American involvement in World War I - Essay Example

Essay Considering Miss Anthony’s hearing, it is clear that at the time industrial leaders inspired among ordinary Americans a combination of awe, admiration and hostility. However, depending on an individual’s view the individual’s were captains of the industry and pushed the industry and as shown by Miss Anthony they wielded a lot of power. Moreover, from Miss Anthony’s view it is clear that big businesses poses dictatorial attitudes, repressive policies and exercised power without democratic control that undermined political freedom. In Miss Anthony’s hearing it is clear that the gilded age produced powerful evidence of distrust between employees and employers. Therefore from her case it is clear that by 1870s there were expressions of doubt and distrust with regard to suffrage as heard continuously during the trial and was evident in the society. Moreover, from Miss Anthony’s claim it is clear that courts during this period sided with business firms that claimed that loss of economic freedom because at the time courts considered regulation of business an insult to free labor (Foner 664-665). After the culmination of civil war and the onset of the twentieth century, US witnessed one of the fast and intense economic revolutions in history. There were numerous causes of the explosive economic development at the time among them abundant resources, increased supply of labor, increased market for developed goods and accessibility of investment capital. Moreover, the federal government at the time actively promoted industrial and agricultural development and enacted high tariffs that guarded the American industry from foreign competition. Most of the manufacturing at the time occurred in industrial cities and drawn to factories by the prospect of getting employment, a fresh working class emerged at the time (Foner 633-634). During this period the labor movement got revitalized after the civil war with laws launching eight hours of legal day’s job. At the time, northern legislatures passed similar laws although they lacked tough means of implementation which meant that they remained like lifeless letters. However, the efforts of farmers and workers to use state power in counteracting the prevailing inequality inspired far reaching debate on the relationship between political and economic freedom in an industrial society (Foner 661). 1880 witnessed a wave of labor organization and at the core was the Knights of labor which was the initial group to manage unskilled together with skilled workers, women and men. The group witnessed a huge number of workers in 1886 in strike, boycotts, political action and educational as well as social activities. In this period, labor reformers put forth a wide array of programs that included eight-hour day, public employment, currency reform, socialism and creation of vague “cooperative commonwealth” (Foner 667). All the ideas were brought by the conviction at the time that social conditions required drastic change; hence the labor movement launched sustained assault based on the understanding of freedom and liberty of contract. Therefore, the remedy was to incorporate republican principles into the industrial system by assuring a basic set of economic rights to all Americans (Foner 667). After the civil war, the president at the time Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation that liberated some of the slaves at the time within the president’s authority. Although, the documented did not apply in loyal border slave states, the proclamation set off euphoria among the free slaves and abolitionists from the north and slaves in the south. Hence, the war that aimed at preserving the union resulted in abolition of slavery under government authorization (Foner 551). After the end of the civil war the United States became a new nation because for the first time the nation was wholly free after the destruction of slavery (Foner 587). Instead of land distribution, reconstruction governments pinned their hopes in southern economic growth as well as the opportunity of African-Americans and poor whites in regional economic growth. In the face of the many challenges for reconstruction governments that resulted in many failures, there were some accomplishments. Following reconstruction governments established in the South state-supported public schools with an education system that served blacks and white children although some schools were segregated by race. Reconstruction recognized for once a nation-level standard regarding equity in citizenship as well as the recognition of black people to share the public services. (Foner 614-615). During the gilded age, the nation’s political structure appeared to be ill-equipped to deal with problems created by the economy’s quick growth although the government debated on the tariff policy and managed to return to the gold standard in 1879. Everywhere in early twentieth-century America there were signs of economic and political consolidation as shown by the rise of new systems of management within the workplaces. The era witnessed businessmen realize that workers needed a voice in economic decision making and labor activities devoted in empowering industrial workers. Fredrick efficiency expert at the time pioneered what he referred to as “scientific management” a program that aimed at streamlining production and boost profits by systematically controlling costs and work practices (Foner 738). The era witnessed expansion of political and economic freedom through reinvigoration of the movement for women suffrage, use of political power to expand workers’ rights and efforts to improve democratic government through weakening of the power of city bosses and offering ordinary citizens more influence on legislation. Roosevelt believed as a president one has the right of being honest broker in matters of labor disputes instead of automatically taking the side of employers the way his predecessor did. During the 1902 Pennsylvania coalfields strike, Roosevelt summoned Union managers to the White House and managed to persuade owners to allow for a settlement of the dispute by a commission he appointed or risk federal takeover of the mines. Moreover, after his reelection in 1904 Roosevelt regulation program of the country’s economy received significant public support following the labor unrest and agitation of progressive reformers (Foner 757). Wilson’s policies after his election in 1912 were in line with Roosevelt’s new Nationalism that was in favor of great government supervision of the economy. Wilson presided the creation of public agencies that include the Federal Reserve System in 1913 and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 1914 (Foner 762). Essay 2 American involvement in World War I offered the first great challenge to Wilson’s belief that American power had the ability of making the world safe for democracy (Foner 769). Like the Civil war, WWI (World War I) formed provisionally a national state that had exceptional powers and stridently increased presence in Americans’ daily lives. The war appeared to develop the new nationalist nation that Roosevelt together with other progressives preferred (Foner 780). By the end of the war many Americans had the belief that the nation stood in the verge of