US History--- Mini-Investigation Paper (Final)

A. Plan of the investigation
- The effectiveness of the strategies and methods which governments used upon US Democracy during the Great Depression.
- Did the strategies or methods of government to deal with unrest threaten US Democracy during the Great Depression?
- The first thought of why I came to choose this topic was due to the information in History Alive. As I flipped the pages, I found out that most of the information is about the government, so I predicted that this topic might be more convenient, moreover; easier during my research. Furthermore, government is considered a great influence during the Great Depression. Therefore, I decided to choose this topic.
- My initial plan is to gather information of secondary and primary history resources from the internet and books. Though finding that it is hard to find any primary history resources, I decided that I should look for secondary resources such as newspaper and articles.
B. Summary of evidence
1. After the Great Crash, the American public sought a scapegoat for the economic collapse. Some held President Hoover responsible; others targeted the "three B's"--brokers, bankers, and businessmen. But the cause of the Great Depression could not be attributed to one individual or even a group of people.
2. The problems were:
a. Unemployment and poverty
b. Breakdown of families
c. Soaring high school dropout rates (2 to 4 million)
d. Homelessness
e. Organized protests
f. Around the country, the homeless built settlements of cardboard and tar-paper shacks, called "Hoovervilles" in sardonic reference to President Hoover.
g. Farmers armed with guns and pitchforks marched on the local banks to prevent foreclosures. 3. "The Bonus Expeditionary Force." A group of WWI veterans who had been denied their pensions organized the first march on Washington in protest. In 1932, twenty thousand men set up a tent city, vowing to stay until they got their money. President Hoover overreacted and sent in the army (led by future war heroes Douglas MacArthur and Dwight D. Eisenhower) to break up this peaceful demonstration.
4. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) Relief programs, measures to increase employment and to aid industrial and agricultural recovery from the Great Depression, marked Roosevelt's time in office. He has been both venerated as a national savior and vilified as a socialist who craved greater federal power.
5. At the beginning of his administration, Roosevelt convened Congress in a special session and launched the New Deal with an avalanche of bills. Historians refer to this period as the "Hundred Days." Roosevelt introduced a new notion of the presidency whereby the president, not Congress, was the legislative leader. Most of the bills he proposed set up new government agencies, called the "alphabet soup" agencies because of their array of acronyms.
a. AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Act) rights.
b. CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps)
c. TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)
d. NIRA (National Industrial Recovery Act)
6. Ultimately, we can roughly divide Roosevelt's years in office in the 1930s into two periods:
a. The First New Deal (1933-1935) was characterized by relief of the immediate problems of unemployment. The Second New Deal (1935-1937) was characterized by reform. Increasingly, members of Congress and others called for fundamental reform of society, not just relief of the symptoms of social and economic problems.
7. Critics stood up and complained about Roosevelt’s “New Deal”. One of the most vocal critics of the New Deal was Father Charles Coughlin (1891-1979). The New Deal had other critics as well. Governor Floyd Olson of Minnesota declared himself a socialist and tried to build a third party that would "preach the gospel of government and collective ownership of the means of production and distribution." The most powerful New Deal critic from the political left was Huey Long (1893-1935), governor of Louisiana and later a United States Senator from that state. Known as the "Kingfish," Long became the most powerful governor in Louisiana's history. He used his power to expand Louisiana's underdeveloped infrastructure and helped build new hospitals, schools, highways, bridges, and the state's university.
8. Beginning in 1935, Roosevelt began sending to Congress a host of new legislative initiatives. Some historians characterize the Second New Deal as FDR's radical shift to the left. In reality, however, this second stage of the New Deal was more of a tentative step towards the left. The laws that came out of the Second New Deal included:
a. WPA
b. Wagner Act
c. Social Security Act
d. Wealth Tax Act
9. The American public found the "Three B's" responsible for the Crash and the Depression:
a. Bankers
b. Brokers
c. Businessmen
