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Chapter 9 -Early20th Century
Historical Overview
Washington’s rapid growth resulted from a
strong economy during the last 20 years of the 19th
century. As discussed earlier, farming, commercial
fishing, mining, shipbuilding, and timber were
some of these activities. Employers in these
industries needed employees. People came to
Washington in large numbers to fill these jobs.
During the early 20th century the state of
Washington continued to grow. By 1900, our
population was slightly more than one-half million
people. Washington’s major economic activities
were farming, timber, fishing, and mining. Each
industry made use of our many natural resources.
Washington’s manufacturing industries and
natural resources helped the United States economy
grow. Our state economy was especially important
to our nation prior to the Great Depression. The
Great Depression was the darkest economic period
in our history. By the end of World War II,
Washington had become an economic power. We
were the nation’s leading producer of
hydroelectricity, aluminum, and nuclear fuel.
Washington was among the national leaders in
aircraft and ship construction. We were also a major
international port.
Today, Washington leads the world in the
production of commercial aircraft and computer
software. We are also a leading producer of
electronic equipment. These companies produce
everything from measuring devices to video games.
At the same time, our traditional economic
activities continue to grow stronger. Our economy
will continue to expand during the 21 century.
However, Washington residents will have to adjust
to a changing job market.
In the future, there will be fewer
manufacturing jobs. There will be many more
service related careers. Service related industries
include people working in retail, wholesale,
distribution, recreation, tourism, entertainment,
and communication. Technology related jobs also
fall within this category. Can you think of examples
of jobs in each of these areas? There will continue
to be many career professionals.
This category includes those working in
education, medical, legal, financial, and other
institutions.
st
Commerce and Trade Centers
Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma are
Washington’s three largest cities. Each experienced
rapid growth during the 20 century. During this
time of rapid growth, each city was able to maintain
its dominance as a major center for trade. Seattle
and Spokane were the fastest growing of
Washington’s cities during the early 20th century.
th
Seattle
Seattle is located around Elliott Bay on the
eastern shoreline of Puget Sound. It has been
Washington’s largest city and seaport for more than
100 years. Elliott Bay is one of the deepest harbors
in the United States. It is also the United States’
closest port to Alaska. Its location also puts it very
close to the countries of the Pacific Rim as well.
International trade has been a main reason
for Seattle’s growth. Trading partners are located all
around the Pacific Rim. They look to Seattle for
their products. Tremendous volumes of twoway
trade are conducted with countries around the
Pacific Rim. These same countries also send their
products to the Port of Seattle.
Some major 20th century events helped the
economic growth of Seattle. The major events
included the Alaskan Gold Rush, World War I, and
World War II. Each event and its effects on Seattle
will be explained later.
Spokane
Washington’s largest city east of the
Cascades is Spokane. Spokane is located in the
foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It is a short
distance from the Idaho border. Spokane was an
important stop along the transcontinental railroad. It
became known as the capital of the “Inland
Empire.” It earned this nickname because of its
inland location.
Economic growth in Spokane has been
influenced by mining, agriculture, and woodrelated
activities. Dryland farming is important to eastern
Washington. Most of the successful dryland farms
of eastern Washington are to the south in the
Palouse Hills. Agriculture has been very important
to the economy of Spokane.
However, its location to nearby gold and
silver mines of northeastern Washington and
northern Idaho was also vital to Spokane. Mining
helped Spokane become a major city.
If it had not been for these events, Spokane
may not be the city it is today. Today, Spokane’s
economy has expanded into more areas. It offers
career opportunities in a variety of fields. Nearly
one-half million people live in the Spokane area.
Early 20th Century Historical Events
The 20th century may be divided into two
major periods: 1897-1945 and 1946 to today. The
remainder of this chapter will focus on important
historical events from 1897 to 1945. These events
include the Alaskan Gold Rush, the Progressive
Era, World War I, the 1920s, the Great Depression
Era, and World War II. The second half of the
century, from 1946 to the present, will be discussed
in Chapter 10. This era features the Cold War and
economic growth of the 1990s. Washington has
been an incredibly valuable state. The entire
country has benefited from our contributions. What
are the events that changed our state into an
economic power? Read on to find the answers.
