A New Century and World Wars

Introduction

In addition to forces such as immigration, industrialization, and urbanization, developments in science and technology also reshaped life in the United States in the late 19th century. These developments--from the skyscraper to the amusement park--affected many aspects of life in cities, from education and the role of women to leisure activities. Despite these advances, however, social problems such as racial segregation and discrimination continued to plague society.

Photograph of man building the Empire State Building in New York city. Rapid changes in American life brought new problems--increased poverty, changing moral standards, and corruption in government. Reformers who initiated the Progressive Movement demanded more attention to social justice, moral values, and clean government.

As Progressives worked toward improvements in a wide range of areas, others pushed for U.S. expansion overseas. Imperialistic goals were achieved when the United States gained colonial possessions in both the Caribbean and the Pacific through a victory in the short but important Spanish-American War.

Complex causes, including a rise in nationalism and economic competition for overseas empires, led to the First World War. President Wilson at first defended neutrality, but by 1917 he asked Congress to declare war. While the United States was only directly involved in the war for less than two years, American forces helped secure an allied victory in Europe.

*It should be noted that life at home in the rural areas of the United States did not change as much in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as it did in the rapidly growing urban areas.

The aftermath of World War I left a bitter taste in the mouth of many Americans for international involvement, and America turned more toward isolationism. The decade of the 1920s is often called the "Roaring 20s," eliciting thoughts of flappers, bootleggers, and the Golden Age of Hollywood. But it was also a period of conservatism.

As the Roaring Twenties came to a close, the downturn in the economy signaled the end of an era. In 1929, the stock market crashed, marking the beginning of the Great Depression. This economic collapse brought enormous suffering to Americans from all walks of life. While the United States worked to overcome the Great Depression, military conflicts proliferated in Europe and Asia. During this module, you will learn about these and other developments during this period.

Module Lessons Preview

In this module, we will study the following topics:

A New Century Key Concepts
Progressive Reforms
Civil Rights During This Time
Progressivism In the Early 20th Century
World War I
The 1920s
Popular Culture
The Great Depression

Essential Questions

What factors led to a movement for the United States to become more involved in world affairs in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries?
How did the Progressive Movement address inequalities and injustices in the U.S.? In what ways did it fall short?
In what ways did World War I and its aftermath impact the United States?
How was the 1920s both a time of conservatism and an introduction of more liberal ideas?
What were the causes and results of the economy moving from a time of prosperity in the 1920s to the Depression in the 1930s?
In what ways did the New Deal assist people during the Great Depression, but fail to completely end the economic downturn?
How did American involvement in World War II affect the homefront and help win the war for the Allies?

Textbook Readings

Read the chapter in your textbook that relates to this module. Your instructor will provide you with a specific reading schedule.

Key Terms

Download and look over your key terms for this module. Then review them with the activities below.

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