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American presidency (1865-1898)
Sarah Farishian
Period 3
Mr.Kelly
3/3/17
Period 3
Mr.Kelly
3/3/17
Why I chose this topic? What I hope to learn?
I chose the topic "American Presidency" because the presidents we had in the past are the foundation of our country which helped to create the society and culture we have today. I hope to learn about the individual effects that each President had in the 19th century on the United States. I was also intrigued by the Presidents during this time period due to the historical influence that Abraham Lincoln had before this time period because of his decision to abolish slavery. Lincoln has majorly shaped the country which eventually ended up causing many changes in the American lifestyle and started to bring America back together after the civil war. Therefore, we can learn from and compare the different impacts each President had on the United States and connect how the president's role of leading the country has changed overtime. The more we can learn about the American Presidents in the past, the more it can help us determine why the United States is the way it is today.
Image of political cartoon of Andrew Johnson
Analyzing this image
This political cartoon displays Andrew Johnson holding two rings together which are representing the North and South to show the attempt of bringing the United States back together as a whole country again. The words "This is a simple trick", shows that the illustrator of the cartoon felt that Andrew Johnson thought that bringing the country together would be easy and could happen quickly. The two people in the audience have upset faces which could represent the conflicts and disagreements that occurred after the civil war. The process of diminishing the Confederate States of America would be more time consuming than Andrew Johnson thought would happen.
Why was this picture taken? Why is it significant?
This political cartoon was created to show the message that Andrew Johnson was trying to bring the North and South together as one country again but it is not as simple as he thought it would be. The picture is significant because it displays the major historical event when the southern states seceded from the United States.
This political cartoon displays Andrew Johnson holding two rings together which are representing the North and South to show the attempt of bringing the United States back together as a whole country again. The words "This is a simple trick", shows that the illustrator of the cartoon felt that Andrew Johnson thought that bringing the country together would be easy and could happen quickly. The two people in the audience have upset faces which could represent the conflicts and disagreements that occurred after the civil war. The process of diminishing the Confederate States of America would be more time consuming than Andrew Johnson thought would happen.
Why was this picture taken? Why is it significant?
This political cartoon was created to show the message that Andrew Johnson was trying to bring the North and South together as one country again but it is not as simple as he thought it would be. The picture is significant because it displays the major historical event when the southern states seceded from the United States.
Image of Ulysses S. Grant leading the Union army through the Civil War
Analyzing this photograph
This photograph shows Ulysses S. Grant as the commander in chief leading the Union through the Civil War against the Confederate States. Ulysses S. Grant is depicted as an individual with a lot of power in this image, due to him being the only person on a horse. The soldiers winning in this battle clearly are the Union because most of the Confederate soldiers seemed to have casualties.
Why was this picture taken? Why is it significant?
This picture was taken to show that Ulysses was a key figure in the Civil War and led the North through many rough battles. The photograph is significant because Ulysses Grant commanded the victorious Union Army during the Civil war from 1822-1885 and served as the 18th U.S. President from 1869-1877.
This photograph shows Ulysses S. Grant as the commander in chief leading the Union through the Civil War against the Confederate States. Ulysses S. Grant is depicted as an individual with a lot of power in this image, due to him being the only person on a horse. The soldiers winning in this battle clearly are the Union because most of the Confederate soldiers seemed to have casualties.
Why was this picture taken? Why is it significant?
This picture was taken to show that Ulysses was a key figure in the Civil War and led the North through many rough battles. The photograph is significant because Ulysses Grant commanded the victorious Union Army during the Civil war from 1822-1885 and served as the 18th U.S. President from 1869-1877.
Image of Reconstruction Era
Analysis of this Image
This image shows Rutherford B. Hayes after the Civil War during the Reconstruction period trying to stop the conflict between the farmers (slave owners) and the slaves. The stern, powerful look that Rutherford Hayes has on his face supports that he is trying to end conflict and end slavery but it is difficult to do so.
Why was the picture taken? Why is it significant?
