The 1910's were a time of great change for the United States of America. Wilson To the first African American heavy weight champion Jack Johnson. The 1910's the time when the KKK became known for lynching and other violent acts.  The decade where U.S. became a great power after being victorious in the War to end all wars took place in.

            On June 28, 1914 the Archduke of Austria-Hungry was assassinated and this caused a domino affect in Europe, one by one each nation declared war on each other. During this time the United States was dealing with Mexico and decided to stay out of the war in Europe.  At this time Germany started using U-boat warfare and killed about a hundred and twenty Americans.  After this, America warned Germany about using U-boats and if they did they would declare war on Germany.  Then in 1917 Germany continued using the U-boats to attack breaking the treaty with America.  Then Britain intercepted a message that Germany sent to Mexico telling them to attack America and they would get their land back.  America then declared war on Germany.

           In 1912 Roosevelt ran against Taft for the presidency but the Republican Party nominated Taft, Roosevelt and his supporters created their own party splitting the republicans in half.  With the Republican Party split the Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson won the presidency.  Wilson became the last progressive president in U.S. history. In the 1916 presidential election Wilson's campaign slogan " He kept us out of the war".  In 1917 Germany not only kept using u-boat warfare but they sank U.S. merchant ships, and before that Germany tried to send Mexico a message so the would attack the U.S. in exchange for some of the land they lost in the war with America.  After the war Wilson proposed his fourteen points to deal with Germany but were denied.

         In 1908 Jack Johnson defeated Tommy Burns in Sydney Australia becoming the first African American heavyweight champion of the world.  He kept the title from 1908 to 915.  Jack Johnson was hated not only for defeating white boxers but also for having romantic relationships with white women.  All this time white sport fans looked for The Great White Hope a white boxer who could defeat Johnson.  In 1910 he fought former world heavy weight champion James J. Jeffries for fifteen rounds and won.  After this racist whites rioted against blacks.  It wasn't until April 5, 1915 in Havana Cuba that Johnson lost the title to Jess Willard a younger white fighter.

           The KKK hadn't been active for many years.  The KKK was known for terrorizing African Americans and spreading hatred towards Jews, and Catholics as well.  In February 8,1915 the film The Birth of a Nation was realized, this movie glorified the KKK.  Through the 1910's African Americans migrated to the north for better jobs and other things when this happened racist whites were enraged.  Through 1910 many race riots took place like in 1917 nineteen African Americans soldiers were executed because seventeen whites were killed in a riot.  In 1919 race riots took place in the United State leaving many dead.

           The 1910's were the decade in which the U.S. first became a world power.  The race riot's in this time period were only the start of other race related problems and many more riot's.  The KKK was starting to grow all over this nation spreading their racist message into America.  Jack Johnson opened many doors for the African Americans. He is the fist to beat a white fighter giving hope to African Americans.

 

Sources

The 1910's from world war 1 to ragtime music, Stephen Feinstein, Enslow publisherd Inc, 2001