CHAPTER 22: CREATING AN EMPIRE, 1865–1917
Multiple Choice
1. Mahanism emphasized __________.
A) the importance of the navy in imperial expansion
B) opposition to the new imperialism of the United States
C) the spread of Christianity to remote nations
D) the equality of people who lived in imperial territories
2. Which of the following was a rationale for imperialism in the era 1890–1910?
A) American ideas and institutions were superior to those of inferior nations.
B) The United States needed a vast buffer zone to offset communist expansionism.
C) American prosperity now depended on larger isolation from access to foreign markets and resources.
D) The spread of Christianity would help lesser nations develop morally.
3. Which statement would most likely have been said by a believer in Social Darwinism who was
addressing the issue of imperialism?
A) “The very laws of nature reveal that national identity is not related to cultural worth.”
B) “We must isolate ourselves from the uncivilized cultures of distant lands.”
C) “American expansionism should most logically be restricted to North America.”
D) “We must promote the superiority of our culture in an effort to ensure world stability.”
4. American imperialists often rationalized these kinds of actions by __________.
A) pointing out that the United States had to overcome a heritage of a weak military
B) asserting that people of Anglo-Saxon descent were from a superior culture
C) claiming that western European nations were weak because they did not annex territory
D) refusing to admit to the economic benefits that could be gained from imperial colonies
5. One reason for the widespread support for a larger navy was __________.
A) its role in providing jobs for the nation’s unemployed men
B) many people believed that the army was no longer a necessity
C) the belief that the navy could effectively block further immigration
D) its use to expand and protect America’s international trade
6. The primary goal of the American government’s imperialistic policies was __________.
A) religious conversion
B) commercial expansion
C) military attacks
D) colonial conquest
7. Economic conditions that fueled support for foreign trade included __________.
A) a decrease in the number of wage earners
B) the seemingly unlimited prosperity of the years from 1888–1895
C) a huge increase in the amount of manufactured goods produced in America
D) the nation’s decision to use a silver-backed currency
8. In the latter part of the nineteenth century, the two main imperialist powers were __________.
A) Britain and the United States
B) France and the United States
C) Britain and France
D) Britain and Germany
9. In foreign policy, U.S. officials showed little interest in __________.
A) Africa
B) Asia
C) Mexico
D) South America
10. President __________ was not supportive of American control of Hawaii.
A) Harrison
B) Cleveland
C) McKinley
D) Theodore Roosevelt
11. The American government used which of the following methods to take control of Hawaii?
A) using economic embargo by closing U.S. markets to sugar producers
B) enlisting the help of Great Britain and France in establishing imperial control
C) endorsing a Hawaiian constitution that gave power to natives
D) sending the Marines to support a move to enthrone a new queen
12. One effect of the border dispute between Britain and Venezuela over British Guiana was __________.
A) America’s decision to abandon the ideas of the Monroe Doctrine
B) a brief straining of relations between the U.S. and Britain
C) the emergence of consistent U.S. support for Britain in Latin America
D) the onset of an economic depression in the Western Hemisphere
13. Latin America rejected Blaine’s plan for them to import more manufactured goods from the United
States, because __________.
A) they feared economic subordination
B) they preferred their homemade goods
C) shipping made the goods too expensive
D) the goods were of inferior quality
14. The effort to annex Hawaii in 1893 foreshadowed __________.
A) the differences between Republicans and Democrats regarding imperialism
B) the aggressive imperialistic policies of Grover Cleveland
C) a 20-year period of uninterrupted warfare between the U.S. and Hawaiians
D) America’s reliance on France to take the lead in determining foreign policy
15. Before the Spanish-American War, the yellow press __________.
A) endorsed a policy of isolationism
B) wrote editorials that criticized American imperialism
C) refused to write about foreign affairs
D) used sensationalism to stir up war fever
16. Which of the following religious groups most supported American military involvement in Cuba?
A) Catholics
B) Quakers
C) Methodists
D) Jews
17. Which statement best describes the duality of causes for American intervention in Cuba?
A) The American government wanted to stop Cuban exports and revolutionary ideology.