The picture was taken to show what conflict was still occurring, even though African Americans now share the same rights on paper, were protected by the government, and given the right to vote. This image displays the conflict that was still going on and the people in the seceded states are still disagreeing with the new changes.
This image shows Rutherford B. Hayes after the Civil War during the Reconstruction period trying to stop the conflict between the farmers (slave owners) and the slaves. The stern, powerful look that Rutherford Hayes has on his face supports that he is trying to end conflict and end slavery but it is difficult to do so.
Why was the picture taken? Why is it significant?
The picture was taken to show what conflict was still occurring, even though African Americans now share the same rights on paper, were protected by the government, and given the right to vote. This image displays the conflict that was still going on and the people in the seceded states are still disagreeing with the new changes.
Data Chart on Civil War Total Casualties
These Data/Statistics show that the Union Troops had many more people than the Confederate States. We can learn that many people had casualties in the battles "The Seven Days", "Chickamauga", "Chancellorsville", "Gettysburg", "Antietam", and the "Wilderness" compared to the other battles in the Civil War. We can also learn that their were more than double the amount of states that remained in the United States compared to the Confederate States.
Primary Source: Civil War Newspaper
Headline: The motives and objects of the War--letter of Commodore Stewart
Main Heading: Civil War
Sub Heading: Other
Article Date: 1861-5-16
This article in the Wisconsin Newspaper stated "Having traced the motives and objects of the south in raising this war against the Constitution and the Union, to their sources; and having, as we think, shown it to be in a war for dominion, or failing in that, a war for dissolution of the Union and consequently the overthrow of the Constitutional government, and not a war waged in behalf of slavery as properly merely, the deep, depravity, the utterly recklessness of Southern men of all obligations of honor or of oaths, stands out to the gaze of mankind, to excite their wonder, loathing and disgust." This article shows that most people in Wisconsin believed that the Confederate state's actions were unjust and in violation of the Constitution. This article was significant in the era because it emphasizes the motives that the South had and supported the fact that the Civil War caused many conflicts and many people disagreed with the Confederate States beliefs. This newspaper helps to explain the history of the U.S. Presidents because it stated the actions that the U.S. Government and Congress was taking during this era.
Headline: The motives and objects of the War--letter of Commodore Stewart
Main Heading: Civil War
Sub Heading: Other
Article Date: 1861-5-16
This article in the Wisconsin Newspaper stated "Having traced the motives and objects of the south in raising this war against the Constitution and the Union, to their sources; and having, as we think, shown it to be in a war for dominion, or failing in that, a war for dissolution of the Union and consequently the overthrow of the Constitutional government, and not a war waged in behalf of slavery as properly merely, the deep, depravity, the utterly recklessness of Southern men of all obligations of honor or of oaths, stands out to the gaze of mankind, to excite their wonder, loathing and disgust." This article shows that most people in Wisconsin believed that the Confederate state's actions were unjust and in violation of the Constitution. This article was significant in the era because it emphasizes the motives that the South had and supported the fact that the Civil War caused many conflicts and many people disagreed with the Confederate States beliefs. This newspaper helps to explain the history of the U.S. Presidents because it stated the actions that the U.S. Government and Congress was taking during this era.
Primary Source: From Index to the Andrew Johnson Papers (Washington, D.C.: 1963), pp. v-vii)
Letter from Andrew Johnson to his son Robert Johnson
This article stated "I have been informed that in eighteen hundred and sixty-four while you were in command of this post as General in the Confederate Army that an officer under an order from you with a squad of men forcably [sic] entered the Store House of Mr. George Jones of this place and seize[d] a number of trunks which had been deposited there by my family for safe keeping. These trunks were broken open and their contents examined by the officer and the squad and report made to you . . . . These trunks contained many valuable articles of property as well as papers: such as deeds, bills of sale, mortgages, memoranda of matters of much importance to me, also a number of valuable letters many of them of a private character. . . . Any information in regard to these trunks and their contents will be thankfully received". This statement is a description of a situation that occurred regarding the Confederate army. The quote also supports that Johnson's brother remained neglected throughout Andrews Presidency. This was one of multiple raids and showed a smaller conflict that occurred compared to the major battles that were publicized. I was surprised that Andrew and his brother did not have a close relationship and did not communicate often besides a few letters once in a while.
