Jan.

9, 2014

1.) What is Progressivism and its effects?

- The Progressive Movement was mainly created to improve the social conditions and
establish a more efficient democratic government. The progressives adopted the belief from
Thomas Jefferson that every individual should have an opportunity to make the most of his
talents. They were also influenced by Alexander Hamilton that supported free enterprise.

Through the Progressivism, the citizens became more determined to end municipal
corruption. There were even rebellions that occurred. During this era, “Home Rule” was passed.
It gives the voters the right to determine their own form of municipal government. Juvenile
courts were also established to deal with problems of children who got into trouble. The state
government also had changes. The reformers created the direct primary where the people were
given the right to choose in a primary election the party candidates who would run in a general
election. The progressives also proposed the initiative, wherein a small percent of voters could
initiate legislation, and referendum, where the people can petition again if the state legislation
failed to pass the voter-proposed laws. Recall was also introduced. The voters were given the
chance to remove an elected state official before his term expires. State legislators passed
social-welfare laws that placed a limit to the working hours of the employees, established a
minimum wage and etc. The most significant of the Progressive reforms was the direct election
of US Senators giving the voters, rather than the state legislator, the right to elect senators.

2.) What lead to the shift from Big Stick Diplomacy to Dollar Diplomacy?
- Big Stick Diplomacy started in the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. The term
originated from the African proverb “Speak softly and carry a big stick”. This ideology is about
negotiating peacefully and at the same time threatening with the “big stick” or military. From
this ideology it shifted to Dollar Diplomacy because President William Howard Taft and
Secretary of State Philander C. Knox believed that this would encourage American trade and
investments in the Far East and Latin America. This involved granting large loans to other
countries in exchange to gain favors.

3.) Why was America drawn to the WWI?

- At the start of WWI, US declared neutrality immediately. They did not want to be
involved in the war. But eventually, the American people became sympathetic to the Allied
Nations, which included Britain, France, Russia, Serbia, Belgium, Romania, Japan, Portugal,
Montenegro, Greece and Italy, rather than the Central Powers which consists of Germany,
Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria. American private investors wanted to give loans to French
and British government. The Secretary of the State Bryan did not approve it. But Bryan resigned
and the objection was withdrawn. The private investors arranged a 500-million-dollar loan to
the French and British government.

It was legal for America to sell ammunitions and supplies to both the Central Power and
Allied Nation. But Britain blockades the Germans from trading with America which made the
Germans irritated and annoyed. They (Germans) decided to use their submarines to attack
different American and British ships. Germany warned the Americans through newspapers that
they traveled with Allied ships at their own risk. German submarines attacked Lusitania causing
the death of 1,200 men, women and children, 128 were Americans. The US government made
an agreement with Germany so that the attacks will not happen again. The German ambassador
informed the US that “liners will not be sunk by our submarines without warning and without
safety of the lives of noncombatants, provided that the liners do not try to escape or offer
resistance”. There were German agents who resorted to sabotage (the malicious destruction of
property) in order to stop the flow of arms and supplies to the Allies. But the Germans did not
stop, even after the re-election of President Woodrow Wilson their unrestricted submarine
warfare continued. Thus, America decided to declare war on April 1917 in order to ensure
America’s security.

Sources:
A History of the United States
http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Big_Stick_Ideology.html
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/14xgk3/tafts_dollars_diplomacy_vs_roos
evelts_big_stick/