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J\;t )\ >FmNTRM AND rN1ti V ON SM

Stllnd ~rd 4 : Demo nstrn1c an 1mclcr ~lí\ndin~ of how lhc Am<, 1 ar 1<kri'¡t
y l-Qth at home and
nhroad wns afTcclcd by impcrialictm wnrlcl ronflic.t, anu ec,mn mtc b<J()M
l.11d bu.-.• in trc pcnod
\893 to 1945.

E nduri ng l lndcrstand lng:

, rl' :l~Hl~ glulmi 111te1vl,;.(ltíOH t-- 11.r JOl•of....,::~;::::: ••~;; c:l
, e E mcrgi ng global connc ctcdnc ss c.ontn butcd to thr. n reat D,:pre sston
md :t •eturn to
neutra lity and isolati ooism . World War JI pcrma nently ~hoo'IC Amer
.ca 1u "lf '1 oolicy of
iso\at ionism and ncutra lity and into thc global ~oc1cty

Expo sitory Narrative:

At the onset of the 20th ccntur y , the lJnitc d Statcs was produ ctr.g
.ne~ gocds L1an thc A.71e,can
marke l could coosw ne, wh.ich promp tcd a nccd for ~x;,rui.smn mio
entera.ario~ .r-.aú:~:s m ~eas
sucb as Latin Amer ica, tbc Paci.fic, and Asia. Th.ls llcml co::.1omcd
wrt:l .l ::es_:_.~ ·cr :.c~ ed
military powe r and tbe promo lion of democ racy. re"1. l~ m Ai:::ru::.?.::.
=re:: " .. s;-, -:-.:e Sp:mi sh-
Amer ican War resulte d in Amer ica bccoro mg an empare T.us .:ev~.L
:;=:::-..c::.t ~:l.i cc.a:r.;-~o::ed b;
sorne Amer icans and conde mned by otbers . Amcn ca· s t.:l."°r .','!ci..
: ! . . . ~ i!.5C .::.¡:t:::c"i~.o to
resent ment from foreig n nation s. Thc Unitcd States \'-'OlllC even.
oliy ~e. ..:. :,01} "'\vor.d
War I and II for a variet y of reason s, includ ing ecooo mic ~te-:~ , .1 :-t...sir~
~ ;:.:J....c~
democ racy, and the protec tion of n ational secun rv
lnvolv emeot i.n world affairs during this period marke::i 1 r:lljor -:-..
..~~ ..:. L'5 :·~:~;g:¡: poii~ · a:::::d
led to the emerg ence of a new Amer ican identity Arn-:rica=. mr~~
cn:ic: w.=. ;:rrov-:d ~ a:::i a venue
to enter new marke ts aroun d the w orld and to protec t expan dmg Ame:.,.
:-...n ~te-:es:s Suppo rters
of Amer ican interv ention used Socia l Darwi nism to jusút J. ne"
>_!,• .:>ba! pr~-e n~. Howe ver,
critics viewe d interv ention ism as a direct contrast to the n..lues wrine
o in the Decla ration of
lndep enden ce. This debate lasts to present day .

As part of Amer ica's role in world affair.;, its econo my was rcspon
sive to world evcnts and
trends. Mass produ ction increa sed after World \Var 1 and contri buted
to faJling consu mer prices .
Throu ghout the l 920s, presid ents p opular ized deregu lation and minim
al gover nment interferencc
in the econo my. This consu merism1 fueled by the Federal Reserv~•s
easy credit polici cs, led to
growi ng consu mer debt, wides pread stock specul atioo, and the nation
' s larges t incom e gap.
Tbese factors caused the Stock Marke t Crnsh of 1929, which signal
cd the start of thc Great
Depre ssion.

Toe Great Depre ssion includ ed bank failures , forecl osures , homel
cssness, povcr ty, n.nd
wides pread unemp loyme nl President Hcrbe n Hoove r initially addres
sed the growi.ng deprcs sion
with limited govcm ment involvernent., but the Depression worsened.
Frank lin D . Roosc vclt won
the prcsid ency throug h the promise of increased govem meot involv ement
to turn Lbc ccono my
around . This expan dcd govem ment intervention in the ecooo my was
fueled by dcfi cit spend ing
as the progra ms of the New Deal sough t to provide relief, recovery,
and reforro Throu ghout th ..
l 930s, Repub licans contin ued to debate this expansioo of govern ment
power and to rcsist FDR •s
plans. Tboug b the gover nmenl initiatives pro,¿? ed sorne aid to the
s ituati on, ultima tcly thC'
Dcpre ssion clid not end until the countr y mobih zed far World War
Il. Massivc govcm mcnt
spencling on tbe war effort helped to end high unemployment. Althou
gh Roose vclt SOU¡!hl ~lltn,'
\

