US History 1880-1920
Shame and Proud of American society and government
Industrialization
Political
Dawes Act
It was a act which was introduced by Henry Dawes, who was a Senator from Massachusetts. It is something which I am ashamed of because the Dawes Act took the land of the Native Americans, the so called reservations and separated into smaller parts to live on. It was done to so the American Indians have to live apart from their country and also they needed to assimilate to the European culture. The Americans tried to "Kill the Indian, Save the Man", which kind of says that the Indians are not real man and we should all get them to change and "erase" the Indian culture and religion.
Economic
Tenement housing
Because more and more people come into America and it was getting really crowded, there were some real struggles with the space. A lot of the people who came where immigrants who were hoping of a chance on a better life. Therefore the population in cities like for example New York-City was doubled by decades in 1800-1880. So they used buildings which were single family apartments once and divided them up into many little living spaces. These Tenement housings were used preferable for workers and immigrants. I am ashamed for that because the people lived in this houses under very bad conditions, and they do not really got paid very well, only had a narrow space and it was not a comfortable live, but otherwise I am proud that they at least find any solution to solve the problem that the population grew that much in such a short time and so the cities were able to grow.
Social/Cultural
Robber Baron/ Captain of Industry
This is something I am ashamed of but also proud of. The Captains of Industry for example helped the people a lot and did good stuff for the economy with something like a better technology or inventing something innovative or maybe they just brought wealth to the people or a job perspective. An example for this would be the Carnigie-Melon University build by the Captain of Industry Andrew Carnigie. But there were also the Robber Barons who did not help the people, they more destroyed them or damaged them because they lived on their costs or destroyed the economy or industry and took it over to control prices and somthing like that, which is in my opinion something we should be ashamed of. Some people were both, Captain of Industry and also Robber Baron.
Captains of Industry vs Robber Barons
Immigration
Political
Political Machines
This is another event which I would be ashamed of, but also a little bit proud because Political machines are people who offered jobs to immigrants. That is a thing I would be proud of because the immigrants need jobs really bad to get money and afford a better life. The jobs they offered were very bad paied and did not had good condition, also child labor was practiced in the jobs and this is a shame. But also the people do not only got paid bad, say also got the job as a exchange for there vote. So they worked for the political machines and in times of votes they vote whatever the political machine them told. Therefore the votes aren't really free anymore plus the political influence and force will be kept in the hand of the same people and the immigrants were in a really bad spot because they had no choice. They needed the work and money, so the political machines took advantage of that.
Immigrants, Politics, and Political Machines
Economic
Chinese Railroadworker
As the railroad was build in America the most of the workers who built it were chinese immigrants. They tried to raise money through building the railroad and it was not a very easy job. The Americans were glad they had the chinese people to do the work because it was hard and not paid to well as well. The immigrants tried to raise enough money to get their family over to America. I am proud that we offered them a way to raise some money to get their families over and start a new life, but it is a shame that they did all the work and at the end we took all the credits for it.
Social/Cultural
Ellis Island
This is a the little island located in New York where the statue of liberty is placed to. It was used as a immigration station, where the most part of the immigrants went through when they came to America. I am proud because Ellis Island was a good place for the immigrants, the most of them came through only 2 percent of all were sent back. They also only had 6 seconds health inspections and did not have to wait that long, compared to Angel Island for example. But I am a little bit ashamed how they came her in the ships which were loaded very full and the people had not the best conditions on it and a lot of people were afraid to get ill because they all were that near together. It was so narrow space.
Urbanization
Political
Haymarket Riot
In may 1886 there was a labor protest rally in the american town Chicago. The rally soon escalated to a riot because an unkown threw a bomb near the Haymarket at the police. Therefore 8 persons died which is a real shame that the rally had to escalate because of that unknown person who had to throw the bomb. But anyways it was the setback for organized Labor movements in America.
