American History Test: Review
Test date: May 21
Chapter 13
Roots of Imperialism
1. What is imperialism?
2. Give five examples of US imperialism from the late 19 century:
a. Panama
b. Venezuela
c. Hawaii
d. Puerto Rico
e. Japan
f. Cuba
g. Philippines
h. Colombia and the Dominica Republic
3. Why did people like Josiah Strong and Alfred Mahan argue for imperial expansion by the
US?
Chapter 14
World War 1
Review your question sheet on WW1, particularly the following:
1. Before entering the war how did the US help the Allies?
2. What effect did this have on the US economy?
3. Why did the US not want to get involved in the war at the start and why did they not
want this to be made public?
4. What was the name of the US boat that the German’s sank? When did it happen and
what effect did it have on the US?
5. What action did Germany take in January 1917?
6. What was the significance of the Zimmerman telegram and why did the US react so
strongly?
7. Be able to list at least four reasons President Wilson gave the American people for
finally declaring war against Germany?
Chapter 15
The Years of Change 1920-32
We saw a video on this period and I had some notes on the board after we watched it. You
should be familiar with the following topics:
1. What was going on in Europe and Russia that made the US fear communism?
2. Why was prohibition instituted in the US and what did the Amendment actually
state?
3. What was the response to this law particularly in places like Chicago?
4. What single event marked the beginning of the Great Depression?
5. Who was the largest car manufacturer in the early 20th century? How many cars
were being built annually?
Chapter 16
The New Deal
Although we did not do any questions from this chapter, we saw a documentary about the
initiatives that the US government took to get the country’s economy back on track.
1. Which “Roosevelt” was the president to try to get the US back into productivity again
towards the end of the Great Depression? (p. 354)
2. What was the purpose of the banking “holiday”? (P. 354-355)
3. Why was the Social Security Act the most controversial of all the actions taken by New
Deal brought in by the federal government?
4. Did the New Deal end the economic problems created by the Depression? (p. 365)
5. How did WW2 solve many of the economic problems that still plagued the US? (p. 365)
6. Why was the New Deal a challenge to pure capitalistic principles?
Chapter 17
American Isolation
1. Why was the principle of isolation such a prominent theme throughout American
history and why was it especially prevalent in the early 1930s? (p. 372)
2. What was the vision of Woodrow Wilson’s League of Nations after WW1? Was the
League of Nations successful in achieving its intended purpose?
3. What were the terms of the Third Neutrality Act of 1937 and how did it mark the
greatest support for American isolationism? (p.379)
4. What was appeasement and how did Britain and France try to use it in their relations
with Germany?
5. What was the significance of Germany’s annexation of the Sudetenland of
Czechoslovakia? (p. 382-83)
World War 2 Questions (see your question sheet and the notes you took when answers were
given)