Bibliography
Websites
"American Civil War- Battles, Facts, & Pictures" <www.history.com/americancivilwar
[From Index to the Andrew Johnson Papers (Washington, D.C.: 1963), p. viii]
Annual Report of the Librarian of Congress, 1904, pp. 50-51; 1930, pp. 67-68; 1931, p. 59.
Beale, Howard K., The Critical Year (New York, 1958), pp. 407-408.
Garrison, Curtis W., List of Manuscript Collections in the Library of Congress to July, 1931 (Washington, 1931) pp. 185, 204 <http://rs5.loc.gov/service/mss/eadxmlmss/eadpdfmss/2009/ms009140.pdf
Wisconsin Historical Society. Wisconsin Local History & Biography Articles; "The motives and objects of the War--letter"; "Wisconsin; "1861"; viewed online at http://www.wisconsinhistory.org on [3/2/17] <http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Content.aspx?dsNav=N:4294963828-
Google Images
Letter from Andrew Johnson to his son Robert Johnson
This article stated "I have been informed that in eighteen hundred and sixty-four while you were in command of this post as General in the Confederate Army that an officer under an order from you with a squad of men forcably [sic] entered the Store House of Mr. George Jones of this place and seize[d] a number of trunks which had been deposited there by my family for safe keeping. These trunks were broken open and their contents examined by the officer and the squad and report made to you . . . . These trunks contained many valuable articles of property as well as papers: such as deeds, bills of sale, mortgages, memoranda of matters of much importance to me, also a number of valuable letters many of them of a private character. . . . Any information in regard to these trunks and their contents will be thankfully received". This statement is a description of a situation that occurred regarding the Confederate army. The quote also supports that Johnson's brother remained neglected throughout Andrews Presidency. This was one of multiple raids and showed a smaller conflict that occurred compared to the major battles that were publicized. I was surprised that Andrew and his brother did not have a close relationship and did not communicate often besides a few letters once in a while.
Bibliography
Websites
"American Civil War- Battles, Facts, & Pictures" <www.history.com/americancivilwar
[From Index to the Andrew Johnson Papers (Washington, D.C.: 1963), p. viii]
Annual Report of the Librarian of Congress, 1904, pp. 50-51; 1930, pp. 67-68; 1931, p. 59.
Beale, Howard K., The Critical Year (New York, 1958), pp. 407-408.
Garrison, Curtis W., List of Manuscript Collections in the Library of Congress to July, 1931 (Washington, 1931) pp. 185, 204 <http://rs5.loc.gov/service/mss/eadxmlmss/eadpdfmss/2009/ms009140.pdf
Wisconsin Historical Society. Wisconsin Local History & Biography Articles; "The motives and objects of the War--letter"; "Wisconsin; "1861"; viewed online at http://www.wisconsinhistory.org on [3/2/17] <http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Content.aspx?dsNav=N:4294963828-
Google Images
Period 2 (1898-1930)
Primary Source Excerpt #1: News Report on President McKinley an interview with a visiting church delegation published in 1903
"When I next realized that the Philippines had dropped into our laps I confess I did not know what to do with them. . . And one night late it came to me this way. . .1) That we could not give them back to Spain- that would be cowardly and dishonorable; 2) that we could not turn them over to France and Germany-our commercial rivals in the Orient-that would be bad business and discreditable; 3) that we not leave them to themselves-they are unfit for self-government-and they would soon have anarchy and misrule over there worse than Spain's wars; and 4) that there was nothing left for us to do but to take them all, and to educate the Filipinos, and uplift and civilize and Christianize them, and by God's grace do the very best we could by them, as our fellow-men for whom Christ also died."
