Imperialism Causes
Name two economic motivations that drove late 19th‑century American imperialism.
Examples: need for raw materials (e.g., sugar, rubber), desire for new markets for manufactured goods.
What event in 1898 directly sparked U.S. public outrage and calls for intervention in Cuba?
The explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor.
List two major long‑term causes of World War I in Europe (prior to U.S. involvement).
Examples: militarism, alliances, imperial rivalries, nationalism.
Name one reason the United States entered World War I in 1917 besides submarine warfare (the sinking of the USS Lusitania).
Examples: defense of democracy, economic interests tied to Allied victory, public opinion after unrestricted submarine warfare and Zimmerman Telegram.
Give two immediate economic causes of the Great Depression.
Examples: stock market crash, bank failures, overextension of credit.
Explain how the desire to spread American “democratic and moral ideals” functioned as a justification for expansion.
Justification: portrayed U.S. expansion as spreading democracy/Christianity
Name two territorial or strategic outcomes for the United States that resulted from the Spanish‑American War.
Examples: U.S. acquisition of Puerto Rico and the Philippines; increased influence in Cuba (Platt Amendment).
Why did the United States initially declare neutrality in 1914? Give two reasons.
Reasons: desire to avoid European conflicts and protect American lives/property; strong isolationist sentiment.
State one key idea from President Wilson’s Fourteen Points.
Example point: open covenants of peace, freedom of the seas, reduction of armaments, or self‑determination for oppressed peoples.
Name one visible sign of economic distress in American cities during the Depression (a public symbol).
Example: Hoovervilles (shantytowns), soup kitchens, breadlines.
Define “yellow journalism” and describe its role in shaping public opinion about overseas intervention.
Yellow journalism: sensationalized reporting (e.g., Hearst/Pulitzer) that exaggerated Spanish atrocities and pushed public opinion toward war.
Describe the significance of the annexation of Hawaii for U.S. power in the Pacific.
Annexation of Hawaii provided a strategic naval base (Pearl Harbor) and sugar plantations under U.S. control; facilitated Pacific presence.
Explain how submarine warfare threatened American interests before 1917.
Submarine warfare: German U‑boats targeted merchant ships, risking American lives and shipping (e.g., sinking of Lusitania).
Explain how unrestricted submarine warfare contributed to the decision to enter the war.
Unrestricted submarine warfare threatened American shipping and lives, undermining neutrality.
Name two government or economic factors that worsened the Depression in the 1930s.
Examples: laissez‑faire policies delaying intervention, high tariffs (Smoot‑Hawley) reducing trade.
Analyze how industrial needs for raw materials and new markets influenced U.S. foreign policy decisions between 1870 and 1910.
Industrial needs: example — sugar and naval coaling stations; firms sought overseas markets as domestic markets saturated.
Summarize the causes and major result of the Philippine Insurrection (also called the Philippine–American War).
Philippine Insurrection: Filipinos fought U.S. annexation (1899–1902); resulted in U.S. control and suppression of Filipino independence movement.
What was the Zimmerman (Telegram) Note, and why did it alarm the United States?
Zimmerman Telegram: German proposal to Mexico to join war against the U.S. in exchange for lost territories — stirred nationalism and fear.
Describe the main purpose of the League of Nations as proposed by Wilson.
League purpose: provide a forum to resolve disputes peacefully and prevent future wars.
Explain the primary environmental cause of the Dust Bowl and one major social consequence.
Dust Bowl cause: poor farming practices combined with drought led to severe soil erosion; social consequence: mass migration (e.g., from Oklahoma to California).
Evaluate which cause (economic, ideological, or media pressure) was most influential in prompting American imperialism.
Sample stance: economic causes most influential — evidence: tariff pressures, business lobbying, and acquisition of territories for markets/resources (e.g., Philippines, Cuba).
Assess how the outcomes of the Spanish‑American War changed America’s role in world affairs. Include both an immediate and a longer‑term effect.
Immediate: U.S. emerged as imperial power with overseas territories. Long‑term: expanded naval reach and greater involvement in global affairs.
Analyze the tension between isolationist sentiment and international economic ties in the U.S. from 1914–1917. How did these tensions shape policy?
Tension: economic ties to Allies (loans/trade) made neutrality difficult; isolationists wanted to avoid entanglement while businesses profited from Allied trade.
Evaluate reasons the U.S. Senate rejected the League of Nations. Explain how rejection affected international politics.
Senate concerns: Article X could obligate U.S. to collective security actions without congressional approval; fear of entangling alliances and loss of sovereignty. Rejection weakened collective security and contributed to interwar instability.
Analyze the connection between agricultural overproduction, bank failures, and international trade policies (like tariffs) in deepening the Great Depression.
Connection: overproduction lowered prices for farmers, causing loan defaults and bank failures; tariffs reduced markets for exports (e.g., agricultural goods), worsening deflation and unemployment.