While some states passed protective legislation business owners fought back claiming that such laws deprived them of their property.
Courts often sided with businesses and ruled that social legislation violated a workers freedom of contract.
Labor unions joined progressives to improve work conditions.
Closed shop: a workplace where all employees must be a union member.
Open Shop: nonunion workplace.
Most workers and labor unions did not want to eliminate capitalism and the American way of life. They just wanted to improve how workers were treated.
Some workers did not want to change capitalism and they favored socialism.
Socialism: government owns most factories, transportation and utilities.
Progressivism #81
The …show more content…
Imperialism #97
A large Navy needed overseas bases, like colonies for repair and rest.
Besides expanding for new markets, expansion would spread American ideals of democracy and Christianity to weak and poor countries.
Hawaii was important due to its location as a perfect place for a Navy to refit and refuel.
Hawaii (Sandwich Islands) were united under King Kamehameha. The islands were also valuable for sugar cane, pineapple, and whaling.
U.S. Missionaries arrived and taught the Hawaiians Christianity and English but also brought disease which reduced the population from 300,000 to 40,000.
U.S. Investors began to dominate the sugar and pineapple industry and bringing in Japanese laborers as the Hawaiian population declined.
A new treaty allowed Hawaiian sugar to be sold to the U.S. Duty-free in exchange for Hawaii promising to not let any other country interfere in Hawaii.
Imperialism #97
Hawaiian King Kalakaua was forced to sign a treaty (Bayonet Treaty) which gave complete control of Pearl Harbor to America.
The U.S. Then withdrew the special duty-free status of sugar cane for Hawaii which severely hurt the Hawaiian …show more content…
Spain sought a U.S peace proposal but it was too late. U.S. declared war on Spain and the Spanish American War began.
Congress recognized Cuban independence.
Teller Amendment- U.S. would leave control of the island to Cuba when independence was achieved.
First battle was in the Philippines. Teddy Roosevelt was Asst. Sec of Navy and ordered Admiral Dewey to attack Spanish Fleet in Philippines.
Imperialism #104
Dewey sank every Spanish Ship. TR left his position to command troops.
Troops sailed for Cuba and attacked Ft. Santiago in the Battle of San Juan Hill. TR led his calvary unit (Rough Riders) and won the battle.
Navy sank the Spanish fleet in Cuba and took Puerto Rico.
WE DID NOT GET CUBA AS A TERRITORY IN THIS WAR.
Spain surrendered. 2,000 U.S. soldiers died, only 400 in battle. Most from disease or food poisoning.
Peace Treaty- Spain gave up Cuba to independence, gave U.S. Guam and Puerto Rico, and gave up the Philippines. U.S. paid Spain $20 million. U.S. called it a Splendid Little War.
U.S. was now an imperialist power with all these new territories and could compete with Europe.
Philippines thought they would get independence but the U.S. wanted