This excerpt shows that McKinley is having trouble deciding what decision would be best for our country with considering the impact it will have on other countries. McKinley stated "That would be cowardly and dishonorable", which shows that he cares about the relations we have with the Philippines. We can learn from this interview that McKinley had a big impact in life in America in the early 1900s and role of Christianity was significant.
This excerpt shows that McKinley is having trouble deciding what decision would be best for our country with considering the impact it will have on other countries. McKinley stated "That would be cowardly and dishonorable", which shows that he cares about the relations we have with the Philippines. We can learn from this interview that McKinley had a big impact in life in America in the early 1900s and role of Christianity was significant.
Primary Source Excerpt #2: Theodore Roosevelt's Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine (1905)
"In treating of our foreign policy and of the attitude that this great Nation should assume in the world at large, it is absolutely necessary to consider the Army and the Navy, and the Congress, through which the thought of the Nation finds its expression, should keep ever vividly in mind the fundamental fact that it is impossible to treat our foreign policy, whether this policy takes shape in the effort to secure justice for others or justice for ourselves, save as conditioned upon the attitude we are willing to take toward our Army, and especially toward our Navy. It is not merely unwise, it is contemptible, for a nation, as for an individual, to use high-sounding language to proclaim its purposes, or to take positions which are ridiculous if unsupported by potential force, and then to refuse to provide this force..."
This excerpt was based off of European intervention in Latin America which resurfaced as an issue in U.S. foreign policy when European governments began to use force to pressure several Latin American countries to repay their debts. President Theodore Roosevelt issued his corollary to keep other powers out and ensure financial solvency. Theodore stated, "Chronic wrongdoing . . . may in America, as elsewhere, ultimately require intervention by some civilized nation," which proves that he feels it is acceptable to intervene with foreign countries policies. The statement "In the Western Hemisphere the adherence of the United States to the Monroe Doctrine may force the United States, however reluctantly, in flagrant cases of such wrongdoing or impotence, to the exercise of an international police power", proves that the Theodore says it can also be considered wrong. We can learn from this that the United States was trying to monitor and intervene with Latin America's foreign policy, even if their was consequences.
"In treating of our foreign policy and of the attitude that this great Nation should assume in the world at large, it is absolutely necessary to consider the Army and the Navy, and the Congress, through which the thought of the Nation finds its expression, should keep ever vividly in mind the fundamental fact that it is impossible to treat our foreign policy, whether this policy takes shape in the effort to secure justice for others or justice for ourselves, save as conditioned upon the attitude we are willing to take toward our Army, and especially toward our Navy. It is not merely unwise, it is contemptible, for a nation, as for an individual, to use high-sounding language to proclaim its purposes, or to take positions which are ridiculous if unsupported by potential force, and then to refuse to provide this force..."
This excerpt was based off of European intervention in Latin America which resurfaced as an issue in U.S. foreign policy when European governments began to use force to pressure several Latin American countries to repay their debts. President Theodore Roosevelt issued his corollary to keep other powers out and ensure financial solvency. Theodore stated, "Chronic wrongdoing . . . may in America, as elsewhere, ultimately require intervention by some civilized nation," which proves that he feels it is acceptable to intervene with foreign countries policies. The statement "In the Western Hemisphere the adherence of the United States to the Monroe Doctrine may force the United States, however reluctantly, in flagrant cases of such wrongdoing or impotence, to the exercise of an international police power", proves that the Theodore says it can also be considered wrong. We can learn from this that the United States was trying to monitor and intervene with Latin America's foreign policy, even if their was consequences.
Picture #1: Theodore Roosevelt (Big Stick)
This image is of Theodore Roosevelt controlling the countries in the Caribbean, regarding foreign policies, navy, economics, debt, and trading. The idea of "using a big stick" is negotiating peacefully, simultaneously threatening with the military. From this political cartoon we can learn that Theodore Roosevelt was trying to have the United States be influential towards other nations but did not want to seem like it was a threat.
Picture #2: 1920s Prohibition
This is an image of men protesting the Prohibition in Chicago, Illinois. The people protesting are fighting for what they feel should be an American right. This shows that people felt that alcohol was crucial to peoples lives in the 1920s. From this, we can learn how the peoples values were different from today.