The Alaskan Gold Rush 1897-1903
In 1897, large deposits of gold were found
in southeastern Alaska and northwestern Canada.
The Alaskan Gold Rush had a major impact on the
economic growth of Washington. Seattle was
undoubtedly the city most impacted by this gold
rush!
Seattle was the closest United States
seaport to Alaska. During the gold rush, thousands
of gold miners traveled to Seattle heading north.
After purchasing supplies in Seattle, it was “North
to Alaska.” Seattle merchants took advantage of
these hearty souls. They sold more supplies and
equipment than the miners could ever carry or need.
When the miners found gold, they shipped their
treasure back to Seattle. The gold’s value was
determined here. The miners spent their millions in
Seattle businesses. Any money not spent was often
deposited in Seattle banks. The Puget Sound
economy boomed.
The Alaskan Gold Rush helped Seattle
surpass Portland, Oregon as the largest city and
biggest port in the Pacific Northwest. In 1900,
Seattle’s population was 80,671. By 1910, it totaled
237,194. This was due to the fact that most of the
returning Alaskan miners stayed in Seattle.
The Progressive Era 1900-1917
The goal of the Progressive Era was to
improve our democratic system. Changes made
to our government addressed the concerns of most
Americans.
Washington voters were very active during
this period. Women were finally granted the right to
vote. It was decided that our United States senators
would be elected directly through a state vote. The
Progressive Era gave the American voters more
power.
The Progressive Era was vital to
Washington’s economic and political growth. In
the early 20th century, the American government
expanded its foreign markets. Asia, with its large
population, was one important market. Other
nations also opened their ports to our goods. The
major port cities of Seattle and Tacoma prospered
from these new markets.
Washington ports shipped fish, wheat, and
other food items to Asia. Also exported were forest
products and manufactured goods. Our farmers
benefited from our new trading partners Japan and
China. The Panama Canal was completed in 1914.
Its completion also helped increase the production
of goods. The canal linked the Pacific and Atlantic
oceans through the country of Panama in Central
America. Goods could now be easily and quickly
shipped to and from the eastern United States.
World War I (1914-1918)
World War I began on June 28, 1914 and
ended on November 11, 1918. The war was fought
in western, eastern, and southern Europe and on the
Atlantic Ocean. The United States did not enter the
war until April 2, 1917. The growing war effort
created strong demand for our timber, industrial
products, food, and warships. Our nation’s
involvement had a major economic impact on the
residents of Washington. The war also had a
positive effect on our economy.
America entered into what’s referred to as a
wartime economy. Washington’s farmers and
industrial workers prospered. Farmers grew the
crops that fed the troops fighting on the front lines.
Of course those in other supporting roles also
benefited. Our industrial plants operated at full
capacity. Ships, aircraft, and other important war
effort products were built in our plants.
Many thousands of young Americans were
involved in the war overseas. At the same time, this
created a labor shortage at home. People moved to
Washington by the thousands to fill these new jobs.
Some came to work on farms. Others arrived
seeking jobs in the factories and other businesses of
the area.
Washington’s economy grew and became
more industrialized. With this rapid growth and
poor working conditions more labor unions formed.
The labor union movement was strong during the
late 19th and early 20th centuries. Labor organizers
tried to improve wages and working conditions.
Often the laborer and owner had different goals.
Disputes between these groups resulted in strikes
and violence.
Labor unions were somewhat successful in
Washington. Miners, lumbermen, and
manufacturing workers supported and joined
unions. As a group, workers strengthened their
position through strikes and negotiations. Unions
helped them ask for higher wages, shorter working
hours, and safer conditions. The union’s
ultimate goal was for every worker to become a
member.
The owners preferred keeping unions out of
their companies. Owners believed the union’s
demands for higher wages and safer working
conditions would increase their costs. Increased
cost meant lower profits. Both sides believed
strongly that they were right. Such strong opinions
led to conflict.
