The Great American Story Course Notes Part 6

The United States entered World War I due to a change in public opinion that resulted from the sinking of merchant vessels by German submarines.

According to Dr. McClay, Wilson approached America’s involvement in European affairs with a disinterested tone that was typical of Progressive politicians and academics.

The Bolshevik Revolution caused Russia to drop out of World War I.

The aftermath of World War I brought about the collapse of four empires: Imperial Germany, Austria-Hungary, Tsarist Russia, and the Ottoman Empire.

President Calvin Coolidge was a strong proponent and eloquent defender of the Declaration of Independence.

In the 1920s, the economy of the United States grew at an astounding rate.

During the 1932 election, Franklin Roosevelt promised to embark on a program of "bold, persistent experimentation" to address the economic woes of the nation.

In his first inaugural address, Franklin Roosevelt drew on the familiar Progressive language of the moral equivalent of war to describe the economic situation.

According to Dr. McClay, progressives like FDR believed that administrative expertise was necessary to help solve social ills.

The National Industrial Recovery Act attempted to regulate the economy by establishing production quotas, codes, and wages for industries, but was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Source: “The Great American Story: A Land of Hope”