American History

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer discusses that the latter half of the 19th century was rife with social and economic changes that would shape the development of American domestic and foreign policy between 1890 and 1928. The writer notes that the policies created were drafted at the confluence of a variety of events. The writer points out that these included the lasting effects of the Civil War and Reconstruction, industrialization, demographic growth and imperialism. The writer maintains that these factors contributed to the creation of a U.S. foreign and domestic policy that was much more proactive and intrusive by 1928 than it had been in 1890.

From the Paper:

"Socially, the United States was in a transition period during the late 19th century as the ideals of Populism flourished and then gave way to Progressivism. The former lasted roughly from 1880 until 1900 and represented the last hurrah of the U.S.' agricultural economy, stressing farmers' ideals. Dissimilarly, Progressivism was driven by educated urban intellectuals who brought new socialist values to American policy during that era. At the same time, the U.S.--like so many other nations--became gripped by imperialist sensibilities. The people and their politicians came to believe that American control should be extended to territorial holdings beyond the lower contiguous states and territories (Johnson 609). As with the already mentioned changes, this facilitated significant changes in domestic and foreign policy."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Johnson, Paul. A History of the American People. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997.

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• Book Review # 103341 : "Stories from American History"

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