United States. 2) Alcoholic beverages were those that contained more than
one-half percent of alcohol. 3) Federal agents were empowered to investigate and prosecute violators.
Andrew J. Volstead was the driving force behind the act. Al Capone was the organized crime leader of the
era who operated out of Chicago.
162. KKK – The new Klan, founded in 1915 by William J. Simmons, a former preacher, admitted only nativeborn white Protestants. The distrust of foreigners, blacks, Catholics, and Jews implicit in this regulation
explains why it flourished in the social climate that spawned religious fundamentalism, immigration
restriction, and prohibition.
163. Fundamentalists – Fundamentalists rejected the theory of evolution, indeed all knowledge about the
origins of the universe and the human race that had been discovered during the nineteenth century.
164. Immigration Acts, 1921, 1924, Quota System – In 1921 Congress, reflecting a widespread prejudice
against eastern and southern Europeans, passed an emergency act establishing a quota system. Each
year 3 percent of the number of foreign-born residents of the United States (in 1920 about 350,000
people) might enter the country. The country’s quota was based on the number of its nationals in the
United States in 1910. In 1924 the quota was reduced to 2 percent and the base year shifted to 1890.
165. Sacco and Vanzetti Case – In April 1920 two men in South Braintree, Massachusetts, killed a paymaster
and a guard in a daring daylight robbery of a shoe factory. Shortly thereafter Nicola Sacco and
Bartolomeo Vanzetti were charged with the crime, and in 1921 they were convicted of murder. Sacco and
Vanzetti were anarchists and Italian immigrants. The presiding judge, Webster Thayer, conducted the
proceedings like a prosecuting attorney.
166. Leopold and Loeb Case – Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb were convicted of killing a young boy, Bobby
Franks, in Chicago just to see if they could get away with it. Defended by Clarence Darrow, they got life
imprisonment. Both geniuses, they had decided to commit the perfect murder. The first use of the
insanity defense in court.
167. Billy Sunday – Billy Sunday was a baseball player and also a preacher. His active interest in baseball
helped him to become the most popular evangelist minister during the era.
168. Scopes Trial, Clarence Darrow, William Jennings Bryan – John T. Scopes, a young biology teacher in
Dayton, violated the statue that said that nothing besides the Divine Creation should be taught in schools.
A battery of nationally known lawyers came forward to defend him, and the state obtained the services of
Bryan himself. The “Monkey Trial” became an overnight sensation. Darrow, the chief counsel for the
defendant, stated the issue clearly. “Scopes isn’t on trial, civilization is on trial.”
169. Henry Ford, The Model “T,” Alfred P. Sloan – Alfred P. Sloan helped fund Ford’s project. Through mass
production, cars could be made cheaply enough to put them within reach of the ordinary citizen. In 1908,
Ford designed the Model “T”.
170. Cecil B. de Mille – Cecil B. de Mille was a motion picture director and producer. He was known for his
epic movies and Biblical films.
171. The Jazz Singer – The first significant talking movie that helped motion pictures reach technological
maturity. The movie revolved around Al Jonson.
172. Rudolph Valentino, Charlie Chaplin – Valentino was a very popular star in silent films. Chaplin’s films
were superficially unpretentious. They seemed even in the 1920’s to be old-fashioned. He was the
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Unit VI: Progressivism, First World War, Roaring Twenties, Depression and the New Deal, Foreign Policy, and World
War II. Political History 1896 to 1945 and Foreign Policy 1914 to 1945.
greatest comic artist of all time.
173. New Woman, Flappers – The “liberation” of American women occurred in the 1920s with the emergence
of the “flapper,” with short skirts, bobbed hair, and fondness for cigarettes, alcohol, and other forms of
what was quaintly described as “making whoopee.” Increasing numbers of women were holding full-time
jobs.
174. Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes – Black newspapers and magazines flourished along with
theatrical companies and libraries during the Harlem Renaissance. Langston Hughes, one of the best
poets of the era, described the exhilaration of his first arrival in this city, within a city, a magnet for every
black intellectual and artist. “Harlem! I…dropped my bags, took a deep breath, and felt happy again.”
175. James Weldon Johnson – Johnson was influenced by jazz music and became a poet during the Harlem
Renaissance.
176. Marcus Garvey, Universal Negro Improvement Association – Garvey had nothing but contempt for
whites, for light-skinned blacks like Du Bois, and for organizations such as the NAACP, which wanted to
bring whites and blacks together to fight segregation and prejudice.
177. Charles Lindbergh, Spirit of St. Louis – Lindbergh flew nonstop from New York to Paris in May, 1927. The
flight was nonstop and took 22 hours.
178. Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey – Ruth turned batting into something more enjoyed in baseball with his
amazing hits. Dempsey was a successful boxer who often knocked out his opponents in bloody matches.
Foreign Policy
179. Twenty-one Demands –1915, the Japanese attempted to reduce China almost to the status of a Japanese
protectorate.
180. Lansing-Ishii Agreement – Lessened the tension in the feuds between the U.S. and Japan by recognizing
Japan's sphere of influence in China in exchange for Japan's continued recognition of the Open Door
policy in China.
181. Versailles Treaty – The Palace of Versailles was where the treaty to end World War I was signed on June
28, 1919. The victorious allies imposed reparations on Germany.
182. Washington Disarmament Conference – In November of 1921, hoping to reach a general agreement with
China, Japan, and the Europeans that would keep China open to commerce of all and slow the armaments
races, Secretary of State Hughes convened a conference in Washington. The Five-Power Treaty, the FourPower Treaty, and the Nine-Power Treaty were all drafted.
