At the dawn of the twentieth century, America was no longer a republic actively fighting for its freedom and survival. It can be described as one of the largest and most developed powers in the world. US foreign and domestic policy at the beginning of the 20th century was built on the desire and desire to take a more influential position on the world stage. The state was preparing for serious and decisive action for a dominant role not only in the economy, but also in politics.
The oath in 1901 was brought by the next non-elected and the youngest president - 43-year-old Theodore Roosevelt. His arrival at the White House coincided with the beginning of a new era, not only in American, but also in world history, rich in crises and wars.
In the article we will talk about the features of US development in the early 20th century, the main directions of domestic and foreign policy, social and economic development.
T. Roosevelt Administration: Domestic Politics
Roosevelt, while taking the oath of office as president, made a promise to his people that he would continue the country's domestic and foreign policy in accordance with the course of his predecessor, McKinley, who tragically died at the hands of the radicals. He suggested that the alarm ripening in society about trusts and monopolies was groundless and basically aimless, and he doubted the need for any restrictions on the part of the state. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the closest associates of the president were the heads of influential corporations.
The rapid economic development of the United States at the beginning of the 20th century followed the path of limiting natural market competition, which led to a deterioration in the condition of small and medium-sized businesses. The discontent of the masses was caused by the growth of corruption and the spread of monopolies in the politics and economy of the state. T. Roosevelt did his best to neutralize the growing anxiety. He did this through numerous attacks on corruption in big business and helped to prosecute individual trusts and monopolies, and initiated court proceedings on the basis of the Sherman Act adopted in 1890. In the end, companies got off with fines and revived under new names. The USA was undergoing rapid modernization. At the beginning of the 20th century, the states already adopted the features of corporate capitalism in its classical version.
President T. Roosevelt went down in US history as the most liberal. His policy could not eliminate the abuse of monopolies and the growth of their power and influence, nor the labor movement. But the country's foreign activity was marked by the beginning of a broad expansion in the world political arena.
The role of the state in the economy and social relations
The US economy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries adopted the features of classical corporate capitalism, in which giant trusts and monopolies unfolded their activities. They limited the natural market competition and practically ruined small and medium enterprises. Adopted in 1890, the Sherman Act was positioned as a "charter of industrial freedom", but had a limited effect and was often interpreted for other purposes. Litigation equated unions with monopolies, and strikes by ordinary workers were seen as "conspiracy to limit free trade."
As a result, the social development of the United States in the early 20th century goes in the direction of deepening inequality (stratification) of society, the position of ordinary Americans becomes disastrous. Discontent is growing against corporate capital among farmers, workers, and progressive intelligentsia. They condemn the monopolies and see in them a threat to the well-being of the masses. All this contributes to the emergence of the antitrust movement, accompanied by increased activity of trade unions and a constant struggle for the social protection of the population.
Demands for the “renewal” of social and economic policies are starting to sound not only in the streets, but also in parties (democratic and republican). Appearing as opposition, they gradually capture the minds of the ruling elite, which ultimately leads to changes in domestic politics.
Legislative acts
The economic development of the United States in the early 20th century required the adoption of certain decisions by the head of state. The basis of the so-called new nationalism was T. Roosevelt’s demand that the president expand his powers so that the government would take control of the trusts in order to regulate them and curb the “unfair game”.
The implementation of this program in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century was to be promoted by the first law adopted in 1903 - the Act on Accelerating Proceedings and the Resolution of Justice Processes. He established measures to accelerate trials in antitrust cases, which were regarded as having "great public significance" and "priority over others."
The next was the law on the creation in the United States of the Department of Labor and Trade, whose functions included collecting information about trusts and examining their “dishonest activities”. T. Roosevelt also extended his demands for an “honest game” to the relations of employers with ordinary workers, advocating the peaceful settlement of disputes arising between them, but demanding at the same time limiting the activity of US trade unions in the early 20th century.
Often you can hear the opinion that the American state came to the twentieth century with zero “baggage” of international relations. There is some truth in this, because until 1900 the United States was actively focused on itself. The country did not get involved in the complicated relations of the European powers, but actively carried out expansion in the Philippines and Hawaii.
Native American Relations
The history of relations between the indigenous people of the continent and “white” Americans is indicative of how the United States coexisted with other nations. There was everything from the open use of force to the cunning argument justifying it. The fate of the indigenous peoples depended directly on white Americans. It is enough to recall the fact that in 1830 all the eastern tribes were resettled on the western coast of the Mississippi, but the plains were already inhabited by the Indians cut, Cheyenne, Arapaha, Sioux, Black-footed and Kiowa. The policy of the US government in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was aimed at the concentration of the indigenous population in certain specially designated territories. It was replaced by the idea of "cultivating" the Indians, integrating them into American society. Literally in one century (1830-1930), they became the object of a government experiment. People were first deprived of their ancestral land, and then national identity.
US Development at the Beginning of the 20th Century: Panama Canal
The beginning of the 20th century for the United States was marked by a revival of Washington's interest in the idea of an inter-ocean channel. This was facilitated by the victory in the Spanish-American war and the subsequent establishment of control over the Caribbean Sea and the entire Pacific region, adjacent to the Latin American coast. T. Roosevelt attached paramount importance to the idea of building a canal. Just a year before becoming president, he openly said that "in the struggle for supremacy at sea and commerce, the United States must strengthen its power beyond its borders and say its weighty word in determining the fate of the oceans of the West and East."
