American Progress
Page 46
On May 1, 1915, at a time when the United States was still neutral in World War I, the Lusitania left New York City for Liverpool, despite warnings published in American newspapers by the German Embassy that any ship entering the waters of the European war zone could become a military target. On May 7, 1915, the Lusitania was torpedoed off the coast of Ireland by the German U-boat (submarine) U-20, It sank in eighteen minutes, killing nearly twelve hundred passengers, including more than a hundred Americans.
The United States did not enter World War I until two years after the sinking of the Lusitania, but this attack is probably what started to turn American public opinion against Germany.
HISTORY IN PERSPECTIVE TIMELINE
April 18, 1906—The great San Francisco earthquake nearly destroys the city, killing more than three thousand people.
January 5, 1909—Colombia recognizes Panama’s independence.
December 14, 1911—An expedition led by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen is the first to reach the South Pole.
July 28, 1914 –November 11, 1918—World War I (called “The Great War” until World War II)
May 7, 1915—The RMS Lusitania is sunk by a German submarine off the coast of Ireland.
January 16, 1919—The Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution establishes prohibition (a ban on making, selling, or transporting alcohol) in the United States. It was repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933.
August 26, 1920—The Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution is passed, giving women the right to vote in the United States.
June 14, 1922—Warren G. Harding is the first US president to speak in a radio broadcast.
July 18, 1925—Adolf Hitler publishes Mein Kampf (meaning “my struggle”), a book that included his autobiography and political ideas.
CARRIE’S COURAGE: BATTLING THE POWERS OF BIGOTRY
VOCABULARY WORDS
elocution—the art public speaking
“Mother thought it would help make her a more well-rounded person. That and the elocution sessions, piano lessons, and two workshops of art appreciation.”
fedora—a type of soft, felt hat
Garvey threw a suit coat and an old silk-lined fedora at him.
forlorn—sad, usually because of loneliness
She waved to Vi as her friend stood on the back porch with a forlorn expression on her face.
frock—a dress
“Are we ready to go to the show?” Vi asked, ignoring Nate’s baseball comment altogether. “Or shall we change our frocks?”
impudence—disrespectful rudeness
“Please forgive the impudence of my grandson and my nephew, my dear. I trust such an unfortunate incident will never happen again.”
jalopy—an old, worn-out car
The old jalopy had a rag top on it now, but it was still very cold inside—nothing like the Ruhles’ warm car.
jodhpurs—a type of pants or trousers that are loose above the knee and tight below the knee
Carrie leaned closer to look down, but the driver, dressed in a trim uniform complete with visored cap and jodhpurs, didn’t look so different.
keen—wonderful or excellent
“Keen idea,” Nate said, really getting into the drama of the escapade.
lob—an easy throw or hit
Carrie laughed to see how much dancing around Mr. Clausen had to do just to keep up with Miss Tilden’s expertly placed lobs and backhands.
memento—something kept as a reminder, such as a souvenir
The place was full of discarded furniture, portraits, old clothes, and forgotten—but fascinating—mementos.
momentum—the force an object has when it’s moving
He revved up the motors, and they gained momentum.
newshound—an aggressive news reporter
Glendon Ruhle loved new adventures, which is why he was such a keen newshound.
phylactery—a small leather box—holding slips of paper with scriptures written on them—that Jewish men wear during morning prayers
“And here’s a leather phylactery, which they call a tefillin.”
portico—a covered area created by columns and a roof attached to the entrance of a building
Slowly, the car moved from the large three-car garage around to the portico.
souped up—made more powerful
There was no mistaking the sound of Sonny’s old jalopy that he’d souped up.
terrarium—a see-through enclosure used to keep and observe small plants and animals
A large terrarium held a garter snake, a frog, and a lizard.
togs—clothing for a specific use
That meant she had to hurry home from school and change into her tennis togs so Mother could drive her out to the club.
vaudeville—a stage show made up of a variety of performers and performances
She figured playing vaudeville would be better than staring at the neighbors.
IMPORTANT PEOPLE AROUND 1923
Warren G. Harding
Warren G. Harding was the twenty-ninth president of the United States. Born in Ohio in 1865, he graduated from Ohio Central College at the age of seventeen, and afterward tried out jobs as a teacher, insurance man, and lawyer. By 1886, he owned a newspaper called the Marion Daily Star and became involved in politics. In 1891 he married Florence Kling DeWolfe.
Before becoming president, Harding served in the Ohio Senate, as Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, and in the US Senate. His “America First” presidential campaign, in the aftermath of World War I, promised the nation a return to normal life and a strong economy that wouldn’t depend on foreign influence.