183. Five Power Treaty, Four Power Treaty, Nine Power Treaty – In the Five Power Treaty, the U.S., Great
Britain, France, Japan, and Italy agreed to stop building battleships for ten years and to reduce their fleets
of capital ships to a fixed ratio. The Four-Power Treaty said that the U.S., Great Britain, Japan, and France
were committed to respect one another’s interests in the islands of the Pacific and to confer in the event
that any other country launched an attack on the area. The Nine-Power Treaty reaffirmed the Open Door
Policy in China.
184. 5-5-3-1.75-1.75 Ratio – One of the Washington Treaty’s main components. United States and Britain
would have five ships for every three Japanese ships and for every 1.75 Italian and French ships.
185. World Court – So great was the opposition to international cooperation that the United States refused to
accept membership on the World Court, although this tribunal could settle disputes only when the
nations involved agreed.
186. Reparations – Germany was ordered to repay to the victorious allies the cost of the war. The U.S.
opposed this measure, but the reparations caused depression in Germany.
187. Dawes Plan, Young Plan – In 1924 an international agreement, the Dawes Plan, provided Germany with a
$200 million loan designed to stabilize its currency. Germany agreed to pay about $250 million a year in
reparations. In 1929 the Young Plan further scaled down the reparations bill.
188. Kellogg-Briand Treaty – The culmination of this illusory faith in preventing war by criticizing it came with
the signing of the Kellogg-Briand Pack in 1928. The treaty was born in the fertile brain of French Foreign
Minister Aristide Briand, who was eager to collect allies against possible attack, by a resurgent Germany.
In 1927 Briand proposed to Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg that their countries agree never to go to
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Unit VI: Progressivism, First World War, Roaring Twenties, Depression and the New Deal, Foreign Policy, and World
War II. Political History 1896 to 1945 and Foreign Policy 1914 to 1945.
war with each other.
Hoover Administration
189. Causes of the Depression – Some causes of the Depression include a lot of debt, over production and a
lack of consumption, stock prices soaring, crash of the stock market, and the fact that Germany was not
paying its reparations, which caused European bank failures that spread to the United States.
190. Depression as an International Effect – The Depression had an international effect because of Germany
not paying its reparations. Therefore the European banks failed leading to the failure of United States’
banks. The world felt the effects of the Depression.
191. Fordney-McCumber Tariff, 1922 – The Fordney-McCumber Tariff raised tariff rates and was pushed very
heavily by Congress in 1922.
192. Hawley-Smoot Tariff, 1930 – In 1920 Congress passed the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act, which raised duties
on most manufactured products to prohibitive levels. The new tariff made it impossible for European
nations to earn the dollars they needed to continue making payments on their World War I debts to the
United States, which helped to bring on the financial collapse in Europe in 1931.
193. Reconstruction Finance Corporation, RFC – In 1932 Hoover approved the creation of the RFC to lend
money to banks, railroads, and insurance companies.
194. Bonus Army – Hoover, alarmed, charged incorrectly that the “Bonus Army” was largely composed of
criminals and radicals and sent troops into the Flats to disperse it with bayonets, tear gas, and tanks. The
task was accomplished amidst much confusion; fortunately no one was killed.
195. “Hooverville” – In Birmingham, Alabama, landlords in poor districts gave up trying to collect rents. Many
people were evicted, and they often gathered in ramshackle communities constructed of packing boxes,
rusty sheet metal, on swamps, garbage dumps, or other wastelands. People started to call these
“Hoovervilles.”
196. Clark Memorandum – The Clark Memorandum (1930) written by Undersecretary of State J. Reuben Clark
disassociated the right of intervention in Latin America from the Roosevelt Corollary.
197. London Naval Conference – The London Naval Conference was an international event organized to adopt
an international code of conduct for future naval warfare.
198. Hoover Moratorium, 1931 – With the Hoover Moratorium on all intergovernmental debts in 1931, both
reparations and war debt payments ended.
199. Manchuria, Hoover-Stimson Doctrine – The league sent a commission to Manchuria to investigate.
Stimson, Hoover’s secretary of state, announced (the Stimson Doctrine) that the United States would
never recognize the legality of seizures made in violation of American treaty rights. This served only to
irritate the Japanese.
200. Mexico’s Nationalization of Oil – In 1938, Mexico nationalized the oil fields along the Gulf of Mexico,
which had originally been owned by investors from Britain, the U.S., and the Netherlands. Mexico did this
because companies refused to raise the wages of the Mexican employees.
201. Ambassador Morrow – Coolidge’s appointment of Dwight W. Morrow, a patient, sympathetic
ambassador, resulted in an improvement in Mexican-American relations. The Mexicans were able to
complete their social and economic revolution in the 1920s without significant interference by the U.S.
202. Good Neighbor Policy – Roosevelt’s primary foreign policy was the Good Neighbor Policy. This particular
policy promoted good will to Latin American nations. In this attempt, the U.S. led the way.
203. Norris-La Guardia (Anti-Injunction) Act, 1932 – LaGuardia and Norris, both liberal Republicans,
sponsored this act. This act gave more rights to striking workers by limiting the amount of power of
federal courts (issuing injunctions).
204. Election of 1932: Candidates and Issues – Democrats choose: F.D. Roosevelt, NY-relief for the
unemployed, help for farmers, and a balanced budget. Republicans choose: Herbert C. Hoover Socialists
choose: Norman Thomas
a. Roosevelt: 57.3% of Popular 472 electoral
b. Hoover: 39.6% of popular; 59
c. Thomas: 2.2%
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Unit VI: Progressivism, First World War, Roaring Twenties, Depression and the New Deal, Foreign Policy, and World
War II. Political History 1896 to 1945 and Foreign Policy 1914 to 1945.
