Standard 4-EOC Style Questions

According to Document 1 – Washington’s Farewell Address (1796), what was the primary principle guiding early American foreign policy?

• To form enduring military alliances with European nations

• To extend only commercial relations while avoiding deep political commitments

• To use military intervention as a tool for promoting democracy abroad

• To engage in collective security arrangements with all foreign powers

Which of the following best compares George Washington’s advice in Document 1 with Woodrow Wilson’s message in Document 5?

• Washington advocated for military alliances, while Wilson opposed them.

• Washington urged limited political involvement abroad, while Wilson promoted intervention to defend democratic values.

• Washington supported preemptive war, while Wilson wanted to avoid all global involvement.

• Both presidents believed the U.S. should serve as the world’s primary military power.

What was a major consequence of the U.S. acquisition of territory following the Treaty of Paris, as shown in Document 3?

• It marked the end of American involvement in Latin America.

• It reduced American influence in the Pacific and Caribbean.

• It signaled a new era of American imperialism, increasing U.S. presence in global affairs.

• It led directly to the American Civil War.

Which statement best describes the continuity between the Monroe Doctrine (Document 2) and the Roosevelt Corollary (Document 4)?

• Both emphasized isolationism as the U.S. foreign policy ideal.

• Both justified U.S. noninvolvement in the affairs of the Western Hemisphere.

• Both claimed a protective role for the U.S. in the Western Hemisphere

• Both encouraged European powers to colonize Central America.

Which of the following developments provide important context for the shift toward increased U.S. global intervention between 1898 and 1917? (Select 3))

• The economic and territorial expansion following the Spanish-American War.

• Growing belief in American exceptionalism and moral obligation to spread democracy.

• The lasting legacy of neutrality from the American Civil War.

• U.S. interest in maintaining European colonial dominance over Latin America.

• Industrial growth and the need for new markets abroad.

Which document provides the clearest primary evidence of America’s shift from a policy of non-entanglement to one of active intervention in the Western Hemisphere?

• Washington’s Farewell Address (Document 1)

• The Monroe Doctrine Cartoon (Document 2)

• The Map of Territorial Changes (Document 3)

• The Roosevelt Corollary (Document 4)

According to historians, Social Darwinism played a significant role in shaping U.S. imperial policy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Which of the following best captures this historical interpretation?

• Social Darwinism supported domestic reform efforts that promoted urban renewal and racial equality.

• Social Darwinism reinforced ideas that justified U.S. expansion by portraying domination of weaker nations as natural.

• Social Darwinism led American leaders to abandon overseas expansion in favor of strict isolationism.

• Social Darwinism encouraged U.S. policymakers to limit intervention and respect national self-determination.

According to the excerpt, what American value does William Jennings Bryan argue is violated by imperialism?

• Religious tolerance and pacifism

• Economic opportunity and free enterprise

• Democracy and consent of the governed

• Expansion of trade and commerce

Answer explanation

Bryan explicitly argues that ruling others without their consent—such as the Filipinos—contradicts the founding principle that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.

Based on the excerpt, which of the following best describes Bryan’s main concern about U.S. expansion into the Philippines?

• That military expansion would reduce spending on domestic programs

• That governing without consent would undermine American democratic ideals

• That the U.S. would face competition from European trade networks

• That most Americans supported imperialism without debate

Answer explanation

Bryan feared that adopting an imperialist model like that of Europe would betray the American commitment to self-government, a key concept in the Declaration of Independence. The cause-effect relationship is central to the indicator and historical thinking skill.

How does Bryan use references to figures like Patrick Henry, Jefferson, Washington, and Lincoln in the excerpt?

• To argue that all political parties historically supported expansion

• To compare Republican ideals to those of early colonial revolts

• To support his view that imperialism contradicts foundational American values

• To demonstrate bipartisan agreement over foreign policy issues