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Sixteen Most Significant Events In Us History (стр. 2 из 4)

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