Roosevelt and the New Deal
205. 20th Amendment – 1933, had Congress convene in January instead of the following December. It
changed the inauguration date from March 4 to January 20 for the President.
206. Wickersham Commission – The Wickersham Commission was a National Law Enforcement Commission.
Hoover created it in 1929.
207. 21st Amendment – The Amendment repealed prohibition. The first Amendment to negate another
Amendment.
208. “Bank Holiday” – On March 11, 1933 Roosevelt closed all the banks in the U.S. and declared the
exportation of gold forbidden. The redemption of currency in gold was also forbidden.
209. Hundred Days – Roosevelt requested that Congress should have a special session to review recovery and
reform laws. The actual event only lasted 99 days.
210. “Relief, Recovery, Reform” – The New Deal sought relief for the needy, economic recovery, and reform
of American capitalism. The three-R objectives often overlapped and sometimes conflicted with one
another. (For example, the Agricultural Adjustment Act was primarily a relief measure for farmers, but it
also aided recovery, and it had the unintended consequence of exacerbating the unemployment
problem.) In the first two years, relief and immediate recovery were the primary goals. Most of the bolder
relief and reform programs emerged in the Second New Deal (1935-1936).
211. Brain Trust – Roosevelt’s staff included many of the people who got him elected; nicknamed the “Brain
Trust.”
212. Emergency Banking Relief Act, 1933 – On March 9, 1933, Congress passed the Emergency Banking Relief
Act which provided for the reopening of the banks as soon as examiners had found them to be financially
secure.
213. Glass-Steagall Banking Reform Act, 1933 – This act eased the tight credit situation by permitting Federal
Reserve banks to accept a wider variety of commercial paper as security for loans.
214. Gold Clause Act, 1935 – The Gold Clause Act of 1935 was enacted to help enforce legislation that was
passed in 1933 that discontinued the gold standard and outlawed the circulation of gold coins. In effect,
it voided any clause in past or future contracts that required payments to be in gold.
215. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) – A federal agency that insures bank deposits. The GlassSteagall Banking Reform Act created it.
216. National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) – The NIRA regulated the economy by setting wages, work
hours, etc. hoping to return industries to full production.
217. National Industrial Recovery Administration (NRA), “The Blue Eagle,” Hugh Johnson – The Act created a
government agency, NRA, to supervise the drafting and operation of the business codes. Hugh Johnson
was the director of the NRA. Thousands of employers agreed to the pledge “We Do Our Part” in order to
receive the Blue Eagle symbol of the NRA.
218. Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA), Second AAA, 1938 – The AAA gave contracts to farmers for reducing
their output of certain products. It paid the farmers for processing taxes and keeping the goods on their
farm. Declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
219. Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act, 1936 – The act was a replacement for the Agricultural
Adjustment Act, which was declared unconstitutional, this act arranged for the paying of farmers to divert
land from commercial crops to those that were good for the soil; for instance soybeans.
220. Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) – It was created to provide jobs in reforestation and conservation
projects. Unfortunately, it was still discriminatory of blacks, setting them in separate, all-black groups.
Similarly, it contained a separate division to deal with Indians.
221. Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) – The federal government controlled it; this
organization was used to give relief to those enduring economic hardships by sending funds to various
state relief organizations.
222. Civil Works Administration (CWA) – Harry L. Hopkins proposed the CWA. It provided civil service jobs for
the poor. These jobs were of benefit to the states and country in general, for example, infrastructure
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Unit VI: Progressivism, First World War, Roaring Twenties, Depression and the New Deal, Foreign Policy, and World
War II. Political History 1896 to 1945 and Foreign Policy 1914 to 1945.
construction, maintenance, and teaching. Its cost ended up running past a billion dollars to maintain, so
Roosevelt shut it down.
223. Public Works Administration (PWA), Harold Ickes – Harold Ickes was Roosevelt’s Secretary of Interior.
The PWA is part of the National Industrial Recovery Act, which set up the PWA with the power to spend
$3.3 billion and the administration launched projects, such as the Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia
River.
224. Works Progress Administration (WPA), Harry Hopkins, Federal Arts Project – Hopkins was placed in
charge of the WPA in 1935. The WPA was basically an employment agency, and its Federal Arts Project
employed painters and sculptors. Other projects included the Federal Theatre Project and the Federal
Writers’ Project.
225. Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) – This corporation was one of Roosevelt’s economic reforms,
the Home Owner’s Loan Corporation was created for the purpose of refinancing mortgages and
preventing foreclosures.
226. Federal Housing Authority (FHA) – The Federal Housing Administration served the purpose of creating
long-term, low cost loans for the construction and modernization of building.
227. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) – This commission was set up as an independent agency by
the federal government to regulate and police the trading of stocks, bonds, and related securities. In
addition, it had some authority to penalize related fraud.
228. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Senator Norris – The TVA was an agency of the federal government;
was set up for the purpose of developing the resources of the Tennessee River Valley. Not only did it set
up hydroelectric dams on the river, it took part in conservation, forestry, and agriculture projects.
Senator Norris of Nebraska was responsible to an extent for its creation.
229. Rural Electrification Administration (REA) – President Roosevelt’s project; the REA was designed to help
spread electricity to rural areas, “electrifying” them.
230. Nation Youth Administration (NYA) – The NYA created jobs, albeit part-time ones, for high school and
college students. This administration was part of the New Deal.
231. Indian Reorganization Act, 1934 – This act canceled the allotment system from the Dawes Act and
allowed the Indians to create tribal governments with powers similar to those that cities had in addition
to encouraging Indians to put their privately owned land back under tribal control.
232. Recognition of the USSR, 1933 – In November 1933, as an attempt to open trade with Russia, a joint
recognition was settled, although the monetary outcome was dissatisfying.
