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Unit 2: Imperialism and World War I

Course: English II + US History (Grade 10) Approximate period: 1890s–1920 FPS Learning Goals: Explain the impact of the United States' transformation into an imperialist power. Explain the causes and effects of the United States' entrance into World War I.

Proficiency scoring: see the official NDSBL US History Proficiency Scales (single source of truth for 1.0–4.0).

What This Unit Is About

At the turn of the 20th century, the United States made a deliberate decision to join the ranks of global imperial powers. The Spanish-American War (1898), the annexation of Hawaii, and the acquisition of the Philippines and Puerto Rico marked America's transformation from a continental to a global power.

Then, in 1917, America entered the deadliest war in history to that point — a European conflict it had spent three years trying to avoid. The decision to enter WWI, the way the war was sold to the American public through propaganda, and the failure of the Versailles peace treaty to produce a lasting peace all shaped the next two decades of world history.

This unit covers: - The logic and ideology of American imperialism - Spanish-American War (1898): Cuba, Philippines, Puerto Rico - Hawaii annexation and the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani - WWI causes: alliance systems, nationalism, militarism, imperialism (MAIN) - U.S. entry into WWI: Zimmermann Telegram, unrestricted submarine warfare, Lusitania - WWI homefront: propaganda, espionage and sedition acts, war bonds - Woodrow Wilson's 14 Points and the League of Nations - The Treaty of Versailles and why it failed to prevent WWII

All Six Standards Applied to Unit 2

US.6_12.1 + Unit 2 — Primary and Secondary Sources

Standard: Analyze primary and secondary sources with attention to reliability, impact, and purpose.

In Unit 2: Analyze sources on U.S. imperialism and WWI with attention to who created them, what they were trying to achieve, and what they left out.

Key sources: - Henry Cabot Lodge's 1915 speech on U.S. imperialism (pro-expansion) - William Jennings Bryan's anti-imperialist arguments - WWI propaganda posters (Uncle Sam "I Want You"; anti-German imagery) - The Zimmermann Telegram text - Wilson's 14 Points speech - The Treaty of Versailles (relevant sections) - Accounts from soldiers in the trenches vs. political leaders' justifications

FPS Skill Strand: OEC — Explain the impact of the United States' transformation into an imperialist power.

Learning targets: - I can analyze a WWI propaganda poster for its purpose, argument, and the emotions it is designed to produce. - I can compare Lodge's pro-imperialist argument to Bryan's anti-imperialist argument and identify the evidence and reasoning each uses. - I can evaluate the Treaty of Versailles as a historical document — what it actually says, who it blamed, and why it sowed the seeds of WWII.

US.6_12.2 + Unit 2 — Multiple Perspectives

Standard: Examine the impact of multiple perspectives on social, political, and cultural development.

In Unit 2: Examine how different groups viewed American imperialism and WWI entry — supporters vs. opponents, colonized peoples vs. American policymakers, soldiers vs. politicians.

Key perspectives: - American expansionists (Lodge, TR, Alfred Thayer Mahan): the U.S. must build a global navy, acquire overseas bases, and compete with European powers - Anti-imperialists (Mark Twain, Andrew Carnegie, Bryan): imperialism contradicts American democratic values; you can't govern people without their consent - Filipino perspective: the Philippine-American War (1899–1902) was a brutal counter-insurgency; 200,000–600,000 Filipino civilians died; this history is largely absent from American textbooks - Puerto Rican and Hawaiian perspectives: annexation without a referendum; still U.S. territories without full statehood in 2026 - WWI soldiers: the gap between the rhetoric of the war ("the war to end all wars," "making the world safe for democracy") and the reality of trench warfare - African American soldiers: fought for a country practicing Jim Crow; the "Double V" idea (victory abroad and at home) beginning in WWI

Learning targets: - I can explain the impact of multiple perspectives on U.S. entry into WWI and on American imperialism. - I can compare an American government perspective on colonialism with the perspective of the colonized.

US.6_12.3 + Unit 2 — Cause and Effect

Standard: Explain the relationship of events focusing on the link(s) between cause and effect.

In Unit 2 — the core FPS learning target: Explain the impact of U.S. entry into WWI and its imperialist transformation. Produce a WWI argumentation piece (2 documents, 2 pieces of evidence).

Key cause-and-effect chains: - Spanish-American War → American empire: the "splendid little war" (Secretary of State John Hay) produces the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico, and a protectorate over Cuba — the U.S. becomes an imperial power overnight - European alliance system + assassination of Franz Ferdinand → WWI: the interconnected treaty system means a regional conflict in the Balkans triggers a continental war - Unrestricted submarine warfare + Zimmermann Telegram → U.S. entry: Germany's decision to sink neutral ships (including American) combined with the diplomatic insult of the Zimmermann Telegram breaks Wilson's neutrality - WWI propaganda + espionage acts → civil liberties crisis: the Committee on Public Information produces pro-war propaganda; the Espionage Act (1917) and Sedition Act (1918) criminalize dissent - Treaty of Versailles war guilt clause → German resentment → WWII: the punishing terms imposed on Germany create the economic and psychological conditions for the rise of fascism

Learning targets: - I can trace the causes of U.S. entry into WWI from European alliance systems to specific incidents. - I can explain how the Treaty of Versailles caused the conditions that led to WWII. - I can produce a written argument about U.S. imperialism using two documents and two pieces of evidence.