Picture #3: McKinley Political Cartoon
This political cartoon states McKinley's views by President William McKinley was deeply ambivalent about war against Spain. McKinley stated once, "I've been through one war. I have seen the dead piled up, and I do not want to see another." The political cartoon shows that McKinley is conflicted about his decision on how to deal with Spain. At the end of the Spanish-American war, pressure on President William McKinley to annex the Philippines was intense. We can learn from this political cartoon that McKinley was conflicted internally and also the world was watching to see what decision he will make.
Bibliography
Google Images. 2008.
History.com
Google Images. 2008.
History.com
Period 3 (1931-1960)
Primary Source Excerpt #1:
Rugged Individualism: Herbert Hoover, Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, October 22, 1928
"As a nation we came out of the war with great losses. We made no profits from it. The apparent increases in wages were fictitious. We were poorer as a nation when we emerged from it. Yet during these last eight years we have recovered from these losses and increased our national income by over one-third even if we discount the inflation of the dollar. While some individuals have grown rich, yet that there has been a wide diffusion of our gain in wealth and income is marked by a hundred proofs. I know of no better test of the improved conditions of the average family than the combined increase of life and industrial insurance, building and loan assets, and savings deposits. These are the financial agents of the average man. These alone have in seven years increased by nearly 100 per cent to the gigantic sum of over 50 billions of dollars, or nearly one-six of our whole national wealth. In addition to these evidences of larger savings our people are steadily increasing their spending for higher standards of living. Today there are almost 9 automobiles for each 10 families, where seven and a half years ago only enough automobiles were running to average less than 4 for each 10 families. The slogan of progress is changing from the full dinner pail to the full garage. Our people have more to eat, better things to wear, and better homes. We have even gained in elbow room in our homes, for the increase of residential floor space is over 25 per cent with less than 10 per cent increase in our number of people. We have increased the security of his job to every man and woman. We have decreased the fear of old age, the fear of poverty, the fear of unemployment and these are fears which have always been amongst the greatest calamities of human kind."
This excerpt means that Herbert Hoover is trying to focus on fixing our country financially. The war caused financial problems, for example the conditions of the average family such as life and industrial insurance, building and loan assets, and saving deposits. We can learn from this excerpt that Herbert Hoover worked ceaselessly trying to fix the economy. He founded government agencies, encouraged labor harmony, supported local aid for public works, fostered cooperation between government and business in order to stabilize prices, and struggled to balance the budget.
Primary Source Excerpt #2
Harry S. Truman: Announcing the use of the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima
"SIXTEEN HOURS AGO an American airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima, an important Japanese Army base. That bomb had more power than 20,000 tons of T.N.T. It had more than two thousand times the blast power of the British "Grand Slam" which is the largest bomb ever yet used in the history of warfare. The Japanese began the war from the air at Pearl Harbor. They have been repaid many fold. And the end is not yet. With this bomb we have now added a new and revolutionary increase in destruction to supplement the growing power of our armed forces. In their present form these bombs are now in production and even more powerful forms are in development.
It is an atomic bomb. It is a harnessing of the basic power of the universe. The force from which the sun draws its power has been loosed against those who brought war to the Far East.
Before 1939, it was the accepted belief of scientists that it was theoretically possible to release atomic energy. But no one knew any practical method of doing it. By 1942, however, we knew that the Germans were working feverishly to find a way to add atomic energy to the other engines of war with which they hoped to enslave the world. But they failed. We may be grateful to Providence that the Germans got the V-1's and V-2's late and in limited quantities and even more grateful that they did not get the atomic bomb at all.
The battle of the laboratories held fateful risks for us as well as the battles of the air, land and sea, and we have now won the battle of the laboratories as we have won the other battles.
Beginning in 1940, before Pearl Harbor, scientific knowledge useful in war was pooled between the United States and Great Britain, and many priceless helps to our victories have come from that arrangement. Under that general policy the research on the atomic bomb was begun. With American and British scientists working together we entered the race of discovery against the Germans.
