Week 7 Outline

Week 7

America and the First World War

Monday: "The War to End All Wars:" America and the First World War
Wednesday: The War at Home
Friday: "New Nationalism" and Changing Defintions of America: Immigration in the 1920s

DISCUSSION SECTIONS: The U.S. and the World: Isolation or Intervention?

READINGS:

1.The Scopes Trial: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG97/inherit/1925home.html
2.Documents: Woodrown Wilson's 14 Points; Congressional Debate on Immigration Restriction (1921)

ADDITIONAL INTERNET RESOURCES:

1.Henry Louis Mencken Site: http://www.io.com/~gibbonsb/mencken.html

WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT:

Over the past two weeks, we have explored how America'9s "New Spirit of Nationalism" lead to increasing involvement and interest in foreign affairs as the country entered the 20th century, with profound human costs. Attracted by the unskilled jobs provided by the Industrial Revolution and the cheap transportation costs of fast-traveling, steam-powered ocean vessels - and pushed from their homes by severe economic depression and religious and political persecutions - immigrants poured into the United States from Italy, Greece, Russia, China, Japan, the Caribbean, and other countries in southern and eastern Europe at a rate of close to 1 million people a year, beginning in the 1890s. This flood continued until the early 1920s when fears of a foreign takeover lead Congress to pass legislation severely restricting the number of immigrants in the United States.

This week we will have a debate, grounded in history, on America'9s immigration and citizenship policies. Your assignment is to write a one page outline for your participation in this debate that addressed the following questions: Should America remain a nation of immigrants? How does this affect U.S. involvement in foreign affairs? Under what circumstances should the U.S. admit or restrict immigrants from specific sending countries? Do we have a need or responsibility to accept immigrants from countries where the U.S. has intervened militarily or diplomatically?

created: February 10, 2000
last updated: February 14, 2001