Homework Ten Answers - Student Nineteen

1.Pick a question that you missed on the midterm exam, and describe several different ways that you could have figured out the correct answer instead.

      On my midterm exam, I got number 12 wrong. If I would have remembered how fervently  religious George Washington was, I believe it would have helped me in getting the question correct . I also think if I would have slowed down and had taken the time to think about the question, I would have been able to come to the correct answer. Besides, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were both not very religious people. I should have been able to use the process of elimination to find the right answer.

2.Write about any aspect of World War I, such as how the United States got involved, or how it ended.

       On May 7, 1915 the British passenger liner Lusitania was torpedoed by a German submarine which brought the United States into the First World War. The ship was carrying not only passengers but war materials also. The torpedo hit the cargo hold where munitions were stored, causing an enormous explosion and as a result the loss of 1,198 lives, 124 of which were Americans. Due to the American public being unaware of the munitions being illegally transported, (in violation of America's neutrality) the casualty totals generated strong support in the United States for a declaration of war against Germany.

4.Who was the most influential person of the time period in this lecture? Explain.

         I think Charles Darwin and his, “Social Darwinism,” unarguably was the most influential person during this time period. His theory of the survival of the fittest played a huge role in the ideas of the First World War. He left an enormous impact in education. This is of course still being taught in schools today. It has become such an accepted  topic in society. None of Darwin's evolutionary theories have been successfully proven, but yet so many people are willing to believe it anyway without question. Charles Darwin not only influenced the people of the 20th century, but also the people of the 21st century.

5.Pick any debate or discussion topic or issue in this lecture, and answer it. “Was it discriminatory or not to include girls and women in the Selected Service Act?

         No, I think it was not discriminatory to exclude women from the World War I draft. Women should not be forced to serve in the military. The traditional place of the woman was the home. If the draft had included women and girls, who would have stayed at home with the children? Who would have taken care of their families when their husbands were not there? If their husbands were out fighting in the War, how would they receive money to pay the bills? The women had to be there to take on some of the necessary jobs that their husbands could not do while at war. Thus, from a practical point of view, it was absolutely not discriminatory to include women in the draft.

6.Briefly explain Constitutional Amendments 16 through 19.

          Amendment XVI states that Congress has the power to lay and collect taxes on income from whatever source derived. It made the income tax constitutional. Amendment XVII declared that state Senators could be elected directly by the people for a six year term. Amendment  XVIII prohibited the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors in the United States. It started the period known as prohibition.  And amendment XIX granted women the right to vote.

Honors (pick 3 out of 5) H1.Discuss your view of the free speech decisions during World War I.

         I do not think that Congress should have put such strict regulations on free speech. Every person is allowed to express their concerns, ideas and dislikes. If it states in the Constitution that we have free speech than why would our Congressmen attempt to take it away? The people have specific rights that should not be infringed upon by our government.

H3.Contrast the presidents in the era of this lecture.

           Teddy Roosevelt was neither a liberal nor a conservative, he was a progressive. He was also a peacemaker when it came to foreign policy. He would help other nations reconcile their differences. William Taft was very conservative and he served not only as a President, but also as a leading Justice on the Supreme Court. Woodrow Wilson was similar to Roosevelt in that he also was a progressive. However, he did not like to get involved in the foreign affairs of other countries. He even tried to stay out of World War I.

H5.Do you think the ideas of Darwinism -- survival of the fittest -- made World War I so horrific?

           I do believe that the ideas of Darwinism did contribute to the horrific outcome of WWI. Darwin's ideas that only the fittest human beings should be allowed to survive and expand the human race caused some of the theories that sparked WWI. This way of thinking explains the absolutely horrific slaughtering of human lives that occurred during WWI.

Alexa W