Discussion #1: American Imperial Expansion
The Republican victory in 1896 gave heart to proponents of prosperity through foreign trade. McKinley sought neither war nor colonies, but many in his party wanted both. Called “jingos,” they included Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt; John Hay, the ambassador to London, and senators Albert Beveridge and Henry Cabot Lodge. Britain, France, and Germany were seizing territory around the world, and jingos believed the United States needed to do the same for strategic, religious, and economic reasons.
In order to prepare for this discussion forum::
- Review and identify the relevant sections of Chapter 21 that support your discussion.
- Read the linked document, taken from an article by Senator Henry Cabot Lodge (R-MASS), in the 1895 issue of Forum Download Forummagazine. What motives for imperialism are reflected in Lodge’s article?
After response of the following question.
- Several reasons are proposed explaining why the United States decided to join the “Imperialist Club”. Which argument was the strongest, and which argument was the weakest? Explain your position.
Discussion#2: How progressive was the Progressive Era?
The Progressive-era stands out as a time when reformers sought to address social ills brought about by a rapidly changing society. Debates surrounded issues such as political corruption, the regulation of business practices, racial equality, women’s suffrage, and the living conditions of impoverished immigrants overcrowded into urban slums.
In order to prepare for this discussion forum:
- Review and identify the relevant sections of Chapter 22 that support your discussion.
- Read Booker T. Washington’s speech The Atlanta Compromise (Links to an external site.)
- Read W.E.B. Du Bois The Niagara Movement (Links to an external site.)
- The Niagara Movement’s “Declaration of Principles (Links to an external site.)” by W.E.B.Du Bois
- The Women’s Suffrage Movement (Links to an external site.)
- Excerpt from How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis (Links to an external site.) and the photography of Jacob Riis (Links to an external site.).
After response to only of the following question
- When it came to the issue of suffrage, did all women agree? Explain.
Discussion #3: Did America really practice isolation and neutrality during WWI?
In 1914 Woodrow Wilson proclaimed U.S. neutrality, and asked the American people to remain “impartial in thought as well as deed.” At the end of the war, some members of the government pushed to expand American influence but to also remain free of any commitments, a policy its critics referred to as isolationism.
In order to prepare for this discussion forum:
- Review and identify the relevant sections of Chapter 23 that support your discussion. You might also find some of the content covered in Chapter 21 relevant to this discussion.
- Read Roosevelt’s Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine (Links to an external site.)
- Read Wilson’s Joint Address to Congress (Links to an external site.) leading to the declaration of WWI
- Read the transcript of Wilson’s 14 Points (Links to an external site.)
After response of the following question
- In your opinion, was U.S. policy in Asia and Latin America between from late nineteenth century to 1914 truly isolationist? Discuss and support your response.