Megan's AP American Blog

LAD/Blog #32: Wilson's 14 Points of Peace Woodrow Wilson first proposed his 14 Points of Peace to Congress on January 8th, 1918. This plan was to promote peace, and was later used in the Treaty of Versailles following the Great War. However, Wilson's points were idealistic to a greater extent than they were realistic. This is because they were much too lenient in regards to punishing Germany, especially when other Allied countries wanted large repercussions for the Germans (ultimately seen in the War Guilt Clause). Additionally, the Treaty of Versailles (which was based off of Wilson's points in a way), failed, proving that his ideas were idealistic. Also, Wilson could not guarantee certain aspects of his 14 Points including the removal of economic barriers or the use of the League of Nations by all countries (his fourteenth point; the US itself wasn't even a part of it- the Senate denied the Treaty of Versailles), proving how his ideas were too idealistic. Wilson...

LAD/Blog #31: Schenck v. United States Schenck V. United States is the court case addressing the actions of Charles Schenck and Elizabeth Baer. They distributed leaflets against the draft, which said that it violated the Thirteenth Amendment. Schenck was charged with violating the Espionage Act of 1917 for “attempting to cause insubordination and to obstruct recruitment.” They were convicted and appealed that the law violated the First Amendment. The court maintained that the First Amendment wasn’t violated and that the Espionage Act was appropriate in wartime. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes said that courts had to defer to the government during wartime, and he also said that Schenck's letters posed a "clear and present danger," as they were hurting the nation, and had to be stopped. Finally, Holmes compared Schenk's distribution of letters to shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theater: it only caused harm/alarm, and were not permitted under the First Amendment....

LAD/Blog #27: MLK Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech is one of the most famous speeches of all time. He begins this by referencing Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. He says that it was a huge step, but African Americans are still not free. He says that America has not kept its promise of giving all citizens their rights, and that they need to take action. He says they must take action and cannot turn back, they cannot stop until civil rights are given. However, he says that African Americans must not resort to violence while fighting to end discrimination. He then speaks the well known line, “I have a dream…” Multiple times he repeats this, with his dreams of a free America for all peoples. It is the hope he has for America. I think some of the strongest dreams are the ones in which he calls out specific states- he is sparking change, and when he says, “I have a dream today.” He calls to America to help ...

LAD/Blog #30: Wilson's First Inaugural On Tuesday, March 13th, 1913, Woodrow Wilson gave his First Inaugural Address. In this speech, he demonstrated his many progressive beliefs. He began by saying how the government had transitioned into being fully Democratic, and that the nation is looking to use that to make changes, and to get rid of the old. Additionally, he said that with the good comes the bad. He touches on the industrial aspect of society, and how it has been incredibly beneficial…yet in some areas not so much. He acknowledges the lives lost, and the weight put upon the men women and children that have worked so hard for nothing. This is incredibly progressive for his time, especially when he says, “The great Government we loved has too often been made use of for private and selfish purposes, and those who used it had forgotten the people.” He says now there must be a cleansing, and correct these evils while maintaining what is positive. He says th...

LAD/Blog #29: Clayton Anti-Trust Act The complicated Clayton Anti-Trust Act was created to strengthen the vaguer Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890. It gave the government more power to act against trusts. Being much more detailed than its earlier counterpart, the Clayton Anti-Trust Act had five major points: ending price fixing, stopping unfair tying and exclusive dealing practices, giving private parties more power to sue, permitted labor unions to form, and ended “anticompetitive mergers.” This act contained many more nuances to stop the overwhelming power of big businesses, and also protected the public by exempting labor unions from the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. The Federal Trade Commission was created in 1914 through the Federal Trade Commission Act. This played a role in halting the power of trusts, and helped to enforce the Clayton Anti-Trust Act. Mainly, it was (and is) responsible for keeping businesses and their competitions fair. The Antitrust Division of the US Department of J...

LAD/Blog #28: Keating-Owen Child Labor Act The Keating-Owen Child Labor Act of 1916 was created to prevent interstate commerce for products produced by child labor. It said that there would be no shipment or delivery of products worked on by children in the past 30 days (with certain guidelines). Those who disobeyed this law could be severely punished. Also, it said that a board would be formed to make rules and regulations regarding this act, and that the Secretary of Labor would have authority to enter and inspect workplaces to see that they were following the law. Additionally, those who violated the law would have to pay a fine or face imprisonment (or both). This well-meaning law, otherwise known as the Wick’s Bill, was short lived. In 1918, the Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional in the court case Hammer v. Dagenhart 247 U.S. 252, because it overstepped the government’s capabilities of regulating commerce between the states. The Keating-Owen Child Labor Act ...

  LAD/Blog #26: William Jennings Bryan’s “Cross of Gold” Speech This speech took place on July 9 th , 1896. It references the question of whether the free coinage of silver should be endorsed at a ratio of silver to gold of 16:1. He begins by saying he is defending a cause “as holy as the cause of liberty,” and that being part of an election should be about humanitarian principles. He says that the Democrats have brought up the money question, and responds by asking people to consider the whole nation when contemplating this idea- policies must be adjusted based on the times. He says that he wants to represent everyone collectively, not as individuals. He says that they are standing for businessmen/laborers, and are trying to do what is right. He is aware the federal government controls money, but believes a gold standard concentrates power in the hands of the wealthy. Overall, he supports bimetallism, which he believed would help the nation grow. William Jennings Bryan ...