Containment
Containment was an American policy during cold war that aimed to prevent the Soviet from expanding beyond the Eastern part of Europe. United States took global obligation to oppose the communist ideology and spread of the Soviet influence through economic and military approaches (Hawkins, 2012). The doctrine became applicable in Greece and Turkey where the communist forces mounted pressure. The America Congress approved $400 million for military and economic aid to these two countries.
Phillip Randolph had threatened to organize a March protest in Washington against job discrimination. President Roosevelt gave in to Randolph’s demand by issuing Executive Order 8802, which abolished discrimination in government and defense jobs. The Executive Order 8802 represented the first significant federal authority response to the predicament of African-Americans since Reconstruction.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is important in the sense that it made the 14th Amendment as pertains to Blacks’ full citizenship a functioning reality (Hawkins, 2012). It act prohibited race discrimination and disparity in public institutions and employment. It oversaw the waning Jim Crow in the South.
Cesar Chavez was a migrant farm worker and a leader of Chicano Movement. This leader was politically active who advocated for economic pressures in pursuit of Mexican-Americans’ civil rights. Chicanos desired a chance to gain political and economic parity with mainstream society without assimilating Anglo culture. Chavez launched a non-violent boycotts and protests to force farm growers to bargain with United Farmers Workers (UFW). These efforts captured the attention to the migrant workers’ plights (Hawkins, 2012). Chavez was able to win better pay and better conditions for workers.
Created in 18945, the Office of War Mobilization served to coordinate U.S economic and industrial mobilization endeavors during WWII. OWM was created to replace previous federal agencies that had the responsibility to prepare the resource for civilian and military use was at odds with one another (Hawkins, 2012). OWM was a civilian directed procurement body. The purpose of OWM was to unify programs as well as establish policies for optimum utilization of the industrial and natural resources for civilian and military needs. OWM was also entitled to develop programs that ensured stabilization and maintenance of the civilian economy. Through OWM, U.S wartime produced increased tremendously that American was able to contribute over 40% of world’s arms (Clark, 2011).
Instituted by the presidential executive order, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) program served to generate project and public job opportunities for the jobless. It made work and projects accessible to unemployed by selecting programs that made positive contribution to the lives of jobless people. Some of these programs entailed building and highway construction, rural rehabilitation and reforestation.
Radical Republicans were some members affiliated with Republic Party who supported end of black slavery and equality of Africans. The major achievements of Radical Republicans was the freeing of slaves as well as granting them basic rights through the enactment of the 15th, 14th and 13th amendments. They also fought for labor reforms. They played a key role in Andrew Johnson’s impeachment.
Barry Goldwater was a first-term and republic presidential nominee in Arizona senator. He is credited for his role in libertarian movement and for igniting the renaissance of the U.S conservative political faction. Goldwater is also credited for his campaign against labor union, welfare state, abolition of graduated income tax and the Communism (Soviet Union). Goldwater lost the presidential elections in landscape to the Democratic Party.
President Wilson created Committee on Public Information to promote and persuade Americans that the War America was in embodied the battle for freedom and democracy. It served as the primary medium for war-related news and information. It supplied the people with pro-war propaganda through use of films, newspapers, artistic works and academic materials (Hawkins, 2012).
Short Essay
Explain why the U.S. entered World War I, the impact of the war on domestic America, and the immediate effects of the peace process on American foreign relations.
The most probable answer could be the Lusitanian sinking, a British cargo ship bound from New York to Britain. Germany submarines were unauthorized along the American East coast. Germany’s recommencement of unrestricted or unlimited submarine warfare offered the final reason for U.S to declare war on Germany. Economic ideology and political factors also contributed to U.S entry into the war. U.S had vast investment with the French and British. If these countries were to be beaten, they would definitely not be capable to reimburse the debt back. Both France and British used U.S loans to finance the war.
War propaganda from central powers and allies influenced the U.S decision to enter the war. There was propaganda that Germany was helping Mexico to revenge back.
Germany’s role in the sinking of Lusitanian and invasion of Belgium shaped American public opinion that Germany was a threat to world democracy that U.S advocate for. This helped develop a moral sense that France and Britain were battling for freedom of others against a real evil. Americans started seeing Germany as dangerous monarch that is associated with authoritative militarist thinking.
As a resulting of entering WWI, The American war industry boomed. The demand for war weapons and materials increased tremendously as the manufacturers and producers struggled to keep the manufacturing up to the rate required to shore up the war. Novel technologies developed to assist manufacturers meet people and government’s needs. Because most of able bodied persons were involved in the war, jobs were opened up for the blacks and women. WWI also affected the American politics because of the ratification or approval of the 19th amendment
The war prompted the Americans and the government a novel position pertaining war. The American people felt that U.S had been hasty in entering the war. This attitude caused a novel period of diplomacy. For example, Americans came to a conclusion that they will never interfere with European conflicts unless and otherwise attacked by an aggressive country.
How did the U.S. government respond to the challenges of the New Deal and World War II with a more interventionist role in the economy and society? How did the messages of sacrifice, service, and community manifest during these two crises?
The U.S government responded to challenges of WWII and New deal by creating a more active federal government. The federal government became actively engaged in economic interventionism via business regulation, intervention in social welfare and labor markets. New Deal politics established a coalition to support and sustain governmental interventionism (Aberbach and Rockman, 2000). The government centralized everything including the control for wages, rents and prices. The OWM introduced heavy taxes for luxuries. Other government’s effort to stabilize the economy included pressing for widespread saving, forcing massive investment in the country and rationing the needs. The messages of sacrifice and service manifested itself in the absolute control over economy through price, rent and wage regulation as way to deal with New Deal crises. The OWM set up rations for metal, coffee, cloth and meat. People were issued with rations books in an attempt to change their daily life and at the same time encourage novel innovations (Hawkins, 2012).
Reference:
Aberbach, J. D. & Rockman, B. A. (2000). In the Web of Politics: Three Decades of the U.S. Federal Executive. Washington, DC: Brookings Inst. Press.
Clark, C. L. (2011). The American Economy: A Historical Encyclopedia, Volume 1. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO.
Hawkins, M. (Jan12, 2012). American Empire in the Early 20th Century. History 117A. Lecture notes.