233. Section 7a of the NRA – This section dealt with the rights of labor. This was a very controversial topic for
the business heads that were trying to draft a set of common business codes. Most manufacturers didn’t
want to accept many of its provisions.
234. Wagner Act, 1935 – Also known as the National Labor Relations Act, which set up the National Relations
Board, defined certain “unfair” business practices, and guaranteed workers the right to organize and
bargain collectively.
235. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) – This board was set up to guarantee and enforce the principles
of the National Labor Relations Act. See Wagner Act, 1935.
236. Fair Labor Standards Act: Maximum Hours and Minimum Wage – This act created a national minimum
wage at 40 cents an hour and set the maximum hours to be worked at 40 hours, with time and a half for
overtime. In addition, it eliminated child labor.
237. Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), John L. Lewis – John L. Lewis helped form the CIO with
officials of the garment trade unions. He was one of the many men who attempted to convince workers
from industrial mass –production centers to join together to form a massive labor union including
members with no regard for type of work.
238. Sit Down Strikes – Sit Down Strikes involved laborers, in a factory, ceasing work and taking control of the
factory, keeping police and other authority figures out, until something was done to satisfy them. This
tended to be more violent to break and was dangerous to workers in the factories who were not part of
the union striking.
239. Dust Bowl, Okies, John Stienbeck, The Grapes of Wrath – Steinbeck wrote his famous book, The Grapes
of Wrath, which depicted life in Oklahoma, which was part of the Dust Bowl.
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Unit VI: Progressivism, First World War, Roaring Twenties, Depression and the New Deal, Foreign Policy, and World
War II. Political History 1896 to 1945 and Foreign Policy 1914 to 1945.
240. Frances Perkins, Secretary of Labor – Perkins was the first woman to be appointed to a position in the
Presidential Cabinet. She helped draft several pieces of legislation for the New Deal.
241. Eleanor Roosevelt – She was Theodore Roosevelt’s wife. She also ran a newspaper article called “My
Day”, which spoke out on many concepts, including civil rights, especially in regards to the treatment of
blacks. Her involvement in turned her into a strong political person.
242. Keynesian Economics – John Maynard Keynes, an economist, held the viewpoint that if the government
increased the amount it spent it could pull the economy out of a depression, therefore generating jobs
and increasing a purchaser’s power.
243. Deficit Spending – While FDR was President, is administration was centered on this notion. The concept
was that if the government dispensed billions of dollars into the economy consumer purchasing power
will increase, and with it employment. The government needed to borrow the money because it did not
have enough.
244. Monetary Policy, Fiscal Policy – Monetary Policy is when the government controls the nation’s money to
have power over inflation and depression. Fiscal policy is when the government programs (taxing and
spending), for example deficit spending to control inflation and depression.
245. Revenue Act, 1935 – Increased the income tax on those who made more money. Also increased taxes on
inheritances, large gifts, and capital gains.
246. Liberty League – this league was a group consisting of several millionaires who had become disaffected
with Roosevelt and his New Deal. They claimed that the New Deal was socialistic. Roosevelt saw it as
depicting him as the worst sort of scoundrel.
247. Coalition of the Democratic Party: Blacks, Unions, Intellectuals, Big City Machines, South – The
Democratic party had gained the support of unions and ¾ of the black population. Roosevelt held support
from ethnic whites in cities and Midwestern farmers.
248. Huey Long, Share the Wealth, Gerald L. K. Smith – The Share the Wealth society was founded in 1934 by
Senator Huey Long of Louisiana. He called for the confiscation of all fortunes over $5 million and a 100%
tax on annual incomes over $1 million. He was assassinated in 1935 and his successor Gerald K. Smith
lacked the ability to be a strong head of the society.
249. Father Charles Coughlin – He was also known as the “Radio Priest,” Coughlin was probably one of the
first radio evangelists. He originally upheld Roosevelt and the New Deal, but gradually changed sides
because he disagreed with the financial policies of the New Deal and needed new topics to attract his
public’s interest.
250. Dr. Francis Townsend – His plan for old-age pension had a certain merit, and the elderly public liked the
idea, but the cost would have been vast. His plan included an unacceptable source for the cash required,
so it was turned down, even though a large public agreed with and liked it.
251. Election of 1936: Candidates and Issues –
a. Franklin Delano Roosevelt ran for the Democrats
b. Governor Alfred Landon ran for the Republicans
c. William Lemke ran for the Union Party.
d. The issues included the New Deal, a balanced budget, and low taxes. Roosevelt got all the states
except for Maine and Vermont.
252. Literary Digest Poll – The Literary Digest was a magazine that printed views on people and current
events. Its polls included presidential popularity and reactions to concepts, laws, acts, and the like.
253. Second New Deal – The Second New Deal, a development of the original, was another host of reforms.
Some have said that the Fist New Deal told people what they could do, and the Second, what they
couldn’t. In either case, Roosevelt took his election to a second term as a mandate for a second set of
reforms, and the Second new Deal was the result.
254. Social Security Act – This Act, from 1935, set up old age insurance and state-federal unemployment
insurance. These were to be funded by taxes on both the workers and the employers, taxing the same
money twice. Liberals said that it didn’t do enough, but it was the starting point for what expanded to
include more than it originally did.
255. “Court Packing” Proposal – This proposal was made to get the Supreme Court to leave the reform acts
constitutional. It provided that if a Supreme Court justice was over 70 years old, then from one to six
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War II. Political History 1896 to 1945 and Foreign Policy 1914 to 1945.
additional justices could be added, apparently to help him, easing the burden. It was rejected as it would
have also made possible the forcing through into permanence of any law passed that the President
decided should be constitutional, a breach of the balance of power in the federal government.
256. Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes – Once governor of New York, Hughes almost ran for President, was
appointed Secretary of State by President Harding, and became the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
He denounced Roosevelt’s “court –packing” bill for its potential rebellion of civil liberties.
257. “Conservative Coalition” in Congress – The Republican party has been seen as conservative, but in this
case members from both parties, a coalition of conservatives, interfered with the President’s whims and
took great control over expenditures.
258. Robinson-Patman Act, 1936 – This act is also called the Federal Anti-Price Discrimination Act. It gave the
Federal Trade Commission permission to do something about a certain chain of stores involved in
interstate commerce that was offering lower prices to purchasers of larger quantities.
259. Miller-Tydings Act, 1937 – This act amended the anti-trust laws. It allowed states to pass fair-trade laws
under which manufacturers would be able to set prices on interstate trading of goods without violating
the federal government’s anti-trust laws.
260. Hatch Act, 1939 – This act provided funding for agricultural education and research, individually taken
care of by the states. Each state received $15 thousand dollars.
Second World War
261. Montevideo Conference – This was the initial Pan-America conference during the period between WWI
and WWII, regarding joint defense and corporate of the countries in Latin America. The U.S. gave up the
right to interfere with the dealings of the Latin American countries.
262. Rio de Janeiro Conference, 1933 – Twenty-one Latin American leaders attended, including Summer Will
and Aswalina Avanna. This conference led to rupture in diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Latin
America.
263. Buenos Aires Conference, 1936 – The United States gave its consent to surrender all disagreements from
the Americas to negotiation.
264. Lima Conference, 1938 – This was the last Pan-American conference that took place before WWII. It
supplied the Declaration of Lima maintaining the Latin American nation’s unity and their resolve to
oppose all foreign aggression.
265. Declaration of Panama, 1939 – Declared that Latin American governments figuratively drew a security
line around the western hemisphere cautioning foreign aggressors.
266. Act of Havana, 1940 – This act stated that any Latin American country could take over and manage
anything under European possession in the Western Hemisphere. It was approved by all of the delegates
of the Pan-American Union.
267. Jones Act, 1916 – Inhabitants of Puerto Rico, which was controlled by the United States, were granted
U.S. citizenship. Although they couldn’t vote unless they moved to the United States, they could set up
their own government.
268. Tydings-McDuffie Act, 1934, Philippines – The Tydings-McDuffie Act, also known as the Philippine
Independence Act, gave the Philippians independence, after ten years. The Japanese presence on this
island actually delayed their independence even longer.
269. Nye Committee – Gerald P. Nye of South Dakota headed this committee, and it investigated the actions
of bankers and munitions makers during the First World War. They found shocking information, statisticwise, proving that the banks of the United States had profited immensely from the war.
270. “Merchants of Death” – The “merchants of death” sold arms to the allies during World War I. Doing this
they accumulated a lot of money.
271. Neutrality Legislation: 1935, 1936, 1937 – The series of neutrality laws passed between 1935 and 1939
were designed to keep the U.S. out of any future foreign wars. The first act was passed after Italy
attacked Ethiopia in 1935, and new laws followed in 1937 and 1939 with the onset of the Spanish Civil
War and World War II. The acts prohibited the shipping of arms or the granting of loans or credits to
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Unit VI: Progressivism, First World War, Roaring Twenties, Depression and the New Deal, Foreign Policy, and World
War II. Political History 1896 to 1945 and Foreign Policy 1914 to 1945.
areas; forbade the arming of merchant ships; and empowered the President to require transfer of title
and cash payment before the export of any goods to a warring nation.
272. Spanish Civil War, Franco – In the summer of 1936, civil war broke out in Spain. The rebels, led by the
reactionary General Francisco Franco and strongly backed by Italy and Germany, sought to overthrow the
somewhat leftist Spanish Republic. Roosevelt believed that American interference might cause the
conflict in Spain to become a global war.
273. Ethiopia – In October of 1936, Italy invaded Ethiopia and Roosevelt invoked the new neutrality law. Oil
shipments to Italy tripled between October and January. Italy quickly overran and annexed Ethiopia and
in February of 1936, Congress passed a second neutrality act forbidding all loan to belligerents.
274. Mussolini – Fascist Dictator of Italy, Benito Mussolini, massed troops in Italian Somaliland, using a trivial
border clash as pretext for threatening the ancient kingdom of Ethiopia in May 1935.
275. Japan Attacks China, Chiang Kai-Shek – Japan envisioned the ousting of Western influence from much of
Tokyo’s military and economic domination over East Asia, including China. The course of military
aggression that culminated in World War II began in Manchuria in 1931 when the Japanese formally
occupied that northernmost province of China and set up the Vassal State of Manchuko. Six ears late, the
Japanese launched a full-scale attack on China itself and by 1938; Tokyo’s forces controlled most of
China’s coastline.
276. Panay Incident –A Japanese aircraft sank an American gunboat escorting tankers in the Yantze River in
China. The U.S. demanded reparations and accepted the Japanese’s apologies. The inicident convinced
the Axis powers that America would not actively oppose aggression in Asia or Europe, thus encouraging
them to embark upon World War II.
277. “Quarantine Speech,” 1937 – In Chicago, Oct. 5. 1937, Roosevelt proposed that nations responsible for
“international anarchy” should be quarantined. He said that the peace, freedom, and security of nine
tenths of the world were being threatened by the other tenth. The 90 per cent, which stood for peace
and morality “can and must find some way to make their will prevail.”
