Social And Political Issues In American History: Post Gilded Age

In American history, post Gilded Age was a time of significant shifts and turmoil. The Spanish American War to World War I saw the United States involved in domestic and international challenges that impacted the country politically, socially, and economically. The increasing development and industrialization that took place was the cause of many social and political issues that the progressive era sought to confront. Through the various obstacles and possibilities, such series of events influenced this crucial time.

After coming from an era focused on economic expansion, America remained isolated for the most part. An overwhelming demand for the United States to interfere was then sparked by the explosion of the USS Maine in Cuba and the Spanish

Particularly problematic was the US control over the Philippines, which gave rise to bloody clashes with Filipinos that opposed American control. The torturous practices and other cruel measures in the U.S. reaction to the uprising raised concerns over American imperialism, regarding the ethics. Mark Twain is one of the many that expressed disapproval, stating, “It should, it seems to me, be our pleasure and duty to make these people free, and let them deal with their own domestic questions in their own way. And so I am an anti-imperialist; I am opposed to having the eagle put its talons on any other land” (Mark Twain “Mark Twain Tells Why He Opposes Imperialism”). He furthers the argument that American officials are more concerned with expanding their control over new territories than they are with serving and aiding the local populations. Therefore, the Spanish American War was a major turning point in America's embrace of imperialism and move toward the empire paradigm as well as a significant military conflict, thirty years after the Civil War, as America fought united toward a common goal. The Philippine-American War then took place from 1899 to 1902 in which the deployment of cruel tactics used by the American soldiers as well as the persecution of

Despite being complex, World War I's source may be linked to a number of social, economic, and political issues which include nationalism, imperialism, militarism, alliances, and the assassination of Archduke-Franz Ferdinand (which served as a catalyst). Tensions began to grow with Central and Allied powers which caused conflicts to quickly escalate leading war to ensue and it “was virtually unprecedented in the slaughter, carnage, and destruction it caused” (Wallenfedlt 42). Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire (present-day Turkey), and Bulgaria comprised the Central Powers while Great Britain, France, Russia, and later the United States made up the Allied Powers (Triple Entente). The United States claimed its neutrality and made efforts to remain out of World War I when it started in 1914. President Wilson backed this by saying “impartial in thought as well as in action,” while avoiding picking a side in the conflict (Wallenfeldt 44). Nevertheless as the conflict went on and conditions in Europe got more severe, America became increasingly involved, through sympathy, German atrocities and submarine warfare, and the role of media, ascending into war in