The United States had available the large number of scientists of distinction in the many needed areas of knowledge. It had the tremendous industrial and financial resources necessary for the project and they could be devoted to it without undue impairment of other vital war work. In the United States the laboratory work and the production plants, on which a substantial start had already been made, would be out of reach of enemy bombing, while at that time Britain was exposed to constant air attack and was still threatened with the possibility of invasion. For these reasons Prime Minister Churchill and President Roosevelt agreed that it was wise to carry on the project here. We now have two great plants and many lesser works devoted to the production of atomic power. Employment during peak construction numbered 125,000 and over 65,000 individuals are even now engaged in operating the plants. Many have worked there for two and a half years. Few know what they have been producing. They see great quantities of material going in and they see nothing coming out of these plants, for the physical size of the explosive charge is exceedingly small. We have spent two billion dollars on the greatest scientific gamble in history-and won.
But the greatest marvel is not the size of the enterprise, its secrecy, nor its cost, but the achievement of scientific brains in putting together infinitely complex pieces of knowledge held by many men in different fields of science into a workable plan. And hardly less marvelous has been the capacity of industry to design, and of labor to operate, the machines and methods to do things never done before so that the brain child of many minds came forth in physical shape and performed as it was supposed to do. Both science and industry worked under the direction of the United States Army, which achieved a unique success in managing so diverse a problem in the advancement of knowledge in an amazingly short time. It is doubtful if such another combination could be got together in the world. What has been done is the greatest achievement of organized science in history. It was done under high pressure and without failure.
We are now prepared to obliterate more rapidly and completely every productive enterprise the Japanese have above ground in any city. We shall destroy their docks, their factories, and their communications. Let there be no mistake; we shall completely destroy Japan's power to make war.
It was to spare the Japanese people from utter destruction that the ultimatum of July 26 was issued at Potsdam. Their leaders promptly rejected that ultimatum. If they do not now accept our terms they may expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this earth. Behind this air attack will follow sea and land forces in such numbers and power as they have not yet seen and with the fighting skill of which they are already well aware.
The Secretary of War, who has kept in personal touch with all phases of the project, will immediately make public a statement giving further details.
His statement will give facts concerning the sites at Oak Ridge near Knoxville, Tennessee, and at Richland near Pasco, Washington, and an installation near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Although the workers at the sites have been making materials to be used in producing the greatest destructive force in history they have not themselves been in danger beyond that of many other occupations, for the utmost care has been taken of their safety.
The fact that we can release atomic energy ushers in a new era in man's understanding of nature's forces. Atomic energy may in the future supplement the power that now comes from coal, oil, and falling water, but at present it cannot be produced on a basis to compete with them commercially. Before that comes there must be a long period of intensive research.
It has never been the habit of the scientists of this country or the policy of this Government to withhold from the world scientific knowledge. Normally, therefore, everything about the work with atomic energy would be made public.
But under present circumstances it is not intended to divulge the technical processes of production or all the military applications, pending further examination of possible methods of protecting us and the rest of the world from the danger of sudden destruction.
I shall recommend that the Congress of the United States consider promptly the establishment of an appropriate commission to control the production and use of atomic power within the United States. I shall give further consideration and make further recommendations to the Congress as to how atomic power can become a powerful and forceful influence towards the maintenance of world peace."
The excerpt shows that Harriet S. Truman felt confident in his decision and felt that dropping an atomic bomb on Japan would create more world peace overall. This was shown when he said "forceful influence towards the maintenance of world peace." We can learn from this document that the United States was taking even the most extreme measures to make sure that World War II would finally come to an end.