278. Hitler, Nazism – In January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany and brought about his
doctrine of Aryan superiority. The rise of Nazism, with its anti-Semitism and belief in a Nordic “master
race” had been preceded by the establishment of two similar tyrannies: a Fascist regime in Italy and a
military-dominated government in Japan. All three regimes were bent upon policies of military
expansion. Hitler’s first goal was to rearm Germany and then expand eastward.
279. Munich Conference, Appeasement, Neville Chamberlain – In September of 1938, Hitler demanded that
Czechoslovakia cede the German-speaking Sudetenland to the Reich. British Prime Minister Neville
Chamberlain and French Premier Edouard Deladier, in a conference with Hitler at Munich, yielded to
Hitler’s threats and promises and persuaded the Czechs to surrender the region.
280. Austria Annexed – Early in 1938, Hitler was ready to make several major moves. In March, Nazi agitators
in Austria fomented widespread disturbances against that country’s government, providing Berlin with an
excuse to invade the neighboring nation and annex it to Germany.
281. Non-aggression Pact between Germany and USSR – In August 1939, Germany and Russia signed a nonaggression pact, prelude to their joint assault on Poland.
282. Invasion of Poland, Blitzkrieg – On September 1, 1939, Hitler’s troops launched its blitzkrieg “Lightning
War” against Poland. After two day of diplomatic maneuverings following the invasion, Britain and
France declared war on Germany and World War II had begun.
283. Axis Powers – The Axis powers were the Germans under Adolf Hitler, the Italians under Benito Mussolini,
and Japan under the Emperor Hirohito.
284. “Cash and Carry,” Revision of Neutrality – As the Nazis swept westward across Europe, the provisions of
the 1939 act were eased to permit the sale of arms and munitions to England and France, first on a “cash
and carry” basis, then on credit. American vessels were eventually permitted to enter combat areas and
merchant vessels were armed.
285. Fall of France – On June 10, 1940, Mussolini’s Italy declared war on the beleaguered British and French,
and four days latter, German troops occupied Paris. For France, the battle had all but ended, and on June
22, a French government under Marshal Henri Phillipe Petain signed an armistice with Germany. It
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War II. Political History 1896 to 1945 and Foreign Policy 1914 to 1945.
granted Berlin occupation rights over three-fifths of the nation but permitted the aged marshal to
establish a satellite French regime in the resort city of Vichy.
286. America First Committee – An organization formed in 1940 to prevent the U.S. entry into WWII. It
included prominent senators including Robert La Follette Jr. and Charles Lindbergh. This organization
disbanded after the U.S. declared war on the Axis powers because of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
287. Isolationism, Charles Lindbergh – Although Charles Lindbergh is known for making the first solo nonstop
transatlantic flight in 1927, he was also an isolationist spokesman. While traveling abroad in Europe, he
had the opportunity to inspect Europe’s air forces and was impressed with Germany’s might. When he
returned to the U.S., he joined the isolationist America First Committee, strongly advocating
noninvolvement in WWII. After the U.S. entered the war, he became a technical advisor to aircraft
manufacture and in 1944, he would be sent to the South Pacific to fly several military missions.
288. Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies – In the spring of 1940, the Germans made a sudden
and successful thrust across Belgium into France. Many were stunned including renowned editor of the
Emporia Gazette in Kansas, William Allen White. On May 17, 1940, White sent out telegrams to many
prominent Americans. The telegram in part, read: “America must…keep the war away from the Western
Hemisphere…by aiding…the nations now fighting to stem the tides of aggression.” White’s initiative
sparked a nationwide movement to send military equipment and economic aid to the beleaguered Allies.
By November of 1940, his newly created Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies had 750
chapters with some 10,000 active workers. The organization would be potent propaganda force in
support of Roosevelt’s evolving policy of granting Britain material support in the war against Germany.
289. Smith Act – AS early as 1940, in the smith Act, Congress made it illegal to advocate or each the overthrow
of the government by force or to belong to an organization with this objective.
290. Tojo – Japanese political leader and general of the Samurai class. He became the Prime Minister of Japan
and the minister of war and education. He was hanged in December 1948 as a war criminal.
291. Destroyer Deal – The navy had 240 working destroyers and 50 under construction. Franklin D. Roosevelt
arranged to “trade” the destroyers for 6 British naval bases in the Caribbean. Also, Great Britain leased
bases in Bermuda and Newfoundland to the U.S. This Destroyers-for-bases deal saved Great Britain.:
292. Election of 1940: Candidates and Issues – Democrats – Roosevelt, Republicans – Wendell Willkie. Issues:
FDR broke the tradition of 2 terms when winning this election. Willkie strongly apposed Hitler, which went
against his party’s ideals. Winner – FDR
293. “Lend Lease, March 1941 – The plan, proposed by FDR was to “lend-lease or otherwise dispose of arms,”
and other supplies needed by any country whose security was vital to the defense of the U.S.
294. Atlantic Charter, August 1941 – A joint declaration signed by US and Great Britain (FDR and Prime
Minister Churchill), during WWII that said they sought no territorial, or any other, aggrandizement from
the war. The charter expressed hope that after the Nazi’s were defeated, all nations would be secure from
aggression.
295. Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941 – This naval base in Hawaii was attacked on Dec. 7th by Japanese
submarines and planes. 8 American battleships, 13 naval vessels, and nearly 200 aircraft were destroyed.
This marked the entrance of Japan into WWII.
296. Japanese Relocation – During WWII many Japanese Americans lost economic and social status while
confined in concentration camps. In 1980 congress created the Commission on Wartime Relocation and
Internment of Civilians to reassess US policies toward Japanese Americans. The report found there was no
reason for their confinement.
297. Bond Drives – During WWII the War Advertising Council was founded in order to conduct bond drives
which increased the sale of US savings bonds, prevented forest fires and traffic accidents, promoted
religion, and encouraged aid to higher education.