Representatives of Panama (which did not officially exist as an independent state) and the United States at the beginning of the 20th century, or rather, in November 1903, signed an agreement. Under its terms, America received indefinitely 6 miles of the Isthmus of Panama. Six months later, the Colombian Senate refused to ratify the treaty, citing the fact that the French offered more favorable conditions. This aroused the indignation of Roosevelt, and soon in the country, not without the support of the Americans, a movement began for the independence of Panama. At the same time, a warship from the United States turned out to be very opportunely off the coast of the country to observe the events. Just a couple of hours after the independence of Panama, America recognized the new government and received in return the long-awaited agreement, this time an eternal lease. The official opening of the Panama Canal took place on June 12, 1920.
US Economy at the Beginning of the 20th Century: W. Taft and W. Wilson
Republican William Taft for a long time held judicial and military posts, was a close friend of Roosevelt. The latter, in particular, supported him as a successor. Taft served as president from 1909 to 1913. His activity was characterized by a further strengthening of the role of the state in the economy.
Relations between the two presidents deteriorated, and in 1912 they both made an attempt to stand for election. Spraying the republican electorate into two camps led to the victory of Democrat Woodrow Wilson (pictured), which left a big imprint on US development in the early 20th century.
He was considered a radical political figure, he began his inaugural speech with the words "changes have taken place in the government." Wilson’s “New Democracy” program was based on three principles: individual freedom, freedom of competition, and individualism. He proclaimed himself an enemy of trusts and monopolies, but he did not demand their liquidation, but the transformation and removal of all restrictions for the development of business, mainly small and medium, through curbing "unfair competition".
Legislative acts
In order to implement the program, the Law on Tariffs of 1913 was adopted, on the basis of which they were fully revised. Trade duties were reduced, and income taxes were raised, banks were controlled, and import opportunities were expanded.
The further political development of the USA at the beginning of the 20th century was marked by a series of new legislative acts. In the same 1913, the Federal Reserve System was created. Its purpose was to control the issuance of banknotes, banknotes of value and the establishment of the percentage of bank loans. The organization included 12 national reserve banks from the relevant regions of the country.
The sphere of social conflicts was not ignored. Adopted in 1914, the Clayton Act clarified the controversial wording of the Sherman Act, and also prohibited its use in relation to trade unions.
Reforms of the progressive period were just timid steps towards adapting the United States in the early 20th century to a new environment that arose in connection with the country's transformation into a new powerful state of corporate capitalism. The trend intensified after America entered the First World War. In 1917, the Law on Control of Production, Fuel and Raw Materials was adopted. He expanded the president’s rights and allowed him to supply the fleet and army with everything necessary, including to prevent speculation.
World War I: US Position
Europe and the USA at the beginning of the 20th century, like the whole world, stood on the threshold of global cataclysms. Revolutions and wars, the collapse of empires, economic crises - all this could not but affect the internal situation in the country. European countries acquired huge armies, united in sometimes contradictory and illogical alliances in order to defend their borders. The result of a tense situation was the outbreak of World War I.
Wilson at the very beginning of hostilities made a statement to the nation that America should “maintain the true spirit of neutrality” and be friendly to all participants in the war. He was well aware that ethnic conflicts could easily destroy a republic from within. The declared neutrality was meaningful and logical for a number of reasons. Europe and the United States at the beginning of the 20th century were not in alliances, and this allowed the country to stay away from military troubles. In addition, joining the war could politically strengthen the Republican camp and give them an advantage in the next election. Well, it was quite difficult to explain to the people why the United States supports the Entente, in which the regime of Tsar Nicholas II participated.
US entry into the war
The theory of the position of neutrality was very convincing and reasonable, but in practice was difficult to achieve. The shift occurred after the United States recognized the naval blockade of Germany. Since 1915, the expansion of the army began, which did not exclude the participation of the United States in the war. This moment brought Germany's actions to sea and the death of American citizens on the sunken ships of England and France. After the threats of President Wilson, there was a certain lull, which lasted until January 1917. Then a full-scale war of German courts began against everyone else.
The history of the United States in the beginning of the 20th century could have taken a different path, but two more events happened that pushed the country to enter the First World War. Firstly, a telegram fell into the hands of intelligence, where the Germans openly offered Mexico to take their side and attack America. That is, such a distant overseas war was very close, threatening the safety of its citizens. Secondly, a revolution took place in Russia, and Nicholas II left the political arena, which allowed him to join the Entente with a relatively clear conscience. The position of the Allies was not the best, they suffered huge losses at sea from German submarines. US entry into the war and allowed to turn the tide. Warships reduced the number of German submarines. In November 1918, the enemy coalition surrendered.
US Colonies
Active expansion of the country began at the end of the 19th century and covered the Caribbean Atlantic Ocean. So, the colonies of the United States in the early 20th century included the Guan Islands, Hawaiian. The latter, in particular, were annexed in 1898, and two years later received the status of self-governing territory. Ultimately, Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States.
In the same 1898 Cuba was captured, which officially passed to America after the signing of the Paris Treaty with Spain. The island was under occupation, gaining formal independence in 1902.
In addition, Puerto Rico (the island that voted in 2012 for joining the states), the Philippines (gained independence in 1946), the Panama Canal zone, the Corn Islands and the Virgin Islands can be safely attributed to the country's colonies.
This is just a brief digression into US history. The second half of the 20th century, the beginning of the 21st century that followed, can be characterized in different ways. The world does not stand still, something constantly happens in it. The Second World War left a deep mark in the history of the entire planet, the ensuing economic crises and the Cold War gave way to a thaw. A new threat hung over the entire civilized world - terrorism, which has no territorial and national framework.