Rugged Individualism: Herbert Hoover, Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, October 22, 1928
"As a nation we came out of the war with great losses. We made no profits from it. The apparent increases in wages were fictitious. We were poorer as a nation when we emerged from it. Yet during these last eight years we have recovered from these losses and increased our national income by over one-third even if we discount the inflation of the dollar. While some individuals have grown rich, yet that there has been a wide diffusion of our gain in wealth and income is marked by a hundred proofs. I know of no better test of the improved conditions of the average family than the combined increase of life and industrial insurance, building and loan assets, and savings deposits. These are the financial agents of the average man. These alone have in seven years increased by nearly 100 per cent to the gigantic sum of over 50 billions of dollars, or nearly one-six of our whole national wealth. In addition to these evidences of larger savings our people are steadily increasing their spending for higher standards of living. Today there are almost 9 automobiles for each 10 families, where seven and a half years ago only enough automobiles were running to average less than 4 for each 10 families. The slogan of progress is changing from the full dinner pail to the full garage. Our people have more to eat, better things to wear, and better homes. We have even gained in elbow room in our homes, for the increase of residential floor space is over 25 per cent with less than 10 per cent increase in our number of people. We have increased the security of his job to every man and woman. We have decreased the fear of old age, the fear of poverty, the fear of unemployment and these are fears which have always been amongst the greatest calamities of human kind."
This excerpt means that Herbert Hoover is trying to focus on fixing our country financially. The war caused financial problems, for example the conditions of the average family such as life and industrial insurance, building and loan assets, and saving deposits. We can learn from this excerpt that Herbert Hoover worked ceaselessly trying to fix the economy. He founded government agencies, encouraged labor harmony, supported local aid for public works, fostered cooperation between government and business in order to stabilize prices, and struggled to balance the budget.
Primary Source Excerpt #2
Harry S. Truman: Announcing the use of the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima
"SIXTEEN HOURS AGO an American airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima, an important Japanese Army base. That bomb had more power than 20,000 tons of T.N.T. It had more than two thousand times the blast power of the British "Grand Slam" which is the largest bomb ever yet used in the history of warfare. The Japanese began the war from the air at Pearl Harbor. They have been repaid many fold. And the end is not yet. With this bomb we have now added a new and revolutionary increase in destruction to supplement the growing power of our armed forces. In their present form these bombs are now in production and even more powerful forms are in development.
It is an atomic bomb. It is a harnessing of the basic power of the universe. The force from which the sun draws its power has been loosed against those who brought war to the Far East.
Before 1939, it was the accepted belief of scientists that it was theoretically possible to release atomic energy. But no one knew any practical method of doing it. By 1942, however, we knew that the Germans were working feverishly to find a way to add atomic energy to the other engines of war with which they hoped to enslave the world. But they failed. We may be grateful to Providence that the Germans got the V-1's and V-2's late and in limited quantities and even more grateful that they did not get the atomic bomb at all.
The battle of the laboratories held fateful risks for us as well as the battles of the air, land and sea, and we have now won the battle of the laboratories as we have won the other battles.
Beginning in 1940, before Pearl Harbor, scientific knowledge useful in war was pooled between the United States and Great Britain, and many priceless helps to our victories have come from that arrangement. Under that general policy the research on the atomic bomb was begun. With American and British scientists working together we entered the race of discovery against the Germans.
The United States had available the large number of scientists of distinction in the many needed areas of knowledge. It had the tremendous industrial and financial resources necessary for the project and they could be devoted to it without undue impairment of other vital war work. In the United States the laboratory work and the production plants, on which a substantial start had already been made, would be out of reach of enemy bombing, while at that time Britain was exposed to constant air attack and was still threatened with the possibility of invasion. For these reasons Prime Minister Churchill and President Roosevelt agreed that it was wise to carry on the project here. We now have two great plants and many lesser works devoted to the production of atomic power. Employment during peak construction numbered 125,000 and over 65,000 individuals are even now engaged in operating the plants. Many have worked there for two and a half years. Few know what they have been producing. They see great quantities of material going in and they see nothing coming out of these plants, for the physical size of the explosive charge is exceedingly small. We have spent two billion dollars on the greatest scientific gamble in history-and won.
