Gov And Foreign Policy 1890-1920

Question 1

What was the reaction against big businesses?

Answer 1

One increasing concern was that the government at a national and state level were too weak to combat the power and influence of big business
Business interests often controlled government officials and procedures.

Question 2

Action against businesses at local and state level

Answer 2

One of the major reforms at state level was to introduce popularly elected senators. Most senators had been appointed by state legislatures and were controlled by powerful business interests.
California was one of the first states to introduce elected senators. Other states followed suit and it became enshrined in the 17th amendment.
The idea was that increased democracy could reduce political corruption and the power of business interests.

Question 3

Actions against big business at a national level

Answer 3

• interstate commerce commission 1887
• 1890 anti Sherman trust act
  These measures were too vague to be effective.

Question 4

What led to the creation of the populist and progressive movement?

Answer 4

The frustrations of the corruption in politics and big businesses.

Question 5

When and what was the interstate commerce commission?

Answer 5

1887
Tried to regulate the railroads by making railroad companies establish their rates. However, they weren’t really monitored or regulated.

Question 6

When and what was the sherman anti trust act

Answer 6

1890
Promote competition and prevent businesses from gaining excessive market power that could harm consumers
Broke up powerful monopolies like standard oil. But had been easily made ineffective in law.

Question 7

When was the populist party created, what is it

Answer 7

-1890
- made by the national farmers alliance and was a radical movement that reaches out to african American sharecroppers and women

Question 8

What were some populist reforms?

Answer 8

Gov ownership of railroads
Agricultural reforms

Question 9

What was the silver issue?

Answer 9

Silver production grew rapidly in the USA. Its value increased by a lot. Traditionally, gold was used in the USA for currency. This kept value high. However, bimetalists wanted silver to be the currency, therefore decreasing value.

Question 10

When was the Sherman silver purchase act and what is it

Answer 10

1890
Forces the gov to purchase 4 million ounces of silver per month for this purpose. Pres Cleveland repealed act in 1896.

Question 11

Why are populists related to the silver issue?

Answer 11

Populists felt the high value of gold led to high interest rates and shortage of credit, the silver issue became their most significant policy.

Question 12

What happened in 1896

Answer 12

Populist party gained control of the democrat party and took W.J Bryan as their candidate for the 1896 election.

Question 13

Who were in the 1896 election?

Answer 13

McKinley republic vs W.J Bryan democratic populist

Question 14

What is progressivism

Answer 14

It stood against corruption
improvement in living conditions
efficient gov
reducing power in big businesses.

Question 15

Which presidents were progressive

Answer 15

Roosevelt 1901-1909
Taft 1909 - 1913
Wilson - 1913 - 1921

Question 16

What was the Hepburn act and who was it passed under and when

Answer 16

1906
Roosevelt
Empowered the interstate commerce commissions further, giving authority to set maximum railroad rates and inspect companies records.
However, the Supreme Court reduced the effectiveness in this and the Elkins act of 1903

Question 17

What was the Elkins act, when and who

Answer 17

Roosevelt
1903
Allowed interstate commerce commission to impose heavy fines in both railroad companies who offered rebates to big business concerns

Question 18

What did Taft do?

Answer 18

Taft didn’t do much, many felt progressivism lost impetus during his presidency. However, he did promote anti trust legislation and introduce an 8 hour day for gov elmployees.

Question 19

What is ‘New Freedom’?

Answer 19

Wilson’s won the 1912 election. He committed to reform and modernisation. He called this new freedom.

Question 20

What, when and who - federal reserve act

Answer 20

1913
Wilson
A centralised banking system in the USA. Introduced 12 banking systems being looked over by the federal reserve. The federal reserve controlled the rates at which other banks could borrow. This addressed Inflation by restricting borrowing through high interest rates and deflation by reducing it

Question 21

Who,when,what - Clayton anti trust act

Answer 21

1914
Wilson
This made certain business practices illegal such as price fixing to foster monopolies or tying arrangements where retailers couldn’t handle products of their main supplier’s rivals.

Question 22

How involved was the USA from 1890 to 1920

Answer 22

Super involved BUT tried to follow the monroe doctrine

Question 23

What is preclusive imperialism?

Answer 23

The idea that the USA took colonies to prevent others from doing so. For example, the situation in Samoa, USA became involved to stop Germany from taking the whole of it, made Samoa divided.

Question 24

What are examples of the USA being expansionist?

Answer 24

• annexation of Hawaii
• the Spanish American war
• Panama Canal

Question 25

What was the annexation of Hawaii about? And when was it?

Answer 25

-1898 - annexation is the forcible acquisition of legal title of one state over the other. Basically a takeover. It happened due to the idea of manifest destiny and wanting to spread American culture. There was also a possibility of Japanese taking Hawaii - preclusive imperialism.

Question 26

When was the Spanish American war and why did it happen?

Answer 26

-1898 - broke out because the US supported Cubans rebellion against Spain. USA became involved because of a us vessel named Maine getting exploded, this was clearly an excuse for them to break the monroe doctrine

Question 27

What was the impact of the Spanish American war?

Answer 27

The war against Spain was quickly won but it had escalated to the Far Eastern Spanish colony, the Philippines who also got involved.

Question 28

What was a consequence to the Spanish American war?

Answer 28

The Paris peace settlement - 1899

Question 29

What did the Paris peace settlement include

Answer 29

- Cuba independence - USA buys Philippines off Spain for 20mills

Question 30

Why was the annexation of Philippines controversial?

Answer 30

Because it was argued the Philippines were not able to govern themselves to it was the moral duty of the USA to help Philippines become ‘civilised’ progressive imperialism.

Question 31

Why was the Panama Canal built

Answer 31

To link both sides of the US, made it easier to move goods around a huge ocean

Question 32

What was the open door policy? When?

Answer 32

-1899 -the states would respect each others trading rights with china - expansionist policy

Question 33

What is an example of the USA being less interventionist?

Answer 33

- tried to follow monroe doctrine - did not intervene unless it posed a direct threat - vessel maine got attacked therefore they got involved - 1919 rejection to join League of Nations - senate rejected

Question 34

What are some historians for us gov foreign policy for 1890-1920

Answer 34

William A Williams - argued that us foreign policy was driven by economic expansionism and open door policy, says that economic interests were often masked as moral objectives

Question 35

Historians for gov 1890 to 1914

Answer 35

Hofstadter -saw progressivism as driven by anxiety over social and economic stability.

Question 36

What’s arbitration?

Answer 36

It was when Roosevelt gained popularity amongst the working class for his arbitration in the 1902 coal strike where he demanded employers into coming to an agreement. First time Roosevelt sided with workers. Shows progressive views