- Evidence 1, 4, 5, 6, and 9: (Schultz, Stanley K. "Liberalism at High Noon: The New Deal." American History 102. 1999. William P. Tishler, Web. 8 Nov 2009. .)
- Evidence 2, 3: (Schultz, Stanley K. "Liberalism at High Noon: The New Deal." American History 102. 1999. William P. Tishler, Web. 8 Nov 2009. .)
- Evidence 7, 8: (Schultz, Stanley K. "Liberalism at High Noon: The New Deal." American History 102. 1999. William P. Tishler, Web. 8 Nov 2009. .)
C. Evaluation of sources
Most of my sources are secondary online articles. One of my sources, “American History 102”, included information I need, though it is still not enough in order to answer my question correctly and conclusively. As I read the details about the site, I found out that it was written in 1999, which means that it is published after the Great Depression. The process of publishing after the Great Depression could provide the general image of what had happened during the great Depression, and briefly explain the purpose of the actions the government took at that time. When I read the articles, I can easily understand the purpose of the whole site. The articles does not show negative comments about any of the cases or governors, nor encouraging its readers in to any strong emotions. Things that it does state are only information stating plainly of what had happened in the Great Depression. Therefore its purpose is clear- the information is provided for learning about the Great Depression. As for the site’s value, I should say that it is very valuable. Even if the writer is not an eye witness of the whole event, the article is clear enough to let a reader understand the general history of the Great Depression. In other words, it shows its readers the whole image of the incident. The site may be useful in writing reports and giving evidence. Moreover, it includes a large amount of information, which can be good examples for learners like me. For the limitations, I had mentioned that the article gives the general vent of the Great Depression. However; the source is considered not detailed enough comparing to primary resources. The article does not have the ability to show the specifics and emotions during the Great Depression. Reading through the article, I admit that it does tell me things which happened and peoples who were involved during the time, though only limited information does not provide its readers feelings and thoughts. And this is the difference between primary and secondary sources.
D. Analysis
In part B, I provided several facts which can support to answer my question, but to be honest, none of them could give me a specific answer to my question. I listed some laws which were created during the Great Depression. The laws were passed for stopping the severe incident, and most of them were stated by President Roosevelt. Comparing to President Hoover, who made many of his citizen’s protest against the Great Depression, President Roosevelt took action instead of remaining silent upon to event. He made many laws as the First New Deal and the Second New Deal. The laws were somehow effective, but at the other side, it also limited the citizens in many ways, which caused critics and citizens standing up, protesting against the law, the situation did, in fact, threatened the US Democracy. In the way of sending people in prisons for protesting against the laws, made the whole evidence even worse, discovering the action of the citizens, President Roosevelt than set up the “Roosevelt Recession”, which saved the US economy and ended the Great Depression. But the evidence written in part B still did not give the specific answer of whether the laws to deal with unrest the threaten US Democracy during the Great Depression. While the end of the Great Depression seems pleasant, part B does not have the evidence to prove that the US Depression is not under threat. The thing that part B proved is that the economy went slowly back to normal due to the laws passed by President Roosevelt, however did not mention any of the citizens who suffered from it, or critics who were protesting against it. In the end, I must say that the information did not fully answer whether the strategies or methods of government to deal with unrest the threaten US Democracy during the Great Depression or not, though the final conclusion seems like it did, none of the facts in part B could give me the statement of- “Yes, it did deal with US Democracy” or “No, it did not deal with US Democracy”. It only stated that the Great Depression came to a temporary end. And from the sources I found, I think no one could answer my question. After all, no one could stand for all of the eye witnesses and give a specific answer. My question is somewhat based on opinion, there are things which facts cannot prove. As a solution, my final answer responding to the question is- The Great Depression came to a temporary end, end citizens seems to be settled down by the strategies and methods of the government during the Great Depression.

