History

POSTWAR UNREST The transition from war to peace was tumultuous . A postwar eco- nomic boom coexisted with rapid increases in consumer prices . La- bor unions that had refrained from striking during the war engaged in several major job actions . During the summer of 1919, several race riots oc- curred, reflecting apprehension over […]

WAR, PROSPERITY, AND DEPRESSION concessions, Wilson compromised somewhat on the issues of self-de- termination, open diplomacy, and other specifics . He successfully re- sisted French demands for the entire Rhineland, and somewhat moder- ated that country’s insistence upon charging Germany the whole cost of the war . The final agreement (the Treaty of Versailles), however,

UNITED STATES ENTERS WORLD WAR I On January 31, 1917, however, the German government resumed un- restricted submarine warfare . After five U .S . vessels were sunk, Wilson on April 2, 1917, asked for a decla- ration of war . Congress quickly ap- proved . The government rapidly mobilized military resources, indus- try, labor,

WAR AND NEUTRAL RIGHTS To the American public of 1914, the outbreak of war in Europe — with Germany and Austria-Hun- gary fighting Britain, France, and Russia — came as a shock . At first the encounter seemed remote, but its economic and political effects were swift and deep . By 1915 U .S .

DISCONTENT AND REFORM OUTLINE OF U.S. HISTORY 199 Bank in each, all supervised by a na- tional Federal Reserve Board with limited authority to set interest rates . The act assured greater flexibility in the money supply and made provi- sion for issuing federal-reserve notes to meet business demands . Greater centralization of the system

TAFT AND WILSON Roosevelt’s popularity was at its peak as the campaign of 1908 neared, but he was unwilling to break the 198 tradition by which no president had held office for more than two terms . Instead, he supported William How- ard Taft, who had served under him as governor of the Philippines and

ROOSEVELT(S) REFORMS By the early 20th century, most of the larger cities and more than half the states had established an eight-hour day on public works . Equally important were the work- man’s compensation laws, which made employers legally responsible for injuries sustained by employees at work . New revenue laws were also enacted, which,

THE REFORM IMPULSE The presidential election of 1900 gave the American people a chance to pass judgment on the Republican administration of President McKin- ley, especially its foreign policy . Meeting at Philadelphia, the Repub- licans expressed jubilation over the successful outcome of the war with Spain, the restoration of prosperity, and the effort to

THE STRUGGLES OF LABOR The life of a 19th-century Ameri- can industrial worker was hard . Even in good times wages were low, hours long, and working conditions hazardous . Little of the wealth that the growth of the nation had gener- ated went to its workers . Moreover, women and children made up a

AGRARIAN DISTRESS AND THE RISE OF POPULISM In spite of their remarkable prog- ress, late-19th century American farmers experienced recurring pe- riods of hardship . Mechanical im- provements greatly increased yield per hectare . The amount of land un- der cultivation grew rapidly through- out the second half of the century, as the railroads and