American Culture 2
Contents
The 20th Century..................................................................................................................2
Second Industrial Revolution.........................................................................................................3
The Rise of the American Tycoons.................................................................................................3
The US and WWI............................................................................................................................3
The Roaring 20s.............................................................................................................................3
The 1930s and the Great Depression.............................................................................................4
FDR and the New Deal...................................................................................................................4
WWII and Prosperity.....................................................................................................................4
Cold War and the Space Race........................................................................................................4
Ronald Reagan, Reaganomics, and the Cold War...........................................................................5
US Political System.............................................................................................................5
Structure of the US Government...................................................................................................5
Federalism.....................................................................................................................................6
Separation of powers.......................................................................................................................................6
The Bipartisan System...................................................................................................................7
Elections........................................................................................................................................7
Congress...........................................................................................................................................................7
Presidential elections and the Electoral College..............................................................................................8
Special Interest Groups....................................................................................................................................8
Race...................................................................................................................................8
Race and the Racial Divide.............................................................................................................9
Lynching and White Supremacy.....................................................................................................9
Ku Klux Klan....................................................................................................................................................10
Today..............................................................................................................................................................10
Emmet Till....................................................................................................................................10
The Civil Rights Movement..........................................................................................................11
Martin Luther King, Jr..................................................................................................................12
Rodney King.................................................................................................................................12
No Justice, No Peace!...................................................................................................................12
Religion, Immigration, and Multiculturalism.....................................................................13
Freedom of Religion.....................................................................................................................14
The Constitution and Protestants..................................................................................................................14
The Separation of Church and State...............................................................................................................14
, Immigration.................................................................................................................................14
Wave 1: Colonial Period.................................................................................................................................14
Wave 2: 1815-1865........................................................................................................................................15
Wave 3: 1880-1920........................................................................................................................................15
Current wave: 1965-present..........................................................................................................................15
Multiculturalism..........................................................................................................................16
American Foreign Policy....................................................................................................16
Who does what?..........................................................................................................................17
The role of the President................................................................................................................................17
Examples.........................................................................................................................................................17
Different approaches...................................................................................................................18
Isolationism.................................................................................................................................19
Interventionism...........................................................................................................................19
Interventionism and a multipolar world........................................................................................................20
Other important terminology......................................................................................................20
Soft Power vs Hard Power..............................................................................................................................20
Jingoism..........................................................................................................................................................20
Exceptionalism................................................................................................................................................21
Imperialism.....................................................................................................................................................21
Education..........................................................................................................................22
Structure of American Education.................................................................................................22
Structure and Federalism.............................................................................................................23
Public, Private and Home Schools................................................................................................23
Issues in Education......................................................................................................................23
Funding...........................................................................................................................................................23
Segregation and Inequality.............................................................................................................................23
School spirit.................................................................................................................................24
High School Classes......................................................................................................................24
Extracurricular Activities..............................................................................................................24
Colleges and Universities.............................................................................................................24
The Admissions Process..................................................................................................................................24
Costs...............................................................................................................................................................25
Unique Institutions.........................................................................................................................................25
The 20th Century
1900-1999
, 45 states
- Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska, and Hawaii were territories, not states
Second Industrial Revolution
1870-1914
Characterised by large scale manufacturing and production of steel and iron products, improvements
in transportation and improvements in electricity and electrical communications
- The automobile (Ford) and the aeroplane
- The telephone (Alexander Graham Bell)
Transformed the US from a rural to an urban country
- More and more people moved to cities looking for work in manufacturing and production
Motown; Detroit, Michigan
- The Ford Motor company built the Model T automobiles
- Between 1808 and 1927, more than 15 million Model T’s were built there
Detroit became known as “The Motor City” or “Motown”
- Record label based in Detroit is also called Motown
The Rise of the American Tycoons
American tycoons got rich by exploiting developments
- Transportations, communication, and manufacturing
- Some used ruthless and unethical practices to dominate important industries
- Many invested money back into society
Andrew Carnegie, in 1900 25% of US Steel production; Carnegie Hall, performing arts
venue in NYC
John D. Rockefeller, considered a ruthless businessman who used questionable tactics to
gain his wealth; Rockefeller Center in NYC
Robber Barons
- Began to be used in the early 1870s to describe a class of extremely wealthy businessmen
who used ruthless and unethical business tactics to dominate vital industries
- In an era with virtually no regulation of business, industries such as railroads, steel and
petroleum became monopolies
- Consumers and workers were able to be exploited
The US and WWI
1917-1918
Continued sinking of US ships by German U-Boats helped pull US into war
As a result of the war, the US
- Increased its influence in world politics
President Woodrow Wilson sets up League of Nations, an earlier version of the UN, and
wins Nobel Peace Prize
- Enjoyed a period of fast economic growth afterwards
The Roaring 20s