new industrial order because in 1919 more than 4 million workers engaged in strikes, which was the greatest labor unrest in the nation’s history (Foner 800). Abuse of civil liberties in early 1920 was severe that the events dealt a devastating setback to radical and labor organizations of every kind and initialized intense identification of patriotic Americanism with support of political and economic status quo (Foner 803). The 1920s witnessed profound social tensions between rural and urban Americans participants in the burgeoning consumer culture and individuals who did not share the prevailing prosperity. In this period, conservatism dominated both the political system and consumerism because Americans seemed to dress alike and admire same larger than-life celebrities (Foner 819). The 1932 depression saw the country’s economy hit rock bottom resulting high unemployment, few working hours and drastically low wages an indication that the not only did the industrial economy suffer, but the nation that led the prosperity in 1920s. The depression changed American life because it reversed the long-standing movement of individuals from farms to cities (Foner 850). Moreover, the long-standing division between the competing conceptions of woman freedom crystallized in the debate regarding Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) because female liberation resurfaced as a lifestyle, stuff of advertising, devoid of connections to political and economic radicalism (Foner 826-827). The period between 1946 and 1960 witnessed the American gross domestic product increase by more than double and most of the benefits trickled to regular citizens resulting in increased wages. In the 1950s, the main propellers of economic growth were residential construction and purchase of consumer goods (Foner 991-992). Consumerism remains to be essential in US economy although its roots date back to the 1950s and even earlier, the current consumerism is widespread. Within the consumer culture, measure of freedom became the potential of gratifying market desires and although the prevailing culture has reduced freedom in the workplace because of stringent discipline, in 1950s there was great freedom in Americans’ personal lives. This is evident in Haggard’s poem on the “fightin’ side of me” as she indicates her resolve to fight those who walking on her fighting side because Americans fought and died to maintain their freedom. The period between 1950 and 1975 witnessed development of suburbs for the upper class, middle class and industrial suburbs (Foner 999). This is evident in “For what it’s worth” when it clear that the narrator does not understand what is happening watching what is unveiling from an upper class suburb, while protesters march. Moreover, this evident in Cleaver’s “Soul on Ice” when she indicates that the police cordon off communities and blockade neighbors in a system where enforced laws are designed to protect those in power and their system. Success for the middle class in 1950s involved owning a home, which was considered the physical embodiment of hopes for better life because housing became affordable for many Americans at the time (Foner 993). However, growth in west particularly in California became the prominent symbol of post war suburban boom because it took place in metropolitan areas instead of farms. After the Second World War, Los Angeles basin which was the largest suburban region witnessed development of freeways for cars and trucks. Success for the upper class in California at the time included owning a car and doing shopping in that were reachable only by driving (Foner 994). For many city dwellers of lower class at the period, success involved suburban utopia of home ownership and middle-income that were unattainable because of depression and war (Foner 999). The automobile in 1950s became a pivot on which suburban life relied on resulting in the transformation of the nation’s daily life similar to the interstate highway system that changed American travel habits and making it possible for long-distance vacationing by car and commuting to workplaces. This brought about a change in the American landscape demonstrated by the construction of motels, movie theatre as well as roadside eating establishments. The development of suburbs encouraged Americanization because it helped distinguish residents from urban ethnic groups while taking them into the mass consumption arena (Foner 999). Suburbs hardened racial lines of division in American life because between 1950 and 1970 many whites left the city for suburbs while many million blacks moved from the south to the North increasing urban ghettos and creating new ones as the process of racial exclusion became reinforced. After the progressive era cities expanded rapidly with increased Americans in towns and cities compared to rural areas; however, severe inequality remained a visible feature within the urban landscape and continuous strife raised concern on what the government did in fighting social inequality (Foner 725). The century initiated primary economic activity for people beyond acquisition of basic food, shelter and clothing (Foner 1162). In 1940s a third of American households never had running water; however, by 2000 health conditions in the country improved increasing the life expectancy (Foner 1162). Moreover, many changes that influenced American life like transformed role of women, spread of suburbanization and decline of industrial employment that took place in economically advanced societies. However, thanks to the revolution and political ascendancy, the dominant definition of freedom guaranteed ability of individuals to realize their desires and fulfill their potential without being restricted by the authority (Foner 1164). Moreover, compared to the situation in 1950, there was a dramatic change in the American life toward the end of the century because there was no legal segregation, which allowed blacks in areas of American life where they were once excluded. The decline of explicit inequity and efficiency of various assenting action programs, blacks are currently capable of working alongside whites in companies. Economic boom of the late 1990s helped black Americans hugely because the average income of black families increased considerably compared to whites. The main change in black American life was the increased visibility of Africans in the country’s immigrants because between 1970 and 2000 twice the number of Africans immigrated to US compared to those who entered the nation during the Atlantic slave trade (Foner 1150). The boom of 1995 benefitted nearly every American because for the first time since 1970s the average wages and family income grew significantly; moreover, the expansion of 1995 at a time of low unemployment brought increase in wages for families at all income levels. Despite the recent gains, wages for non supervisory workers when adjusted to cater for the inflation remain below the level of wages offered in 1970s. Therefore, the wealth of the rich Americans during the 1990s increased resulting in boom of sales of luxury goods like mansions and yachts (Foner 1141). Works cited Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty!: An American History. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2011. Print. Read More