Critical Thinking 18-2 #3

During the second war for Cuba's independence from Spain, American newspapers began to adopt new policies. They used different strategies to capture the attention of the people, and then try to convince them to side with the writer's opinions. This was known as yelow journalism.
Newspapers used yellow journalism in a war for popularity against each other. They tactics they wouuld use often involved the exaggeration of stories from Cuba. For example, James Creelman's reports of the war commented on it's violence and brutality. The newspapers exaggerated Creelman's remarks in a way that encouraged readers to antagonize Spain and call for war. Another example of yellow journalism was the article in the newspaper about the explosion of the U.S.S. Maine, which pointed the blame at Spain for no clear reason. When Frederic Remington was sent to draw sketches of Cuba, he stated that war with Spain didn't seem necessary, but the newspapers replied that they would "furnish the war."

Critical Thinking 18-1 #5

In the passage, Senator Albert J. Beveridge from Indiana explains what he believes to be the reason why U. S. needed to acquire new territories. Because he says that "fate has written our policy for us," it is made clear that the senator believed in manifest destiny, the belief that America was destined to expand. He also says that the U.S. "must" be in charge of the trade of the world, so that American products could be distributed across the world. In Beveridge's vision of the future, there would be "great colonies, governing themselves, flying our flag and trading with us," which would grow from American trading posts. The senator's words all seem to show a strong support for imperialism, which was, at that point, possible for America, which was just becoming a powerful nation.

Critical Thinking 18-1 #3

The idea of manifest destiny had a large amount of influence in American policy earlier in the 1800's, when America was settling the frontier. At that time, the belief that the country needed to grow was a major cause for western expansion. Later in the century, however, Americans began to use manifest destiny as a reason to extend their country's power by taking land from other nations. This was known as imperialism.
Examples of this imperialism can be seen in the United States' attempts to gain Hawaii and Cuba. These places were important for extra land and resources. Americans decided that it was a good time to take them, and that they had the right to do so. Hawaii soon became the 50th state of the United States, but Cuba refused to join the nation, even though it help the island gain independence from Spain. The imperialism of the late 19th century showed that Americans still believed in manifest destiny, and they would use it to help their country grow.

Critical Thinking 17-5 #4

Although Wilson was a progressive president, he failed to push for civil rights. There are several possible explanations for this. Presidents before him had also avoided the same issue, which may have discouraged Wilson from being the first in a while to stand up and argue against discrimination. However, Wilson declared that he would do his best to end discrimination. African Americans who supported him felt betrayed when he opposed antilynching legislation as a president. This failure to assist civil rights groups may have also been in part because of his background. Wilson was from the south, and southern prejudices would have made it difficult to support blacks. It may have also had to do with the people who were targeted by reform movements, and the fact that many of those people held power in the government. These factors added together show what may have been the reason for his lack of support for racial equality.

Critical Thinking 17-3 #5

Racial discrimination was a big issue in the 20th century. Many civil rights leaders tried to give more freedom to African Americans. However, some of these leaders disagreed with each other about how to do so. Two such people were Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois.
Washington and Du Bois had different views on racial discrimination. Washington was head of an all-black school. Of all civil rights leaders at the time, he was the one most respected by powerful whites. This may be because, although he wanted civil rights, the fact that he was head of a black-only school showed his support racial segregation.
Du Bois opposed Washington for the same reason that others supported him. He did not believe that blacks and whites should be separate forever. Du Bois thought that doing so would encourage discrimination, and that all people should be able to mix together and have equal rights. He and those who agreed with him were unsatisfied with the lack of progress made in the matter of racial equality, and decided that they should work to achieve their goal.

Critical Thinking 17-2 #5

Women in the Progressive Era faced many difficulties. These included problems with education, housing, food and drug laws, and suffrage. Many women made efforts to improve these things. If I were a woman during this time period, I would use different methods to recruit others who would be willing to support such causes.
Women were not often well educated before the Progressive Era. In the late 1800's, however, new colleges were opened for the purpose of teaching women. To help recruit supporters of this change, I would have women from such colleges spread the news of their education, encouraging other women to follow in their footsteps. Housing was another issue, as houses were often small and unsanitary. In order to improve living conditions, I would remind women of how having sanitary homes would benefit them, because women were often in charge of domestic work then.
Food was also a problem. Many unhealthy things were mixed in with food in factories. Improving these factories would benefit everyone. Drugs and alcohol were also troublesome for women, who may have had to face others under the influences of those substances. Many women would have been much happier and safer without having to face drunken husbands. Finally, women desired the right to vote, which they had been deprived of for so long. Womens' Suffrage groups were formed with the goal of gaining this right. To recruit others for this cause, I would tell them of the possibility of having more freedom in being able to choose our country's leaders. Improvements to any or all of these things would greatly benefit women, and I would make them aware of this.

Curent Events Summary 2

China has recently gained a lot of power, due to its size and high population. Some people consider it to be a new superpower. However, the country has made some questionable decisions. Many countries doubt that China will use its new status responsibly.
The Chinese government has done some things that others would not agree with. One such thing is the sale of arms to certain violent regimes. Conflicts such as the ones in Sudan and in Burma are fueled almost completely by China's arms sales. Because it is such an important supporter of Burma's military, human-rights protesters have been targeting China, rather than Burma itself. They blame China for the violent reactions to protests in Burma, where the prices for fuel have greatly increased.
China is also currently in an argument with Taiwan. The nearby island claims to be a different country, but China will not admit that it is independent from the mainland. The Taiwanese government has supported rallies for independence, but such efforts are always condemned by the Chinese government. It refuses to accept Taiwan as a seperate country.
China has to face a number of problems now. These issues, along with the country's recent rise to power, will force China to defend its global reputation. Doing so may be very difficult. At the moment, few countries believe that China will use its power properly.