The Politics of Boom and Bust

How did the Roaring Twenties give way to the Great Depression?


The economic boom of Roaring Twenties came grinding to a halt when the Great Depression began in 1929, ushering in one of the most devastating time periods in American history.  In this post, we will analyze the various economic, political, and foreign policy goals of the Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover administration.  Through this dialogue, we will ideally emerge with a deeper understanding of the values of the 1920s, the causes of the Great Depression, and how those two factors were related. 

The prosperity of the 1920s seemed like a distant memory to those suffering from high unemployment and poverty during the Great Depression

You must post one comment (answer) related to each question I have posted below AND respond to at least ONE other student's comment.  In your post, you should include details from the text along with your own analysis.  When you respond to another comment, you should agree, disagree, or modify using specific text details.  Additionally, you must ask at least ONE question of your own and respond to at least one other student's question.   

Was Woodrow Wilson responsible for the Failure of the US to join the League of Nations?

Despite his sweeping success in achieving progressive domestic reforms, President Wilson failed muster support for his most significant foreign policy goal: the League of Nations.  Despite having compromised most of his original "Fourteen Points" at the Paris Peace Conference in order to gain the support of Great Britain and France for a League of Nations to protect world peace, and despite his grueling speaking tour intended to gain public support, the US Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles and as a result, never joined the League of Nations.




Authors John M. Cooper and William G. Carleton disagree over whether Wilson himself was to blame for this failure.

Join the discussion by addressing questions such as:

What was the central argument of each author?
How did the author support his argument with specific, credible evidence?
Which author made a better argument and why?

In total, you must make at least 5 posts:

1. answering one of the focus questions using the text
2. asking a question of your own based on the text
3. answering another student's question
4. responding to - agreeing or disagreeing - at least TWO other student's posts.  Your response should acknowledge the poster's position and add text-based evidence to support your position.

Your posts should be at least one paragraph long and contain text evidence.  Your responses should be interactive and build off one another.  Do not repeat someone else's post.  Instead, add to it with additional text evidence and analysis.  

Make your first post by 12:00 pm on Monday afternoon.  All posts must be completed by 3:00 PM.
Please sign your name at the end of your post or register with your first name. last initial so I know who is posting!

WWI Propaganda

Focus Question:  How did propaganda reflect tension over American national identity and America's role in the world?

World War I created a repressive atmosphere for civil liberties, and challenged the concept of American identity.  Additionally, America's first propaganda agency, the Committee for Public Information, worked tirelessly to sell the war to the American people through print media, radio, and speeches.

Choose one image from WWI Propaganda folder and analyze using HAPP-Y.  Consider what emotions they are appealing to.

Post your comments below!

APUSH: World War I

World War I

World War I and its aftermath intensified debates about the nation's role in the world and how best to protect American national security and interests.  

1. MAIN Causes of WWI (militarism, alliances - central/allies, imperialism, nationalism), sparked by the assassination of Archduke of Austria-Hungary Franz Ferdinand by Serb nationalists in Sarajevo.
2. US involvement
• Neutrality - reasons
• American interests in Europe
• Later defense of humanitarian and democratic principles

• Threats to national security began to erode initial neutrality

Shaded area shows waters that Germans considered "War Zone" and where unarmed merchant ships were subject to torpedo attack.

     

Sussex was torpedoed by German U-Boats in 1916

•   Wilson's message to Congress addressed a variety of concerns

Historians have long debated whether the US entered WWI truly to make the world safe for democracy, as President Wilson insisted, or rather to protect American economic interest in Europe that were threatened by war.  Click the link below to read the text of Wilson's speech to Congress in 1917 in which he asked for a declaration of war:  Wilson's War Message to Congress, April 2, 1917

Watch the video below for an overview of the causes of WWI from the History Channel.