WW1: Franz Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand- Key Person, World War I

 The Austro-Hungarian heir to the throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in late June of 1914. Ferdinand was visiting the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo at the time he was assassinated. The assassin Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian revolutionary, was a member of a Serbian nationalist group, called the "Black Hand." He rushed the Archbishop's open vehicle and shot Ferdinand and his wife to death. The group planned this event with the knowledge of Serbian Officials in hopes to bring down the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This event sparked the beginning of the first World War.

WW1: The US declares War: Sydney

The United States Declares War

     Right after Wilson got reelected, the United States was on the edge of war. It all started with the Zimmerman Telegraph. The German official Arthur Zimmerman sent a telegraph saying that if Mexico would help them with the war, they would give them all of their land that America took control of. The United States found out about this telegraph.

     On April 2, 1917 President Wilson went in front of a joint session of congress to request war against Germany. On April 4, 1917 the U.S. senate supported the war against Germany. Then later on December 7, 1917 the United States on Austria-Hungary. This is what put the United States into the biggest and most well-known wars of all time.

 

ww1: great migration: Chris Honaker

The Great Migration

                For the first time in history, African Americans were being recruited to northern cities to work in factories. Started by Henry Ford, factory owners would promise them plentiful work and high wages to move north. Between 300,000 and 500,000 African Americans moved from the south to occupy these jobs. Known as the “Great Migration,” the racial makeup of northern cities was greatly and forever changed. Before the majority of people in these cities were whites, and now the population was more diverse and much higher.

WW1: Democratic Reforms: Chris Honaker

Democratic Reforms

                Some progressives were focused on making the government a more democratic system and rely more on what the people had to say.  Republican governor of Wisconsin, Robert M. La Follette, Pushed to pass the law that demanded that political parties had to have a direct primary. All party members would vote for one person that would run in the general election. This spread to other states throughout the nation. He also pushed to pass the initiative, referendum, and recall, all of which were to expand the rights and influence of the voters.

                They also took aim on the way that the senate was being elected. Corruption allowed political machines and businesses to have major influences on how these elections were decided. Many times the candidates would return the favor supplying their supporters with federal contracts and jobs. To put an end to this, progressives tried to push for direct elections of the senate by the people. In 1912 congress passed the direct-elections amendment, but this also took away one of the legislatures’ checks on federal balance. In turn, in 1913 the amendment was ratified and became the 17^th amendment. 

Progressive Movement: The Open Door Policy: Chris Honaker

The Open Door Policy

                In 1894, Japan defeated China’s giant army, which were thought at the time to be very strong force in the world, and established a peace treaty that gave Korea their independence and gave Japan control over the territory of Manchuria. Russian leaders didn’t like the idea of the rising Japanese power taking control of the territory and with support of France Germany, forced Japan to give the territory back to China. Shortly after in 1899, Russia forced China to lease the territory to them. This started a chain of “leaseholds” in China by other countries such as France, Britain, and Germany. They called their “leaseholds” their Sphere of Influence.

                Influential people in the United States began to worry about these events happening in China and started to support the Open Door policy. This would allow every country the right to trade with China. In 1899, Secretary of State John Hay, sent letters to all the countries that had these leaseholds, and asked them to let other countries trade within these leases. Every Nation replied by saying that they accepted the policy but wouldn’t enforce it unless all the other nations accepted the policy as well.

Progressive Movement: Progressives: Chris Reyes

Progressives

Progressivism was partly a reaction against laissez-faire economics and its emphasis on an unregulated market. Progressives generally believed that industrialization and urbanization had created many social problems. After seeing the poverty of the working class and the filth and crime of urban society, reformers began doubting the free market’s ability to address those problems. Progressivism was a collection of different ideas and activities.

Progressive Movement: Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt

     Theodore Roosevelt became the youngest president in the year of 1901. It is said that Roosevelt was very competitive, strong-willed, and a very energetic person. He always believed that the United States was in competition with all of the other nations in the world.  He accomplished many things in the 60 years that he lived. He wrote 35 books, fought as a rough rider in the Spanish-American war, and served as the President for two terms. Those are only a few things that he did throughout his life, there are many more as well. He was a hard-working man, and did a lot for the becoming of America.