US History--- Mini-Investigation Paper

A. Plan of the investigation
- The effectiveness of the strategies and methods which governments used upon US Democracy during the Great Depression.
- Did the strategies or methods of government to deal with unrest threaten US Democracy during the Great Depression?
- The first thought of why I came to choose this topic was due to the information in History Alive. As I flipped the pages, I found out that most of the information is about the government, so I predicted that this topic might be more convenient, moreover; easier during my research. Furthermore, government is considered a great influence during the Great Depression. Therefore, I decided to choose this topic.
- My initial plan is to gather information of secondary and primary history resources from the internet and books. Though finding that it is hard to find any primary history resources, I decided that I should look for secondary resources such as newspaper and articles.
B. Summary of evidence
1. After the Great Crash, the American public sought a scapegoat for the economic collapse. Some held President Hoover responsible; others targeted the "three B's"--brokers, bankers, and businessmen. But the cause of the Great Depression could not be attributed to one individual or even a group of people.
2. The problems were:
a. Unemployment and poverty
b. Breakdown of families
c. Soaring high school dropout rates (2 to 4 million)
d. Homelessness
e. Organized protests
f. Around the country, the homeless built settlements of cardboard and tar-paper shacks, called "Hoovervilles" in sardonic reference to President Hoover.
g. Farmers armed with guns and pitchforks marched on the local banks to prevent foreclosures.
3. "The Bonus Expeditionary Force." A group of WWI veterans who had been denied their pensions organized the first march on Washington in protest. In 1932, twenty thousand men set up a tent city, vowing to stay until they got their money. President Hoover overreacted and sent in the army (led by future war heroes Douglas MacArthur and Dwight D. Eisenhower) to break up this peaceful demonstration.
4. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) Relief programs, measures to increase employment and to aid industrial and agricultural recovery from the Great Depression, marked Roosevelt's time in office. He has been both venerated as a national savior and vilified as a socialist who craved greater federal power.
5. At the beginning of his administration, Roosevelt convened Congress in a special session and launched the New Deal with an avalanche of bills. Historians refer to this period as the "Hundred Days." Roosevelt introduced a new notion of the presidency whereby the president, not Congress, was the legislative leader. Most of the bills he proposed set up new government agencies, called the "alphabet soup" agencies because of their array of acronyms.
a. AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Act) rights.
b. CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps)
c. TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)
d. NIRA (National Industrial Recovery Act)
6. Ultimately, we can roughly divide Roosevelt's years in office in the 1930s into two periods:
a. The First New Deal (1933-1935) was characterized by relief of the immediate problems of unemployment.
The Second New Deal (1935-1937) was characterized by reform. Increasingly, members of Congress and others called for fundamental reform of society, not just relief of the symptoms of social and economic problems.
7. Critics stood up and complained about Roosevelt’s “New Deal”. One of the most vocal critics of the New Deal was Father Charles Coughlin (1891-1979). The New Deal had other critics as well. Governor Floyd Olson of Minnesota declared himself a socialist and tried to build a third party that would "preach the gospel of government and collective ownership of the means of production and distribution." The most powerful New Deal critic from the political left was Huey Long (1893-1935), governor of Louisiana and later a United States Senator from that state. Known as the "Kingfish," Long became the most powerful governor in Louisiana's history. He used his power to expand Louisiana's underdeveloped infrastructure and helped build new hospitals, schools, highways, bridges, and the state's university.
8. Beginning in 1935, Roosevelt began sending to Congress a host of new legislative initiatives. Some historians characterize the Second New Deal as FDR's radical shift to the left. In reality, however, this second stage of the New Deal was more of a tentative step towards the left. The laws that came out of the Second New Deal included:
a. WPA
b. Wagner Act
c. Social Security Act
d. Wealth Tax Act
9. The American public found the "Three B's" responsible for the Crash and the Depression:
a. Bankers
b. Brokers
Businessmen
- Evidence 1, 4, 5, 6, and 9: (Schultz, Stanley K. "Liberalism at High Noon: The New Deal." American History 102. 1999. William P. Tishler, Web. 8 Nov 2009. .)
- Evidence 2, 3: (Schultz, Stanley K. "Liberalism at High Noon: The New Deal." American History 102. 1999. William P. Tishler, Web. 8 Nov 2009. .)
- Evidence 7, 8: (Schultz, Stanley K. "Liberalism at High Noon: The New Deal." American History 102. 1999. William P. Tishler, Web. 8 Nov 2009. .)
C. Evaluation of sources
Most of my sources are secondary online articles. One of my sources, “American History 102”, included information I need, though it is still not enough in order to answer my question correctly and conclusively. As I read the details about the site, I found out that it was written in 1999, which means that it is published after the Great Depression. The process of publishing after the Great Depression could provide the general image of what had happened during the great Depression, and briefly explain the purpose of the actions the government took at that time. When I read the articles, I can easily understand the purpose of the whole site. The articles does not show negative comments about any of the cases or governors, nor encouraging its readers in to any strong emotions. Things that it does state are only information stating plainly of what had happened in the Great Depression. Therefore its purpose is clear- the information is provided for learning about the Great Depression. As for the site’s value, I should say that it is very valuable. Even if the writer is not an eye witness of the whole event, the article is clear enough to let a reader understand the general history of the Great Depression. In other words, it shows its readers the whole image of the incident. The site may be useful in writing reports and giving evidence. Moreover, it includes a large amount of information, which can be good examples for learners like me. For the limitations, I had mentioned that the article gives the general vent of the Great Depression. However; the source is considered not detailed enough comparing to primary resources. The article does not have the ability to show the specifics and emotions during the Great Depression. Reading through the article, I admit that it does tell me things which happened and peoples who were involved during the time, though only limited information does not provide its readers feelings and thoughts. And this is the difference between primary and secondary sources.
D. Analysis
In part B, I provided several facts which can support to answer my question, but to be honest, none of them could give me a specific answer to my question. I listed some laws which were created during the Great Depression. The laws were passed for stopping the severe incident, and most of them were stated by President Roosevelt. Comparing to President Hoover, who made many of his citizen’s protest against the Great Depression, President Roosevelt took action instead of remaining silent upon to event. He made many laws as the First New Deal and the Second New Deal. The laws were somehow effective, but at the other side, it also limited the citizens in many ways, which caused critics and citizens standing up, protesting against the law, the situation did, in fact, threatened the US Democracy. In the way of sending people in prisons for protesting against the laws, made the whole evidence even worse, discovering the action of the citizens, President Roosevelt than set up the “Roosevelt Recession”, which saved the US economy and ended the Great Depression. But the evidence written in part B still did not give the specific answer of whether the laws to deal with unrest the threaten US Democracy during the Great Depression. While the end of the Great Depression seems pleasant, part B does not have the evidence to prove that the US Depression is not under threat. The thing that part B proved is that the economy went slowly back to normal due to the laws passed by President Roosevelt, however did not mention any of the citizens who suffered from it, or critics who were protesting against it. In the end, I must say that the information did not fully answer whether the strategies or methods of government to deal with unrest the threaten US Democracy during the Great Depression or not, though the final conclusion seems like it did, none of the facts in part B could give me the statement of- “Yes, it did deal with US Democracy” or “No, it did not deal with US Democracy”. It only stated that the Great Depression came to a temporary end. And from the sources I found, I think no one could answer my question. After all, no one could stand for all of the eye witnesses and give a specific answer. My question is somewhat based on opinion, there are things which facts cannot prove. As a solution, my final answer responding to the question is- The Great Depression came to a temporary end, end citizens seems to be settled down by the strategies and methods of the government during the Great Depression.

