post war period effected all Americans. The results of the war were
catastrophic to Northerners and Southerners, black or white, whether
measured in lives or loss of property. Slavery, which was critical to the
economy of the South, was eliminated. The Confederate states were reunited
with the North and the Union preserved. The transition from an agrarian,
rural society to an urban, mechanized society began. Finally, the postwar
Reconstruction period dramatically changed the social and nomic structure
of the country.
Moving to bracket III, which covers the time period from 1900-1940, the
number one seed in the bracket “World War I” is paired against the fourth
seed “The Progressive Movement”. The second seed in the bracket “The Great
Depression” is paired against the third seed “The New Deal”.
World War I involved the major European nations and the United States
from 1914-1918. The primary causes of the war were powerful feelings of
nationalism throughout Europe and the formation of protective alliances
that divided Europe into two main power groups. The United States remained
completely neutral from 1914-1917. However, continued interruption of
trade and travel on the seas by both the allies and central powers,
especially attacks by German submarines, caused the United States to enter
the war in 1917. The U.S. involvement in the war helped turn the tide and
played a major role in the eventual defeat of Germany. Despite the fact
the war was fought in Europe and U.S. casualties and property loss were
far less than that of the allies, the war had a significant impact
economically, politically, and socially on the United States. While the
mobilization effort brought great economic prosperity to the country from
the production of wartime goods, postwar demobilization ought about
widespread unemployment, increased labor strife, racial hatred, and poverty.
Propaganda campaigns, designed to create support for the war effort,
resulted in strong anti-foreign and anti-Communist feelings, which led to
violence and the violation of civil rights for many Americans. Politically,
the postwar period saw a repudiation of Progressivism and a return to the
political philosophy of the late nineteenth century.
Progressivism was a political movement in the United States form 1900-
1917 which attempted to attract support from both political parties for
economic, political, and social reform. The movement marked the initial
recognition that change was necessary if all Americans were to enjoy the
national promise of equality and opportunity. The movement was aimed at
allowing all people to enjoy the rewards of industrialism, improving city
life, ending political corruption, and strengthening labor laws. It was a
rejection of the laissez-faire policy of the government which seemed to
support big business at the expense of the worker. Progressivism was one of
the most important reform movements in America and had a tremendous impact
on this period in history. Economically, the Progressives were successful
in gaining regulation of monopolies through stricter enforcement of the
Sherman Antitrust Act, while the imposition of an income tax and an excess
profit’s tax helped create a more equal d ribution of wealth. Politically,
Progressives aimed at restoring democracy through the establishment of
referendum and recall which gave the voter a more active role in the
affairs of government. The establishment of city managers and city
councils helped weaken the control of political bosses and curb corruption.
Socially, the Progressives were successful in improving the living
conditions of the city. They were responsible for legislation governing
minimum wages for workers, limiting the hours in the work day, and
controlling child labor.
However, many of the reforms brought about by the Progressive movement
were reversed by the social and economic attitudes that grew out of World
War I and the postwar years. Demobilization and the resulting change in
the economy led to a resurgence of laissez-faire policies. Government,
which had supported labor during the war, now began to side with big
business, and labor strife was again common. Gains attained by the
Progressives for workers were reversed by the Supreme Court. Child labor
was reinstituted and minimum wages for women were declared unconstitutional.
In addition, the reduction of the income tax, elimination of the excess
profits’ tax, and an increase in the protective tariff once again created
an unequal distribution of wealth. As a result of the impact the war had on
the economy, society, and the Progressive Movement, it was the more
influential event of the period.
The Great Depression was the American economic crisis of the 1930’s. It
was the longest and most severe period of unemployment, low business
activity, and poverty in American history. It began in October 1929 when
stock values dropped rapidly. This created a string of bank, factory, and
store closings leaving millions of Americans jobless. The depression soon
spread to other nations. It caused a large decrease in world trade because
of increases in tariff rates. The depression finally ended after the
United States increased the production of war materials at the start of
World War II. The depression impacted political and social philosophies in
the United States dramatically. Policies, such as the New Deal extended
the government’s authority to provide for the needy. New American
attitudes toward business and government took hold. Before the depression,
many regarded business executives and bankers as the nation’s leaders.