During World War I, Washington had a few
major labor conflicts, or strikes. The most active
and troublesome labor organization in the region
was the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).
The IWW was involved in several violent incidents
around Washington.
In 1916, the Everett Massacre was a union
labor dispute. It resulted in seven dead and 50
wounded. In 1917, the American Federation of
Labor (AFL) and the IWW organized a general
strike. They targeted the timber industry. Over
50,000 timber workers went on strike. This strike
stopped the flow of spruce trees from our forests.
Spruce was very strong, straight-grained wood. It
was used to make wing spars for the popular WWI
biplanes. Without the spruce wood manufacturers
did not have enough spruce to build these airplanes.
In response, 27,000 soldiers were sent to harvest the
trees. This “Spruce Division” replaced the striking
timber workers.
Their involvement allowed the
manufacturing of the planes to continue. Eventually
the strike was resolved.
The 1920s – Peacetime Economy
Peace was finally restored in Europe in
1919. As a result of peace, the American economy
slowed sharply into a recession. Once again,
Europeans produced their own food, clothing, and
manufactured goods. At the same time, American
farmers and industries were overproducing.
Overproduction resulted in surplus, or
extra, goods. As a result, prices and profits fell
sharply. Decreased buyer demand caused fewer
products to be purchased. Workers were laid off
when fewer goods were needed. Washington’s
unemployment rate increased at this time. To make
matters worse, several million servicemen and
women were waiting to rejoin the workforce. The
result was fewer jobs, lower wages, and poor
working conditions.
During the recession that followed the war
many violent confrontations occurred between
unionized laborers and their employers. There were
several violent labor strikes. Generally, workers
took their personal frustrations out on minority
workers. Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and eastern
European immigrants were common targets. They
were falsely blamed for stealing jobs.
When economic times were tough, workers
joined labor unions. Groups of workers had a better
chance to survive than did a single worker. Nearly
100,000 workers joined Pacific Northwest unions.
In February 1919, workers went on a four day
general strike. On November 11, 1919, violence
erupted in Centralia. During an Armistice Day
march by American Legionnaires (World War I
veterans), seven people were killed. Shooting
occurred between Legionnaires and members of the
IWW, or “Wobblies.” Wesley Everest, a Wobbly,
was mutilated and lynched by a mob of
Lgionnaires. The IWW movement rapidly declined
after the Centralia and Everest incidents.
Political and Racial Prejudice
After World War I, several groups of
Americans were victims of mistrust. The “Red
Scare” occurred in the 1920s. People mistrusted socalled “socialists” and “communists.” Political
differences caused many problems. Economies may
experience occasional world-wide slowdowns.
During these periods, people often react harshly to
those who are most vulnerable. From the 1880s to
the 1920s, the most frequently harassed groups
were the Native American, African Americans, and
Chinese.
There were several anti-Chinese riots and
violent acts. Hostility spread to non-citizens of the
United States, or aliens. Anyone who had recently
immigrated to Washington became targets of attack.
The Ku Klux Klan, a racial hate organization,
attacked many of these people.
The Great Depression (1929-World War II)
Washington’s economy in the 1920s was
slow to grow. Most residents worked hard to have a
better life style. Then the stock market crashed
October 24-28, 1929. Everything got much worse
for nearly everyone. The stock market crash
plunged the our state, our country, and the world
into the “Great Depression.” It lasted nearly 12
years.
The depression was very difficult for
almost every American. The depression crippled the
economy. One out of four people were without
work. Personal incomes were cut in half. Times
were bleak. During the depression, people could not
find work. They were often hungry, desperate, and
homeless. Farms were foreclosed, factories closed,
banks failed, and families were forced to move.
Poverty was everywhere. The hard times got only
worse before they got better. Many families were
forced to live in shantytowns. The shantytowns
were called “Hoovervilles.” Seattle’s Hooverville
was one of the largest in the country. The darkest
days of the depression were the years of 1932 and
1933.