B) Americans wished to stop British expansionism and secure markets in the Pacific.
C) Americans were motivated by both commercial concerns and their support for freedom.
D) Republicans wanted to defy President Cleveland and open new markets in the Caribbean.
18. In response to American diplomatic pressure, Spain __________.
A) gave Cuba its freedom
B) invaded Cuba
C) began a brutal military campaign against the Cubans
D) gave Cuba limited autonomy
19. Popular anger against Spain was ignited by __________.
A) their refusal to allow limited autonomy to Cuba
B) the destruction of the U.S. ship, the Maine
C) their insistence that deconcentration must continue indefinitely
D) the rising of Spanish rebels in Venezuela
20. Which of the following presidents was elected on an imperialist platform?
A) Grover Cleveland
B) Benjamin Harrison
C) Rutherford B. Hayes
D) William McKinley
21. The Teller Amendment __________.
A) called for Cuban self-government
B) called for the annexation of Cuba
C) required Spain to give the United States Puerto Rico as a condition of peace
D) was strongly supported by most imperialists
22. Commodore George Dewey led the Americans to victory __________.
A) at San Juan Hill
B) in the Hawaiian Islands
C) in Manila Bay
D) at San Jacinto
23. The crucial role in capturing San Juan Hill was played by __________.
A) the 10th Negro Cavalry
B) Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders
C) Commodore George Dewey
D) the 19th Marine Unit
24. Which of the following was acquired by the United States as a result of the Spanish-American War?
A) the Philippines
B) the Canary Islands
C) British Guiana
D) Midway Islands
25. As a result of the Spanish-American War, __________.
A) Theodore Roosevelt emerged as an anti-imperialist
B) William McKinley expressed the desire to acquire the Philippines
C) Congress voted to declare Philippine independence
D) William McKinley was not reelected
26. Why was the attack on the Philippines the decisive engagement of the Spanish-American War?
A) It diverted attention from Cuba.
B) It provoked the Spanish into attacking without a thought-out strategy.
C) It allowed the United States to expand its foothold into Asia.
D) It prevented Spain from forming Asian alliances that might have helped them.
27. Of the people listed below, who supported the Treaty of Paris?
A) William Jennings Bryan
B) Andrew Carnegie
C) Jane Addams
D) Theodore Roosevelt
28. Which of the following was a major outcome of the Spanish-American War?
A) the establishment of an extensive American empire
B) the emergence of the nation’s status as a world power
C) the reluctance of the government to get involved in other foreign conflicts
D) the beginning of a new period of opportunity and problems in foreign policy
29. McKinley feared that if the United States did not take over __________ it might be acquired by Japan
or Germany.
A) the Philippines
B) Hawaii
C) Guam
D) Cuba
30. Samuel Gompers was against acquiring the Philippines, because he __________.
A) wanted to protect the sugar trade in Hawaii
B) believed Asian people were racially inferior
C) feared that cheap Asian labor would undercut American wages
D) was an anti-imperialist for moral reasons
31. After Dewey’s victory, Filipino leader Emilio Aguinaldo __________.
A) petitioned Congress for Filipino statehood
B) wrote to President McKinley to plea for annexation
C) declared the Philippines an independent country
D) immediately attacked American forces
32. An appalling aspect of the Filipino War was __________.
A) America’s use of Spanish troops to put down the nationalist rebellion
B) the brutal suppression of the antiwar movement
C) that atrocities committed by the American army drew no attention from Americans
D) the death of many Filipinos in concentration camps
33. The Open Door policy __________.
A) lasted only a few years
B) allowed America to create an informal economic empire
C) was applied as much to Japan as to China
D) did not prevent the British takeover of China
34. The United States and European nations contested spheres of influence in __________.
A) the Philippines
B) China
C) Cuba
D) India
35. The main Asian imperialist power around the turn of the twentieth century was __________.
A) Japan
B) China
C) Korea
D) Thailand
36. How did the American victory in the Spanish-American War impact European policies?
A) European nations started to take the United States into account in crafting their foreign policies.
