Presentation notes (Racism & The Red Scare not included)

Remember, kids, Quiz on chapter 22 tomorrow! Yippee.

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Presentation Notes

• Women in WWI

➢ Many opposed the war (Jane Addams), but eventually rose to help out in order to gain rights
➢ Took factory jobs for war effort, jobs men vacated- had previously been typists and other white-collar jobs, although veterans took back their jobs at the end of the war.
➢ Progressive reform in the army- allied with progressive women to pass 19th amendment
➢ Women’s rights activists
o Cat & Shaw created women’s suffrage association
➢ Wilson acknowledged that women earned the right to vote through their service during the war.
➢ Growing their own food was a big part of this

• African Americans in the war
➢ They joined the army on WEB Dubois’ urging
➢ In segregated units
➢ AEF- American Expeditionary Force
➢ Blacks were mainly in menial jobs, although many ended up in France
➢ Some saw combat though- 4 black regiments serving under the French Supreme Commander and they received rewards for their service
➢ Germans attempted to force blacks to desert showering them with propaganda about how bad being a black in America was
➢ No medals of honor awarded to blacks until posthumously in 1991
➢ Many black veterans felt they deserved better treatment


• Dissent during WWI
➢ Major groups dissenting:
o Germans
o Quakers
o COs- forced into menial jobs
➢ Often mistreated and discriminated against
➢ Espionage Act of 1919
o Let government fine and imprison anyone who was antiwar
➢ Sedition Act
o Gave government the right to give heavy penalties to anyone who spoke against the US
➢ Schenck Vs US
o Tried to mail antigovernment leaflets
o Found guilty, sentenced to 6 months
o Clear and present danger- ability to take away rights during dangerous times
o ‘Fire in a Theatre’ argument
➢ Eugene Debs vs. US
o Labor leader
o Supposedly in violation of espionage & sedition acts
o Ran for president out of jail
➢ Government attempted to increase patriotism
o Posters
o Government-approved magazine, some socialist newspapers shut down
o Also withheld mail.

➢ Treaty of Versailles
o 1919- allies met to discuss punitive measures against Germany
o Because of this treaty,
• Germany was fined $56 billion dollars, lost 13% of their population, 50% of iron and steel industry, 16% of coal mines, caused collapse of German economy
• Drastically altered geography- lots of new eastern countries
o Poland finally gained independence
o Alsace-Lorraine went to France
o Baltic states became their own countries-Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia
• German colonies were divided among allies
• Rhineland was demilitarized
• No aircraft, no military for Germany
• Led to the rise of Hitler

➢ 14 Points of the treaty of Versailles
• Wilson’s input, believed it would end conflict forever
• 7 points had to do with territory
• Other 7
• Self-determination for people of former empires
• Colonial disputes must take into account the colonized people
• World of free navigation- freedom of the seas
• Free trade
• Reduced armaments
• Openly negotiated treaties- no more secret alliances
• General association to resolve conflicts- League of Nations, later to become UN
o US fails to join League of Nations, leading to rise of Hitler