President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal
In November 1932, voters were looking for
a change in leadership. They elected Franklin D.
Roosevelt as president of the United States.
Americans hoped he could bring the nation out of
the depression. President Roosevelt took office in
March 1933. Immediately he went to work to end
the Great Depression. Roosevelt formulated and
passed many major pieces of legislation. Each was
intended to help the economy. Together they would
be known as the “New Deal” programs.
Almost every New Deal program benefited
someone or some area in our country. Some of the
largest programs were planned for our state during
the 1930s. A few of these projects were very
successful.
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
was a government program. CCC employed young
male adults. They built roads, parks, trails,
campsites, and completed many other projects.
These projects helped preserve the beauty of our
state forests and wilderness areas. It was a
successful program because it provided work,
income, and purpose to young adults. These
projects also preserved our natural environment
for future generations.
New Deal programs included many public
work projects. Many highways, tunnels, and bridges
were improved. Several multipurpose hydroelectric
dams were eventually built on the Columbia River.
These dams created many jobs.
They also boosted our local economy.
The New Deal also provided funding for the
planning and construction of a grand dam on the
mighty Columbia River. Construction of Grand
Coulee Dam began in 1933. It was finished just
eight years later. The dam cost hundreds of millions
of dollars to build. Its construction employed
thousands of workers. Grand Coulee was the largest
concrete structure in the world!
Grand Coulee helped provide electricity for
the growing demands of military factories. Many
other dams did the same. Electricity from
Washington’s dams and other dams on the
Columbia River were used to produce a new
lightweight metal. It was called aluminum.
Aluminum producers needed large amounts of
electricity to convert alumina into a metal.
Aluminum was an important metal used in
aircraft production. While the aluminum industry
was benefitting from cheap electricity, an
increasing amount of energy was being sent
secretly into the desert of central Washington.
The power was being used to create plutonium
for the “Manhattan Project.”
These projects and industries proved to be
very important to the Second World War cause.
Would our nation have been prepared for war
without these advancements in Washington?
World War II
The Second World War (1939-1945) was
the most important event in the 20th century. World
War II ended the Great Depression, but at the cost
of tens of millions of lives. The war was waged
primarily in Europe, North Africa, Asia, and the
Pacific Islands. The war also destroyed most of
Europe and Japan.
War raged in Europe and Asia. The United
States remained neutral from 1939-1941. Secretly
the United States supported Great Britain and the
Soviet Union’s effort against Germany and Italy.
America supplied food, natural resources,
manufactured goods, raw materials, and weapons.
These supplies helped support Britain’s war effort
against Germany. The production and sale of these
critical items strengthened our national economy.
By late 1941, Germany and Italy controlled almost
all of Europe, North Africa, and western Russia.
Imperial Japan had expanded its empire into China,
Southeast Asia, and the islands of the western
Pacific.
The forces fighting during the Second
World War were the Allies and the Axis. Germany,
Italy, and Imperial Japan were known as the Axis
Powers. Their most infamous leader was Adolph
Hitler of Nazi Germany. The United States, Great
Britain, and the Soviet Union teamed together to
form the Allies. The Allies prevented world
domination of the Axis Powers.
On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the
American naval base, Pearl Harbor. It was a critical
base in the Pacific. It provided protection against
attack on the mainland of the United States. Japan’s
surprise attack sunk or severely damaged most of
our Pacific Fleet. This attack brought the United
States into the war. On December 8, 1941,
Congress declared war on Imperial Japan. Once we
declared war on Japan, Germany declared war on
us. This opened four years of fighting a two front
World War.
Japan and Germany challenged our
democratic way of life. The United States
government, the American people, and our allies
fought to protect our democracy. The fight was
also for the protection of our individual liberties
and personal freedoms.
After Pearl Harbor, our country was also
committed to freedom in Europe, North Africa,
Asia, and the Pacific Islands. The American people
worked long, hard hours to supply the growing war
effort. Our men fought bravely on two fronts to
defeat Germany and Japan. It was a difficult and
costly task.