B) European nations became resentful of the United States’ strong military.
C) Britain formed an alliance with France against the United States.
D) Germany rejected the idea of forming a European alliance and sought to develop its connection with
the United States.
37. America supported Japan in the Russo-Japanese War because __________.
A) the American military relied on Japanese technology
B) Russia had approved of open door policies in China
C) pro-Japanese sentiment was strong in California
D) Russia had obstructed open trade in Manchuria
38. How was the Gentlemen’s Agreement an effort to improve Japanese-American relations?
A) It closed immigration.
B) It allowed for some immigration.
C) It allowed American businesses to work with Japan.
D) It lifted trade embargos against Japan.
39. Which of the following is true about America’s presence in Puerto Rico?
A) The military invaded the island during the Spanish-American War.
B) The Supreme Court ruled that Puerto Rico deserved the right to statehood.
C) The islanders became reliant upon the economic dominance of American capital.
D) Negotiators removed the territory from the Treaty of Paris.
40. The overall effect of the Platt Amendment was to __________.
A) restrict further policies of imperialism
B) restrict Cuba’s autonomy at home and abroad
C) curtail American involvement in Latin America
D) show support for Filipino independence
41.Which of the following was true about the Cuban constitution written after the Spanish-American
War?
A) It rejected US influence.
B) It granted universal manhood suffrage.
C) It was drafted independently.
D) It relied on Leonard Wood.
42. Theodore Roosevelt’s strategy in establishing the Panama Canal revealed __________.
A) the inherent flaws of the Platt Amendment
B) the growth of good relations with Great Britain
C) that American naval strength was weakening
D) the closeness of ties between the United States and Colombia
43. The main alternative to Panama for an ocean-linking passage was __________.
A) the Northwest Passage
B) Honduras
C) Nicaragua
D) Costa Rica
44. The Roosevelt Corollary stated that the United States __________.
A) would act to promote order in the Caribbean
B) would act in concert with other powers
C) supported the Drago Doctrine
D) would consult over Venezuela
45. The Roosevelt Corollary was seen by Theodore Roosevelt as __________.
A) a reasonable compromise with anti-imperialists
B) an important move toward isolationism
C) the only defense against communist expansionism
D) a logical extension of the Monroe Doctrine
46. American investments in the Caribbean increased as a result of __________.
A) the Roosevelt Corollary
B) the Open Door Policy
C) dollar diplomacy
D) the Spanish-American War
47. American investment, through dollar diplomacy, increased dramatically __________.
A) as a direct result of the Supreme Court’s Insular Cases
B) during the presidency of William Howard Taft
C) during the period right after the Civil War
D) due to the isolationist policies of Woodrow Wilson
48. Which statement about the American presence in Haiti is true?
A) The Haitian constitution was altered to increase U.S. property rights.
B) Forced-labor policies were used to construct private projects.
C) Haiti’s schools and sanitation degraded under American rule.
D) The American government did not use the military to control Haiti.
49. Woodrow Wilson ordered the marines into the Dominican Republic __________.
A) to show that he was not weak in foreign affairs
B) to appease the Republican Party
C) when the Dominicans refused to allow their finances to be controlled by U.S. bankers
D) after the Dominican people attacked the U.S. embassy
50. Which statement about Woodrow Wilson’s foreign policy is true?
A) Wilson’s opposition to intervention changed the direction of American foreign policy.
B) Wilson rejected Roosevelt’s use of military power.
C) Despite campaign claims, Wilson ended up being very interventionist.
D) Fellow Democrats accused Wilson of neglecting economic aspects of foreign policy.
Essay Questions
51. What combination of causes led to American involvement in the Spanish-American War? What were
the key factors in producing a quick American victory?
52. Compare and contrast the foreign policies of two of the following four presidents: William McKinley,
Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson.
53. How effective were U.S. interventions in Latin America? What were the objectives and
consequences? Do you tend to agree or disagree with these interventions?
54. In what ways was Woodrow Wilson among the most interventionist presidents in U.S. history?