Wilson's Fourteen Points: Questions 13-17

...Previously, on "APUSH Blog Chain", we learned about Wilson's idealism, courtesy of Joe. This episode illustrates Wilson's grand plan, known as the Fourteen Points:

13. Besides inspiring the allies, what effect did the 14 points have on enemy governments? Why?

The 14 points had a twofold purpose. First, the points served to breathe new vitality into the Allied countries who were quite exhausted from the arduous struggle of World War I. Secondly, they were a bit of a threat to the enemy countries, as they provided a message of independence and self-determination, giving hope to various minorities living in the Central Power countries.




(Both the Allied leaders and the Central Power minorities were taken here by Wilson's 14 points)

14. Briefly, what were the first five points? Note to whom each was appealing:

The first five of Wilson's fourteen points are as follows:

• A proposal to abolish secret treaties (liberals everywhere)




• Freedom of the seas (Germans, Americans distrustful toward British naval domination)




• Removal of economic barriers between nations (Germany, afraid of possible postwar vengeance)




• Reduction of armament burdens (taxpayers everywhere)




• Adjustment of colonial claims to reflect the interests of both natives and colonizers (anti-imperialists)
  

(Wilson, unfortunately, didn't have the foresight to color-code his 14 points so we could remember them more easily...)


15. What else made the points appealing to minority groups such as the Poles?

Others of Wilson's fourteen points appealed to minorities such as the Poles, as they displayed ideas of self-determination and hopes of independence.

(Wilson's fourteen points were causing everyone to dream of going to awesome scenic locales around the world...)

16. What was the capstone point?

The capstone point, the 14th, foreshadowed the League of Nations, an organization that Wilson strongly hoped would provide a collective security for all nations of the world.



17. Why didn't certain Allied leaders like the points? How did some Republicans back home feel about it?

Some Allied leaders disliked the 14 points because they wanted to keep their territorial possessions (and the profits associated with them), and many Republicans openly mocked Wilson by calling his points "The Fourteen Commandments of God Almighty Wilson".



(However, some people were obviously still stuck in other fantastic landscapes...)

To continue the "APUSH Blog Chain", proceed to Brent's Brilliantly-Crafted Blog for the Blogless, located here.

Leia Mais…

Foreign Policy Acts

The Wilson administration saw a stark contrast in foreign policy, as Wilson was not the imperialist that TR and Taft were. Thus, the Panama Canal Tolls Act of 1912, which exempted America from tolls associated with Panama Canal shipping, was repealed in 1914 under the influence of Wilson:



Also, the Wilson administration oversaw the passage of the Jones Act (1916), which stated that the Philippines would be granted territorial status, and could be independent once a stable government was created. That day, however, did not come until 1946:

Leia Mais…

Conservation Acts

The conservationists in the progressive camp essentially had two sides: beauty vs. use. Beauty proponents included John Muir, who essentially wanted to leave the land untouched. Use proponents included Gifford Pinchot, who, while not opposed to beauty, wanted to protect the land in order to provide the greatest good to the greatest number (a bit of a utilitarian view). Following are some of the conservationist acts:

The Desert Land Act of 1877 offered desert land cheaply, so long as the buyer irrigate the land within three years:



The Forest Reserve Act of 1891 allowed the president to set aside public forests as national parks and reserves. This resulted in about 46 million acres being set aside in the 1890's alone:



The Carey Act of 1894 gave federal land to the states, so long as it was irrigated and settled (similar to the Desert Act but for any public land):



Finally, the Newlands Act of 1902 allowed the government to collect money from the sale of public land and use such revenue to fund irrigation projects:

Leia Mais…

Federal Agencies

Many agencies were created in order to further the progressive cause. Two of these, the Women's Bureau (1912) and the Children's Bureau (1920) were created out of the Department of Labor, and represented a wedge into the federal bureaucracy made by women.



Wilson instituted several new institutions to assert the progressive cause. One of these was the Federal Trade Commission of 1914, which outlawed various anti-competitive trade practices:



Wilson also created the Federal Reserve (1913), which drastically refined the banking system, allowing for regional banking districts and the relatively free issuing of paper money to increase circulation. This system helped to carry the nation through the financial situation of WWI:



Finally, the Federal Farm Loan Act (1916) appeased Populists by allowing farmers to have credit at fairly low rates of interest:

Leia Mais…

Amendments

Various amendments to the Constitution furthered the cause of progressives. The first of these, the 16th amendment, passed in 1913, instituted an income tax. This income tax quickly surpassed the tariff as the primary source of government revenue:



The 17th amendment provided for the direct election of senators, a victory stemming from the Populist movement hoping to transfer power from the interests to the people:



The 18th amendment (1919) instituted Prohibition, though of course this was only a temporary victory since Prohibition was later abolished by the 21st amendment:



Finally, the 19th amendment gave the long awaited vote to women across the country, though several western states had already done this much earlier:

Leia Mais…

Acts Protecting Workers

Many acts were passed in the Wilson administration that furthered the progressive cause and provided benefits to laborers. Among these were the La Follette Seaman's Act of 1915, which required decent treatment and a living wage of American merchant ships:



Also, the Worker's Compensation Act of 1916 gave assistance to civil-service employees for disability time:

Leia Mais…

Anti Trust Acts

Trusts increasingly became seen as an issue in American society in the late 19th century, so to combat this trend, the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 was passed. However, it was rather weak, in that it contained many loopholes that industrialists could exploit. Nevertheless, Taft used it to successfully break up the Standard Oil Company:



Later, in the Wilson administration, the Clayton Anti-Trust Act was passed, essentially to lengthen the list of forbidden trust practices of the Sherman Act. The Clayton Act (1914) also conferred several benefits for labor:

Leia Mais…

Food Safety Acts

In 1906, Upton Sinclair published The Jungle, a disgusting insight into various unsanitary practices in the meatpacking industry. Shortly after its publication, the Meat Inspection Act of 1906 was passed, stating that meat shipped over state lines was subject to federal inspection:



Also in 1906, the Pure Food and Drug Act was passed, essentially making mislabelling of products illegal:

Leia Mais…

Railroad Acts

The Elkins Act of 1903 grew out of the Interstate Commerce Commision's attempts to regulate the railroad industry. It specifically fined railroading companies who offered rebates to certain shippers, thus serving to lessen their dubious financial relationship:



The Hepburn Act of 1906 had a similar aim, preventing free passes from being given out to certain industries:

Leia Mais…

I Just Couldn't Resist

Without further ado, here is a hopefully memorable poem about a certain explosion and its aftermath:

Remember the Maine (and Spain, and other words ending in -ain/-ane)

Dedicated to Shane and Reine and Anna DeSpain

Sponsored by The APUSH Blog Train


Let us all travel down memory lane
To learn about Cubans and sugarcane.
The product was useful, Cuba had much to gain
But unfortunately their profits had started to wane.
Tariffs caused insurrectos to loudly complain
They launched out their anger against mother Bahrain.
Wait! Not Bahrain, they didn't exist yet...Ukraine?
No no no, that can't be it, it must be Spain!
Yes, Spain was the target of Cuban disdain!
But civilians were treated in ways inhumane
Causing Americans to go almost insane.
Pulitzer and Hearst wrote with free rein
On the stories of Cuba, some rather arcane
But Cleveland from war did firmly refrain.
His successor was at least a bit less mundane
To Cuba he sent the battleship Maine
But then something happened no one can explain
It just went "kaboom!", that much we maintain.
But finding the guilt was really a strain
Most Americans thought the scheme was quite plain
Who blew up the Maine but those scoundrels in Spain?
The public was ready for a decisive campaign
But the commander-in-chief wanted to abstain.
Public pressures, however, caused him not to restrain;
McKinley told the Congress to put war in the fast lane
So Congress placed war in the political domain.

Now what would they do, there wasn't a plane!
And Spain's mighty navy did still remain,
Except one small detail, the ships were in pain.
Perhaps American victory wasn't that much of a strain.
Teddy Roosevelt sure had a plan, he being quite vain,
His antics and stunts are sure to entertain:
"Why attack Cuba when the Philippines we can gain?"
To him it was common sense, like that of ol' Paine,
But to Cuba, the Philippines really do not pertain.
So what? Here goes Dewey on a marv'lous campaign!
All the Spanish ships were immediately slain,
Falling into the harbor like droplets of rain.
Dewey soon became subject of many a refrain
Proclaiming magnificent stories of this naval gain.
But Dewey could only wait and complain
"Those ships are so slow! I cannot sustain
This succession of attacks that might be in vain!"
The sluggish travel was a transportation stain
So much that Hawaii was seen as the link to the chain.
Whether we needed Hawaii, I cannot ascertain
But Hawaii as a territory, we would ordain.
Now back to Cuba, which was really a pain
The icky diseases were America's bane.
But Roosevelt had ideas, coming from the same vein
Leading many to wonder if he was taking cocaine.
But high or not, Roosevelt's men he did train,
His Rough Riders were ready for any terrain!
They charged up the hill, leaving many men slain
While Teddy's excitement he could hardly contain.

But enough was enough for poor old Spain:
"Leave us alone! This is not just a feign!"
Their diplomats wanted peace in their reign.
'Twas just as well, for many Americans were lain
On the ground, dead with typhoid or a flu strain.
But now was the ambassadors' work to explain
Just which Spanish colonies would America gain.
"Cuba, of course, that was the object of pain!
And Puerto Rico and Guam we must now obtain!"
Philippines...well...could we really abstain?
Leaving it alone seems foolhardy and inane
Besides, there lies the makings of a conversion campaign
And our treasury has plenty of excess to drain.
So, it was settled, the Philippine rein
Would head to the Yanks, which soon would contain
Twenty million less dollars; they were headed to Spain.
Many new colonies! The war was not mundane:
There was great celebration; out came the champagne!
But many looked at imperial America with mere disdain.
"Czar" Reed was among them, he thought it insane!

One thing is certain, this fact I maintain:
People surely remembered to remember the Maine.
And now every last -ane word has left from my brain;
It's probably time to end this refrain.

Leia Mais…