Evaluate the relative importance of the causes of cultural change in the United States in the period from 1914 to 1945.
I’m looking to see if this good for a dbq essay.
Throughout the 19th century, cultural shifts in us have been increasing. The rise of populism in the country is giving people different ideologies to emphasize the idea of “The People”. We are also seeing a rise in progressivism. Progressivism bases its ideology on science, technology, and economic development. We also see that throughout WW1 we see The Great Migrationhappening with the shift of 6 million African Americans moving from the south to the north and midwest. Since The Great Migration, we’ve seen a cultural shift into the Jazz Age. As time went on, the growing cultural changes of progressivism and populism caused America’s increase in science, technology, and economic development. Although religious beliefs didn’t change with the rapid change of culture, the changes in migration, art, science, and technology have a tremendous effect on cultural aspects in the US. Therefore, the phase-in culture between the time period 1914-1945 is different from years prior.
One of the primary reasons behind American cultural changes with minorities and their stance in today’s world has been changing over a time period. The picture of “Closing the Gate, Chicago Tribune, 1919.” (Doc 2) depicts post World War 1 and US foreign policy and the assimilation of the US. The assimilation at the time was known as Dawes assimilation, which encouraged assimilation among Native Americans. This authorized the government to divide a large number of existing reservations into individual family plots, with the remaining lands being transferred to the federal government. This changed our internal migration by giving more land to the federal government which encouraged more westward expansion. Frannie Hurst explains In the New York Times that women are taking a bigger role in society (Doc 3). Throughout WW1, women were working in the factories while men were away for war. This changed the culture of us because it shows that women can e independent and that women can do everything that men can do if not better. Lastly, with Charles S. Johnson (doc 2), it talks about the difference in political views affected by the economy. Throughout WW1, we see African Americans moving from the south up to the north, known as the Great Migration. This gave African Americans a chance to work in the factories. Also, it affects the arts in the US by the US moving into the Jazz age since the Great Migration started.
While we see minorities influence the change of culture throughout the US, we also see a significance in art and technology throughout the US. while the US was gaining new technology we see a greater change in that technology. John Dewey (doc 4) expresses that “movie, radio, cheap reading and motor car with all they stand for have come to stay.” Dewey is naming technology that has come and is staying with the American people. This has shifted American culture by increasing voter participation. With the addition of radio and the tv, we can see and hear political debates or the presidency which can sway public opinion. In 1939 we see Franklin Roosevelt giving a speech on the opening of the Modern art museum (doc 4). We see that there might be a sensitivity the audience might feel when they unveil the museum. Through this time we were in WW1 and we are in the Great Depression and now we see a rise of nazism in Europe and the museum would signify the bad history of the US.
Thus, While religious beliefs didn’t change with the rapid change of culture, the changes in migration, art, science, and technology have a tremendous effect on cultural aspects in the US. Therefore, the phase-in culture between the time period 1914-1945 is different from years prior. As we see through WW2 and The Cold War, our culture will change more due to red scares and a rise in Communism which will put the American people on edge through the time period. As well as those we’ll see new creations o military technology as the nuclear bomb, which gives more of a rise to the US power.
You need to have better facts in your context and you don’t have a clear thesis. The Great Migration happened during the time period 1916-1970, which would’ve been good outside evidence if you didn’t put in your context.
Literally made an account to comment how freaking grateful I am for this. This essay is incredible and I love it. Sure I guess there’s always room for improvement but for what it’s worth I think ur gonna kill it
The Antebellum period, best known as the period between the civil war to the aftermath of the War of 1812 had a great impact on American society, especially in the cultural aspect. This new era in the American society opened a path for various political reforms such as the Temperance movement and religious affiliation like the Second Great Awakening and changed society drastically. During the time period, 1914 to 1945 American society drastically changed culturally, from the great migration to Harlem renaissance the United States embraced a new culture rich in diversity as well as problems.
In the outbreak of WWI, the United States had stated its neutrality; however, when intervention seemed inevitable by the Zimmerman note and the sinking of the Lusitania cruise ship in 1915, there was no option rather than war. As the brave American volunteers went to fight in Europe, new labor opportunities opened for lower classes from the south in the North. As stated by Charles S. Johnson in 1917 reporting on interviews with African American migrants “there the people were leaving in large numbers for the North, mostly men…They said, higher wages”(Doc 1) He is referring to the great migration of millions of African Americans from rural southern areas to northern urban areas due to the labor shortages many industries faced in the involvement of WWI. However, racial tensions increased in the aftermath of WWI, whites resented the increasing competition for jobs and housing but also feared the income of immigrants coming to the U.S. The red scare was a volatile combination of the sturdy peace process, fear of communism and worries about labor unrest at home. As seen in Document 2 the political cartoon illustrates how immigrants, depicted as a lit bomb, pose a threat to the U.S and are undesired to society. The cartoon’s audience is American society, that through hysteria fueled xenophobia that resulted in restrictions on immigration in the 1920s. Such restrictions include the Emergency Quota Act of 1921, which drastically reduced immigration, especially from southern and eastern Europe. Such actions driven by fear changed the outlook of the U.S to a nativist society that was designed to preserve the ideal of American homogeneity, in addition, 25 race riots break out in northern cities in response to the large influx of African Americans brought by the great migration.
The U.S had also participated in the traditional separation of labor between men and women during the 1920s but had also passed the 19th amendment regarding universal women’s suffrage. Although the amendment did not change the lives of women as anticipated, it was seen as a great accomplishment by NAWSA at winning votes for women. Fannie Hurst a popular novelist in the 1900s supported the idea of women working outside of the home as she states that “her place is where she can give the most service” Her purpose is to break the boundaries that limit women to domestic jobs such as teachers nurses and clerks. Following the new outcomes of a new American society in the 1920s the Harlem Renaissance opened a new window for literacy. As seen in Document 4, the famous book “The Public and its Outcomes” by John Dewy is a great representation of the various publications during the 1920s that expressed sharp divisions in U.S society. The book expresses the idea that many of the new technologies arousing like the radio, played a role in diverting the focus of people from political interest. Nevertheless, new internal improvements to support the further development of American society in the 1930s helped to ease the stress of the great depression. As stated by President Franklin Roosevelt at the opening of the Museum of Modern Art “The arts that ennoble and refine life flourish only in the atmosphere of peace”. Such improvements contributed to the cultural improvement of the society in the first half of the 20th century.
In conclusion, during the time period of 1914 and 1945, the culture of the American society changed drastically from immigration influx to a new culture of gender roles and education. Such changes brought by innovations can also be seen in the second half of the 20th century with new inventions that renovate the values of American society.