On May 8, 1945, Germany surrendered to
the Allies. The United States military then turned
its focus toward defeating Japan. The battle for the
Pacific was fierce. To end the war, we dropped our
secret weapon, the atomic bomb. On August 6,
1945, the first bomb was detonated over Hiroshima,
Japan. The second bomb was dropped, three days
later, on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. Japan
surrendered September 2, 1945 on the deck of the
USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. World War II was
over!
The Home Front
Life had changed for everyone because of
World War II. Millions of young men and women
volunteered for service in the armed forces. Others
were drafted. The war provided work for the
estitute and unemployed. Young and old, male and
female, people of all nationalities had opportunities
to work. They worked not only for themselves, but
for the greater good of the nation as well. The war
effort provided a common
JAPANESE AMERICAN
INTERNMENT
During the latter half of the 19th century,
thousands of native born Japanese “Issei”
immigrated into the United States. They came
to our mainland and also to our territorial
possessions, especially Hawaii. A large
percentage of Japanese Americans and their
American born children, “Nisei,” lived and
orked along the Pacific Coast of the United
States. They settled in the states of ashington,
Oregon, California, and Arizona. Many
apanese Americans worked building railroads.
Others found jobs in the gold and silver mines.
Most, however, farmed the fertile river valleys
along the Pacific Coast.
Everything changed on the morning of
Sunday, December 7, 1941. The Japanese
Navy aunched a very successful surprise
attack on the United States naval base at Pearl
Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands. On December
8, 1941, President Roosevelt requested
Congress to declare war on Japan. The
declaration passed easily. Naturally, because
of Pearl Harbor, the United States government
and most Americans were very concerned.
They worried about the possibility of a
Japanese invasion along the West Coast of the
United States. Another concern was that
Japanese residents living in the country would
be involved in espionage and sabotage during
the Second World War. It should be noted that
Japan never invaded the contiguous United
States. There also were no proven acts of
sabotage or espionage by any of the Japanese
Issei and Nisei during the war. There were a
few incidents of balloon bombings, and coastal
shellings from Japanese submarines.
As a direct result of this wartime
environment and with the full knowledge that
nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans lived
along the West Coast, high ranking United
States military and government officials
immediately began planning for the security of
the country. At the time, it did not matter that
two-thirds of the 120,000 Japanese Americans
were Nisei, American born citizens, who
proclaimed their loyalty to the United States.
These Japanese Americans were viewed as
potential saboteurs and spies for Japan.
Lt. General DeWitt, commander of the Western
Defense Command, formally recommended,
on February 14, 1942, the securing of the West
Coast. This was done by removing all
Japanese Americans to the interior of the
United States. On February 19, 1942,
President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued and
signed Executive Order No. 9066. This order
gave the Secretary of War and the military
commanders the authorization to secure the
Western Defense Zone by the immediate
removal of all Japanese living west of the
Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountains.
Executive Order No. 9066 and subsequent
documents (Executive Order No. 9102
establishing the War Relocation Authority on
March 18, 1941; and the Civilian Exclusion
Order No. 5 on April 1, 1942 removing all
Japanese on the West Coast) were instituted
to secure the coastal areas from potential
saboteurs and spies.
All Japanese Americans (1/8th
Japanese ancestry) were immediately
removed from those areas designated as
Military Area #1. The evacuation plan called for
all Japanese to either voluntarily or forcibly be
moved to a nearby assembly area for
processing. They would remain there until ten
permanent internment camps could be
constructed. The government issued 25
specific orders to allow a few days for the
Japanese Americans to sell their assets and
be transported to the “assembly centers” to
which they were assigned.
JAPANESE AMERICAN
INTERNMENT
One assembly center was called C-1-70 Camp
Harmony. It was located at the Western
Washington Fair Grounds in Puyallup,
Washington. Between March 22nd and June 5th,
1942, all persons of Japanese ancestry had
been removed from Military Area #1. Some of
the first families moved were the 54 Japanese
American families living on Bainbridge Island.
