Opposing Viewpoints in American History

by Dudley, William

• ISBN13: 9780737731873
• ISBN10: 0737731877
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-12-15
• Publisher: GREENHAVEN PRESS

Summary

Opposing Viewpoints[Registered] in American History are anthologies of primary documents from America's past. Assembled in two volumes, Volume 1: From Colonial Times to Reconstruction and Volume 2: From Reconstruction to the Present, these writings discuss important and controversial events, personalities, movements, and ideas from the nation's history. Each volume presents more than eighty original sources in which men and women of various classes and professions express their opinions on the issues of their times. The writings are arranged in a pro/ con format, creating a running historical debate on specific topics within each era. Opposing Viewpoints[Registered] in American History offers students the opportunity to interpret history for themselves by studying original documents on the debates that forged our present social, political, and economic structures. Book jacket.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xi
Rebuilding After the Civil War (1865-1895)
Chronology	p. 1
Preface	p. 4
Reconstruction and the New Social Order in the South
Reconstruction Should Be Harsh (1865)	p. 7
Reconstruction Should Be Lenient (1866)	p. 8
The Ku Klux Klan Is a Terrorist Organization (1870)	p. 10
The Ku Klux Klan Is a Peacekeeping Organization (1872)	p. 12
The Gilded Age: Industrialization and Labor Conflicts
Concentrations of Wealth Harm America (1883)	p. 14
Concentrations of Wealth Help America (1889)	p. 17
The Organizing of Labor into Unions Is Dangerous (1886)	p. 20
Labor Unions Are Essential (1894)	p. 22
A Populist Prescription for Social Reform (1892)	p. 23
A Social Darwinist View of Social Reform (1914)	p. 25
The Progressive Era (1895-1920)
Chronology	p. 27
Preface	p. 30
Jim Crow and Black Response
Blacks Should Stop Agitating for Political Equality (1895)	p. 33
Blacks Should Strive for Political Equality (1903)	p. 34
Racial Segregation Is Constitutional (1896)	p. 37
Racial Segregation Is Unconstitutional (1896)	p. 39
American Empire
America Should Retain the Philippines (1900)	p. 42
America Should Not Rule the Philippines (1900)	p. 45
Progressive Era Reforms and Issues
Child Labor Should Be Abolished (1906)	p. 48
Child Labor May Be Beneficial (1883, 1906)	p. 50
American Women Should Have the Right to Vote (1909)	p. 52
American Women Should Not Have the Right to Vote (1909)	p. 55
Hetch Hetchy Valley Should Be Preserved (1912)	p. 58
Hetch Hetchy Valley Should Be Dammed (1913)	p. 59
The Federal Government Should Regulate Trusts: Roosevelt's New Nationalism (1910)	p. 61
The Federal Government Should Oppose Trusts: Wilson's New Freedom (1913)	p. 63
World War I and the League of Nations
America Should Enter World War I (1917)	p. 66
America Should Not Enter World War I (1917)	p. 69
War Dissenters' Freedoms of Speech and Assembly Must Be Preserved (1917)	p. 71
War Dissenters' Freedoms of Speech and Assembly Must Be Limited (1917)	p. 73
The United States Should Join the League of Nations (1919)	p. 74
The United States Should Not Join the League of Nations (1919)	p. 76
Prosperity, Depression, and War (1920-1945)
Chronology	p. 79
Preface	p. 82
Social and Cultural Issues of the 1920s
The Department of Justice Is Defending America from Communist Subversion (1920)	p. 85
The Department of Justice Is Violating Constitutional Freedoms (1920)	p. 87
H.L. Mencken Critiques America (1922)	p. 89
A Critique of H.L. Mencken (1928)	p. 91
Prohibition Is a Success (1924)	p. 93
Prohibition Is a Failure (1926)	p. 94
The Great Depression and the New Deal
Self-Help Is the Best Response to Unemployment (1932)	p. 96
Self-Help Is Not Enough (1932)	p. 98
America Needs a New Deal (1932)	p. 101
Roosevelt's New Deal Would Destroy America (1932)	p. 104
Redistributing America's Wealth Would Solve the Depression (1934)	p. 106
Long's "Share-Our-Wealth" Plan Is Impractical (1935)	p. 107
World War II
The United States Should Give Lend-Lease Aid to Great Britain (1940)	p. 108
Lend-Lease Aid Will Drag the United States into War (1941)	p. 111
The Internment of Japanese Americans Was Justified (1944)	p. 115
The Internment of Japanese Americans Was Not Justified (1944)	p. 116
Using the Atomic Bomb Against Japan Is Justified (1945)	p. 119
Dropping the Atomic Bomb on Japan Was Immoral (1945)	p. 120
The Cold War Abroad and at Home (1945-1989)
Chronology	p. 123
Preface	p. 126
Rise of the Cold War
America Should Seek Peace with the Soviet Union (1946)	p. 131
America Should Contain the Soviet Union (1947)	p. 133
Communist Subversives Threaten America (1950)	p. 137
McCarthyism Threatens America (1950)	p. 138
America Should Send a Man to the Moon (1961)	p. 141
America's Race to the Moon Is Misguided (1962)	p. 143
The Struggle for Civil Rights and Equality
Racial Segregation in Public Schools Is Unconstitutional (1954)	p. 145
The Supreme Court Should Not Interfere in Southern Racial Practices (1956)	p. 148
Blacks Should Strive to Be Part of the American Dream (1961)	p. 149
Blacks Can Never Be Part of the American Dream (1963)	p. 153
American Women Need an Equal Rights Amendment (1970)	p. 156
An Equal Rights Amendment Would Be Harmful (1970)	p. 158
The Turbulent Sixties
America Is Fighting for a Just Cause in Vietnam (1965)	p. 160
America Is Not Fighting for a Just Cause in Vietnam (1967)	p. 162
Riots Are Mob Criminal Acts (1966)	p. 164
Riots Are Social Revolutions (1967)	p. 166
America's Youth Must Lead a New Revolution (1962, 1968)	p. 169
Student Rebellion Leaders Are a Disgrace (1969)	p. 172
From Nixon to Reagan
Executive Privilege Protects a President's Private Communications (1973)	p. 174
A President's Executive Privilege Is Not Absolute (1974)	p. 176
America Is Facing a Crisis of Confidence (1979)	p. 178
The American Spirit Remains Strong (1980)	p. 181
The End of the Cold War
The Cold War Was a Great Victory for the United States (1992)	p. 184
The Cold War Was Not a Great Victory for the United States (1993)	p. 187
New Challenges After the Cold War (1991-Present)
Chronology	p. 190
Preface	p. 192
Domestic Challenges
America Must Reform Its Health Care System (1994)	p. 195
America's Health Care System Does Not Need Government Reform (1993)	p. 196
President Bill Clinton Should Be Impeached (1998)	p. 199
Clinton's Impeachment Is Not Justified (1998)	p. 201
Gay Marriage Must Be Banned (2003)	p. 203
Gay Marriage Should Not Be Banned (2006)	p. 205
National Security, Terrorism, and Iraq
America Must Use Military Force Against Iraq to Liberate Kuwait (1991)	p. 207
War Against Iraq Is Unnecessary (1991)	p. 208
America Must Wage War Against Terrorists (2001)	p. 210
America Must Seek Alternatives to a Military Response to Terrorism (2001)	p. 213
President George W. Bush Is Abusing the War Powers of His Office (2006)	p. 215
The President Needs Broad Wartime Powers to Protect the Nation (2006)	p. 217
Index	p. 220
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