Unit 3 Quiz

How did postwar conditions explain Warren Harding's landslide victory in the 1920 presidential election?

By the time of the 1920 election, the United States was tired and traumatized by the events of the past year. The nation had fought a brutal war, with veterans bringing home their own scars and troubles, and it had suffered domestically as well. Economic uncertainty and shortages, violent racial conflicts, fear of a Communist takeover, and a deadly flu pandemic had left Americans overwhelmed and unhappy. They did not seek new Progressive ideals, they did not want to be the world's policeman, and they did not want to destabilize what already felt unsteady. By choosing a reassuring-looking candidate who promised to bring things "back to normal," Americans squarely voted to hunker down, nurse their wounds, and try to enjoy themselves.

What barriers did Wilson face in his efforts to ratify the Treaty of Versailles? What objections did those opposed to the treaty voice?

In order to ratify the Treaty of Versailles, Wilson needed to ensure a two-thirds approval by the U.S. Senate, which meant overcoming the objections of a majority of Senate Republicans. Isolationists, most notably Henry Cabot Lodge, worried that the treaty's Article X would oblige the United States to intervene extensively in international affairs. Interventionists, alternatively, argued that Article X would prevent the United States from using its military might to protect its interests abroad. Ultimately, Congress defeated both the originally worded treaty and a later version that included amendments. As a result, the United States never officially signed the treaty nor joined the League of Nations.

What two countries were engaged in a negotiation that the Lodge Corollary disallowed?

Mexico and Japan

What of the following was not used to control American dissent against the war effort?

National Civil Liberties Bureau

Compare Roosevelt's foreign policy in Latin America and Asia. Why did he employ these different methods?

Roosevelt's strategy of "speaking softly and carrying a big stick" worked well in Latin America, where the United States had a strong military presence and could quickly and easily act on any threat of military action. Roosevelt's threat of force was therefore credible in that region, and he was able to wield it effectively. In Asia, however, the United States had less of a military presence. Instead, Roosevelt sought to maintain a balance of power, wherein the various Asian countries kept each other in check and no single player grew too powerful. When the power balance tipped, Roosevelt acted to broker a peace deal between Russia and Japan as a means of restoring balance

What problems did Taft's foreign policy create for the United States?

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.

Why were the Midway Islands important to American expansion?

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.

How does the "Open Door notes" episode represent a new, nonmilitary tactic in the expansion of the American empire?

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.

What challenges did the U.S. military have to overcome in the Spanish-American War? What accounted for the nation's eventual victory?

The Spanish-American War posed a series of challenges to the United States' military capacities. The new U.S. Navy, while impressive, was still untested, and no one was certain how the new ships would perform. Further, the country had a limited army, with fewer than thirty thousand soldier and sailors. While over one million men ultimately volunteered for service, they were untrained, and the army was ill-prepared to house, arm, and feed them all. Eventually, American naval strength, combined with the proximity of American supplies relative to the distance Spanish forces traveled, made the decisive difference. In a war upon the sea, the U.S. Navy proved superior in both the Philippines and the blockade of Cuba.

What was the role of the Taft Commission?

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.

How did Hay's suggestion of an open door policy in China benefit the United States over other nations?

The United States produced goods of better quality and lower cost than other countries.

How did the Boxer Rebellion strengthen American ties with China?

The United States provided troops to fight the rebels.

Why was prohibition's success short-lived?

The ban on alcohol did not take effect until one year after the war, when the public sentiments that had eased its passage began to wane. The law proved difficult to enforce, as ever-greater numbers of Americans began to defy it. Organized crime's involvement in the illegal liquor trade made enforcement even more difficult and the procurement of alcohol more dangerous. All of these elements led to the law's repeal in 1933.

How did the government work to ensure unity on the home front, and why did Wilson feel that this was so important?

The government took a number of steps to ensure that Americans supported the war effort. Congress passed several laws, including the Trading with the Enemy Act, the Espionage Act, the Sedition Act, and the Alien Act, all intended to criminalize dissent against the war. The government also encouraged private citizens to identify and report potential disloyalty among their neighbors, teachers, and others, including those who spoke out against the war and the draft for religious reasons. Wilson believed these steps were necessary to prevent divided loyalties, given the many recent immigrants living in the United States who maintained ties to European nations on both sides of the conflict.

How did Colombia react to the United States' proposal to construct a canal through Central America?

They felt that Roosevelt's deal offered too little money.

In order to pursue his goal of using American influence overseas only when it was a moral imperative, Wilson put which man in the position of Secretary of State?

William Jennings Bryan

To what extent were Woodrow Wilson's actual foreign policy decisions consistent with his foreign policy philosophy or vision?

Wilson's foreign policy goal was to minimize American involvement abroad and use a less imperialistic approach than the presidents before him. Rather than being guided by America's self-interest, he hoped to enact a policy based on moral decisions, acting only when it was morally imperative. In practice, however, Wilson found himself, especially in South and Central America, following the steps of other, more interventionist presidents. He sent troops into Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba, often to ensure that America's interests were met. In Asia and Mexico, Wilson also found it difficult to remain outside of world affairs without jeopardizing America's interests.

Which of the following was not included in the Treaty of Versailles?

a curtailment of German immigration to Allied nations

Which of the following was not a destabilizing factor immediately following the end of the war?

a women's liberation movement

Why did the war not increase overall prosperity?

because inflation made the cost of living higher

Why did some Central American nations object to Taft's paying off their debt to Europe with U.S. dollars?

because they felt it gave the United States too much leverage

Why was the German use of the unterseeboot considered to defy international law?

because they refused to warn their targets before firing

Which is not one of the reasons the Anti-Imperial League gave for opposing the creation of an American empire?

fear that the United States would suffer a foreign invasion

Why did the United States express limited interest in overseas expansion in the 1860s and 1870s?

post-Civil War reconstruction

Which of the following was not enacted in order to secure men and materials for the war effort?

the Sedition Act

What was Article X in the Treaty of Versailles?

the agreement that all nations in the League of Nations would be rendered equal

What was the inciting event that led to the Chicago Race Riot of 1919?

the murder of a black boy who swam too close to a white beach

Which of the following did not influence the eventual passage of the Nineteenth Amendment?

the passage of the Volstead Act

Which of the following did Mahan not believe was needed to build an American empire?

the reopening of the American frontier

With the Roosevelt Corollary, Roosevelt sought to establish ________.

the right of the United States to involve itself in Latin American affairs whenever necessary