HIST1301 United States History I |Social and Economic Development

Introduction

Roger Daniels points out that the US freedom of seas policy allowing for free movement of people everywhere led to a world conflict and consequently World War 1 (Daniels 1997, 78). Conflicts and war may lead to the development of immigrants but global solutions are also necessary for the creation of social and economic development among the immigrants and the minorities in society. Mendez and Font (2013) support this thesis by identifying global factors that contribute to the development of immigrants and moniorities.

The World War 1 came about due to global issues like nationalism, military alliances and world politics, which support the existence of immigrants and minorities. A Serbian loyalist sparks World War 1 by assassinating Archduke Ferdinand together with his wife. As a result, countries go to war in-group alliances and this culminates into international treaties, creation of unity, non-governmental organizations and government intervention. These are social and political solutions, which Progressive Movements pursue in an attempt to bring social order.  

Immigration as a social issue is a concern that bothers movements because it creates minority classes.  Focused on activism, reforms and creating social order the progressive movements find solutions in the geopolitical factors such as diplomacy and nationalism. World War 1 includes experiences such as the Holocaust, which led to global interventions and diplomacy (Blanton and Kegley 2016). The participation of different nations in the war provided opportunities for dialogue and the formation of national groups such as ethnic and racial groups. Shared challenges at the time included the plight of young immigrants, employment and restrictions. World War 1 championed national identify as a solution for the conflict resolution.

Today, causes of war include religion, tribal divisiveness and segregation.  Progressive movements focus on patriotism through influencing people into action. These contribute to the emergence of immigrants and refugees who are minority groups in a country. World War 1 became a lesson for the global communities on how to deal with the root causes of division (Daniels 1997, 80). Policy changes such as the creation of law to facilitate for literacy among the adult immigrants came into play. Language is a critical factor of integration for uniting citizens.  Giving examples of the American immigrants, Daniels states that the impact of the war was positive because it gave immigrants a chance to coexist “side by side with the white man” (Daniels 1997, 81)

According to Daniels, the war opened economic and social doors of opportunities. However, the creation of thousands of jobs also came with challenges such as discrimination, violence and hostility as minorities defended themselves. Supporters of the movements advocate for social reforms addressing specific problems such as industrialization and immigration (Tilly and Lesley 2015). The World War 1 effects address both the root causes of these problems and addresses the issues from a multi-sectorial point of view.

Conclusion

It is agreeable that the Word War 1 led to immense benefits and opportunities for the global immigrants because it paved the way for global solutions against conflicts, which is a major cause of immigration. The war was also instrumental in creating immigrants but led to nationalism through the creation of a united nation. This is important in the socio economic development of immigrants.

References

Blanton, Shannon, L, and Charles, W Kegley. 2016. World Politics: Trend and Transformation, 2016-2017. Cengage Learning.

Daniels, Roger. 1997. Not Like Us: Immigrants and Minorities in America, 1890-1924. American Ways .

Mendez, Monica, and Joan Font. 2013. Surveying ethnic minorities and immigrant populations: Methodological challenges and research strategies. Amsterdam University Press.

Tilly, Charles, and J, Wood Lesley. 2015. Social Movements 1768-2012. Routledge