The United States Becomes a World Power - West Park ...

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The United States Becomes a World Power

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The United States Becomes a WorldPowerShould U.S. actions in world affairs around the turn of the 20thcentury be praised or condemned?

Introduction

William McKinley owed Theodore Roosevelt a big favor. Roosevelt hadhelped McKinley get elected president in 1896 by promoting McKinley'ssupport of business and industry in speeches around the country. Withenergy and inspiration, he attacked McKinley's Democratic opponentswho had adopted some Populist ideas. With the nation in the midst ofan economic depression, Roosevelt feared political instability and criedthat McKinley's opponents planned nothing less than “revolution.”

Now Roosevelt wanted McKinley to appoint him as assistant secretaryof the navy. McKinley feared that Roosevelt was too warlike but stillgave him the job. When taking office, Roosevelt said, “No triumph ofpeace is quite so great as the supreme triumphs of war . . . It is throughstrife, or the readiness for strife, that a nation must win greatness.”

While some newspapers called Roosevelt patriotic, others worried thathe would push the country into war. Many Americans felt that theexpansion across the continent had given the United States territory tomove into for decades to come and had mixed feelings about gettinginvolved in international affairs. Recovery from the Civil War, followedby industrial expansion, had also given Americans plenty to focus on athome.

However, as the West became more settled and the United States grewinto an industrial and agricultural leader, business leaders wanted tokeep the economy growing by marketing and selling products overseas.The national pride that had inspired Manifest Destiny was calling fornew challenges.

Theodore Roosevelt agreed and allied himself with expansionists—people who wanted to extend the nation's power within the WesternHemisphere and around the world. In this lesson, you will learn howexpansionists achieved their goals. As it flexed its muscles overseas,the United States gained new territories and became a world power.

T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S B E...

2019 Teachers' Curriculum Institute Level: A

Social StudiesVocabulary

imperialism

militarism

nationalism

propaganda

Roosevelt Corollary

yellow journalism

1. The Nation Stretches Its Wings


Level: A 2019 Teachers' Curriculum Institute

1. The Nation Stretches Its Wings

In 1867, Secretary of State William Seward arranged for the UnitedStates to purchase Alaska from Russia for just two cents an acre. At thetime, few people thought that acquiring this vast wilderness was a goodidea, and many labeled the deal as “Seward's Folly.”

However, the “arctic wasteland” turned out to have thick forests,plentiful fish and wildlife, and mild coastal climates. Eventually, settlerswould discover gold, copper, coal, and other minerals there. With suchnatural resources at stake, expansionists felt that the United Statesshould gain control over other areas of the world as well.

In addition to arranging the purchase of Alaska, Seward also securedthe rights to the Midway Islands. Located in the Pacific Ocean betweenCalifornia and Asia, the Midway Islands were annexed by the UnitedStates in 1867.

Rise of Expansionism Some Americans objected to expansionism,saying that it was contrary to American values. Taking over other lands,declared former senator Carl Schurz, would mean that “our olddemocratic principle that governments derive their just powers fromthe consent of the governed will have to go overboard.”

Others warned that such takeovers would cause revolutions abroad.Some raised racist objections, arguing that nonwhites in other countriescould never learn American values.

William Jennings Bryan, who had run for president against McKinley,believed that the United States could be powerful without taking overother lands. He said that the nation “has exerted upon the human racean influence more potent for good than all the other nations of theearth combined, and it has exerted that influence without the use ofthe sword or Gatling [machine] gun.”

By the 1890s, however, American business leaders were eager to digmines and establish plantations in new places. Others wanted newmarkets for finished products. For years, European countries had beenpracticing imperialism, building empires by taking control of thegovernments and economies of other countries. U.S. expansionistswanted to follow their example. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge declared,“Commerce follows the flag . . . As one of the great nations of theworld, the United States must not fall out of the line of march.”

Annexing Hawaii Commerce drove U.S. expansionists to develop aninterest in Hawaii, a group of islands located in the Pacific Ocean.



Americans had first come to these islands in the 1820s as missionaries,with the goal of converting the native Hawaiians to Christianity. TheHawaiians, whose ancestors had come from the South Pacific, had livedon these islands for more than a thousand years. They were ruled bytheir own kings and queens.

In 1835, a Boston merchant established a large sugar plantation inHawaii. Before long, American-owned sugar and pineapple plantationsdotted the islands. The planters brought laborers to Hawaii from Chinaand Japan to work in their vast fields. Under pressure from the planters,the Hawaiians agreed in 1887 to let the United States establish a navalbase at Pearl Harbor, on the island of Oahu (oh-AH-hoo). The plantersalso persuaded Congress to allow Hawaiian sugar to be imported intothe United States without paying any tariff (import tax).

U.S. sugar growers objected that the law now favored Hawaiian sugarover domestically grown sugar. They convinced Congress to give abonus to growers in the United States. Hawaiian planters wanted thatbonus, too, so they asked the United States to annex Hawaii.

Meanwhile, native Hawaiians increasingly resented being pushedaround by Americans. When Queen Liliuokalani (lee-LEE-uh-wohkuh-LAH-nee) took the throne in 1891, people rallied around her call of“Hawaii for Hawaiians.” Americans in Hawaii feared that they wouldlose their land. With help from U.S. marines in 1893, sugar plantersforced Queen Liliuokalani to give up her throne. Now in control, theplanters established a new government for the islands.

Despite the planters' wishes, President Grover Cleveland refused tosupport the annexation of Hawaii. Cleveland, who opposed imperialism,said that Hawaii should be ruled by Hawaiians. But in 1898, underPresident McKinley, the United States did annex Hawaii.

U.S. Interest in Japan and China In the mid- to late 1800s, theUnited States turned its attention to Japan and China. The U.S.government signed a trade treaty with Japan in 1858. Several Europeancountries had made efforts to control trade with China, but the UnitedStates wanted to maintain its own access to Chinese markets. In 1899and 1900, the U.S. government issued what became known as theOpen Door Policy, which called on foreign nations to allow free trade inChina.



2. “A Splendid Little War”

Closer to the United States, Americans established enormous sugarplantations on the Caribbean island of Cuba, only 90 miles from Florida.Like nearby Puerto Rico, Cuba remained a Spanish colony.