But the greatest marvel is not the size of the enterprise, its secrecy, nor its cost, but the achievement of scientific brains in putting together infinitely complex pieces of knowledge held by many men in different fields of science into a workable plan. And hardly less marvelous has been the capacity of industry to design, and of labor to operate, the machines and methods to do things never done before so that the brain child of many minds came forth in physical shape and performed as it was supposed to do. Both science and industry worked under the direction of the United States Army, which achieved a unique success in managing so diverse a problem in the advancement of knowledge in an amazingly short time. It is doubtful if such another combination could be got together in the world. What has been done is the greatest achievement of organized science in history. It was done under high pressure and without failure.
We are now prepared to obliterate more rapidly and completely every productive enterprise the Japanese have above ground in any city. We shall destroy their docks, their factories, and their communications. Let there be no mistake; we shall completely destroy Japan's power to make war.
It was to spare the Japanese people from utter destruction that the ultimatum of July 26 was issued at Potsdam. Their leaders promptly rejected that ultimatum. If they do not now accept our terms they may expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this earth. Behind this air attack will follow sea and land forces in such numbers and power as they have not yet seen and with the fighting skill of which they are already well aware.
The Secretary of War, who has kept in personal touch with all phases of the project, will immediately make public a statement giving further details.
His statement will give facts concerning the sites at Oak Ridge near Knoxville, Tennessee, and at Richland near Pasco, Washington, and an installation near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Although the workers at the sites have been making materials to be used in producing the greatest destructive force in history they have not themselves been in danger beyond that of many other occupations, for the utmost care has been taken of their safety.
The fact that we can release atomic energy ushers in a new era in man's understanding of nature's forces. Atomic energy may in the future supplement the power that now comes from coal, oil, and falling water, but at present it cannot be produced on a basis to compete with them commercially. Before that comes there must be a long period of intensive research.
It has never been the habit of the scientists of this country or the policy of this Government to withhold from the world scientific knowledge. Normally, therefore, everything about the work with atomic energy would be made public.
But under present circumstances it is not intended to divulge the technical processes of production or all the military applications, pending further examination of possible methods of protecting us and the rest of the world from the danger of sudden destruction.
I shall recommend that the Congress of the United States consider promptly the establishment of an appropriate commission to control the production and use of atomic power within the United States. I shall give further consideration and make further recommendations to the Congress as to how atomic power can become a powerful and forceful influence towards the maintenance of world peace."
The excerpt shows that Harriet S. Truman felt confident in his decision and felt that dropping an atomic bomb on Japan would create more world peace overall. This was shown when he said "forceful influence towards the maintenance of world peace." We can learn from this document that the United States was taking even the most extreme measures to make sure that World War II would finally come to an end.
Picture #1
This political cartoon shows that the younger generation United States was completely oblivious to what was actual going on, with the "terrorists" being the United States. Although, the Hiroshima bombing in Japan was broadcasted and was a wide known attack, some people in the United Staes were unaware. The United States used this deadly weapon known as the "Atomic Bomb" to finally end the war.
Picture #2
This political cartoon shows that F.D.R. had a lot of control over policies in the United States, while Congress was "waiting" on him. The U.S. Congress was not interfering with the New Deal and let Roosevelt create his way of remedies. The New Deal was a series of programs, including, most notably, Social Security, that were enacted in the United States between 1933 and 1938, and a few that came later.
Picture #3
This image shows that the dictator Hitler had a lot of popularity from the people of Germany. The Nazis were a political party in Germany that was active between 1920 and 1945 and practised the ideology of Nazism. This impacted the United States and other countries significantly, and F.D.R. did his best to end this war and weaken Germany and stop them from discriminating and committing crimes.
Bibliography
Rugged Individualism: Herbert Hoover, Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, October 22, 1928
Harry S. Truman: "Statement by the President Announcing the Use of the A-Bomb at Hiroshima," August 6, 1945. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=12169.
Google Images.
Rugged Individualism: Herbert Hoover, Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, October 22, 1928
Harry S. Truman: "Statement by the President Announcing the Use of the A-Bomb at Hiroshima," August 6, 1945. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=12169.
Google Images.