step 3 research results

1) http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/lectures/lecture18.html
websites 2) http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/lectures/lecture19.html
3) http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/lectures/lecture20.html
books 4) http://books.google.com/books?id=pT8gMTpQ5L0C&pg=PA148&lpg=PA148&dq=%22roosevelt+recession%22+%22milton+friedman%22&source=bl&ots=_X_zQUwXqM&sig=GyT89oXJVYLPtk8s__KaBJr1QDM&hl=en&ei=7guWSqr_HY6w8QaLs-C3DA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=%22roosevelt%20recession%22%20%22milton%20friedman%22&f=false

Wish List- Step 3

- Websites that set a time line telling what specifically happened during the Great Depression.
- Websites that are mainly giving important facts and information of the Great Depression.
- Websites that give a picture giving measurement of the percentage of people’s thought upon the Great Depression.
- Books that talk about the things which happened about the Great Depression.

3 paragraphs about the comparison between HA!, Zinn, and Schweikart upon the immigrants in US

Articles written in HA! , or by Zinn or Schweikart performed different perspectives upon the immigrants in US. In HA! , it states that the nativists do not welcome the immigrants, and the Anti- immigrants feelings are rising throughout the US. In Zinn’s article, he also agrees the fact that Anti- feelings were rising. Moreover he mentions about a group of people who are call the KKK (Ku Klux Klan), which a group of violent nativists who kills immigrants to show their anger and power. Yet in Schweikart’s article, he declares that the KKK is nothing to afraid, and says that they were losing members each year.
Secondly, HA! Claimed that literal groups such as ALCU were formed to protect the immigrants and declares freedom speech. In Zinn’s article, he also agrees that liberal groups were forming, though he says that due to the strong force of nativist group, the liberal groups could nearly do nothing to help which is consider not as effective. In Schweikart’s article, even though he agrees the fact of the liberal groups were in action, however, he stated that the liberal groups spends more time attacking their motives and their character.
Lastly, HA! mentioned that the governments even took sides upon the situation. And without a doubt, the governments supported the nativists, making laws which limits the immigrants coming to US. In Zinn’s article, he also fully agrees with the fact that the governments tend to ignore the immigrants and chooses their original citizens. However, in Schweikart’s srticle, he seems to remain silent against the issue by no mentioning it.