By the 1890s, U.S. expansionists wanted to annex both of these islands.To support their ambitions, they argued that the United States neededto enforce the Monroe Doctrine. No European country, they said, shouldcontrol territory in the Western Hemisphere.

Cubans Struggle for Independence The Cubans themselves hadstaged an unsuccessful revolt against Spain in 1868. In 1895, under theleadership of José Martí (ho-ZAY mar-TEE), Cubans again tried to wintheir independence.

To crush this movement, the Spanish herded men, women, andchildren into “reconcentration camps.” Forced to live with inadequatefood and medical care, tens of thousands of people died.



U.S. newspapers jumped at the chance to report stories of Cubansuffering. Competing fiercely for customers, some newspapers resortedto yellow journalism, offering sensational and shocking reports. Someof these stories were based on rumors and untruths, with onenewspaper claiming that a Spanish general was “feeding prisoners tosharks.”

As sympathy for Cubans grew, more and more Americans were willingto go to war for Cuba. To assist Americans in Cuba in case of trouble,President McKinley sent the new battleship USS Maine to the island'scapital city, Havana, in January 1898.

The Spanish-American War Trouble soon erupted in Havana. Aboutthree weeks after the Maine arrived, an explosion destroyed thebattleship, killing 260 U.S. sailors. No one knew whether the explosionwas caused by an accident, a mine, or a bomb, but many Americanswere quick to blame Spain.

Young men rushed to join the army, raising the battle cry “Rememberthe Maine!” Senators shouted, “Free Cuba!” Hoping to avoid war,McKinley offered to help negotiate a solution between the Spanish andCubans, but the Spanish did not respond.

Under pressure from newspapers and members of Congress calling hima coward, McKinley asked Congress to declare war. Congress quicklyagreed and, in April 1898, voted to declare war on Spain. At the sametime, Congress approved a resolution stating that the United Statesintended “to leave the government and control of the Island [Cuba] toits people.”



The U.S. Army quickly grew from 30,000 to over 274,000 men. In April1898, Roosevelt resigned from his position as assistant secretary of thenavy and put together his own regiment, the Rough Riders, whichincluded a mixture of powerful, wealthy men and seasoned ranchhands.

After long preparations, the Rough Riders and 17,000 other Americansarrived in Cuba in June 1898. Seeing that Cuban fighters lacked thestrength or weapons to force the Spanish out of fortified cities andharbors, Roosevelt and his Rough Riders decided to capture Santiago, amajor city. To do this, they had to capture nearby San Juan Hill, fromwhich Spanish forces were able to defend the city.

The attacking force included the Rough Riders and African Americantroops from several regiments. Up the hill the troops charged, bravingSpanish fire. “They walked to greet death at every step, many of them,as they advanced, sinking suddenly or pitching forward . . . but otherswaded on, stubbornly, forming a thin blue line that kept creepinghigher and higher up the hill,” wrote an American reporter. “It was amiracle of self-sacrifice, a triumph of bull-dog courage.”



The Americans captured San Juan Hill. Realizing that Santiago was lost,the Spanish tried to save their ships, sending them steaming out of theharbor. However, Americans sank or captured every ship, forcing theSpanish to surrender.

The Spanish-American War lasted just four months. Only 345 Americansdied in combat, although 5,500 died of disease. Many Americansagreed with Secretary of State John Hay that it had been “a splendidlittle war.”

Under the terms of the peace treaty between the United States andSpain, Cuba gained its independence from Spain, and Puerto Rico cameunder U.S. rule. Spain also ceded Guam, an island in the Pacific Ocean,to the United States. In a 1903 treaty with Cuba, the United Statesleased land in Cuba to establish a naval base at Guantánamo Bay.



3. The Philippines

In February 1898, after the Maine exploded in Cuba, Assistant Secretaryof the Navy Theodore Roosevelt sent a telegram to Admiral GeorgeDewey, the head of the U.S. fleet in the Pacific. “In the event ofdeclaration of war,” the telegram ordered, “[begin] offensive operationsin Philippine Islands.” The Spanish-American War had expanded toinclude the Philippine Islands, halfway around the globe from Cuba.

Battle at Manila Bay The Philippines provided Spain's main base inthe Pacific. The islands' people, called Filipinos, had repeatedlyattempted to throw off Spanish colonial rule, and in 1898, they weretrying again. Led by General Emilio Aguinaldo (ah-ghee-NAHL-doh),they had begun attacking the Spanish army and government officials.Now their struggle was about to become part of the war between theUnited States and Spain.

Dewey's fleet arrived in Manila, the Philippine capital, just five daysafter the United States declared war against Spain. At dawn on May 1,1898, U.S. battleships faced Spanish gunships. As naval bands struck



up “The Star-Spangled Banner,” sailors stood on deck and saluted theflag. These men were about to engage in what would be the first battleof the Spanish-American War.

By 11 A.M., the entire Spanish fleet was burning, sunk, or sinking.Spain's old wooden ships could not compete with the modern steel U.S.ships run by well-trained crews. Only one American had died in thebattle.

Defeating the Spanish Dewey blockaded Manila's port until U.S.troops could arrive to take over the city. Filipino fighters, allied withDewey, surrounded Manila. The Filipinos believed that the comingAmericans would help them gain independence. While they waited,Aguinaldo issued the Philippine Declaration of Independence, formed anational government, and designed a national flag.

Once U.S. reinforcements showed up, the Spanish agreed to “lose” afake battle and surrender to the Americans. They did not want to givethemselves up to the Filipinos, who resented Spanish rule so intensely.

Fighting the Filipinos In a treaty negotiated after the surrender, theUnited States “bought” the Philippines from Spain for $20 million. Then,in 1899, Congress voted to annex the Philippines.



Aguinaldo's government felt betrayed. Angrily, the Filipino leader calledfor “war without quarter to the false Americans who have deceived us!Either independence or death!” For three years, more than 80,000Filipino fighters fought off better-trained and better-armed U.S. troops.Soldiers on both sides tortured prisoners. Americans becameincreasingly cruel, harming civilians and destroying villages.

Some Americans protested that denying independence to thePhilippines violated U.S. ideals. Carl Schurz, a leader amongantiimperialists, said, “We shall, for the first time since the abolition ofslavery, again have two kinds of Americans: Americans of the firstclass, who enjoy the privilege of taking part in the Government . . . andAmericans of the second class, who are to be ruled . . . by theAmericans of the first class.”

