Before the US joined WWI, we did our best to stay out of the conflict.  One of the reasons was because economically it made sense.  While Europe was tearing themselves apart, the US could sit back and trade with all sides.  It was WWI that finally made the US a leading economic power in the … Continue reading Class Notes →

In many ways WWI turned into a stalemate, as both sides stared at each other from their trenches and occasionally sent men over the top to certain slaughter.  The Germans tried to break the stalemate at the Battle of Verdun.  Their idea was to launch such a vicious attack and continue to attack until the … Continue reading Class Notes →

In the Election of 1912, Teddy Roosevelt was upset that his handpicked successor, President Taft, had not followed his progressive plan the way he had wanted.  He decided that he would come back and push Taft aside and run again on the Republican ticket.  The problem was that the conservatives in the party supported Taft … Continue reading Class Notes →

Outside of North Africa there was not too much fighting in the Middle East during WWII.  However, the war did have some effects after it was over. One of the effects was the growth of Arab Nationalism.  The newly created nations were upset by European control since the end of WWI and they discussed the … Continue reading Class Notes →

Teddy Roosevelt may be debated about when it comes to good or bad presidents, but there is no debate on his importance.  He is the president who bridged the gap between the weak presidents of the 19th Century and the strong ones in the 20th.  He was the first of the Progressive presidents and did … Continue reading Class Notes →

Its election day, the day where we are supposed to celebrate living in a democracy.  However, this year my fear is that will be the most violent day since 9/11.  I hope those living in cities have some precautions in place in case you need to hunker down for a few days.  Make sure you … Continue reading Class Notes →

One interesting thing about the new nations that emerged in the Middle East after WWI is that the Arabs who fought with the Allies were left without independent nations.  Yet the Turks, who formed the Ottoman Empire and sided with the losing Central Powers walked away with a free and independent Turkey.

One of the side effects of the Progressive movement was our involvement in international affairs. Progressives felt they could fix the nation’s problems if they made everyone like them, so why not the rest of the world as well? This will be played out with our involvement in the 1895 Cuban Revolution. Cubans wanted to … Continue reading Class Notes →

The Gilded Age believed in a very limited government.  All that changed during the Progressive Era.  It was the Progressives belief that Government did have a role and could help change people’s lives for the better.  What was good about the Progressives is that they believed they could make every life better and for many … Continue reading Class Notes →

Literature helped bridge the gap between the Gilded Age and the Progressive Age.  Many authors came out with novels showing the divide between rich and poor and ways to create equality. One such author was Edward Bellamy, who wrote, “Looking Backwards.”  Bellamy’s book was a Utopian novel where the protagonist Julian West fell asleep in … Continue reading Class Notes →