1920-1929
Contents
The 20th Century..................................................................................................................2
Second Industrial Revolution.........................................................................................................3
The Rise of the American Tycoons.................................................................................................3
The US and WWI............................................................................................................................3
The Roaring 20s.............................................................................................................................3
The 1930s and the Great Depression.............................................................................................4
FDR and the New Deal...................................................................................................................4
WWII and Prosperity.....................................................................................................................4
Cold War and the Space Race........................................................................................................4
Ronald Reagan, Reaganomics, and the Cold War...........................................................................5
US Political System.............................................................................................................5
Structure of the US Government...................................................................................................5
Federalism.....................................................................................................................................6
Separation of powers.......................................................................................................................................6
The Bipartisan System...................................................................................................................7
Elections........................................................................................................................................7
Congress...........................................................................................................................................................7
Presidential elections and the Electoral College..............................................................................................8
Special Interest Groups....................................................................................................................................8
Race...................................................................................................................................8
Race and the Racial Divide.............................................................................................................9
Lynching and White Supremacy.....................................................................................................9
Ku Klux Klan....................................................................................................................................................10
Today..............................................................................................................................................................10
Emmet Till....................................................................................................................................10
The Civil Rights Movement..........................................................................................................11
Martin Luther King, Jr..................................................................................................................12
Rodney King.................................................................................................................................12
No Justice, No Peace!...................................................................................................................12
Religion, Immigration, and Multiculturalism.....................................................................13
Freedom of Religion.....................................................................................................................14
The Constitution and Protestants..................................................................................................................14
The Separation of Church and State...............................................................................................................14
, Immigration.................................................................................................................................14
Wave 1: Colonial Period.................................................................................................................................14
Wave 2: 1815-1865........................................................................................................................................15
Wave 3: 1880-1920........................................................................................................................................15
Current wave: 1965-present..........................................................................................................................15
Multiculturalism..........................................................................................................................16
American Foreign Policy....................................................................................................16
Who does what?..........................................................................................................................17
The role of the President................................................................................................................................17
Examples.........................................................................................................................................................17
Different approaches...................................................................................................................18
Isolationism.................................................................................................................................19
Interventionism...........................................................................................................................19
Interventionism and a multipolar world........................................................................................................20
Other important terminology......................................................................................................20
Soft Power vs Hard Power..............................................................................................................................20
Jingoism..........................................................................................................................................................20
Exceptionalism................................................................................................................................................21
Imperialism.....................................................................................................................................................21
Education..........................................................................................................................22
Structure of American Education.................................................................................................22
Structure and Federalism.............................................................................................................23
Public, Private and Home Schools................................................................................................23
Issues in Education......................................................................................................................23
Funding...........................................................................................................................................................23
Segregation and Inequality.............................................................................................................................23
School spirit.................................................................................................................................24
High School Classes......................................................................................................................24
Extracurricular Activities..............................................................................................................24
Colleges and Universities.............................................................................................................24
The Admissions Process..................................................................................................................................24
Costs...............................................................................................................................................................25
Unique Institutions.........................................................................................................................................25
The 20th Century
1900-1999
, 45 states
- Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska, and Hawaii were territories, not states
Second Industrial Revolution
1870-1914
Characterised by large scale manufacturing and production of steel and iron products, improvements
in transportation and improvements in electricity and electrical communications
- The automobile (Ford) and the aeroplane
- The telephone (Alexander Graham Bell)
Transformed the US from a rural to an urban country
- More and more people moved to cities looking for work in manufacturing and production
Motown; Detroit, Michigan
- The Ford Motor company built the Model T automobiles
- Between 1808 and 1927, more than 15 million Model T’s were built there
Detroit became known as “The Motor City” or “Motown”
- Record label based in Detroit is also called Motown
The Rise of the American Tycoons
American tycoons got rich by exploiting developments
- Transportations, communication, and manufacturing
- Some used ruthless and unethical practices to dominate important industries
- Many invested money back into society
Andrew Carnegie, in 1900 25% of US Steel production; Carnegie Hall, performing arts
venue in NYC
John D. Rockefeller, considered a ruthless businessman who used questionable tactics to
gain his wealth; Rockefeller Center in NYC
Robber Barons
- Began to be used in the early 1870s to describe a class of extremely wealthy businessmen
who used ruthless and unethical business tactics to dominate vital industries
- In an era with virtually no regulation of business, industries such as railroads, steel and
petroleum became monopolies
- Consumers and workers were able to be exploited
The US and WWI
1917-1918
Continued sinking of US ships by German U-Boats helped pull US into war
As a result of the war, the US
- Increased its influence in world politics
President Woodrow Wilson sets up League of Nations, an earlier version of the UN, and
wins Nobel Peace Prize
- Enjoyed a period of fast economic growth afterwards
The Roaring 20s
1920-1929