However, the expansionists won the day. Senator Henry Cabot Lodgeargued that “Manila with its magnificent bay . . . will keep us open tothe markets of China.” President McKinley himself believed that thePhilippines could become “a land of plenty.”

More than 20,000 Filipinos and about 4,000 Americans died in thestruggle. When the revolt was finally put down, the Americans set up anonmilitary government to “prepare Filipinos for independence.”Americans built roads, hospitals, and schools, but the United States didnot grant the Philippines independence until 1946.



4. Panama and the Canal

In 1900, America's favorite hero from the Spanish-American War,Theodore Roosevelt, was elected vice president. “We stand on thethreshold of a new century,” Roosevelt declared. “Is America aweakling, to shrink from the work of the great powers? No. The younggiant of the West stands on a continent and clasps the crest of anocean in either hand.”

Dreaming of a Canal Roosevelt wanted to join the Atlantic andPacific oceans with a canal. If ships could move quickly between theAtlantic and the Pacific, the navy would be better able to defend thenation's new territories, and businesses would gain from lower shippingcosts.

In September 1901, President McKinley was shot and killed by anassassin, and Roosevelt became president. In his first speech toCongress, Roosevelt argued for the canal. “No single great materialwork which remains to be undertaken on this continent is of suchconsequence to the American people,” he told the lawmakers.



Congress soon approved funding. In 1903, Roosevelt offered Colombia$10 million for land in their province of Panama, the narrowest part ofCentral America, but the Colombian senate refused, believing that theUnited States was trying to take a weaker country's valuable resources.

Furious, Roosevelt sent a U.S. warship to Panama. Roosevelt knew thatPanamanians wanted independence from Colombia. The day after theship arrived, a revolution started in Panama. With U.S. marines keepingColombian soldiers from reaching Panama's harbors, the rebels quicklywon.

The new country of Panama agreed to accept $10 million in exchangefor giving the United States control over a “canal zone” ten miles wide.Some U.S. senators and newspapers—and countries all over the world—objected to America's “gunboat diplomacy,” but most of the publicsupported the president.

Building “The Big Ditch” Construction on the canal began in 1904.Workers faced terrible conditions. “We had to bathe, wash our clothesin the same river; drink the same river water and cook with it,” saidone. A year later, three-quarters of American workers had quit theproject.

The majority of employees were workers from the West Indies whocould not afford to go home. To prevent deadly yellow fever andmalaria, crews worked to eliminate the mosquitoes that carried thesediseases by draining ditches, spreading oil on swamps, and screeningdoors and windows. Within two years, canal workers were no longerdying from these diseases.

A new chief engineer improved housing and strictly organized the hugeproject. Using dynamite and huge steam shovels, men made a wide,deep cut through Panama's mountains. The excavated dirt was movedby railroad car to lower elevations, where workers created earthendams to form three giant lakes. Engineers supervised the constructionof locks, a type of gate that would allow water levels to be raised andlowered along the canal.

In 1904, when construction of the canal was underway, Roosevelt madeanother speech to Congress that made the Big Stick Policy an officialpart of his foreign policy. He reminded his audience that the MonroeDoctrine was issued by President Monroe in 1823 to prevent furtherEuropean colonization in the Americas. Yet nearly a century later,Roosevelt noted, many countries in the hemisphere were still too weakto defend themselves. He said that the United States therefore must



use “international police power” to preserve peace and order in theWestern Hemisphere and to protect American interests. He also saidthat this power, which would help protect weak nations, was a directextension of the Monroe Doctrine. For that reason, his statementbecame known as the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.

By the time the 51-mile-long canal opened in 1914, Roosevelt was nolonger president, but his influence in the Panamanian revolutioncontinued to be controversial. Roosevelt himself admitted, “I took theCanal Zone.” In 1921, Congress apologized to Colombia and gave it $25million. However, anti- American feelings remained high in LatinAmerica, and Panamanians increasingly resented U.S. control of theCanal Zone. In 2000, the United States returned the zone to Panama.



5. The Outbreak of World War I

By the time the first ship sailed through the Panama Canal, the world'sattention was no longer on Panama, but on far-off Europe. In August1914, German troops poured across Belgium, on their way to attempt toconquer France. Europe was at war.

Tensions in Europe European countries had long competed witheach other for colonies, trade, and territory, but by the early 1900s,nationalism was complicating these rivalries. Austria-Hungry had builtan empire by taking over smaller countries in the part of easternEurope known as the Balkans. Nationalism inspired in the Balkan peoplea burning desire to be independent of Austrian rule.

As tensions grew, European leaders looked for safety in militarism, apolicy of glorifying military power and military ideas and values. WhenGermany built up its navy to challenge Great Britain's fleet, GreatBritain constructed more battleships. As Germany's army grew, Francebuilt up its own army.



European countries also looked for safety in alliances. In secret treaties,Germany and Austria-Hungary agreed to help each other in case ofattack. Great Britain, Russia, and France made similar agreements.Europe was dividing into what amounted to armed camps.

Assassination Leads to War An outburst of nationalism lit the fuseof war. On June 28, 1914, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne,Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was visiting the city of Sarajevo in theprovince of Bosnia. Many Bosnians were Serbs who wanted to be partof nearby Serbia instead of Austria-Hungary. A Serbian nationalistjumped out of a crowd and fatally shot the archduke and his wife.

Outraged, Austria-Hungary accused Serbia of having a hand in theassassinations and pressured Serbia to give up most of itsindependence. When the Serbs refused, Austria-Hungary declared war.The Russians stepped in to defend the Serbs, and the Germans thencame to the aid of Austria-Hungary by declaring war on Russia. Russia'sally, France, began to prepare for war.

Eventually, more than a dozen countries took sides in the “Great War.”Decades later, people called the conflict World War I. Austria-Hungaryand Germany headed the Central Powers. France, Russia, and GreatBritain led the Allied Powers.

Like most Americans, President Woodrow Wilson wanted to stay out ofthe war. Declaring that the United States would remain neutral, Wilsonbegged citizens to be “impartial in thought as well as deed.”