They were ordered to move within ten days in
late March 1942. They were transferred to
Camp Harmony in Puyallup. From there they
were shipped Manzanar Relocation Center,
some 235 miles north of Los Angeles,
California for the duration of the war. Ten
relocation, or internment, camps were hastily
constructed in the spring of 1942. These amps
were usually located in isolated desert areas of
the West. Isolated in rather inhospitable
conditions, life was harsh in these detention
centers. Intense heat in the summer, cold
winters, and dry, dusty, windy conditions made
their lives miserable. Fortunately, families were
allowed to live together. Children
JAPANESE AMERICAN
INTERNMENT
States was based on the constitutionality of the
detention. In December 1944, the United
States Supreme Court handed down a majority
decision upholding the validity of the
evacuation order. Gordon Hirabayashi, a
young University of Washington student,
purposely violated the 8:00pm to 6:00am
curfew law and the evacuation order. The
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested
him. He was fined and imprisoned for two
years. Hirabayashi was supported by the JACL
and ACLU. A Portland attorney, Minoru Yasui,
also violated curfew. The court ruled that the
military laws do not supersede the onstitution.
Yasui, however, was placed in jail for one year
and fined $5,000.
Finally on December 17, 1944, the War
Department issued an announcement ending
the exclusion order against Japanese
American citizens. On December 18, 1944, the
War Relocation Authority announced the
closure of all detention centers in 1945. On
March 20, 1946, all centers were permanently
closed. After their release, many of the
Japanese Americans did not return to their
original homes. They instead moved elsewhere
to start over.
The irony is that approximately 33,500
Nisei served in both the European Theater and
Pacific Theater. The famed 100th Infantry
Battalion, and the most decorated military unit
in World War II, the 442nd Regimental Combat
Team, fought with bravery and courage. This
team was important during the battles in Italy
and France during World War II.
After World War II, the Japanese
Americans and their supporters sought formal
redress and reparations for their misfortunes
during the war. In May 1959, the Nisei had
their citizenship restored. In October 1988,
Congress passed a financial reparations
award. The United States government
belatedly apologized to Japanese Americans.
Each of the 60,000 living World War Japanese
American internees received a tax free
separation payment of $20,000 from the
government. Were allowed to attend school.
Even low paying work was available both in
and around the camp. These camps were
fenced and heavily guarded by the United
States Army personnel. The camps were
organized into “blocks” comprised of 12
residential barracks. Each tar papered wood
frame barrack contained six rooms. Rooms
were approximately 20 feet by 25 feet in size.
They provided shelter for an entire family.
There were six families per barrack. Normally
each block housed 300 people. There might be
40 to 60 blocks in the camp. Each block had a
common kitchen, mess hall, recreation hall,
laundry, shower, and toilet facilities.
However, there was no running water
or toilet facilities in the barracks. The years
spent in these camps made an indelible
impression on each and every one of the
Japanese Americans, adult or child!
Most of Washington’s 13,400 Japanese
Americans were detained either the Minidoka
Relocation Center in Hunt, Idaho or the Tule
Lake Center in northern California During the
period of physical detention and internment,
there were a few significant legal challenges to
the constitutionality of Executive Order No.
9066. Fred Korematsu was arrested for
violating the Civilian Exclusion Order. He was
found guilty and jailed. His case against the
United
cause. National pride was at a high point not seen in
recent years.
Washington’s shipbuilding industry
flourished during the war. More than 210,000
workers were employed from 1941 to 1945.
Shipyards and repair centers were located
throughout our Washington coastline. Hundreds
of ships were built. New techniques allowed
ships to be built quicker. The emerging aircraft
industry also experienced rapid growth. During the
war, tens of thousands of Boeing workers produced
thousands of long range bombers. The B-17
Flying Fortress and the B-29 Superfortress played
vital roles in our victory over the Axis powers.
The United States government greatly expanded
military bases within Washington. These bases
employed thousands of civilians and military
personnel. Our naval ports and air bases became
major points of departure for personnel and supplies
for the war effort in the Pacific Theatre.
