U.S. History 2

Revised Units/Unit 3/Unit 3 Advance Organizer.html

3

Unit 3:  Reform and Expansion at the Turn of the Twentieth Century

Unit 3 Advance Organizer

Introduction

In this unit, you will learn about reform at home and expansion abroad in the period surrounding the turn of the twentieth century,

The era's rapid urban industrialization gave rise to new problems or problems on a larger scale. White, middle-class, progressive reformers responded to these problems in a variety of ways. They passed work safety laws, founded settlement houses, and created better housing. Reformers also tried to reign in the worst excesses of big business and tackled issues in the political apparatus, striving to achieve efficiency in government and a fuller expression of democracy. Furthermore, during the Progressive Era, reformers began to acknowledge that not just the individual but larger social and economic structures needed to be reformed, marking a significant shift in understanding social change.

At the same time, a growing number of people began to look abroad for opportunities to expand American markets and influence. Although we tend to think of the 1890s as the onset of American imperialism, persistent expansionism marked the first century of American independence. By expansionism, I mean the kind of growth that brought California and Oregon into the American system. Jefferson’s Louisiana purchase in 1803 and the mid-nineteenth-century pursuit of manifest destiny spread the U.S. across North America, until the U.S. census declared the frontier closed in 1890. In the 1890s, the U.S. began a more vigorous pursuit of overseas influence, acquiring a number of territories in the Spanish American War, which led to vigorous debate about the proper role of the U.S. in international affairs.

These two phenomena - progressivism and imperialism - are more similar than one might think at first glance. Industrialization was a catalyst for both. Urban industrialization created many of the problems to which progressives responded, while also generating a surplus of goods that needed markets. Furthermore, both phenomena rested on ideas of racial and ethnic hierarchy. Just as white, middle-class progressives believed they knew the best way to solve the problems of their "lessers" the urban poor, the racist ideology of the "white man's burden" underpinned imperialism. Finally, while both progressivism and imperialism marked significant departures from past American practices, they set the stage for even more dramatic change in the twentieth century.

Unit 3 Unit Objectives

By the end of this unit, you will be able to:  

• Analyze progressivism as a response to urban industrialization.
• Describe the key characteristics and goals of progressivism.
• Explain how progressivism marked a departure from previous efforts at reform.
• Explain how and why the United States became more active in imperialism in this period.
• Analyze and interpret historical political cartoons.
• Compare and contrast differing historical visions for black uplift in the period.

Task Organizer

The Progressive Movement Module

• Start by taking the  Self-Assessment to test your knowledge on the period.  These self-assessments aren't graded, so you can take it as many times as you like to help you review important information.
• Follow up by reviewing the The Progressive Movement: Characters and Key Terms and the questions and resources in the The Progressive Movement: Guided Reading Questions page.
• Read Chapter 21 The Progressive Movement.  Using the "Characters and Key Terms" list and guided reading questions, take notes as you read to help you prepare for the quiz.

The Interpreting Political Cartons Discussion

• Read Chapter 22 and the Interpreting Political Cartoons page, making sure to listen to the interpretation of the cartoon featured there.  
• Based on the first letter of last name, analyze the cartoon provided using the guidelines provided in the Unit 3 Discussion: U.S. Imperialism through Political Cartoons.  Upload your analysis and explanation paragraphs and respond substantially to at least two of your peers about cartoons that you yourself did not analyze.

The Age of Empire Module

• Start by taking the  Self-Assessment to test your knowledge on the period.  These self-assessments aren't graded, so you can take it as many times as you like to help you review important information.
• Follow up by reviewing the  and the questions and resources in the page.
• Read Chapter 22 Age of Empire; Foreign Policy. Using the "Characters and Key Terms" list and guided reading questions, take notes as you read to help you prepare for the quiz.

The Editorial Assignment

• Read the documents and/or excerpts provided of DuBois and Washington's writings, taking notes on what you might want to write about.
• Create a persona and write a 300-400 word editorial from their point of view supporting either DuBois or Washington to one of the newspapers listed in the Unit 3 Editorial Assignment.  Include the bulleted elements listed and submit your editorial by the due date.

Take the Unit 3 Quiz

• Take the Unit 3 Quiz - you can only take it once, so prepare by reviewing your notes, the Key Terms and Characters, and the Guided Reading Questions for each of the chapters.