Harding was elected by a landslide in 1920 with Calvin Coolidge as his vice president. During his presidency, he signed the first child welfare program and unemployment rates dropped by half. However, his presidency was also known for corruption, fraud, and bribery with incidents such as the Teapot Dome scandal. Harding died suddenly of a heart attack in 1923, and Coolidge took over as president
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was born in Vermont on July 4, 1872, the only US president born on Independence Day. He graduated from Amherst College and wanted to practice law, but rather than attend expensive law school, he apprenticed with a local law firm to become a country lawyer. Coolidge met and married Grace Goodhue in 1905, and they later had two sons.
Coolidge worked his way up in politics and eventually became governor of Massachusetts. His action in the 1919 Boston Police Strike led to suggestions that he should run for president in 1920. Ultimately, Coolidge became vice president under President Warren G. Harding. When Harding unexpectedly died of a heart attack in 1923, Coolidge was sworn in as the thirtieth president.
Coolidge is known for restoring confidence in the presidency after the controversies of President Harding’s administration. He was a conservative president who said little—his nickname was “Silent Cal”—and believed in small government. He won a full term as president in the 1924 election, but chose not to pursue election in 1928. He died of a heart attack in 1933.
Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth was an American baseball hero who played twenty-two seasons in the Major Leagues, from 1914 to 1935.
He was born George Herman Ruth, Jr. on February 6, 1895, in Baltimore, Maryland. He often got into trouble as a boy, so his parents sent him to a strict school run by Catholic monks. There he learned job skills, but also developed his love of baseball. In February 1914, after watching George for less than an hour, Jack Dunn, owner of the Baltimore Orioles, offered him a contract to play professionally. Dunn also had to become George’s legal guardian since George was only nineteen at the time. Other players on the team called George “Jack Dunn’s baby,” and eventually the nickname “Babe” stuck. Other nicknames he received were “Bambino” and “the Sultan of Swat.”
Babe Ruth played for three different teams in his Major League career: the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees, and the Boston Braves. He was known f
or his amazing hitting ability, and he set records for home runs, slugging percentage, and runs batted in. He helped the Yankees win four World Series titles.
HISTORY IN PERSPECTIVE TIMELINE
July 28, 1915—The United States begins a nineteen-year occupation of Haiti.
September 9, 1919—Boston Police go on strike to improve wages and working conditions.
September 16, 1920—A bomb explodes on Wall Street in New York City killing thirty-eight people.
November 2, 1920—Warren G. Harding is elected US president.
August 2, 1923—President Warren G. Harding dies in office and is succeeded by Calvin Coolidge.
October 6, 1927—The opening of the “talkie” The Jazz Singer means the era of silent movies will come to an end.
September 24, 1929—US Army pilot James Doolittle makes the first “blind flight” using only instruments to fly the plane.
March 6, 1930—The first line of frozen foods go on sale from Birds Eye in Massachusetts.
1930s—The first helicopters are developed by Igor Sikorski in the United States, Louis Breguet in France, and the Focke-Wulf company in Germany.
April 26, 1933—The Gestapo secret police are established in Nazi Germany.
ANNA’S FIGHT FOR HOPE: THE GREAT DEPRESSION
VOCABULARY WORDS
charity—the act of giving help, especially food or money, to the poor
Chet’s face grew sterner. “I don’t want charity from you.”
depression—a period of time when a nation has little economic activity and a lot of people out of jobs
“He’s just out of work now because of the depression.”
dutifully—doing something because you know it’s what’s expected of you
Anna dutifully opened her reader to the right page.
grim—serious, sad, or gloomy
Father’s face looked grim beneath his dark curly hair.
hobo—a homeless, wandering, poor person
Two men in uniforms that looked like policemen’s uniforms were racing down the track toward the hobos.
infirmary—a place (such as in a school or camp) where sick or injured people are taken care of
“So far we’ve built a large mess hall. Right now it’s also used for our recreation building, infirmary, and library!”
pang—a strong and sudden feeling
A pang of loneliness shot through Fred.
sanatorium—a place to care for people who are recovering from or being treated for an illness that is likely to last a long time
Uncle Erik and Aunt Esther’s daughter, Addy, was coming home from the sanatorium.
scrip—a form of paper money issued for temporary or emergency use
“We’re going to use scrip,” the pastor said. “For every hour a person works, they will be given scrip, a piece of paper worth twenty-five cents.”
strike—a time when workers stop working to force their employers to agree to the workers’ demands
In September, the Minnesota group had started a strike.
