Applied English for American History Fall 2005
Review of Professor Jopp's Lectures on October 28, November 6 and November 9, 2005
Overview of the United States in the Early 20th Century

Millions of immigrants came to the U.S. in the early 20th century

• These "new immigrants" came from ________________________ (southern/northern) and Eastern Europe
  • They came from different cultures
  • They had religions _______________ (different from/similar to) the Protestant Americans already in the U.S.: They were Catholic and Jewish
• Americans became anxious about immigration because there were so many immigrants that were different than they were
  • Americans wanted these new immigrants to be quickly ________________ (assimilated into/moved away from) American society
  • People like the ______________ (Progressives/Republicans) wanted to clean up cities and "Americanize" the new immigrants
    • Many of the new immigrants came from countries that the Americans fought during WWI
    • The Immigration Act of ___________________ (1942/1924) was a response to these fears

Americans are _______________ (always afraid/ambivalent) about immigration

• When the economy of the U.S.is _______________ (growing/not doing well), Americans welcome immigrants from other countries.
• When the economy of the U.S. _______________ (growing/not doing well), Americans turn against immigration.

The Immigration Act of 1924 was a response to the _________________ (excitement/fears) Americans had about immigration. This Act set immigration quotas based on the census of _______________ (1920/1890).

It's significant that the Immigration Act was based on the earlier census because it was before the huge wave of immigration. For example, "Only 2% of the number of immigrants who came from Italy in 1890 would be allowed to come after 1924.")

The Immigration Act of 1924 reflected the political ________________ (mood/campaigns) of the U.S. at the time: anti-immigration.

Examples of the political climate in the U.S. after WW I:

• the Ku Klux Klan
• the Immigration Act of 1924

After the ___________________ (war/stock market crash) of _________________ (1933/1929) in the U.S., an _______________________________ (political situations/economic depression) resulted in at least ______________ (50%/25-30%) of the adult population being unemployed.

The United States government created ___________________________ ("public works projects"/seven dam-building projects). Undertaking such projects was part of Kensian economics (named after John Maynard Keynes, a British economist). Kensian economics said the government has the job of putting money into the economy and public works projects put money into the economy.

________________________ ("public works projects"/WW II) later changed Oregon's demographics, and economy. War changes everything because the whole economy produces the needs of war: clothes, vehicles, agriculture, weapons.

The impact of World War II on the U.S. and Oregon (Nov. 7)

Mobilization for war changed the economy, the political system and the society. Mobilization = preparation for war.

The economy and politics

To fight a war it is necessary to _____________________ (coordinate/stop) everything in your economy: the government has to ______________________ (slow down/control) the economy and industry. In the U.S. before and during WW II, the ______________________ (government/the local politicians) controlled the economy.

• There was _____________________ (no/a close) connection between industry and government.
  • For example, the government told factories not to produce cars, but to produce tanks.
  • Another example is that the government told shoe companies to make military boots not shoes, and then the _____________________ foreign countries in the war/U.S. government) promised to buy all of the boots.
  • Farmers were told to grow food for the army and the government _________________ (refused/promised) to buy it.
  • Small business could not survive. The small factories and farmers could not survive and went out of business.
• There was a ______________________ (consolidation/collapse) of large industry: smaller factories joined together to make larger factories

A _________________________ ("government-industry"/"military-industrial") complex developed = these connections between the military and industry.

• During the war and even after the war, more and more decisions in society are made based on the power of the military and industry: the relationship influences research, universities, the foreign policy of the U.S., etc.

Demographic changes

New immigrants came to the U.S. from Europe and Mexico

______________________________ (African Americans/Mexican immigrants) migrated from the South to Northern cities (especially to large northeastern cities like Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, New York, Boston, etc. where there was a _______________________ (labor/food) shortage).

For the first time, ________________________ (young immigrants/women) could get good jobs (the men were at fighting the war and left jobs open)