Chapter 19: Seizing an American Empire, 1865–1913
CORE OBJECTIVES
1. Describe the factors that motivated America’s new imperialism after the Civil War.
2. Explain why and how America expanded its influence in the Pacific before the Spanish-
TRUE/FALSE
1. Toward the end of the nineteenth century, Manifest Destiny focused on expanding
American control over the Middle East and Russia.
2. American figures used social Darwinist ideas to justify policies of imperial expansion.
3. The purchase of Alaska from Russia for millions of dollars proved to be a huge bargain.
4. Between 1875 and 1890, sugar from Hawaii could enter the United States duty free.
5. The release of the de L™me letter, which had been stolen by Cuban revolutionaries, made
the start of the Spanish-American War significantly more likely.
6. Theodore Roosevelt led troops into battle in the Philippines.
7. After the Spanish-American War, the United States substituted its own imperialism for
Spain’s.
8. After the Spanish-American war, the United States granted the Philippines independence.
9. The American Anti-Imperialist League was formed to combat Philippine independence.
10. The Open Door Policy of 1899 asserted that Chinese trade would be open to all nations.
11. McKinley was re-elected in 1900 despite losing the popular vote to William Jennings
Bryan.
12. Experienced in public affairs and known for his energy as vice president, Theodore
Roosevelt attained the presidency because McKinley was assassinated.
13. Roosevelt’s methods for taking control of the Panama canal and his support for the
Panamanian rebels led to ill will in Latin America toward the United States.
14. Roosevelt considered a cause for American expansion to be controlling “barbarous” peoples
and promoting racism.
15. President William Howard Taft and President Woodrow Wilson discontinued the trend of
American intervention in international affairs begun by Roosevelt.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. According to your textbook, after the Civil War, Americans generally favored __________
in foreign policy.
a. isolationism
b. world domination
c. rapid expansion around the globe
d. careful expansion into Europe
e. expansion into Canada
2. How did Americans’ understanding of manifest destiny change after the Civil War?
a. Americans focused more on acquiring territory in North America than territory in other
parts of the world.
b. Americans predominantly used the idea of manifest destiny as a basis for arguing
against imperialism.
c. Americans rejected manifest destiny because they thought the continental United States
should be the sole provider of raw materials for industrialization.
d. Americans embraced the idea of acquiring territories as “colonies” without the intention
of making them states.
e. Americans felt less safe and were motivated to expand to protect themselves from their
militarily powerful neighbors in the Western Hemisphere.
3. How did expansionists justify imperialism in the late nineteenth century?
a. They hoped to decrease the amount of government spending that went into the nation’s
military.
b. They wished to experiment with other types of government than democracy.
c. They sought racial equality and thought this could be achieved through a more diverse
society.
d. They sought to spread their Christian and democratic beliefs to other parts of the world.
e. They wished to help the United States become less entangled in foreign affairs and more
focused on domestic issues.
4. Which of the following was a tenet of The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660–
1783?
a. The United States should remain isolated from overseas’ affairs and instead focus on
western expansion in its own continent.
b. A powerful navy was essential for protecting national interests and developing global
commerce.
c. The United States had invested too much in its navy over the years and should instead
focus on the army.
d. The United States should focus on small secret operations as opposed to large
battleships and global bases.
e. Pursuing new markets overseas would only bring financial ruin to the United States.
5. Many Americans in the late nineteenth century believed that the __________ race was
superior and other races, like that of the __________, were inferior.
a. Anglo-Saxon; Indians
b. Indian; Africans
c. French; English
d. English; Spanish
e. Spanish; Anglo-Saxons
6. Purchased in 1866, the largest territorial acquisition of the nineteenth century since the
Louisiana Purchase was
a. Alaska.
b. Hawaii.
c. British Columbia.
d. Puerto Rico.
e. the Philippines.
7. Which of the following statements regarding American imperialism in the Pacific is
accurate?
a. The United States’ acquisition of Alaska resulted in acquiring large oil and gold
deposits.
b. A famine in Hawaii led to the American acquisition of Hawaii being called “Seward’s
Folly.”
c. A coup in Alaska enabled the United States to annex the peninsula more easily.
d. The United States conspired with other nations to annex Japan and sent a special
commissioner there.
e. The Hawaiians strongly supported the annexation of Hawaii by the United States.
8. The cash crop that made Hawaii valuable to the United States was
a. sugarcane.
b. pineapple.
c. macadamia nuts.
d. palm oil.
e. coconuts.
9. By the 1890s, the largest ethnic population in Hawaii was
a. Americans.
b. haoles.
c. Asians.
d. English.
e. Hawaiians.
10. The Hawaiian ruler Queen Liliuokalani tried to do which of the following in the early
1890s?
a. Increase American immigration
b. Broker a trade agreement between the United States and Hawaii
c. Restrict the growing political power of America in the islands
d. Increase tariffs
e. Institute an income tax
11. Whites on the Hawaiian Islands were referred to as
a. kanaka.
b. haoles.
c. makai.
d. mahalo.
e. hana.
12. What was a reason why the United States intervened in the Cuban War for Independence?
a. American leaders wanted to protect the Spanish economy and destroy the Cuban
economy in an effort to benefit their own.
b. Americans, ironically, were incensed by the brutal imperialism Spain exercised over
Cuba.
c. American leaders deemed guerrilla warfare inhumane and wished to assist Spain using
other methods.
d. President McKinley was initially eager to rush into war, despite Theodore Roosevelt’s
insistence that he take caution.
e. The Spanish government refused to meet any American demands regarding its control
over Cuba after the sinking of an American battleship.
13. Which of the following characterized yellow journalism, the type of newspaper reporting
that appeared during the Spanish-American War (War of 1898)?
a. Sensationalism meant to affect public opinion
b. Strict adherence to facts
c. Reporting without political motives in mind
d. Reporting in secret despite censorship
e. Reporting broadcast over the radio rather than in written form
14. Which of the following religious groups was particularly supportive of the War of 1898?
a. Protestants
b. Jews
c. Catholics
d. Mennonites
e. Quakers
15. What is the name of the U.S. battleship that famously sank in Havana Harbor in 1898?
a. the Virginia
b. the Massachusetts
c. the Maine
d. the Alamo
e. the New Jersey
16. The Teller Amendment, when added to the declaration of war on Spain, denied any U.S.
intention to annex
a. Puerto Rico.
b. the Philippines.
c. Cuba.
d. the Dominican Republic.
e. Hawaii.
17. Why has the Spanish-American War been renamed the War of 1898?
a. It lasted nearly all of the 1880s, culminating in 1898.
b. The Spanish initially started the war but soon dropped out of it.
c. In the last phase of the war, Spain and the United States were on the same side.
d. The Spanish-American War predominantly took place in the Indian Ocean.
e. Cubans, Puerto Ricans, and Filipinos also engaged in the fighting.
18. __________ was the leader of the Filipino nationalists during the War of 1898.
a. Theodore Roosevelt
b. Commodore Dewey
c. William McKinley
d. Emilio Aguinaldo
e. Caesar Chavez
19. The main issue that arose with the soldiers who volunteered for the U.S. Army during the
Spanish-American War was that
a. they could not read or write.
b. they had tremendous animosity toward Cubans.
c. most of them were afraid to face combat situations.
d. the army often failed to properly train and equip them.
e. they were clearly outmanned by the Philippine Army.