However, when these leaders could not relieve th epression, Americans lost
faith in them. Many people changed their basic attitude toward life
because of the suffering they experienced during the depression. They had
believed that if they worked hard, they could provide for their families
and have a good life. The depression, however, shattered that belief. The
situation was especially hard to understand because there appeared to the
average worker to be no reason for the things that happened.
The New Deal was the economic policy established by President Roosevelt
in response to the Great Depression. He believed that the federal
government had the primary responsibility to fight the depression by
stimulating the economy. The New Deal had three main purposes. First, it
provided relief for the needy. Second, it aided nationwide recovery by
establishing jobs and encouraging business, and third, it tried to reform
business and government so a severe depression would never happen in the
United States again. Some New Deal policies, such as the Civilian
Conservation Corps (CCC), the Works Progress Administration (WPA), and the
Public Works Administration (PWA) provided jobs in the construction of
bridges, dams, and parks. To deal with agriculture, Roosevelt set up the
Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA), which helped regulate farm
production and drive prices up. The National Recovery Administration (NRA)
set up and enforced rules of fair practice in business an ndustry. The New
Deal relieved much economic distress and brought about some recovery. In
doing so, it increased the government’s debt dramatically. Some of the
results of the New Deal were important and long lasting. Even after the
depression, reforms such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and
the Social Security Act continued to exist. After the New Deal, the
government’s role in banking and welfare would continue to grow steadily.
Both the Great Depression and programs of the New Deal were
unprecedented in United States’ history. The country had never experienced
a business downturn that lasted as long as the Great Depression with as
many business failures and as much widespread unemployment. Likewise, the
New Deal, which was established to relieve the economic impact of the
depression was the first time the government asserted itself to provide
public welfare during an economic crisis. A comparison of these two events
must concentrate on which of these unprecedented occurrences had a greater
impact on the American public. Despite the attempts of the New Deal
programs to relieve some of the economic pressures, it was not a cure for
the depression. The programs of the New Deal were successful in providing
jobs for many Americans and providing some economic relief. However,
millions remained unemployed and never reaped the benefits of the New Deal
programs. In fact, it would not be until the beginning o orld War II that
the United States’ economy would completely recover. On the other hand,
there was no segment of the population that escaped the economic crisis
brought about by the depression. Fortunes were lost, jobs were eliminated,
and survival became an issue for most Americans. The Great Depression
clearly had more of an impact on this period than the New Deal.
Of the two finalists, World War I and the Great Depression, the war
stands out as the event that had the greatest impact on the nation. The
depression had tremendous economic, political, and social implications for
the period. Millions lost their jobs and were forced into poverty. The
attitudes of people towards political and business leaders was forever
changed. Those leaders, who the public had admired were now viewed with
skepticism. Americans, who prior to the depression felt their economy was
indestructible, became fearful of their future in an economy that could
fluctuate wildly without warning or apparent cause. The depression also
led to a dramatic change in government policy. The government became far
more involved in public welfare than it had been in the past as
demonstrated by the New Deal. Policies, such as Welfare and Social
Security, which are still in practice today, grew out of this new political
consciousness. However, the political, social, and economic lications
World War I would have on the nation were even more far reaching.
Politically, the country turned inward, refusing to participate in the
League of Nations. This left postwar affairs in Europe unsettled and would
ultimately lead the country into another World War. While the depression
had an enormous effect on the attitudes of Americans, World War I had an
even greater impact. The entire American culture would experience a
revolution in the postwar celebration. Americans were filled with optimism
during the postwar years. The growth of advertising and entertainment,
combined with technological advances, such as the television and radio,
would bring about the emergence of a materialistic society. Economically,
the return to a peace time economy and the laissez-faire policies of the
late 1800’s, set the stage for economic disaster. The reversal of many of
the gains achieved by workers combined with the reduction of taxes on the
rich, created a problem in the economy that would go unnoticed. In
addition, the availability of credit led to reckless spending which would
further endanger the economy. This unequal distribution of wealth combined
with a free spending attitude weakened the economy and led to the Great
Depression.
