Major wars tend to cause devastation. It is almost impossible for any nation that is party to a war to emerge stronger. This was true for the United States following the First World War. This war changed the face of the nation significantly. Almost no element of the American nation remained untouched by the war. From the economy to the social life of the American people, the First World War shaped various elements of America. The changes that the war introduced became more evident in the 1920s and the 1930s. In this essay, a discussion of the changes that resulted from WW1 is offered.
One of the elements of American life that was significantly changed by the war was the nation’s economy. As would be expected, the war resulted in an economic downturn. The nation experienced a sharp rise in the prices of basic commodities. 1 Many Americans suffered as their wages did not keep up with the rise in commodity prices. The harsh economic conditions led many to walk out of their jobs in protest. The low wages earned by Americans such as police officers were the result of a ban that was imposed during the war which prohibited wage increases. 2 Economic inequality is yet another impact of the war. After the war, much of the nation’s wealth was concentrated in the hands of a few families while most Americans languished in poverty. 3 The examples offered above paint the picture of a nation that was in deep crisis. Before the war, the American economy was rather strong. Before the war, the political class was also committed to securing the American economy by protecting workers. For instance, in a speech that he issued, Theodore Roosevelt argued that government intervention was needed to safeguard the rights of American workers. 4 His speech stands in sharp contrast to the situation following the war where American workers suffered. While it is true that the American economy suffered as a result of the war, it is important to note that the nation did register some recovery. For instance, the Coolidge government oversaw the rise of the United States as a global economic powerhouse. Under his leadership, the US rose to own 46% of all of the globe’s wealth and it was home to thousands of millionaires. 5 The examples of the state of the nation before and after the war are clear indications that the war significantly altered the country’s economic profile.
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Apart from America’s economy, the First World War also affected the country’s political dynamics. Disadvantaged groups such as women gained a voice that allowed them to participate in how they are governed. Right after the war, the women were granted the right to vote. 6 In the years before the war, women suffered oppression. For instance, during the campaigns in the 1912 election, Woodrow Wilson made it clear that he was opposed to the raising of the minimum wage earned by women workers. 7 The right to vote that women were granted came after years of intense lobbying and campaigning. Those who called for women to be allowed to vote faced great opposition especially from men. 8 This opposition suggests that intolerance existed before the war. It can be argued that the nation became more tolerant following the war since it dropped its opposition to women suffrage. Apart from women suffrage, political reform is the other change that occurred in the American political landscape. Before the war, the government had adopted an interventionist policy through which it dictated such matters as the operations of businesses. After the war, this government was voted out and replaced by one that promised to return the United States to its state before the war when government involvement in matters such as business was limited. 9 The comparison of the situation that the US was in before and after the war reveals that the war had profound impacts on the American political landscape.
Today, the United States enjoys a position of influence on the global geopolitical stage. This position has been the result of some of the policies that the nation has adopted regarding its relations with foreign powers. In the period leading up to the First World War, the US adopted an imperialist approach to foreign policy. Evidence for this can be found in Kipling’s poem The Real “White Man’s Burden.” In the poem, he suggests that the US should become an imperialist power. 10 His poem was written at a time when the US was at war with the Philippines. This war ended with the US occupying power in this country. Guam and Puerto Rico are some of the other territories that were invaded by American forces. 11 Franklin Roosevelt also favored an imperialist approach to foreign policy as he endorsed Kipling’s poem describing it as “a good sense from the expansion point of view.” 12 The speech delivered by Albert Beveridge also offers insights into the imperialist policies of the US. In the speech, he calls on the US to take over such territories as Puerto Rico and to extend its influence beyond its borders. Following the war, it appears that the US abandoned its expansionist ambitions and the imperialist approach. Instead, it focused mostly on domestic issues with its involvement in international affairs becoming limited. The country focused its efforts on rebuilding following the devastation of the war. The inward-looking policy that the US adopted in the years after the war suggests that the war forced the nation to rethink its foreign policy.
In conclusion, the United States has a long and interesting history. The First World War is one of the events that constitute the nation’s history. This war led the loss of thousands of lives and devastated the American economy. Wages were low and the nation witnessed an increase in the prices of commodities. While most of the impacts of the war were negative, there were some positive effects. These include granting women the right to vote. Overall, the war’s effects were negative. To avoid a repeat of the war, the nation should embrace diplomacy and peaceful means of conflict resolution.
Bibliography
“20s”
“America”
“Ernst Howard Crosby, The Real White Man’s Burden’ (1899). ” My History Lab. Accessed 16th February
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“Hear TR’s Speech ‘The Liberty of the People’.” History Matters. Accessed 16th February 2017
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5722
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http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5723
“One Woman One Vote”
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1 “20s”
2 ibid
3 “20s”
4 ‘Hear TR’s Speech “The Liberty of the People”’, History Matters, Accessed 16th February 2017 http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5722
5 “20s”
6 Ibid
7 ‘Hear Wilson’s Speech “On Labor”’, History Matters, Accessed 16th February 2017 http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5723
8 “One Woman One Vote”
9 “20s”
10 “Ernst Howard Crosby, The Real White Man’s Burden’ (1899)”, My History Lab, Accessed 16thFebruary 2017 http://media.pearsoncmg.com/ph/hss/SSA_SHARED_MEDIA_1/history/MHL/US/documents/Poem_Real_White_Mans_Burden.html
11 “America”
12 “’The White Man’s Burden’: Kipling’s Hymn to U.S. on Imperialism”, History Matters, Accessed 16th February 2017 http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5478
