5th Grade Social Studies
Late 19th Century to World War I
Unit 2
Watch this video to learn more about cattle trails!
Cattle Trails
- Ranching was introduced to America by Spanish colonizers who herded cows in Mexico and after the Civil War, demand for beef heavily increased --> cattle trails to bring cattle to major railroads
- Black cowboys of Texas: freed slaves after the Civil War who made their living in herding cattle; contributed greatly to the Chisholm and Western trails
- Chisholm Trail: most famous cattle trail, connected Texas and Kansas in order to supply beef for larger Northern and Eastern cities
- Great Western Cattle Trail: another cattle trail between Texas and Kansas, longer in length and lasted longer than the Chisholm Trail
Technological Innovations at the Turn of the Century
Flight
The Wright brothers revolutionized air travel when they created the first airplane in 1903.
Science
George Washington Carver worked on promoting different crops for Southern agriculture like peanuts to move away from cotton.
Communication
Alexander Graham Bell connected the country using his invention of the telephone in 1876.
Electricity
Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb in 1879 in his laboratory in Menlo Park which sparked a revolution in living standards and working conditions.
Politics in the New Century
- In 1898, President William McKinley with the help of yellow journalism promoting news of Spanish trouble declared the Spanish-American War --> the U.S. won the war against Spain and gained Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Guam and Hawaii
- After McKinley, President Theodore Roosevelt promoted expanding the role of the U.S. by colonizing territory and using American victory to create the Panama Canal
- The role of the U.S. in world politics greatly EXPANDED during this period
Watch these videos below to understand technology and politics during this time!
Causes of World War I (1914 -1918)
- Militarism: European countries, especially Germany, wanted to expand their naval strength and military might
- Alliances: before the war, certain countries grouped together into 2 alliances -- the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy) and Triple Entente (France, Britain and Russia)
- Imperialism: European powers clashed in their race for colonies in Africa and Asia and as a result, developed bad feelings towards one another
- Nationalism: Europe was organized into big empires and this offended people who were of different ethnicity and cultures (Serbian nationalism led to the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand)
U.S. Involvement in WWI
- Why did the U.S. join WWI? Americans wanted to be neutral during the war but secretly supported Britain
- Germany ships were attacking American and British ships (the most famous attack was the Lusitania which had American citizens)
- The Zimmerman Telegram was leaked to say that Germany would give Mexico power over the U.S. if they joined the war
- The U.S. finally joined WWI in 1917 and provided needed resources that led to the defeat of Germany
The Roaring Twenties in America
Economy
After World War I, Americans were enjoying unprecedented wealth because of war production and as a result, there was an economic boom!
Culture
The Roaring Twenties, because of the economic boom, was a time of partying! Flapper dancers like this changed culture in America and jazz clubs became a staple!
Politics
Despite the economic stability and the endless dancing, American politics was full of scandals and failures during this time.
Harlem Renaissance
- The Roaring 20s brought cultural revolution to America and the greatest influence in this was the African American-led Harlem Renaissance
- During WWI, as a result of white Americans being sent to Europe to fight, job opportunities for African Americans increased in the North which led to the Great Migration
- The migration of blacks to Northern cities sparked an artistic revolution in New York and was headed by artists like Langston Hughes and Louis Armstrong
Play this Harlem Renaissance Quizizz to know more!