6. A New Kind of Warfare

By September 1914, approximately 6 million soldiers were on the marchacross Europe. On Germany's Eastern Front, German troops foughtRussians. On the Western Front, German forces advanced quicklybefore being stopped by French and British troops at the Marne River,about 40 miles outside the city of Paris. With neither army able toadvance, both sides dug long, narrow ditches called trenches to protecttheir soldiers.

Trench Warfare For the next three years, the war in the west wasfought from two parallel lines of trenches. Men ate, slept, fought, anddied in these miserable ditches. Eventually, the lines of trenchesstretched for 600 miles across France.

Each side protected its front trench with barbed wire and booby traps.The land between opposing trenches was a deadly “no-man's land.”Attacking soldiers came under intense fire from the men in thetrenches, and thousands upon thousands of soldiers died attempting toadvance their line of trenches a few yards.



The trenches were wretched places, infested with rats, lice, anddisease. “We are not leading the life of men at all,” wrote an Americanwho had volunteered to fight with the British forces, “but that ofanimals, living in holes in the ground, and only showing outside to fightand to feed.”

New Weapons New weapons added to the horror of trench warfare.“We never got anywhere near the Germans,” one English corporalremembered. “The machine-guns were just mowing the top of thetrenches.” These new machine guns fired hundreds of bullets a minute.By the end of 1914, the French had lost 300,000 men. Germany lostmore than 130,000 soldiers in a single battle.

The next spring, a green cloud floated over the Allied lines, causingsoldiers to gasp and die with their throats and noses burning. TheGermans had invented poison gas, and soon both sides were usingchemical weapons.

The armies' new technology and strategies were effective for defense,but not for decisive attack. At one point, the British attempted for sixmonths to advance their lines, but they gained only five miles and lost420,000 men. “The deadlock here is permanent,” wrote an Americanvolunteer.

War at Sea To supply soldiers in the trenches with food, ammunition,and other supplies, the warring nations bought goods from neutralcountries. Each side tried to cut off the flow of supplies to its enemy.

Most trade, especially with the United States, was by sea. Great Britainhad the world's greatest fleet and numerous ocean ports. Germany hada strong navy, but its only access to the ocean was through the NorthSea. To close German ports, Great Britain laid mines in the North Sea.This blockade stopped most of the neutral shipping and kept theGerman fleet bottled up in harbors for most of the war.

Unable to use its surface ships, the German navy tried to blockadeGreat Britain using submarines, called U-boats (for “underwaterboats”). Fearing that the British would try to disguise their ships asneutral, Germany announced that it might sink vessels flying the flagsof neutral countries. Because submarines on the surface were easytargets for enemy fire, German submarines began sinking vessels onsight, instead of rising to the surface to give warning, as was expectedeven in wartime.

Germany Sinks the Lusitania The German embassy in the United



States placed newspaper ads warning passengers not to sail to GreatBritain and specifically not to take the Lusitania, a British luxury liner.On May 7, 1915, six days after leaving New York, the Lusitania nearedthe coast of Ireland. Suddenly a ship's lookout shouted, “Torpedocoming on the starboard side!” Within moments, the ship exploded andquickly sank, killing 1,198 people, including 128 Americans.

Americans were outraged. One newspaper called the German attack“wholesale murder.” When President Wilson protested, Germany saidthat the Lusitania had been carrying arms. Nevertheless, Germanyapologized and offered to pay for damages. Hoping to keep the UnitedStates out of the war, Germany also promised not to attack merchantand passenger ships without warning in the future.

Protected by this promise, U.S. manufacturers increased their tradewith the Allies. Trade with Allied countries swelled to $3.2 billion in1916, while trade with the Central Powers dropped to $1 million.Americans were not fighting in the war, but they had definitely takensides.



7. To Make the World “Safe for Democracy”

After the sinking of the Lusitania, Wilson decided that the United Statesneeded to prepare in case war became necessary and worked withCongress to get money to improve the army and navy. Still, neitherWilson nor the country wanted war, and in 1916, Wilson won reelectionunder the slogan, “He Kept Us Out of War.”

Wilson also tried to start peace talks. However, European leaders,having lost so many soldiers, rejected Wilson's call for “peace withoutvictory.”

The United States Enters the War The Germans soon risked warwith the United States again. Even though U-boats were sinking 50 to100 British merchant ships per month, enough ships were gettingthrough to keep the Allies supplied. Desperate to prevent an Alliedvictory, the Germans decided to cut off British supplies before their ownran out, and Germany resumed sinking merchant ships from othercountries without warning in February 1917.



In March, U-boats torpedoed three U.S. merchant ships, killing manyAmericans. In fact, these ships had been carrying weapons to the Allies.The Germans knew that this attack might bring the United States intothe war, but they hoped to win before America was ready to fight.

It was a fatal mistake. Addressing a special session of Congress, Wilsonurged a declaration of war. America would fight alongside the Allies, notjust to protect neutral shipping, but because “the world must be madesafe for democracy.”

Congress greeted Wilson's speech with applause. Later, Wilsonreflected, “My message today was a message of death for our youngmen. How strange it seems to applaud that.”

Americans Prepare to Fight After Congress declared war on April6, 1917, the Allies rejoiced, hoping for U.S. supplies—and soldiers.Allied ships were sinking faster than they could be replaced, and to getU.S. supplies delivered safely, convoys of U.S. warships startedescorting cargo vessels to protect them from attack. U.S. destroyersalso helped the British navy assault U-boats. These strategiesdramatically reduced shipping losses.

When the United States entered the war, it had only 200,000 soldiers,most of whom just had limited training. Congress quickly authorized anational draft. Soon, 3 million men had been drafted, and another 2million volunteered.

Fighting and Winning U.S. troops who sailed overseas were calledthe American Expeditionary Force (AEF). As they began arriving inEurope in June 1917, AEF soldiers soon learned from the Allies abouttrench warfare. The U.S. commander, General John J. Pershing, hatedthese terrible conditions for soldiers and realized that trench warfarewas not winning the war. He worked on a plan for driving the Germansout of the trenches and forcing them to retreat into open country.

Meanwhile, Russia had withdrawn from the war. With millions ofsoldiers dead and starvation spreading across the country, Russianshad revolted against their ruler, the czar. Russia's new governmentmade peace with the Germans, which enabled Germany to bringsoldiers back from the east, swelling their western forces to 3,500,000men.

