1. What was the purpose of the Open Door policy?
A: The purpose of the Open Door policy was to allow each foreign nation in China to trade freely in the other nations' spheres of influence.
2. What were the arguments for and against establishing an American Empire?
A: The arguments for establishing an American Empire were the expansion of democracy, a large market for American goods, a naval base in Asia, a stopover in China, and better trade. Anti-Imperialists argued that the cost of an empire far outweighed the economic benefits it provided. They also argued that imperialism violated American principles.
3. How prepared was the U.S. Army to fight a war against Spain?
A: The U.S. Army was not prepared for war against Spain at all. Unlike the mobilization of the navy, which had been very efficient, the American army was very poorly conducted. Although volunteers flooded into army training camps, the army lacked the resources to train and equip them. In many camps, conditions were so unsanitary that epidemics broke out, and hundreds of Americans died.
4. What conditions led to the Cuban rebellion in 1895?
A: In 1868 Cuban rebels declared independence and launched a guerrilla war against Spanish authorities. Lacking internal support, the rebellion collapsed in 1878. Many Cuban rebels then fled to the United States, where they began planning a new revolution. By the early 1890s, the United States and Cuba had become closely linked economically. These economic ties created a crisis in 1894, when the United states imposed new tariffs--including a tariff on sugar. The new tariff wrecked the sales of Cuban sugar in the United States and devastated the island's economy. Because of this economic crisis, a new rebellion was launched in 1895.
5. How did James Blaine try to increase American influence in Latin America?
A: James Blaine tried to increase American influence in Latin America by inviting Latin America nations to a conference and telling them about Pan-Americanism.
6. How did the desire to expand into new markets help push the United States to extend its influence into the Pacific?
A: The desire for new markets led to trade with Japan and the annexation of Hawaii.
7. How did Americans' opinions on overseas expansion begin to change in the 1800s?
A: A desire for world markets and belief in the superiority of white culture led the United States to assert itself as a world power. This resulted in the change of Americans' opinions on overseas expansion.