What evidence can be found that the USA went through social, political and economic change, due to its involvement in The Great War

- In the fall of 1914, automaker Henry Ford had financed the sailing of a "peace ship" to Europe. The passengers were pacifists, people who for political, moral, or religious reasons oppose all wars.
- In January 1915, a group of women led by Jane Addams held a peace conference in Washington, D.C.
- Conference leaders formed the Woman's Peace Party, which grew quickly but broke into smaller factions after the United States entered the war.
- Committee on Public Information (CPI) was a government agency created by President Woodrow Wilson in 1917, during World War I, to promote pro-war propaganda to the American public.
- One of the CPI's most successful propaganda campaigns was carried out by its "Four-Minute Men."
- Many people joined local Red Cross chapters, where they rolled bandages and packed supplies to send overseas.
- For many Americans, all things German became associated with disloyalty.
- In October 1917, Congress passed the War Revenue Act, which raised income tax rates and taxes on excess profits. It also reduced the level of taxable income to $1,000. As a result, the number of Americans paying income tax increased from 437,000 in 1916 to 4.4 million in 1918.
- Throughout the war, the government held rallies to promote the sale of Liberty Bonds.
- Thousands of ordinary citizens worked tirelessly selling war bonds in their hometowns.
- In July 1917, Woodrow Wilson created the War Industries Board (WIB) to direct industrial production.
- headed by stockbroker Bernard Baruch,had the authority to tell factories what goods to produce and how much to make.
- Wilson set up the Food Administration to oversee production and distribution of food and fuel.
- Herbert Hoover, the head of the Food Administration raised crop prices to encourage farmers to produce more food and began a campaign that urged Americans to conserve food and reduce waste.
- The number of federal employees more than doubled between 1916 and 1918.
- W. E. B. Du Bois urged blacks to serve in the military to show their loyalty and help gain greater equality.
- William Monroe Trotter argued that the federal government should be working to end discrimination at home before fighting for democracy overseas.
- As production of war materials rose, thousands of new jobs opened up in the North at the nation's steel and auto factories.Employers in northern cities desperately needed workers.
- Black newspapers urged southern blacks to leave home and take advantage of these opportunities in the North.
- Many southern blacks packed up and headed north(great migration)
- After the great migration, whites suddenly found themselves competing with blacks for jobs and housing.
- The racial tensions sparked riots. During the "red summer" of 1919, blood flowed in many cities, including the nation's capital.
- Early on the morning of July 30, 1916, a huge fire destroyed the Black Tom pier on the New Jersey waterfront.
- Rumors of enemy agents tried to enforce what they called "100 percent Americanism."And immigrants became their main target
- They sent the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) names of people they suspected of disloyalty.
- Congress passed the Espionage Act in 1917. It made it a crime to try to interfere with the military draft. It also set severe penalties for spying, sabotage, and vaguely defined "obstruction of the war effort."
- The Espionage Act also gave the postmaster general broad powers to refuse mail delivery of any materials that might encourage disloyalty.
- In 1918, Congress further cracked down on dissent by enacting the Sedition Act. This act made it a crime to say anything that was "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive" about the government.
- Many groups are against war, As Eugene V. Debs, head of the Socialist Party and Members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), known as Wobblies,spoke out against the war.
- In September 1917, federal agents raided 48 IWW meeting halls, seizing letters and publications. Later that month, 165 IWW leaders were arrested.
- In 1919, Schenck v. United States, a case involving the Espionage Act, reached the Supreme Court. Charles Schenck, a socialist, was charged with distributing leaflets to recent draftees, urging them to resist the military draft.
- After Schenck v. United States, the Supreme Court has expanded its definition of free speech.
- the Court recognizes three types of protected speech. The first is pure speech, or the spoken word.The third type of protected speech is symbolic speech.