The German forces rushed to capture Paris before large numbers ofAmericans could arrive from overseas. They pushed quickly through thevillage of Château-Thierry and a nearby forest called Belleau Wood.



They were within 50 miles of Paris when Americans reinforced theexhausted French. Gradually, U.S. machine guns and artillery enabledthe Allies to push the Germans back.

By the summer of 1918, more than a million Americans were in Europe.Pershing set into motion his Allied offensive, which took advantage ofseveral new technologies that had been developed during the war.Tanks could advance through trenches, while airplanes could delivermachine-gun fire and drop bombs. Carefully coordinating hugenumbers of soldiers, tanks, airplanes, and artillery, the Allies forced theweakened Germans back to their own border.

To avoid the invasion of their own country, German leaders agreed toan armistice, or cease-fire. On November 11, 1918, for the first time infour years, the guns were silenced.

The costs of the war horrified the world. More than 9 million people haddied. Entering the war late, the United States had lost 116,000 lives.



8. World War I on the Home Front

The military draft approved by Congress in May 1917 ensured thecountry had enough soldiers to fight in Europe. However, Wilson andother government leaders realized that all Americans, not only thosewho were sent overseas, would be needed to win the war. “It is not anarmy that we must shape and train for war; it is a nation,” PresidentWilson said. He considered the people at home to be just as much apart of the army as the soldiers in France “beneath the battle flags.”Once the United States had entered the war, the federal governmentstarted organizing Americans at home to support the war effort.

Propaganda and Patriotism When President Woodrow Wilsoncalled the nation to war, he knew that not all citizens would respondwith enthusiasm. As the war raged in Europe, pacifists formed peacegroups to keep the United States from entering the conflict. Pacifistsare people who oppose war for political, moral, or religious reasons.Other opponents took an isolationist approach. They believed that theUnited States should fight to defend itself rather than become involvedin what they viewed as a European conflict.



To increase support for the war effort, the government usedpropaganda. Wilson created a government agency that carried out acampaign to “sell” the war to the public through films, posters, andbooks promoting the war. It sent thousands of men into towns andcities to deliver speeches on such topics as why the United States wasfighting and the need to save food and fuel.

Americans responded by showing their support for the war effort.Families saved tin cans, paper, and old toothpaste tubes for recyclinginto war materials. Women met in homes or churches to knit blanketsand socks for soldiers. Many people joined local Red Cross chapters,where they rolled bandages and packed supplies to send to Europe.

Propaganda and patriotism sometimes stirred up anti-German anger.Although almost all German American communities supported the wareffort once the United States had entered the conflict, they oftensuffered because of the suspicions of others. Some employers in warindustries fired German American workers for fear they might destroymachinery or report plans to the enemy. Music groups stopped playingmusic written by German composers, and libraries removed books byGerman writers.

Raising Money for the War Once the United States entered thewar, the government had to find ways to pay for it. World War Iultimately cost the United States about $35.5 billion, about one-third ofwhich came from taxes while the rest came from government sales ofbonds. A bond is a document issued by a government or a companythat promises to repay an amount of money, plus an additional amount.Thousands of citizens worked to sell Liberty Bonds in their hometowns.

Organizing Industry for the War As the nation geared up for war,industries began to produce fewer consumer goods and more warsupplies. In the past, the government had left businesses alone to makethis transition, but World War I was different. For the first time, thefederal government worked with industries to ensure they made whatthe military needed. This included the power to tell factories whatgoods to produce and how much to make.

Efforts to Conserve Food and Fuel The United States faced theenormous task of feeding its armed forces, as well as the people athome. To meet the challenge, farmers produced more food, while thegovernment began a campaign that urged Americans to conserve foodso that more could be sent to U.S. troops in Europe. Familiesparticipated in Meatless Mondays and Wheatless Wednesdays, and theyincreased the food supply by planting “victory gardens” in their



backyards and public parks.

The government encouraged Americans to conserve fuel to help makesure factories had enough coal and oil to increase production of warsupplies. To save energy, Americans turned down their furnaces on“heatless Mondays” and walked instead of driving their cars on “gaslessSundays.” The government also introduced daylight savings time,which provided an extra hour of daylight at day's end and enabledhouseholds to use less electricity for lighting.

Efforts to Enforce Loyalty Most Americans, including those whohad emigrated to the United States, supported the war effort.Immigrants wanted a chance to prove their loyalty to their country anddid so by buying war bonds, participating in conservation efforts, andworking in wartime industries.

Nevertheless, recent immigrants became targets of patriot groups, likethe American Protective League, that tried to enforce what they called“100 percent Americanism.” Their members sometimes walked aroundimmigrant neighborhoods looking for signs of disloyalty. They also sentthe Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) names of people theysuspected of being disloyal.

Fear of espionage, or spying, led Congress to pass the Espionage Act in1917. This law made it a crime to try to interfere with the military draftand established severe penalties for spying.

In 1918, Congress further cracked down on opposition by enacting theSedition Act, which made it a crime to say anything disloyal about thegovernment. Hundreds of people were arrested for offenses such ascriticizing the military draft or wartime taxes.



9. The Struggle for Peace

Less than two months after the fighting ended in Europe, PresidentWilson traveled to take part in peace talks in Paris, where he wascheered by huge crowds. The United States had saved the French fromendless war, and many Europeans welcomed Wilson's eagerness toprevent future wars.

Fourteen Points for World Peace Months earlier, Wilson hadpresented to Congress a 14-point proposal for a postwar agreement.The first five points aimed to prevent conflict and asked nations toavoid secret treaties, to practice free trade, and to reduce their weaponsupplies. Wilson asked that new borders be drawn based on self-determination, or the will of the people in each area.

Points 6 through 13 described new boundaries for many Europeancountries. Finally, the ambitious Point 14 called for nations to join ageneral association of countries to protect each other's independence.Wilson called this organization the League of Nations and believed itcould help the world achieve a lasting peace.



Germany had surrendered, believing that Wilson's “Fourteen Points”would be the basis for a fair and just peace. However, after years offighting and dreadful losses, some Allied leaders were not satisfied witha just peace.

The Treaty of Versailles On January 18, 1919, delegates fromdozens of countries assembled at a French palace outside Paris calledVersailles (vehr-SIGH). In addition to Wilson, three Allied leadersdominated the treaty talks, David Lloyd George of England, GeorgesClemenceau (klehmahn- SOH) of France, and Vittorio Orlando of Italy.

