History Marathon Assignment: US History, Progressive Era, and Wars

This assignment delves into significant periods and events in United States history. It begins with an exploration of the Progressive Era, examining the roles of muckrakers and the principles of scientific management, comparing their approaches, and relating them to modern situations. The assignment then investigates President Wilson's shift towards pro-war sentiments during World War I, prompting a reflection on the motivations behind this change. Further, it analyzes the economic impact of the Great Depression, exploring its influence on national culture, and the New Deal responses. The assignment also covers the US's isolationist arguments before World War II, the effects of the war on American society and work, and the Cold War strategies employed by the US, including specific examples. The Civil Rights movement, key events, and legislation are also discussed, along with leadership examples from Presidents Nixon and Reagan. The assignment concludes with an examination of free trade viewpoints in the 1990s and the economic rebound under President Clinton, providing a comprehensive overview of critical historical periods and events.

Running head: HISTORY MARATHON
HISTORY MARATHON
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1HISTORY MARATHON
1. In the Progressive Era (roughly 1890–1920), multiple groups advocated for reforms
in various aspects of government, society, and the economy. Discuss here the
“muckrakers” and Taylor’s “scientific management”.
Taylor’s scientific management principles were aimed at ensuring that the work
proceeded in an efficient and productive way by means of deriving the best out of the
employees. However, the system of management was wrought with rampant
corruption and the muckrakers had been the journalists who had exposed it. The
muckrakers were of the view that the implementation of Taylor’s scientific
management had been the reason behind the corruption.
2. Explain with some specifics why Wilson became pro-war. Describe your own
feelings on that issue when you look back at it, and whether he was right to change.
The German submarines had drowned a luxury cruise Lusitania of the United
Kingdom in the year 1915 and had gained quite great deal of expertise in the field og
submarine warfare. Germany was also trying to incite Mexico against USA which
had driven her to enter the war in 1917.
3. After the end of World War I, overall economic growth exploded in the US in the
early 1920s, but then there was a severe economic breakdown with the Great
Depression of 1929-1939. Explain whether you think this helped to develop a more
unified national culture or more individuality, and identify a similar example today
with technology helping a trend or movement.
The Great Depression had created a unified culture in the United States of
America in unifying all the sections of the society against the Congress as their fiscal
policies were causing problems to the economy of the nation. In the contemporary

2HISTORY MARATHON
period during the regime of President Trump the depreciation of the American
economy had led to the unification of the Americans against globalism and
immigration.
4. The Great Depression (1929-1939) was one of the most devastating economic
downturns that America has ever experienced. Determine whether you believe that
the federal responses to the Great Depression by President Franklin Roosevelt
encouraged real economic growth and confidence or whether the arguments by
critics of the day were accurate that it made the Depression last longer. Identify your
position and support it with at least two specific examples of New Deal responses.
The New Deal of President Roosevelt had been a measure which was aimed at
alleviating the United States of America from the period of Great Depression and
that is very much immanent in the programs that it consisted of. There were
provisions for the unemployed and the poor to provide them with economic
assistance and there were also federal laws passed which passed banking policies that
led to re-inflation in the nation.
5. Identify two isolationist arguments for staying out of World War II.
- The First World War had led to immense amount of loss both in economic and in
terms of the military.
- The Great Depression had rendered USA incapable of going into another war as
she was militarily as well as economically too weak to indulge in any war
preparation.
These were the reasons why the US had observed an isolationist policy with regard
to the joining of the second World War. The immense amount of damage that the

3HISTORY MARATHON
First World War had done to America was not desirable to the interests of the nation,
hence abstinence from the second world war was thought to be judicious.
6. Describe the impact on US society and work during the war years.
The war years have had serious consequences on the US society by means of
turning the popular opinion against the government given the amount of damage the
nation had done to the other nations by means of her aggressive foreign policies. The
foreign expeditions had caused the US to neglect her domestic affairs and the
economy as well. Politically and strategically, USA had gained much influence
during the war years and that had given her a position of predominance in the world
affairs, but at the same time she had gained the apathy of many nations because of
the domination she had exercised in the international affairs.
7. Identify one Cold War strategy of the US. Describe a specific example of a conflict
or crisis that was part of this Cold War strategy, and compare or contrast this to the
international situation today.
The Domino Effect would serve as a strategy used by the US during the Cold War
period in order to bring the nations of South East Asia under the influence of
capitalism. In the modern times, the strategy of using the petro dollar to bring the
nations of the world under the influence of the US is used as a control mechanism
and maintaining its status quo of her powerful position in the world, and ones
refusing to abide by it are under the threat of being treated with violence.
8. Identify two key specific events of the Civil Rights struggle and at least one major
piece of legislation or court decision in the 1950s and 1960s.

4HISTORY MARATHON
- The boycott of the Montgomery bus system of 1955 was a major event which had
led to Martin Luther King launching the civil rights movement in the nation,
against the segregationist seating arrangements at the bus for 381days.
- On September 1957 nine black students referred to as the Little Rock Nine, had
arrived at the Central High School to attend classes, instead, they met with the
Arkansas National Guard, which had sparked civil rights movements.
- The legislation of Civil Rights Act of 1957 signed by President Eisenhower
granting protection to the blacks against any encroachment on their right to vote.
9. Identify a leadership example from President Nixon’s handling of the Watergate
issue, and another example from Reagan’s presidency.
President Nixon had despite being the President of the nation tried to sabotage the
peace of the nation by misusing power and trying to cover up the wrongs done by
him. Ronald Reagan had on the other hand tried to rectify the mistakes of Nixon
thereby providing a positive example of leadership.
10. Identify a strategy or policy from the Nixon presidency that related to the Cold War,
and another from the Reagan presidency.
Nixon had signed the SALT 1 treaty with Brezhnev in Moscow which had led to
the Détente of the Cold War. Regan had on the other hand taken war preparations by
introducing Strategic Defense Initiative to intercept incoming missiles and destroy
them.
11. Discuss opposing viewpoints about free trade during the 1990s.
- Free trade was leading to the rich and poor gap in the underdeveloped parts of te
world.

5HISTORY MARATHON
- Free trade policies were a means of perpetrating interference in the internal
affairs of the third world nations and dominating in their political affairs for
personal gains of the first world nations.
12. Discuss the “economic rebound” of the late 1990s under President Clinton.
After a period of recession for almost 8 months, there was an economic boom
which happened during the time of Ronald Reagan. The period was marked by
strong economic growth, steady job creation, low inflation, rising productivity,
economic boom, and a surging stock market that resulted from a combination of
rapid technological changes and sound central monetary policy.