298. War Production Board – This board encouraged manufacturers to use mass production techniques. It
was supported in order to increase efficiency.
299. Office Of Price Administration (OPA) – Agency of the U.S government in WWII charged with forestalling
inflation and price manipulation. The agency was developed to ration prices of scarce commodities and
determine maximum prices for goods and residential rent.
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War II. Political History 1896 to 1945 and Foreign Policy 1914 to 1945.
300. War Labor Board – The War Labor Board sought to resolve thousands of disputes between management
and labor that resulted from dull wages tied with inflation.
301. General Eisenhower, General MacArthur – Eisenhower was Chief of Staff MacArthur’s aide The two
worked together, and when MacArthur stepped down from Chief of Staff in order to go to the Philippines
as chief military advisor, Eisenhower went with him as the Chief of Staff.
302. Genocide, “Final Solution” – The Nazi Final Solution was genocide (killing of all people from a specific
religious, ethnic, or national group.
303. Second Front – Roosevelt claimed that nothing but an unconditional surrender would be accepted of the
Axis Powers (WWII). This assured the Russians that it would be at least another yea for a full-fledge
second front.
304. D day, June 6, 1944 – On D day the assault forces stormed ashore at five points along the coast of
Normandy. Against ill-coordinated Germans, they established a beachhead: Within a few weeks, a million
troops were on French soil.
305. Stalingrad – In July 1943 air attacks on Germany continued and the Russians slowly pushed the Germans
back from the gates of Stalingrade.
306. Winston Churchill – (1874 – 1965) Prime minister to the United Kingdome and widely regarded as the
greatest British leader of the 20th century. He was a leader during WWII and vital to leading his country
through it.
307. Casablanca Conference, 1943 – Conference between U.S. FDR and British Prime Minister Churchill during
WWII. Here both leaders pledged to fight until the Axis powers surrendered unconditionally.
308. Cairo Conference, 1943 – Conference held in Egypt to define war aims of the Allied governments with
respect with Japan. The major participants were FDR, Churchill, and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek of
China.
309. Teheran Conference, 1943 – At a conference held in Teheran, Iran, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin
discussed plans for a new league of nations. When Roosevelt described the kind of world organization he
envisaged, the Russian dictator offered a number of constructive suggestions.
310. “Unconditional Surrender” – A surrender that is not modified or restricted by reservations. At the
Casablanca Conference it was determined that only an unconditional surrender of the Axis powers would
be accepted.
311. Okinawa – With Japanese leader Ozawa’s third big carrier being sunk, he steered north of Okinawa with
only 35 planes left. This was the end of Japanese carrier aviation.
312. Battle of the Bulge – (Dec. 1944 – Jan 1945) This was the last German offense during WWII. The
German’s aim was to create a “Bulge” in the U.S and Great Britain lines but their advance was halted and
they ended up withdrawing.
313. Manhattan Project – The atomic bomb was developed, constructed, and tested by the Manhattan
Project, a massive U.S. enterprise that was established in August of 1942, during WWII.
314. J. Robert Oppenheimer – (1904 – 1967) An American physicist and government advisor, who directed the
development of the 1st atomic bombs. In 1963 he received the Enrico Fermi Award of highest honor.
315. Atomic Bomb – powerful, nuclear weapon fueled by a chain reaction of fission. Thousands of Tons of TNT
provide the strength of the explosion. Oppenheimer helped develop the first atomic bomb in 1942 with
the help of the Manhattan Project.
316. Hiroshima, Nagasaki – The U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb (known as the “Little Boy”) on the
Japanese city Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.The second bomb (known as the “Fat Man”) was dropped on
the Japanese city Nagasaki on August 9th.
317. Yalta Conference – A WWII meeting held in Yalta, Ukraine, issued the Yalta Declaration. This declared the
intention to destroy German militarism and Nazism and to ensure that Germany will never again destroy
the peace of the world.
318. Potsdam Conference – held near Berlin, the Potsdam Agreement, which were the terms of the
unconditional surrender of Germany, was made.
319. Partitioning of Korea, Vietnam, Germany – Korea and Vietnam were divided into Northern and Southern
factions while Germany was divided into Eastern and Western factions following WWII.
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320. Charles de Gaulle- Considered himself to be the true representative of the French people; he organized
the government in exile immediately after the collapse of France.
Domestic Issues During The War
321. Revenue Act Of 1942 – Known as the “Greatest Tax Bill in American History,” it was an effort to increase
tax revenues in order to cover the cost of WWII. It raised tax rates and lowered exemptions.
322. G. I. Bill of Rights, 1944 – the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, this law has made possible the
investment of billions of dollars in education and training for millions of veterans. In return the nation has
earned many times the investment in increased taxes and a dramatically changed society.
323. Office of War Mobilization and Reconversion – Supreme Court Justice Byrnes started this which had
complete control over priorities and prices. Rents, food prices, and wages were strictly regulated, and
items in short supply were rationed to consumers.
324. Extension of OPA Vetoed – The office of Price Administration was very successful during WWII, however
at the conclusion of hostilities in 1945, goods no longer needed price controls and therefore the OPA was
disbanded in 1947.
African Americans
325. A. Philip Randolp – President of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, he organized a march of blacks
on Washington in 1941 to demand equal opportunity for black workers. Roosevelt tried to call off the
march but Randolph persisted. Roosevelt finally agreed to issue an order prohibiting discrimination in
plants with defense contracts.
326. Fair Employment Practices Committee – Roosevelt set this up to see that Randolph’s order was carried
out. This action immediately opened thousands of steady well-paying jobs to black workers and
encouraged a new surge of migration from the South to Northern cities.