The German representatives were prohibited from speaking, whichreflected the Allies' anger and determination to punish Germany andremove it as a future threat. They created a treaty that forced Germanyto disband almost all of its armed forces, give up its colonies, andsurrender territory in Europe. In addition, they called on Germany topay reparations, or money to make up for damages and war deaths.The amount of these reparations was later set at $33 billion.

President Wilson opposed such harsh treatment of Germany. However,he eventually accepted the Allied leaders' demands for punishment inorder to win their support for his Fourteen Points.

The Allies rejected some of Wilson's points, including freedom of theseas, but the peace conference did create new national boundaries inEurope based on self-determination. Most important to Wilson, theTreaty of Versailles established a League of Nations. Wilson thoughtthat this agreement would make the peace treaty successful, as hebelieved that the League of Nations could fix any problems created bythe treaty.



Struggling for Senate Ratification Wilson needed the approval oftwo-thirds of the U.S. Senate to ratify the peace treaty. However, hequickly ran into opposition, especially to the League of Nations. Somesenators worried that other countries would force U.S. soldiers to fightin international conflicts and argued that only Congress had theconstitutional power to send Americans to war.

The struggle over the treaty became a fight between political parties.Republicans held a majority in the Senate and felt that Wilson, aDemocrat, had made his Fourteen Points a political issue by notappointing any Republicans to his negotiating team.

Anxious to increase public support for the League of Nations, Wilsonundertook an intense speaking tour, visiting 29 cities in 22 days. Hespoke up to four times a day, with hardly any rest. Finally, he collapsedwith severe headaches and was rushed back to Washington, D.C.,where he suffered a massive stroke.

Recovering slowly, Wilson was less willing or able to compromise withopposition senators. In March 1920, the Senate rejected the Treaty ofVersailles.

A Return to Isolationism Once again, the United States washeading toward a policy of isolationism, and it did not participate whenthe League of Nations opened in Geneva, Switzerland. In later years,when crises developed in Europe, the League lacked the power thatWilson hoped it would have.

In Germany, the Treaty of Versailles left a bitter legacy, with manyGermans—notably Adolf Hitler, a corporal who had been temporarilyblinded by gas during the war—feeling betrayed. Hitler's rise to powerin the 1930s would pose a fresh challenge to U.S. isolationism. Onlyafter a second world war would the United States take on the role ofworld power that it continues to fill today.



Lesson Summary

In this lesson, you read about U.S. expansionism and thenation's involvement in World War I.

The Nation Stretches Its Wings The United States' first greatexpansion after the Civil War was the purchase of Alaska. The nationalso expanded westward by annexing the Midway Islands in the Pacificin 1867 and Hawaii in 1898.

The Spanish-American War In 1898, the United States declared waron Spain over the Cuban struggle for independence, and as a result ofthe Spanish-American War, it gained two new possessions: Puerto Ricoand the Philippines. Although the United States did not take over Cuba,it did, under a treaty made in 1903, lease land in Cuba to establish anaval base.

Panama and the Canal In Central America, the United Statesencouraged revolution in Panama and then purchased a strip of landfrom the new country to build the Panama Canal. The United States



maintained control over the Canal Zone for the rest of the 20th century.

World War I By the time World War I broke out, the United States wasemerging as a world power. The United States remained neutral untillate in the war, when it entered the conflict on the side of the AlliedPowers. President Wilson described the war as a fight to make the worldsafe for democracy.

A New Kind of Warfare World War I saw great changes in how warwas conducted. The war in the west was fought from two parallel linesof trenches that eventually stretched for 600 miles across France.Machine guns and chemical weapons added to the horrors of trenchwarfare. German U-boats, or submarines, sank vessels on sight.

World War I on the Home Front The federal government organizedefforts to encourage Americans to support the war at home. Theseefforts included campaigns to urge Americans to buy war bonds andconserve food. The government also worked to shift economicproduction to war materials. Concerns about espionage led Congress topass the Espionage Act and the Sedition Act.

The Struggle for Peace Americans helped to win the war, but Wilsonwas unable to get his entire peace plan adopted. The U.S. Senaterefused to ratify the peace treaty, preventing the United States fromjoining the League of Nations. In Europe, the harsh terms imposed bythe victorious Allies caused great bitterness in Germany. Meanwhile,the United States turned back toward isolationism.

Investigating Primary Sources



How Did the Yellow Press ShapeJournalism in the Late 1800s?

Big headlines, frightening news stories, and gossip—that'swhat sold newspapers! These examples were characteristic“yellow press.” In the days before televisions and the Internet,newspapers were the primary means of getting the news. Youare going to examine primary sources about yellow press andwrite an argument about how it shaped journalism in the late1800s.

Until the 1830s, most newspapers cost six cents each, making themaffordable to only wealthy people. Then, with faster and cheapermachinery and paper, the price of many newspapers dropped to apenny. With prices so low, profit depended on selling as many papersas possible, and news owners began selling papers that contained bigheadlines and sensational stories to attract readers.

William Randolph Hearst owned the New York Journal, and he wasdetermined to sell more papers than his competitor Joseph Pulitzer,who owned the New York World. Both men relied on yellow journalismto get readers to buy their papers. Their newspapers coveredsensational stories about crimes, divorce, and anything else that wouldattract readers. Often these stories relied on photos or drawings andcolorful language to grab the readers' attention.

Here is a 1910 political cartoon that shows William Randolph Hearsttossing papers with sensational headlines to a crowd of eager readers.On the left, there is a quote from New York's mayor which includes,“The journalism of New York City has been dragged to the lowestdepths of degradation.” What do the headlines of the papers say? Whatdo the men dumping bags of money (instead of journalistic content)into the machine suggest? What does this cartoon say about how theyellow press was changing journalism?

Two Kinds of Journalism

Hearst and Pulitzer used the front pages of their newspapers to fight forreaders. Both papers had exciting headlines that made people want toread the stories. Both used sensationalism, a way of reporting storiesthat stirs up excitement and interest often at the expense of accuracy.And both papers featured a cartoon character called the Yellow Kid,leading this style of journalism to be nicknamed the yellow press.