The discussion continues with bracket IV, which covers the time period
1940-1975 and pairs the number one seed in the bracket “The Vietnam War”
against fourth seed “World War II”. The second seed in the bracket “The
Cuban Missile Crisis” is paired against the third seed “The Civil Rights
Act of 1964″.
The Vietnam War, which began in 1957 and lasted until 1975, was the
longest war in which the United States took part. Vietnam was divided into
Communist ruled North Vietnam and non-Communist South Vietnam. North
Vietnam and Communist trained South Vietnamese rebels attempted to take
over South Vietnam. The United States and the South Vietnamese army tried
to stop the takeover but failed. U.S. aid to Vietnam was based on the
policy of President Truman that the United States must help any nation
threatened by Communists. Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy adopted the
policy fearing a “domino effect” if even one southeast Asian country fell
to the Communists. After Kennedy’s death, Johnson came to office in 1963
with a long standing, firm commitment to containment and increased
America’s involvement into a major war. The Vietnam War had several
periods. From 1857- 1965, it was mainly a struggle between the South
Vietnamese army and the Communist trained South Vietnamese rebels. rom
1965-1969, North Vietnam and the United States did most of the fighting. By
1969, the United States had 540,000 troops in Vietnam. The United States’
plan, as outlined by President Johnson, was to increase the punishment
until the price of continuing the war became too high and the enemy would
quit. The Vietnamese did not respond according to plan. The war appeared
endless, and finally a frustrated Johnson announced an end to escalation of
the war and a willingness to negotiate. In January of 1973, a cease fire
was arranged and American ground troops left Vietnam two months later. The
war soon started again without the United States’ involvement and on April
30,1975 South Vietnam surrendered.
The war had far-reaching effects on the United States. About 58,000
Americans died in the war and 365,000 were wounded. The United States
spent over $150 billion on the war. Of the 2,700,000 men and women who
fought in the war, many returned with deep psychological problems and
suffered form a high rate of divorce, drug abuse, suicide, and joblessness.
Many Americans opposed the U.S. role in Vietnam and criticized returning
veterans, leaving them with a feeling that the nation did not appreciate
their sacrifices. Also as a result of the war, Congress and the pubic
became more willing to challenge the president on subsequent U.S. military
and foreign policy issues. The war also became a standard for comparison
in future situations that might involve U.S. troops abroad. On the home
front, the war began a social revolution. New clothing, music, and gender
roles cast off the social structure of the 1950’s.
World War II resulted in more deaths, cost more money, damaged more
property, effected more people, and globally had the most far-reaching
effects of any war in history. The three main causes of the war were the
problems left unsolved by World War I, the rise of dictators in Europe, and
the desire of Italy, Germany, and Japan for territory. The policy of
isolationism was broken in the United States when the Japanese bombed Pearl
Harbor, dragging America into the war. The war was fought on two fronts,
Europe and the Pacific. The allies, which included the United States,
England, France, and Russia were successful in defeating the axis powers
which included Italy, Germany, and Japan. World War II played a major role
in United States’ history. From an economic perspective, it brought the
United States out of the depression of the 1930’s. The government
converted industries from civilian to war production to produce strategic
war materials and instituted rationing and price cont s to support the war
effort. Socially, the war played a major part in changing the role of
women in America. As men went off to fight, the women assumed many of the
roles previously filled by men in the war plants. Politically, the war led
to the United States’ participation in the newly formed United Nations,
organized to oversee international affairs. The major impact of the war,
however, resulted from the United States’ decision to utilize the atomic
bomb. The two atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945 were the major factors
contributing to Japan’s surrender. The bomb represented a huge scientific
advance in modern warfare. It opened up the possibility for vast
destruction of human life. The United States’ decision to use the bomb
precipitated a postwar race to produce nuclear weapons in many countries,
especially the Soviet Union and eliminated the opportunity of reaching an
international agreement to control production and testing of such weapons
for many years.
The significance of World War II in United States’ history cannot be
overstated. World War II had a greater economic impact on the United
States than any other war of the twentieth century. Despite Roosevelt’s
efforts to end the depression with the New Deal policies, it was not until