Topic 12 Review

In the text, you read this about the purchase of Alaska:

At the time, the purchase seemed foolish. Most Americans thought of Alaska as a barren land of icy mountains and frozen fish. They mockingly called the new territory "Seward's Ice Box" and referred to the purchase as "Seward's Folly."

Why did William Seward's purchase of Alaska from Russia prove to be a wise decision, despite seeming to be a "folly" at first?

• Gold and other valuable resources were discovered in Alaska.

• Russia was weakened as a result of selling Seward the Alaskan territory.

• Seward was able to convince Congress to annex more Pacific islands because of the Alaskan deal.

• Alaska served as a defensive shield against Russian attacks.

"Today we are raising more than we can consume. Today we are making more than we can use. Today our industrial society is congested; there are more workers than there is work. . . . Therefore we must find new markets for our produce, new occupations for our capital, new work for our labor."

—Albert Beveridge, quoted in Beveridge and the Progressive Era (Bowers)

Based on the quotation, in what way did Beveridge think overseas expansion would help solve labor problems in the United States?

• Expansion would bring new foreign markets for American goods, providing more jobs for workers.

• Expansion would bring more immigration to the United States and a stronger labor force.

• Expansion would provide the United States with access to overseas labor.

• Expansion would create demand for excess American workers overseas.

In what way did the rebel forces in Cuba remind some Americans of the Patriots who fought in the American Revolution?

• Both the Patriots and the Cuban rebels fought against British rule.

• Both the Patriots and the Cuban rebels fought against foreign rule.

• Both the Patriots and the Cuban rebels fought against Spanish rule.

• Both the Patriots and the Cuban rebels fought for worldwide revolution.

n the text, you read this about American policies toward its new territories:

Americans had to decide how to rule their new territories. When the war with Spain began, the United States pledged to "leave the government and control of [Cuba] to its people."

In what way did the United States fail to keep the promise referred to in the quotation?

• The United States forced many Cubans to move to Guantanamo Bay.

• The United States forced Cuba to accept an agreement that allowed the United States to intervene there.

• The United States did not allow American companies to invest in Cuba.

• The United States governed Cuba directly after the Spanish-American War ended.

Which of the following describes the difference between William Howard Taft's policy toward Latin America and Theodore Roosevelt's?

• Taft did not want a strong U. S. role in Latin America, while Roosevelt did.

• Taft favored more frequent military intervention in Latin America than Roosevelt.

• Taft encouraged American investment in Latin America more than Roosevelt.

• Taft used "international police power" to force Latin American countries to pay debts.

In the text, you read this about President Wilson's policy towards Mexico:

As civil war raged [in Mexico], [President] Wilson refused to recognize what he called Huerta's "government of butchers."

Based on the text and this quotation, why did Wilson refuse to recognize the Mexican government of General Victoriano Huerta?

• Huerta and his followers arrested and killed American sailors in 1914.

• Huerta and his followers fought battles with American soldiers sent to Mexico by Wilson.

• Huerta and his followers took over businesses with ties to American investors in Mexico.

• Huerta and his followers overthrew and killed a governmental leader who promised democratic reform in Mexico.

About how many miles were saved in shipping goods from San Francisco to Jupiter, Florida by using the Panama Canal?

• about 5,000 miles

• about 8,000 miles

• about 8,000 miles

• about 18,000 miles

What is one reason a substantial number of Americans favored the Central Powers in World War I?

• Their family heritage was German.

• Their family heritage was French.

• Their family heritage was Scottish.

• Their family heritage was Swiss.

In what way was the sinking of the Lusitania a turning point in World War I?

• The incident caused the United States to immediately declare war on Germany.

• The incident caused public opinion to move toward neutrality in the war.

• The incident heightened United States anger at Germany and made it more difficult to remain neutral.

• The incident highlighted the difficulty that the United States would have trading with Europe.

"Militarism blights like a pestilent [destructive] wind the higher life of nations and eats like gangrene [decay] into the vitals of civilization." Among its symptoms were the elevation of the battleship to a "symbol of national glory".

—Rev. Charles E. Jefferson, ed. Dirk Bönker. Militarism in a Global Age: Naval Ambitions in Germany and the United States Before World War I

Which of the following statements does this passage support?

• Militarism is a sign of good health in most countries.

• Militarism is necessary for certain nations to defend themselves.

• Militarism causes nations to value war over the well-being of their citizens and culture.

• Militarism will ultimately lead to the civilization's failure in war.