The overall economic impact of World War
II upon our state cannot be overstated.
Washingtonians’ contributions to our nation’s
war effort went far beyond simply providing
military personnel.
Washington farmers produced large
quantities of grain, meat, fruit, vegetables, and
processed foods. Nearly every acre of farmland
was used for production. Farmers increased
agricultural production greatly during the war
time economy. Electricity was generated and
shipped from the Bonneville, Rock Island, and
Grand Coulee dams. Electricity went to the
aluminum and nuclear plants in eastern
Washington.
Most of the electricity from Grand Coulee
dam powered the Hanford Atomic Works. This
top-secret nuclear project developed the important
radioactive material called plutonium. Plutonium
manufactured at Hanford was used the top-secret
program called the “Manhattan Project.” This
project’s only goal was to design, engineer, and
build the world’s first atomic bomb. These secret
projects opened a new era in weapons development.
It also began the Cold War!
Washington’s war time economy resulted
in a period of rapid population growth. The new
residents worked in the fields, built ships and
aircraft, and harvested lumber. Most of these new
residents lived in the Puget Sound region. These
areas and other outlying communities grew rapidly
over the next 50 years. In addition, military
personnel and others chose to live permanently in
our state after the war.
Chapter Summary
Washington’s population and economic
growth from 1897 to 1945 was phenomenal. A
series of events beyond our state changed
Washington forever. The Alaskan Gold Rush,
Panama Canal, international trade, World War I,
and World War II stimulated rapid growth in
Washington.
Internal events, such as the Progressive Era,
the roaring 20s, and the Great Depression, had both
positive and negative impacts on Washingtonians.
World War I and World War II stimulated the
growth of the traditional economic activities:
agriculture, mining, fishing, and lumbering. The
wartime economies allowed expansion of
shipbuilding, aircraft manufacturing, aluminum
production, and hydroelectric and nuclear power
generation.
Washington residents generally prospered from
1897 to 1945, but not without some hardships.
Mother Nature and business cycles hurt the people.
The long economic depression from 1929 to 1942
impacted every Washingtonian in some way. Of
course, war brings suffering to many individuals
and families. This era also brought racial and
religious prejudices and acts of discrimination
against Native Americans, Chinese, Japanese,
Blacks, European immigrants, and American
migrants.
The result of the historical period from
1897 to 1945 was the unmatched democracy,
political stability, economic growth, and respect
reflected in the next period of Washington history
— 1946 to the present.
CHAPTER REVIEW
ACTIVITIES
1. Use either a dictionary or the glossary to define
each of the following terms:
Aluminum goods manufacturing relocation
demand hydroelectric Nisei
stock market
electricity labor strike
plutonium supply
2. Identify the following people or groups:
AFL
William Boeing
KKK
Franklin Roosevelt
American Legionnaire
CCC
IWW
Wesley Everest
Axis Powers
Fred
Korematsu Japanese
3. Place each of the following historical events in
their proper chronological order.
Identify the date of each event or historical era.
Alaskan Gold Rush
Manhattan Project
Spruce Division
Executive Order 9066
New Deal Program
Woman Suffrage
Everett Massacre
Progressive Era
World War I
Great Depression
Red Scare
World War II
4. Write a short descriptive essay answering each
of the following questions.
A) The Alaskan Gold Rush was responsible for the
rapid growth of Seattle. Why?
B) World Wars I and II both stimulated
Washington’s economy. Which war had the
greatest impact on our long term economic growth?
Support your views.
C) Several groups of Washington residents suffered
from social and racial
discrimination. Cite at least six specific examples
from 1897 to 1945.
D) Identify at least four industries which grew as a
result of 20th century warfare
between 1900 and 1945. How did these industries
benefit from war?
E) The two most controversial aspects of WWII
were the secret Manhattan Project
and Executive Order #9066. Why were these
controversial? Should the United
States government and the American people pay
reparations to the victims of
both programs? Support your viewpoint.