Yellow press newspapers were radically different from more formal



newspapers such as the New York Tribune, created by Horace Greeleyin 1841. The Tribune held high journalistic standards and coveredstories about educational reform and moral issues such as gamblingand alcohol.

Here are two primary source newspapers from New York City in 1890,the Tribune and the Evening World. What do you notice about the frontpage of each of these papers? How are the two formats different? Whywould a person choose to buy one paper over the other? Which is thesensational newspaper, and how does it capture readers' attention? Isthere still evidence of sensationalism in the news media today, and ifso what are some examples?

An Example of Yellow Press

Plenty of other newspapers adopted sensationalism as a way to earnprofits! Super-sized headlines about mysteries, murders, burglaries,romance, and cheating sold papers. Reporters researched real storiesand posted the most gruesome ones on the front page of thenewspaper, and they often exaggerated or manufactured extra detailsto add excitement.

Here is an article from another New York paper, The Sun, published onDecember 3, 1894. This example of sensationalism is filled withdramatic words meant to hook the reader. Bigamy means beingmarried to more than one person. Discretion, as used in this story,means acting properly, to avoid offending anyone.

After reading the article, consider the following questions. What wordsin the headline and boldface text underneath might encourage thereader to continue reading the article? What language within the storycaptures a reader's attention? Why might articles like this one havebeen so popular among readers in the late 1800s?



A Real War

While newspapers carried out a media war to earn profits, theirsensationalist style of journalism stirred up controversy that fueled areal war for the United States. In 1897, Hearst's Journal and Pulitzer'sWorld covered many stories from Cuba about how Cubanrevolutionaries were resisting Spain's rulers. Both newspapers reportedstories from Cuba, highlighting and sometimes exaggerating or lyingabout the heroism of Cuba's struggle for independence and theharshness of Spain's rule. Bold headlines and clever illustrations soldnewspapers for both publishers.

At 9:40 p.m. on February 15, 1898, an explosion rocked the Americanbattleship USS Maine, anchored just outside Havana, Cuba. Even today,no one knows what caused the explosion, but many at the time believedthat Spain blew up the battleship. The Journal and the World jumped onthe story and churned out headlines such as “Spanish Treachery!”Their articles magnified Spain's threat to the United States and stirredup Americans' worst fears. Two months later, the U.S. Congressdeclared war on Spain, which cost $250 million and 3,000 lives.



Examine this copy of the Journal that came out two days after thedestruction of the USS Maine. What emotional reaction might a readerhave when reading the top headline? Why might this newspaper havecaused tension between the United States and Spain? Why might somepeople say the yellow press caused the Spanish-American War? In whatways do we still see the effects of the yellow press today?

Consider all the primary sources and what you learned aboutthe yellow press. How is yellow journalism different fromtraditional journalism? Write an argument about how theyellow press shaped journalism in the late 1800s. Support itwith evidence from the primary sources.



Should U.S. actions in world affairs around the turn of the 20th century be praised or condemned?

P R E V I E W

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute The United States Becomes a World Power 1

The United States Becomes a World Power

I N T E R A C T I V E S T U D E N T N O T E B O O K

Political cartoons express a cartoonist’s opinion on a current issue through the use of images and words. Cartoonists may use several artistic devices in their cartoons, including important people, symbols, exaggerated details, and captions. Examine the political cartoon your teacher is projecting, and answer these questions.1. What people or symbols do you see in this cartoon? Who or what might

they represent?

2. What details, if any, are exaggerated in this cartoon? Why might they be exaggerated?

3. What does the caption say? How might it relate to the cartoon?

R E A D I N G N O T E S

Social Studies Vocabulary As you complete the Reading Notes, use these terms in your answers.

imperialism Roosevelt Corollary militarismyellow journalism nationalism propaganda


© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute2 The United States Becomes a World Power

Section 1

1. Fill in the T-chart with at least two arguments for and two arguments against U.S. expansionism around the turn of the 20th century.

Arguments for U.S. Expansionism Arguments Against U.S. Expansionism

2. Complete the chart to show the sequence of events in the U.S. annexation of Hawaii.

Section 2

1. Complete the spoke diagram.

2. List two results of the Spanish-American War as outlined in the peace treaty with Spain.

1835

1898

1891

1887

Boston merchant establishes a sugar plantation in Hawaii.

Causes of the

Spanish-American War



Section 3

1. Why were Filipino fighters willing to ally themselves with Admiral Dewey and the United States? Why did they eventually feel betrayed by the United States?

2. Fill in one speech bubble with praise for U.S. actions in the Philippines and the other with condemnation.

U.S. Expansionist Anti-imperialist

Section 4

1. Complete the flowchart to show how the United States gained control of the Panama Canal.

2. In your opinion, what was the most difficult aspect of building the Panama Canal?

Theodore Roosevelt wanted to build a canal joining the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to improve trade and make it easier to defend U.S. territories.



Section 5

1. How did European countries try to stay safe in the years before 1914?

2. Create an illustration to explain the outbreak of World War I. Include and label the following: Austria-Hungary, Serbia, Russia, Germany, France, Great Britain, Central Powers, Allied Powers.

Section 6

1. Draw and label three changes in warfare during World War I.

2. Explain the war at sea by answering these questions.• Why was the German navy unable to use its surface ships?

• How did Germany plan to blockade British ships?

• What was the Lusitania and what happened to it?

• What promise did Germany make after the Lusitania incident, and how did the promise affect U.S. manufacturers?

L e s s o n 2 8


Section 7

1. Why did President Wilson ask Congress to declare war on Germany on April 6, 1917?

2. Make a list of five ways the United States helped the Allies win World War I. Put a star next to the factor you believe was the most significant, and explain why.

Section 8

1. How did the U.S. government and American civilians support war efforts? Complete the T-chart to show how each wartime need was met.

Wartime Need How Each Need Was Met

Raising funds for war

Producing war supplies

Feeding U.S. troops in Europe

Conserving fuel for factories that produce war supplies

2. How did Congress enforce loyalty in the country during wartime?



P R O C E S S I N G

On a separate sheet of paper, create a political cartoon that shows your praise or condemnation of one of these topics: U.S. expansionism around the turn of the 20th century or the U.S. role in World War I. Your cartoon should clearly convey your point of view on U.S. actions for that topic. It should also contain at least three of the following elements:• symbols (images that represent something else)• important people• exaggerated details• a caption• other devices such as labels, speech balloons, or thought bubbles

Section 9

1. What were the key characteristics of each of these proposals for a postwar agreement? List at least two details in each of the three spaces of the Venn diagram.