r •
l 1Nl 11·1> Sl/\ 11 /, IIISIORY A'IDTIIEC'()'IST

nun,,1 ity 11\\'o\vcmcnt in lhc Nnv lkn l gov,., 1m<:nt programe; d1d n,: rr.·,1 1. e ~,lí'"" ,Jegree of
rcliefto minorily gToup~ 111 tllC' lJS . as c;talc~ wrn• allowed tn mrl1, du:;ll¡ e ,,.-~'i ..\rt',n ;,as
cl\gihk to reccivc thc hcnefil c; of v::irious progrr1ms. lt wasn t innl ~1v'"tÑ11 ar.d •.he 1" :eas\ng
power of the comrnand cconomy thal f DR was ahlc to prov1de m<'re ~q1 1;il oi:-rc;-t,.irull'!'I o -111
groups in the US tbrough acticms c;uch ns Exccut1 ve Orrlcr ~~02
Toe World Wars and tbc Orcat Dcprc"lsion fundnmentally chaHen¡¡;ed 1.i:e Jcce-¡:,ted role 'lÍ 1mited
governmcnt intcrventiou. Thc preccdcnls of Progrcsc;ive econr:r.:i... '!~ulat1r:n ero·,~ 3 .;onl.J.nu:ty
through most of the period, and by thc cn<l of World Wu TI. ,•~,. f...denl ~0·1enu:cr.t ',ad
unprecedented power ovcr the cconomy, cspcc1nll y <lunng t:r.e" nt ~r·.,1 , ''l"lt.U :rrnc;ervativc
critics attacked this new scopc of govcmmenl, lhe c;trong sur'r('rt ,ro~- .cor '!1e .\menean Wa:t
efforts, prominent global lcadership, an<l postwur pros-pent'¡ er.su.:~ r.....:::Jra1 :mr.iediatc
conscrvativc counter-reaction.
The rapid fluctuations in the economy contributed to shlfting r...;p~oc ~ \.íany Afucan
Americans fled from the South as a part of the Great M.1.gra:io-. ..":. -o~ ),: >C::t.r.n.g Jea:e.r
opportunities that included access to educatíon nnd cmploy-i:!-t '1 ~e ~---...-..::. ?.=-e: \[aw-est w.:u.:e
esca:ping h.arsh conditions in the South. As tbe Afrtcan /\mene.u' .i.=.é .:i:::.:=..t,• ..!-t ;c;c...mcn. grew
in the North and Midwest, the creation nnd appreciation for tce a.-TS . , . , .:.:e =±.ª;...! .:-.llC'Jai
and arts movements. lmmigration significantly decreascd m tne m.!~ y~_:: t.:l oa::-,.sm
and fears of communism. Continued hardships for farmers, i.aclt.&n.s ::..__.:~..=.::::; c:-c;: F~.:es a::c.
the Dust Bowl contributed to more America.ns moving from ru."l! tJ tcir.1:! .!:!'.ll. ...::;..;:~
contributed to other cultural conflicts.
Economic and social changes were also influenced by technolog1Cll de,, dopml!'m.s. M~s
production techniq'l!es such as the assembly line aUowed consumer goods to be r::oduc~d a1 a
lower cost anci, along with the use of the installment plan and credit, contribmed toan racrease in
consumerism. Toe automobile mobilized American society and supported migration while the
radio revolutionized American cullure. Radio was utilized for entermi.nment pl..UJ)Oses and as a
mode of communication for tbe govemment, such as President Fran..'<lin Roosevelt' s "Fireside
Ch.ats", which signaled tbe beginning of a rclationship with media coverage and the government.

Toe combination of political cbange, economic instability, and demographic cbanges led to man y
social tensions during this period. Dissenters of American involvement in world wars were
censured and silenced with the Espionage and Seclition Acts. Tensions were beightened as
different definitions of American 'identity' emerged in confüct with one another. Despite the
positive contributions of marginalized groups to American society, lensions at the time le.el to
in.creased racism, nativism, and xcnophobia.. Stricter immigration guatas, sucb as the
Immigration Act of 1924 were passed in response to exaggerated pcrceptioos of "outsiders" and
racial conflicts increased in the north where African Americans had migrated from the Soutl1 .
A.nimosity towards foreigners, particularly those who were viewed as communist sympathizcrs
J~ to _Red S~es. ;°~e_pr~judices continued during the S~con~ World War through systcmati'c
violatton of c1tizen s civil nghts when the US Government tmpnsoned Japanese Americans in
intemment camps througbout the country.

International involvement, itself, particularly in the World Wars, shaped American bclicfs
political policies, and social roles. World Wars I and 11 were fmnn ced by scll.ing war bond~ J l'd