Part of “America’s Finest Hour,” [BLANK-1] provided $12 bill…

Part of “America’s Finest Hour,” [BLANK-1] provided $12 billion in aid to Europe and helped rebuild the continent (including Germany and Italy) following World War II. It was a brilliant piece of foreign policy, as it helped avoid the economic pitfall that developed in the aftermath of the previous world war while increasing American goodwill abroad. America’s foes during WWII (like Germany) quickly developed into American allies as a result of the program. Alarmed by the positive reception the United States was receiving in Europe, the Soviet Union attempted to undermine this policy with the Berlin Blockade.

In the agrarian south during Reconstruction, [BLANK-1] repla…

In the agrarian south during Reconstruction, [BLANK-1] replaced slavery as one of the dominant forms of labor. African Americans initially favored this form of labor, as it awarded them some degree of autonomy from white overseers; however, over time, the system could lead to spiraling debt and frequently turned out to be a repressive form of labor.

A Scottish immigrant to America and steel magnate, [BLANK-1]…

A Scottish immigrant to America and steel magnate, [BLANK-1] was one of America’s wealthiest men and exemplified the complexities of America’s Gilded-Age millionaires (were they robber barons or captains of industry?). The man gained a fortune through owning a monopoly of steel firms and by employing vertical integration tactics. On the one hand, he was a great philanthropist. He wrote The Gospel of Wealth and donated much of his vast fortune to charity. On the other hand, he was a brutal employer who worked his employees 364 days a year and used Pinkerton Agents to break up unions and bust strikes.