Compare and Contrast between "Captain Von Spiegel's Account" and "Beat the Hun Poster"

In Captain Von Spiegel's Account, Germans appear to have humanity and was forced to go to the war in order to protect their country from the powerful forces from the Allies. For example, Captain Von Spiegel describes war as a hard task master. But in the Beat Back the Hun Poster, the Germans were drawn as the "Huns", which indicates that the Germans are inhuman, cold blooded and ruthless.

Captain Von Spiegel's Account and the Beat Back the Hun Poster, all shows the war between Allied power and the Germans. Even though Captain Von Spiegel described the battle in a more moderate and calm way, and the Beat Back the Hun Poster in a violence way, the fact that they both attacked the Allies will not change.

Another comparison Captain Von Spiegel's Account and the Beat Back the Hun Poster is- They all shows that the Germans has advanced war machines and weapons which gets them ready for war between the Allies. An example in Captain Von Spiegel's Account is, "Then a frightful explosion followed, and we were all thrown against one another by the concussion, and then, like a Vulcan, huge and majestic, a column of water two hundred meters high and fifty meters broad, terrible in it's beauty and power, shot up to the heavens" The words describes the power that the German had in order to fight against Allied Power.

Chap22 - The Importance and Authenticity of the Zimmerman Telegram sec4

- Wilson suggested to settle the war peacefully, but Germany rejected it.
- So Wilson broke off diplomatic relations with Germany.
- In late February 1917,Britain had gotten hold of a coded telegram by the German foreign minister, Arthur Zimmermann, to the German minister in Mexico.
- Zimmermann threatens that if the United States entered the war, Mexico and Germany will become allies.
- And it also stated that Germany would then help Mexico regain "lost territory in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona."
- The Zimmermann note created a sensation in the United States and stirred anti-German feeling across the nation.
- In conclusion, the Zimmerman Telegram was the main cause of America joining the war.
- The authenticity of the Zimmerman Telegram can be trusted due to the big movement of America's government and the speech that Wilson gave which was consider the declaration of war against the Central Powers.

Chapter 22 — From Neutrality to War sec1-3 notes

- Soon after the Great war began, Woodrow Wilson declared neutrality.
- But Americans offered loans and sell weapons and supplies to both sides in order to recover from a painful economic slowdown.
- On August 19, 1914, Wilson urged Americans to remain "impartial in thought, as well as action." And claimed that they have nothing to do with the conflict.
- In 1914, more than 32 million Americans—a full one third of the population—were either foreign born or the children of foreign-born parents had strong emotional ties to their homelands and found it hard to remain neutral.
- Though people in America took different sides, the majority of Americans favored the Allies.
- But America had economic ties to Britain or France.
- While Americans debated neutrality, the war raged on two fronts in Europe. On the eastern front, Russia quickly advanced into Germany and Austria-Hungary.About 250,000 Russians were killed.
- On the western front, German troops easily rolled across Belgium and into France.By the end of 1914, the war on the western front had turned into a long and bloody stalemate.
- Britain and Germany decided to win control of the seas.
- British ships turned back ships from United States which was carrying weapons, food, and other vital supplies to the Central powers.
- President Wilson complained to the British about stopping neutral ships, but he did not threaten to take action.
- Trade with Britain had given a boost to the sagging American economy, and U.S. banks and businesses were earning millions of dollars from loans and exports to the Allies. Many businesspeople in the United States openly supported the Allies.
- In February 1915, Germany planned to use U-boat to attack Britain. Even though a U-boat could allow the ship's crew and passengers to launch lifeboats before sinking the ship. But in practice, this strategy made no sense.Wilson protested that sinking merchant ships without protecting the lives of passengers and crews violated international law. He warned that the United States would hold Germany to "strict accountability" for any American casualties in such attacks.
- On May 7, 1915, a U-boat sank the British liner Lusitania without warning. Among the 1,198 dead were 128 Americans.
- Four months later, in August 1915, Germany sank a second British ship, the Arabic, killing two Americans.
- Wilson threatened to break off diplomatic relations with Germany if it did not stop surprise attacks.
- In 1915, Roosevelt disagreed to remain neutral and believed that preparedness for war was the best guarantor of peace.
- He called for an army of a million trained men and a navy larger than Great Britain's.
- For a time, though Wilson resisted calls to strengthen the military, but the submarine menace persuaded him that he had to increase the nation's readiness for war.So he pressed Congress to allocate money to double the size of the army and begin construction of the world's largest navy.