Chapter 20 Name: Emma SF
Review and Assessment
The United States Looks Overseas
KEY TERMS
Answer the questions in complete sentences that show your understanding of the key
terms.
1. How did imperialism conflict with isolationism in US foreign policy?
They conflicted because imperialism is imposing control upon other countries,
but isolationism is staying out of other countries’ affairs.
2. Why did foreign nations want to establish spheres of influence in China?
They wanted to establish spheres of influence to take advantage of China’s weakness
after it lost a war. They also wanted land and trading rights.
3. Why was Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign policy seen as a corollary to the Monroe
Doctrine?
It was seen as a corollary because it added to the Monroe Doctrine by saying that the
U.S. could use force against countries that tried to interfere with Latin America.
4. What was the goal of Taft’s dollar diplomacy?
The goal was to expand American influence in other countries.
5. Why was an isthmus a good place to build a canal?
It was a good place because it was narrow, so there wasn’t much land to dig through.
COMPREHENSION AND CRITICAL THINKING
6a. RECALL: Why was Secretary of State Seward interested in buying Alaska?
He was interested because he strongly favored American expansion and saw Alaska as
a stepping-stone for trade with Asia and the Pacific.
6b. DETECT POINTS OF VIEW How does the cartoon below
reflect what many Americans thought of the purchase at first?
The cartoon reflects initial American opinion of the purchase
because in the cartoon, Alaska only has ice, polar bears, seals,
and Eskimos. Many people thought that these were the only
things Alaska had, so they deemed it a frozen wasteland.
6c. IDENTIFY ECONOMIC BENEFITS How did buying Alaska
provide economic benefits?
Buying Alaska provided economic benefits because gold and many other resources
were discovered there.
7a. IDENTIFY In which regions of the world did European powers gain control by 1900?
Europe gained control of Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
7b. EVALUATE INFORMATION What impact did the expansion policies of European
countries have on the foreign policy of the United States?
Because European powers conquered land in Africa and Asia, the U.S. could be shut
out of markets and denied materials.
8a. RECALL What event was the immediate cause of the Spanish-American War?
The explosion of the Maine was the immediate cause of the war.
8b. DRAW CONCLUSIONS Do you think this event by itself was enough to start the
war? Why or why not?
No; the U.S. was already mad at Spain for what they did to Cuba. The explosion of the
Maine, whether or not Spain was responsible for it, was the straw that broke the camel’s
back.
9a. EXPLAIN How did the United States gain an overseas empire?
They gained an overseas empire by using their naval power.
9b. DETECT POINTS OF VIEW Why do you think some critics felt that having an
empire was against American ideals?
I think critics felt this way because they felt that it violated the Declaration of
Independence because it said that all people had the right to self-government. They
were also worried that it would spark future wars.
10a. SUMMARIZE How did Roosevelt apply his “big stick” policy to Latin America?
He applied this policy by announcing the Roosevelt Corollary.
10b. COMPARE How was Taft’s dollar diplomacy like the Roosevelt Corollary?
It was like the Roosevelt Corollary because it led to as many military interventions as the
corollary.
HISTORY READING SKILL
11. FRAME RESEARCH QUESTIONS Review the sections in this chapter, and frame
one research question for each section (3 in total). Remember to frame questions that
go beyond the text and require RESEARCH to answer.
SECTION 1
What was the result of the Boxer Rebellion?
SECTION 2
Who won the Spanish-American War?
SECTION 3
How did the people of Panama feel about the Panama Canal?
