Unit 4: The 1920s and 1930s
Lesson 1: Return To Isolationism
FOCUS ACTIVITY
I Can Do It!
I can explain American isolationism after World War I.
TEACHING ACTIVITY
PART 1: Recalling Prior Knowledge
DIRECTIONS: In this activity, you will use the graph below to answer the poll questions below it. I will read each question to the class and you will select the answer in the poll that you think is correct.
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QUESTION #1
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QUESTION #2
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QUESTION #3
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QUESTION #4
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PART 2: Using Prior Knowledge to Gain New Knowledge
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DIRECTIONS: In your small groups, discuss the following questions. You will have 2 minutes to discuss before I ask each group for their answer.
What do you think the mood was like in the United States after World War I?
How do you think people might have been affected by this? |
WHOLE GROUP ACTIVITY
Guided Reading
DIRECTIONS: We are now going to read today's text as a class. Remember to follow along. I will select readers randomly by calling out numbers. Important terms, people, places, and events are highlighted in the toolbox.
AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY AFTER WORLD WAR I
FOREIGN POLICY
Foreign policy is the nation's strategy or plan for dealing with other nations. The first president of the United States, George Washington, advised the nation to "avoid entangling alliances." He felt that alliances with other nations was a bad thing. He felt that America should stay out of world issues because involvement in foreign issues would pull America into unnecessary disagreements and wars with other nations. America took George Washington's advise for over 100 years, however, as new technology developed and advancements were made in communication and transportation, American foreign policy changed.
ISOLATIONISM
After World War I, the US became less involved in world affairs. The U.S. went back to its foreign policy of isolationism. Isolationism is a nation's policy to stay out of world affairs. Isolationism was America's foreign policy after World War I. America did not have to announce that they wanted isolationism to be their foreign policy. America showed that they were isolationists with their actions. The United States refused to join the League of Nations even though it was President Woodrow Wilson's idea. Americans stopped mass immigration to the United States as well. The U.S. did not want to participate in world disarmament. Many Americans wanted to charge other nations tariffs on the products they sold in the United States. Americans wanted to turn their focus inward. They wanted to work on fixing problems within the United States.
THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS
After World War I, President Woodrow Wilson presented his 14 points at the Paris Peace Conference. The 14 Points were items that Wilson wanted to be considered in the Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty of Versailles would be the formal end to World War I and the plan for how the world would move forward. The plan focused on how to maintain world peace. One of the points in the Fourteen Points was to establish a League of Nations that would work to solve conflicts between nations. The League of Nations was the only one of the Fourteen Points included in the Treaty of Versailles. Even though it was President Woodrow Wilson that came up with the League of Nations, the United States voted not to join. Americans did not want to become involved with international disagreements. They feared it would lead them into another war.
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TOOLBOX
Foreign policy: a nation's strategy or plan for dealing with other nations
Isolationism: a nation's policy to stay out of world affairs League of Nations: an organization made up of a group of nations, created after World War I, whose job was to solve conflicts between nations international: having to do with other nations in the world other than your own The Immigration Act of 1917: the first federal law to make immigrants take a literacy test Immigration Act of 1921: the first federal law in U.S. history to limit the immigration of Europeans disarmament: reducing the size of a nation's military or weapons The Fordney–McCumber Tariff that raised tariffs on foreign imported goods in order to protect American factories and farms tariff: a tax on foreign goods entering a nation |
IMMIGRATION QUOTAS
Another way Americans demonstrated that they wanted to be isolationists was by creating laws to stop mass immigration to the United States. Americans wanted other nations to just "stay out!" The Immigration Act of 1917 was the first federal law to make immigrants take a literacy test. It also limited the immigration of Asians to the United States. The Immigration Act of 1921 was the first federal law in U.S. history to limit the immigration of Europeans. Americans feared that people from southern and eastern European countries did not adapt well into American society and were the reason for many American problems. The law set a limit on the number of southern and eastern Europeans that could come to America each year.
DISARMAMENT
The Washington Naval Disarmament Conference 1921
In 1921, nine of the world’s largest naval powers gathered in Washington for a conference to discuss naval disarmament. Disarmament is reducing the size of a nation's military or weapons. The nations spoke about limiting the number of battleships they had as a way to prevent the possibility of another war. Several treaties were written and were considered a major success during their time, but historians today realize the treaties were basically useless because nations found ways around them. The treaties focused on reducing battleships and did not really reduce the amount of money that navies could spend. So nations put their money into different ships like cruisers, destroyers, and submarines. These treaties also created a naval air arms race because navies began spending money to create aircraft carriers. For the time being however, nations felt satisfied and at peace with the treaties that they had created.
THE FORDNEY - MCCUMBER TARIFF
Joseph Fordney and Porter McCumber - the Congressmen who wrote the Fordney-McCumber Tariff
In 1922, Congress passed a law called the The Fordney–McCumber Tariff that raised tariffs on foreign imported goods in order to protect American factories and farms. They hoped it would help the American economy and for a short time it did help farmers. European nations became angry about the tariff. It made it harder for them to make money in order to pay back war debts. Many European nations began to raise their tariffs on American goods in response. Some American businessmen did not like the tariff either. Automobile manufacturer, Henry Ford said that the tariff hurt his sales and wanted Congress to get rid of it. After the Stock Market Crash of 1929, the tariff was revised.
SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY
Advisor to the President
DIRECTIONS: In this activity, you are an advisor to the president after the end of World War I. Your job is to give advice that will help him gain support among the American people, who currently feel a strong sense of isolationism. You just read about some of the major issues above. Study these issues that the president has to make decisions about and record your research and final answers on the worksheet provided below.
INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY
Exit Pass
DIRECTIONS: In this activity you answer prove that you have met the Lesson Mission by answering the essential question of the lesson. Please complete the exit pass below. This question is worth 10 points and is graded for accuracy. You MAY use the reading and any notes you took.
HOMEWORK
Finish the Lesson and Family Time
Remember, you have homework every night in Social Studies. First, share with your family what you learned in class today. Second, review your exit pass response to each lesson and the lesson vocabulary to help you study for the test.
END OF THE UNIT 4 LESSON 1 MODULE
Making Up This Lesson
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If you missed today and need to make up this lesson, simply read today's text under Whole Group Activity, Guided Reading and answer the Exit Pass Question on paper and turn it into the turn in tray on my kidney table. Remember it is taken for a grade and is worth 10 points.
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