Usa 1890-1945 Swot Analysis

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The USA, 1890-1945 The USA, 1890-1920 Politics, Economy & Society The USA had a clearly defined two-party system by 1890. The Republicans & The Democrats. Both parties were heavily influenced by the American Civil War, 1861-1865. In the early days, neither party was united. They were both loose coalitions linked together through interest groups. Local issues were extremely important. Any politician at national level had to have a strong power base and was therefore keen to represent local interests. This did not apply to only individuals; many issues that became important in national politics had their origins in local campaigns. One example of this is Prohibition. Partly because of local influences, there was no clear divide between the…show more content…
One of the popular trade unions was the AFL – The American Federation of Labour – they were concerned with the welfare of skilled workers. It was founded by Samuel Gompers in 1886. Membership of the AFL was over 300,000. Gompers concentrated on improving working conditions of the skilled workers. One person Gompers did not want to associate with was the socialist leader Eugene Debs. In 1907, the AFL created strong links with the Democratic Party. However, many believed that the AFL was too moderate and did not support the unskilled workers. This led to the formation of the IWW. Most Americans feared socialism; they linked it to trade unions, mass immigration and anarchy. Socialists believed in equality Big business leaders were afraid of organised labour; the growth of for ‘social justice’ including causes such as women’s suffrage, direct election to the senate and conservation. Some Progressives were pacifists and anti-imperialists but most were strong nationalists. The Progressive wing of the Republican party reunited with the mainstream party in 1916. Progressivism achieved very little as a separate party but at one time, it seemed that it could achieve national support. It was very influential between 1890-1929, as a number of presidents were influenced by Progressive ideas, these included: Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft and Woodrow Wilson. Whilst they were in office, we can see some Progressive ideas in their policies.…show more content…
They wanted to protect people’s rights against corruption. They also wanted to fight the evils of industrialisation but without going as far as socialism. They appealed for ‘social justice’ including causes such as women’s suffrage, direct election to the senate and conservation. Some Progressives were pacifists and anti-imperialists but most were strong nationalists. The Progressive wing of the Republican party reunited with the mainstream party in 1916. Progressivism achieved very little as a separate party but at one time, it seemed that it could achieve national support. It was very influential between 1890-1929, as a number of presidents were influenced by Progressive ideas, these included: Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft and Woodrow Wilson. Whilst they were in office, we can see some Progressive ideas in their
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