2. Why did the U.S. Senate reject the Treaty of Versailles and participation in the League of Nations?

Wilson’s Fourteen Points

Treaty of Versailles



Using Questions and Evaluating SourcesThink about what you know about the yellow press. What else do you want to learn about journalists during the late 1800s? List some questions you have.Question 1:

Question 2:

Question 3:

Read Investigating Primary Sources, How Did the Yellow Press Shape Journalism in the Late 1800s?, in the Student Text. Use the primary sources in the reading and reliable sources from the Internet or books to answer the questions. For each source, consider if it helps answer the question and why it was created.

Use the evidence you gathered to make a claim to this question: How did the yellow press shape journalism in the late 1800s?

Claim:

I N V E S T I G A T I N G P R I M A R Y S O U R C E S

Answer 1:

Source:

Answer 2:

Source:

Answer 3:

Source:


© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute8 Lesson 28

Constructing an Argument

Create an argument to answer the question: How did the yellow press shape journalism in the late 1800s? Your argument should:• clearly state your claim.• include evidence from multiple sources.• provide explanations for how the sources support the claim.• use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion.• create cohesion among claims, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.• establish and maintain a formal style.• produce a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports your

argument.

Use this rubric to evaluate your argument. Make changes as needed.

Score Description

3The claim clearly answers the question. The argument uses evidence from two or more primary sources that strongly support the claim. The explanations accurately connect to the evidence and claim.

2The claim answers the question. The argument uses evidence from one or more primary sources that support the claim. Some of the explanations connect to the evidence and claim.

1The claim fails to answer the question. The argument lacks evidence from primary sources. Explanations are missing or are unrelated to the evidence and claim.

Name __________________________________________________ Date ______________________________

Assessment: The United States Becomes a World PowerMastering the ContentSelect the letter next to the best answer.

1. What did the United States hope to achieve through expansionism?A. improved foreign relationsB. increased U.S. immigrationC. new markets for U.S. goodsD. exploration of unknown lands

2. How did the Hawaiian Islands become part of the United States?A. Hawaii was ceded by Spain.B. Hawaii was purchased from Japan.C. The United States annexed Hawaii.D. The Hawaiian people chose to be part of the United States.

3. How did yellow journalism contribute to U.S. involvement in Cuba’s fight for independence?

A. Exaggerated news reports created sympathy for Cuba.B. Sales of newspapers funded a revolution in Cuba.C. Writers demanded that reporters held in Cuban jails be freed.D. Reporters wrote accurate accounts of events occurring in Cuba.

4. The battle cry “Remember the Maine!” preceded which event?A. World War IB. Panama's revolutionC. the Battle at Manila BayD. the Spanish-American War

5. Which country won independence through a peace treaty with Spain?A. CubaB. HawaiiC. PanamaD. Philippines

6. Which of these was a result of the Spanish-American War?A. Puerto Rico won its independence.B. The United States acquired Alaska.C. Panama broke away from Columbia.D. The United States annexed the Philippines.

7. Why did U.S. expansionists want to annex the Philippines?A. It was rich in natural resources.B. It provided access to Chinese markets.C. The Filipinos wanted to become U.S. citizens.D. The Filipinos and Americans had similar cultures.

8. Which group gained the most from the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914?A. German sailorsB. U.S. shipping linesC. Colombian governmentD. West Indian canal workers

9. How did the rise of nationalism contribute to the growing unrest before the start of World War I?A. Countries wanted to be rid of their foreign rulers.B. Countries attempted to increase their territory.C. Countries wanted to isolate themselves from other nations.D. Countries wanted to form coalitions between nations.

10. Which of these words best describes President Woodrow Wilson before and after World War I?A. imperialistB. isolationistC. expansionistD. abolitionist

11. Examine the timeline and determine which belongs in place of the question mark?

A. The League of Nations is formed.B. The Treaty of Versailles is signed.C. The United States declares war against Germany.D. The Central Powers declare war against the United States

12. How did U.S. entry into World War I affect the war?A. Germany quickly surrendered.B. German men enlisted in record numbers.C. U.S. soldiers and equipment weakened the Germans.D. Untrained U.S. forces and poor strategies lengthened the fighting.

13. Which of these contributed to the enormous loss of life during World War I?A. the use of new weaponsB. the limited number of troopsC. the superiority of Germany's navyD. the lack of leadership on both sides

14. All of these were included under Wilson’s 14-point agreement following World War I exceptA. reparations from Germany.B. reduction in weapon supplies.C. new boundaries for European countries.D. the formation of an international association.

15. How did Germans view the Treaty of Versailles?A. They felt they were treated fairly.B. They were bitter about the demands.C. They refused to accept the conditions of surrender.D. They saw the benefit of surrendering their territory.

16. What was a contributing factor to the failure of the League of Nations?A. European nations refused to join.B. The United States did not participate.C. Germany demanded to be represented.D. The League did not have a permanent headquarters.

Applying Social Studies SkillsUse the political cartoon and your knowledge of history to answer the questions.

17. Why did the cartoonist choose to use a block of ice to symbolize the geographical subject of the cartoon?

18. What information changed the historical viewpoint expressed in the cartoon?A. the wealth of natural resources in AlaskaB. the discovery that few people lived in AlaskaC. the discovery of Alaska's location in the worldD. the conditions that Russia placed on the sale of Alaska

19. What does the word TREATY in the cartoon refer to?A. the transfer of land from Russia to the United StatesB. the rules of trade between Russia and the United StatesC. the terms of peace between Russia and the United StatesD. the agreement to reduce weapon supplies in Russia and the United States

Exploring the Essential Question: Should U.S. actions in world affairs around theturn of the 20th century be praised or condemned?Follow the directions to complete the item below.

20. Suppose you are debating U.S. actions in world affairs at the turn of the 20th century. Write a paragraph praising U.S. actions in the 20th century and, taking the other side, write a paragraph condemning U.S. actions at the turn of the 20th century. Support each viewpoint with factual information. Finally, considering the two sides of the issue, write an opinion explaining why you favor one viewpoint over the other.

Be sure to convey your ideas clearly, using standard English.

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