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Chapter 22: Age of Empire: American Foreign Policy, 1890-1914
8 problems · 0 figures22-1 §22.1 source ↗
Why did the United States express limited interest in overseas expansion in the 1860s and 1870s?
- a.fear of attacks on their borders
- b.post-Civil War reconstruction
- c.the Anti-Imperialist League
- d.Manifest Destiny
Answer
B. post-Civil War reconstruction
22-3 §22.1 source ↗
Why were the Midway Islands important to American expansion?
Answer
The Midway Islands provided a more stable path to Asian markets and a vital naval coaling station, which steamships needed in order to travel further afield.
22-5 §22.2 source ↗
What was the role of the Taft Commission?
Answer
The Taft Commission introduced reforms to modernize and improve daily life in the Philippines. Many of these reforms were legislative in nature, impacting the structure and composition of local governments. In exchange for the support of resistance leaders, for example, the commission offered them political appointments.
22-7 §22.3 source ↗
How did Hay’s suggestion of an open door policy in China benefit the United States over other nations?
- a.The United States produced goods of better quality and lower cost than other countries.
- b.The United States enjoyed a historically stronger relationship with the Chinese government.
- c.The United States was the only nation granted permission to collect taxes on the goods it traded within China’s borders.
- d.The United States controlled more foreign ports than other countries.
Answer
A. The United States produced goods of better quality and lower cost than other countries.
22-9 §22.3 source ↗
How does the “Open Door notes” episode represent a new, nonmilitary tactic in the expansion of the American empire?
Answer
The Open Door notes and the American foray into China revealed the power of economic clout. Given the unprecedented technological advances of the industrial revolution, American goods were often less expensive and of better quality than those produced in other countries, and they were highly sought after in Asia. Therefore, when Hay derided the spheres of influence model, wherein each country had its own room to maneuver in China, he was able to flood Chinese markets with American trade. Through these maneuvers, the United States was able to augment its global standing considerably without the use of its military forces.
22-11 §22.4 source ↗
With the Roosevelt Corollary, Roosevelt sought to establish ________.
- a.the consequences for any European nation that involved itself in Latin American affairs
- b.the right of the United States to involve itself in Latin American affairs whenever necessary
- c.the idea that Latin America was free and independent from foreign intervention
- d.the need for further colonization efforts in the Western Hemisphere
Answer
B. the right of the United States to involve itself in Latin American affairs whenever necessary
22-13 §22.5 source ↗
Why did some Central American nations object to Taft’s paying off their debt to Europe with U.S. dollars?
- a.because American currency wasn’t worth as much as local currencies
- b.because they felt it gave the United States too much leverage
- c.because they were forced to give land grants to the United States in return
- d.because they wanted Asian countries to pay off their debts instead
Answer
B. because they felt it gave the United States too much leverage
22-15 §22.5 source ↗
What problems did Taft’s foreign policy create for the United States?
Answer
Taft’s policies created some troubles that were immediate, and others that would not bear fruit until decades later. The tremendous debts in Central America created years of economic instability there and fostered nationalist movements driven by resentment of America’s interference in the region. In Asia, Taft’s efforts at China-Japan mediation heightened tensions between Japan and the United States—tensions that would explode, ultimately, with the outbreak of World War II—and spurred Japan to consolidate its power throughout the region.
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Problems and answers are adapted from U.S. History by P. Scott Corbett, Volker Janssen, John M. Lund, Todd Pfannestiel, Sylvie Waskiewicz and Paul Vickery, OpenStax, and are used under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence. Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/1-introduction. Illustrations: Copyright Rice University, OpenStax, under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. This adaptation is released under the same licence, is non-commercial, and is neither affiliated with nor endorsed by OpenStax or Rice University.