A Changing America
How did the Homestead Act and the Transcontinental Railroad encourage western settlement?
The act offered access to land, while the railroad made travel and shipping easier
Why did dangerous factory conditions lead workers to demand reform?
Workers wanted safer workplaces, shorter hours, and protections against exploitation.
A president negotiates while sending warships nearby. Which diplomacy does this demonstrate, and why?
Theodore Roosevelt’s Big Stick Diplomacy, because military strength backs negotiations.
How could a muckraker’s report about unsafe food lead to reform?
It could create public pressure for investigations and food-safety laws.
How did the desire for raw materials and new customers encourage imperialism?
Overseas expansion could provide resources and new markets for American products.
How did boarding schools and forced assimilation threaten American Indian cultures?
They separated children from their communities and suppressed Native languages and traditions.
Why might residents support a corrupt political machine?
Machines provided jobs or services in exchange for votes and political loyalty.
Taft encourages American businesses to invest overseas. Which diplomacy does this demonstrate, and how could it increase U.S. influence?
Dollar Diplomacy. Investments and financial ties could give the United States economic influence
How did the 17th Amendment increase voters’ power?
It allowed voters to elect U.S. senators directly.
How did yellow journalism increase support for war against Spain?
Sensational stories about Cuba stirred public anger and sympathy, increasing pressure for intervention.
How did the growth of large industrial businesses encourage people to move to cities?
Factories created jobs that attracted rural residents and immigrants to industrial cities.
How did the Social Gospel differ from Social Darwinism in its response to poverty?
The Social Gospel encouraged helping people and addressing social problems. Social Darwinism used competition and “survival of the fittest” to justify inequality.
Wilson says the United States should support governments that follow democratic and moral principles. Which diplomacy does this describe? Explain your choice.
Moral Diplomacy, because Wilson emphasized moral principles and democratic government in foreign relations.
Why did Progressive reformers support antitrust laws and Roosevelt’s trust-busting efforts?
They wanted to limit harmful concentrations of business power and protect competition and the public.
One American supports expansion for trade. Another opposes controlling people without their consent. How do their arguments differ?
The supporter emphasizes economic benefits. The opponent emphasizes self-government and the rights of other peoples.
How did competition for jobs contribute to nativism?
Some native-born Americans blamed immigrants for job competition and supported discrimination or immigration restrictions.
What did farmers protesting railroad rates and workers forming unions have in common?
Both organized to challenge powerful businesses and improve their economic situations.
How did Big Stick Diplomacy and Dollar Diplomacy differ in their main methods?
Big Stick emphasized military strength behind negotiations. Dollar Diplomacy emphasized investment and financial influence.
Why is Tennessee called the “Perfect 36” in the women’s suffrage movement?
Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment, providing the number needed for ratification.
How did the Panama Canal strengthen American trade and naval power?
It shortened travel between the Atlantic and Pacific, allowing goods and naval ships to move faster.
How did the Compromise of 1877 and Plessy v. Ferguson weaken protections for African Americans?
The compromise reduced federal enforcement in the South. Plessy gave legal support to segregation through “separate but equal."
How did Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois differ in their approaches to racial equality?
Washington emphasized vocational training and economic advancement. Du Bois demanded immediate civil and political equality and supported higher education.
What goal did all three diplomacies share, and how did their methods sometimes overlap?
All sought to advance American interests and influence abroad. Despite their different emphases, all three presidents used military intervention.
Roosevelt supported food-safety laws, and Wilson supported the Federal Reserve Act. What government role did these reforms share?
Both expanded the federal government’s role in addressing economic problems and protecting the public
How did the Philippine Insurrection reveal a conflict between American expansion and self-government?
Filipinos fought American rule because they wanted independence, showing that U.S. expansion could deny other peoples self-government.