327. Detroit Race Riots, 1943 – Southern migrants, black and white, flooded Detroit to work in plants
producing war material. This brought tensions over housing and jobs to a breaking point and sparked a
race riot, which required federal troops to restore order.
328. Gunnar Myrdal, An American Dilemma – (1898 – 1987) During the 1930’s, while a professor, he
published works on classical economic theory. His co-written the book An American Dilemma: The Negro
Problem and American Democracy was a widely influential analysis of the conflict between American
ideals and practice.
329. Rural and Southern to Urban and Northern – With the Employment Practices Committee offering many
jobs to blacks, those who lived in the rural south were migrating up to the Urban North in order to seek
those opportunities.
330. To Secure These Rights – Written by Stephen Douglas Gerber, it is a book of the Declaration of
Independence and Constitutional Interpretation. It debates the interpretation of these historical
documents and the most famous of Supreme Court cases.
Supreme Court Cases
331. Insular Cases, 1901, 1903, 1904 – Cases in 1901 included Dooley v. U.S, Fourteen Diamond Rings v. U.S,
Goetz v. U.S. 1903, and Hawaii v. Manikichi. 1904 are Dorr. v. U.S, and Kepner v. U.S. in the Insular Cases,
the Supreme Court of the United States established the framework for applying the United States
Constitution to Hawaii, Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Guam.
332. Northern Securities Case, 1904 – Roosevelt prosecuted the Northern Securities Company when a group
of several railroad companies began running as one in order to reduce competition and control prices.
This company was sued for violating the Sherman Anti Trust Act.
333. Lochner v. New York, 1905 – The court ruled that the state could not regulate the working hours of
bakery workers because it was denying them their freedom of working when the pleased.
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334. Muller v. Oregon, 1908 – The Supreme Court upheld a state law that limited women factory workers to a
10-hour day, and many states began regulating women’s working hours.
335. Danbury Hatters’ Case, 1908 – The city of Danbury is located in southwestern Connecticut. This is where
the noted Danbury Hatters’ case prompted a Supreme Court decision prohibiting boycotts by labor
unions.
336. Standard Oil of New Jersey v. U.S., 1911 – The Standard Oil Company was ordered to dissolve after being
convicted of attempt to eliminate free competition in the industry. The company then appealed to the
Supreme Court but it upheld its conviction and made a new definition of an illegal trust as “an
unreasonable attempt” to restrain competition in trade.
337. U.S. v. American Tobacco co., 1911 – The American Tobacco company was forced to break-up.
338. U.S. v. United States Steel Corporation, 1920 – There has not been consistency with the interpretation of
the Sherman Anti Trust Act. In 1920 the Supreme Court held that the mere existence of monopoly power,
if not abused, did not constitute a violation of the Act.
339. Hammer v. Dagenhart, 1918 – In 1916 Congress passed a federal child labor law, but in Hammer v.
Dagenhart (1918) Congress declared it unconstitutional.
340. Bailey v. Drexel Furniture co., 1922 – In 1919 a second child labor law was passed but was also thrown
out by the Court due to this case where a boy less than 14 years old was employed ina a factory.
341. Schenck v. U.S., 1919 – In this case the Supreme Court had to determine the meaning of freedom of
speech. It upheld that there are certain boundaries to the First Amendment and that Schenck’s launguage
was not protected by the Amendment.
342. Abrams v. U.S., 1919 – Freedom of speech was again questioned in this case and the argument made by
Justice Holmes said that it was not in immediate danger; therefore, it could not violate the First
Amendment. This did not convince the rest of the court.
343. Adkins v. Children’s Hospital, 1923 – The court overturned a minimum wage law for women in the
District of Columbia in that it violated the right to freedom of contract.
344. Gitlow v. New York, 1925 – The Court cleared the way for expanded civil liberties in this case in that it
said that the freedoms of speech and press enjoyed 14 th Amendment protection against violation by the
state.
345. Schecter Poultry Corporation v. U.S., 1935 – Declared the National Industrial Recover Act
unconstitutional. This case involved the provisions of the NRA Live Poultry Code; the court voided the act
on the grounds that Congress had delegated too much legislative power to code authorities and that the
defendants, four brothers engaged in slaughtering chickens in New York City, were not engaged in
interstate commerce.
346. U.S. v. Butler, 1936 – The Supreme Court declared the Agricultural Adjustment Act unconstitutional.
347. NLRB v. Jones And Laughlin Steel Corporation, 1937 – The Court ruled that Congress could regulate
activities that had even an indirect effect on interstate commerce. This is one of a series of cases that
moved the Court away from its longstanding view that Congress had only limited power to intervene in
the economy.
348. West coast Hotel v. Parrish, 1937 – Elsie Parrish was receiving below minimum wage and so she sued the
company for which she was working. The Court ruled that establishing a minimum wage for women was
constitutionally legitimate. This overruled Adkins v. Children’s Hospital.
349. U.S. v. Darby Lumber Company, 1941 – The Federal District threw out the indictment, stating the act was
unconstitutional because the manufacturing in question was not a part of interstate commerce.
350. U.S. v. Curtiss-Wright Export corporation, 1936 – The U.S District court first ruled in the Corporation’s
favor, but when the U.S. appealed, the ruling was against the Curtiss-Wright Export Corporation. This case
dealt with the prohibition of arms and munitions during war.
351. West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, 1943 – The Court overruled that a public school can
require schoolchildren to salute the flag, even if it violates their religious beliefs.
352. Korematsu v. U.S., 1944 – Forbade the internment of loyal Japanese-Americans in camps.
353. Smith v. Allwright, 1944 – Rule unconstitutional to ban blacks from the voting booth. Led to the
crackdown on segregation.
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