surplus—more than what’s needed, extra
“I think it’s the one called FERA. Anyway, it’s the one where surplus food is given to unemployed people.”
tuberculosis—a serious and contagious disease that mostly affects the lungs
She had gone away when she was sixteen, hoping her tuberculosis would be cured at the sanatorium for tuberculosis patients.
uppity—acting as if better than others
“You were pretty uppity back then. I like you better now, even if your clothes aren’t the best ones in town.”
veteran—someone who used to serve in the military, especially during wartime
The news on the radio and in the newspapers was full of the veterans in Washington the next few days.
wary—very cautious and careful
It seemed to Fred that Chet looked a little wary, as if he wasn’t certain Uncle Donald was really friendly.
IMPORTANT PEOPLE AND THINGS AROUND 1931
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (often abbreviated FDR) was the thirty-second president of the United States, the only president elected to more than two terms, and the longest serving president in US history.
FDR was born in New York in 1882, the only child of wealthy parents. He went to an Episcopal boarding school in Massachusetts, where he was influenced by the headmaster who urged students to pursue public service and preached the duty of Christians to help those less fortunate. FDR graduated from Harvard in 1903 and married his distant cousin Eleanor Roosevelt in 1905. They had six children.
FDR became president in 1933 in the midst of the Great Depression and began working to restore the United States—his campaign song was “Happy Days are Here Again.” Roosevelt created a variety of economic programs called the New Deal, providing relief, recovery, and reform to bring the nation out of the depression. Some of the programs were declared unconstitutional, some were only temporary, and some of the programs (like Social Security) continue today.
FDR was president when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941, which brought the United States into World War II. He worked closely with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin to lead the Allied Forces against Germany and Japan, but on March 29, 1945, just as World War II was winding down, he died of a massive stroke.
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh is an American aviator who made the first solo, nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean, May 20–21, 1927. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1902 and grew up in Minnesota. After attending the University of Wisconsin for two years to study engineering, he dropped out to become a barnstormer—a pilot who did daredevil stunts at fairs. In 1925, he graduated from the US Army flight training school and then got a job flying mail between St. Louis and Chicago.
In 1919, a New York City hotel owner, Raymond Orteig, had offered a prize of twenty-five thousand dollars to the first person to fly nonstop from New York to Paris. By 1927, the prize had still not been won. Lindbergh believed he could do it with the right plane, so he convinced nine St. Louis businessmen to help finance a plane, which he helped design, named the Spirit of St. Louis.
On May 20, Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field, near New York City, at 7:52 A.M and landed at Le Bourget Field, near Paris, on May 21 at 10:21 P.M., Paris time. Thousands of cheering people greeted him. He had flown more than thirty-six hundred miles in about thirty-three and a half hours. Lindbergh was honored with many celebrations and awards, but his fame also brought great tragedy: In March 1932, in what was called the crime of the century, his toddler son, Charles, Jr., was kidnapped and held for a fifty-thousand dollar ransom, before being murdered.
Christmas Seals
Christmas seals are decorative labels put on mail during holiday season to raise money and awareness for charities. They appeared in the United States in 1907, when tuberculosis was the leading cause of death. A small hospital in Delaware that treated tuberculosis patients was going to have to close if it couldn’t raise three hundred dollars. A hospital volunteer named Emily Bissell, an experienced fundraiser, came up with the idea of designing and printing special seals, then selling them at the post office for one cent each. By the end of the holiday season, she and her volunteers had raised ten times their goal and Christmas seals were established. Today, Christmas seals raise money for the American Lung Association.
HISTORY IN PERSPECTIVE TIMELINE
May 19, 1921—Immigration to the United States is greatly restricted with the Emergency Quota Act.
May 26, 1924—The Immigration Act of 1924 revises the Emergency Quota Act.
May 21, 1927—Charles Lindbergh completes the first solo transatlantic flight from New York to Paris
September 28, 1928—Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin.
October 1929—The Wall Street crash devastates the US economy and signals the beginning of the Great Depression.
July 28, 1932—Bonus Marchers in Washin
gton, DC are removed by force.
November 8, 1932—Franklin Delano Roosevelt wins the US presidential election by a landslide.
July 14, 1933—The Nazi party forbids any other political parties in Germany
September 30, 1935—The Hoover Dam is dedicated.
July 3, 1938—A British locomotive train called the Mallard sets a world speed record of 126 miles an hour.
August 15, 1939—The Wizard of Oz movie premiers.
December 7, 1941—Japan attacks the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.