Economic
Bessemer Process
The Bessemer Process is an event I am really proud of. It is a new method of producing steel and it innovates the whole industry and helped develope the city. They had new possibilities in building buildings or bridges . The city grew because of it, the buildings got higher, they could build bridges and also the industry in steel inceased at all. But also it polluted the enviroment which is a shame.
Bessemer Process Infomercial
Social/Cultural
The Gospel of Wealth
This is a article I am proud of. It is written by Andrew Carnigie. The article described the responsibiltybof philantrophy by the upper class and the wealthy people. It is an idea how to deal with wealth inequality, therefore I am proud of it because they tried to find a way to get the same wealth for everyone.
Progressivism
Political
17th Amendment Direct Election of Senators
This Amendment was passed by the congress in 1912. Before that the people weren't able to vote their Senators directly which took them a lot of political influence. But with the 17th amendment they received the opportunity to vote directly for their senator. That gave them some more political influence, as it should be in a democracy.
Economic
Federal Trade Commisssion Act
With the industrialization there came the problem that there were some monopolies created who destroyed all their competition and controlled the market. Therefore Woodrow Wilson got elected in 1914 and passed the Federal Trade Commission Act. This stopped the monopolies and pretected smaller business to get under the barrel of the larger companies. I think I am proud on this event, because it serves service to smaller business who have a hard time to compete against the monopolies.
Social/Cultural
Anti-Lynching Laws
The Anti-Lynching Laws were aimed for by the NAACP. The NAACP was a Civil Right movement found by WEB Dubois. It tried to erase the practice of lynching. I am really proud on this event, because it is a really important Civil Right to be protected from lynching and it is really important that the movement aimed for that.
Imperialism
Political
Teddy Roosevelt Big Stick Diplomacy
Teddy Roosevelt was really interested in the Caribbean area. Therefore he did not want somebody to get land or area there. That is why he kind of patrolled around the Caribbean to prohibit someone else could take it. On the one hand I am proud because hi protects the Caribbean, but also it seems a little bit selfish for me therefore a little bit shame is in it too.
Economic
Building of Panama Canal
That is an event which I am proud of, because to build the Panama Canal we needed at first to help the Panama rebels. After we helped them to gain freedom from Colombia, we build the Panama Canal which is an building of great value. It makes the travel easier and US troops can reach through it really fast. Also the trade is getting easier and better.
Social/Cultural
Yellow Journalism
I am ashamed of the Yellow Journalism. It is a different kind of Journalism which is not really well researched. They did not really relay on real facts and got a false image to people. They took a lot use of exaggeration and emphasizing. So to be really honest we can say they lied to the people and did not tell them the truth, therefore the people could not get a true opinion, because not everything which they got told was the truth.
World War I
Political
Violation of Sussex Pledge and Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
America hat a lot of demands in fact of the Submarine Warfare, but none of them really were hold by the Germans who broke them. That frustrated president Wilson, but still he was not ready to take a risk or threaten a force. So he authorized American Banks to loan money to its allies. So Germany stopped following the Pledge anymore at all. And finally at the 3rd February the US begins to arming merchant ships. America should be proud that they helped the allies and finally got into the warfare to end it at the end but also kind of ashamed, because they could've gone in way earlier and therefore end it earlier and maybe lower the casualties.
Economic
War Bonds
War Bonds are simple debt securities. They are used to finance the war. The US took some time till they decided to go into the World war. 1917 and 1918 they finally issued Liberty Bonds to raise money for a involvement in war. Here it is the same as in the Submarine Warfare, they can be proud to end the war and raised the money to finance it at least, but they started raising the money in 1917 which is late, compared to the duration of the war.
Social/Cultural
Hate the Hun
The US started to restrict all German items or charged everything which had German names. The German books disappeared from the book shelves and there where no more German symphonies plaid. They wanted to increase the hate and ban the German from the American citizens. I can understand the reasoning but still I'll have to say I think it is more of a shameful event, because anyways even if you are in war the Germans you do not have to be so strict about banning all that stuff and destroying anything because it is still culture.