US.6_12.4 + Unit 2 — Change Over Time

Standard: Compare how historical elements change over time.

In Unit 2: Design, develop, and create a primary or secondary source rooted in events from 1890–1930s. Evaluate the product's reliability, impact, and purpose.

Key comparisons: - U.S. imperialism of the 1890s → U.S. "global leadership" and military bases in 2026 - WWI propaganda → contemporary media and political messaging - Wilson's League of Nations failure → the United Nations (post-WWII) — what changed? - WWI anti-dissent laws (Espionage Act) → post-9/11 Patriot Act; ongoing tensions between national security and civil liberties

Learning targets: - I can identify a pattern from Unit 2 that is still visible in U.S. foreign policy or domestic politics today. - I can design a primary source document (propaganda poster, speech, editorial) rooted in Unit 2 content.

US.6_12.5 + Unit 2 — Significant Contributions of People and Policy

Standard: Analyze the significant contributions of people, policy, and the influence on an era.

In Unit 2 — FPS target: Formulate an argument identifying a key figure or policy that had the most significant impact (positive or negative): Herbert Hoover, Theodore Roosevelt, Isolationism, Imperialism, FDR, New Deal, Prohibition, Political Machines, etc.

Key people and policies: | Person/Policy | Contribution | |--------------|-------------| | Woodrow Wilson | 14 Points for a just peace; League of Nations (rejected by the U.S. Senate); Mexican and Caribbean interventions | | Theodore Roosevelt | Roosevelt Corollary to Monroe Doctrine (U.S. as Western Hemisphere police); Panama Canal; "speak softly and carry a big stick" | | Alfred Thayer Mahan | The Influence of Sea Power upon History — the intellectual framework for American naval imperialism | | Queen Liliuokalani | Last Hawaiian monarch; overthrown in a U.S.-backed coup; her story is a primary source on the costs of imperialism | | Zimmermann Telegram | German communication to Mexico proposing an alliance against the U.S.; intercepted by Britain and published; turned American public opinion toward war | | Espionage and Sedition Acts | Criminalized anti-war speech and action during WWI; Eugene Debs imprisoned for a speech |

US.6_12.6 + Unit 2 — Past to Present

Standard: Connect the past to the present using current events.

Key connections: - U.S. military bases worldwide → inherited from imperialist expansion (Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico still U.S. territories) - WWI propaganda techniques → contemporary media influence campaigns - League of Nations failure → U.S. debates about multilateralism vs. unilateralism today - Anti-immigrant sentiment in WWI (against Germans, then all Europeans) → current immigration debates - Puerto Rico: acquired in 1898, still not a state; U.S. citizens without full voting rights

Key Vocabulary for Unit 2

Term Definition
imperialism A policy of extending a nation's power through colonization, military force, or economic domination
isolationism The belief that the U.S. should avoid involvement in foreign conflicts and entanglements
Zimmermann Telegram A 1917 German diplomatic communication to Mexico proposing a military alliance against the U.S.; intercepted by Britain and published; accelerated U.S. entry into WWI
alliance system The network of mutual defense treaties in pre-WWI Europe that turned a regional conflict into a continental war
MAIN The four causes of WWI: Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism
trench warfare The defensive static warfare of WWI; opposing armies dug into parallel trenches facing each other
propaganda Information designed to promote a particular political cause; WWI produced the first systematic government propaganda campaigns
14 Points Woodrow Wilson's 1918 proposals for a just peace; included the League of Nations
League of Nations Wilson's proposed international organization to maintain peace; rejected by the U.S. Senate; the precursor to the United Nations
Treaty of Versailles The 1919 peace agreement ending WWI; blamed Germany and imposed punishing reparations; widely credited with creating conditions for WWII

Skinnies for Unit 2

Standard Skinny
US.1 Science & Tech Unit 2 Skinny
US.2 Ideas & Beliefs Unit 2 Skinny
US.3 Political Systems Unit 2 Skinny
US.4 Social & Economic Unit 2 Skinny
US.5 Causes & Effects Unit 2 Skinny
US.6 Past to Present Unit 2 Skinny

Reading Library — Unit 2 Texts

CrashCourse Episodes — Unit 2

ELA crosswalk standards most used in Unit 2: - W.4 — Argument writing (was American imperialism justified? should the US have entered WWI?) - R.9 — Informational/argumentative analysis (war propaganda posters, Wilson's speeches, anti-war arguments) - IR.1–5 — Research bundle (active every studio)

Why This Is Relevant Today?

American imperialism in Unit 2 raises a question that is still unresolved: what does the United States owe the people in countries where it has exercised military, economic, or political power? Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Hawaii, Cuba, Panama — the people of these places have been governed by or deeply shaped by American decisions they had no vote in. The overseas territories the U.S. acquired in the 1890s are still U.S. territories, and the people living there still have a different legal relationship to American democracy than people in the 50 states. WWI adds the parallel question: what are the unintended consequences of alliances, nationalism, and arms races? The 1914 war happened partly because interconnected agreements meant a local conflict could become a global one — a dynamic that has not disappeared. See WH-05: The Cost of War and Dulce et Decorum Est.

Unit 2: Imperialism and WWI — SDA Commons Wiki See also: USH Standards Overview · Unit 1 — Industrial Revolution · Unit 3 — Roaring 20s · Primary Sources