“The year of the massacre at Wounded Knee, 1890, it was officially declared by the Bureau of the Census that the internal frontier was closed. The profit system, with its natural tendency for expansion, had already begun to look overseas. The severe depression that began in 1893 strengthened an idea developing with the political and financial elite of the country: that overseas markets for American goods might relieve the problem of under consumption at home and prevent the economic crises that in the 1890s brought class war.”

Howard Zinn, “A People’s History of the United States, 1492–Present,” 1995

Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States (New York: Harper Perennial, 1995), 290.

The following three questions refer to the excerpt above

  1. Which of the following events in the late 19th and early 20th centuries resulted from the idea described in the passage above?
  1. The creation of a new banking system
  2. America’s initial neutrality in World War I
  3. President Wilson’s support for the League of Nations
  4. The acquisition of island territories by the United States
  1. What factor most influenced “the tendency for expansion” noted in Zinn’s passage above?
  1. The extension of public control over natural resources
  2. The migration of large numbers of European immigrants to the United States throughout the 19th century
  3. The rise of Populism in the late 19th century
  4. The transition of the United States from a rural, agricultural society to an urban, industrial one
  1. Which of the following ideas was NOT a reason for the "tendency of expansion"?

a.The need for bases for a strong navy

b.Undeveloped nations need for the United States' help

c.Adherence to basic principle of self-government

d.Opportunity to dominate trade

"...theAmericansmayreasonablylookforwardtoatimewhentheywillhaveproducedacivilizationgranderthananytheworld basknown.AmongthemoststrikingfeaturesoftheAnglo-Saxonishismoney-makingpower...Wehaveseen...that,althoughEnglandisbyfartherichestnationofEurope,wehavealreadyoutstrippedherintheraceafterwealth....[A]characteristicoftheAnglo-Saxoniswhatmaybecalledaninstinctorgeniusforcolonizing.Hisunequaledenergy,hisindomitableperseverance,andhispersonalindependence,madehimapioneer.Heexcelsallothersinpushinghiswayintonewcountries.ItwasthoseinwhomthistendencywasstrongestthatcametoAmerica,andthisinheritedtendency has been further developed by the westward sweep of successive generations acrossthecontinent. So noticeable has this characteristic become that English visitors remark it. CharlesDickensoncesaidthatthetypicalAmericanwouldhesitatetoenterheavenunlessassuredthathecouldgofartherwest."

Josiah Strong, "Anglo-Saxon Predominance,"1891

The following three questions refer to the excerpt above

  1. Which earlier movement in America offerssome proof to what is being asserted in thepassage?

a.Jacksoniandemocracy

b.Marketrevolution

c.GreatAwakening

d.Manifest Destiny

  1. The arguments used by Strong reflectaphilosophy of racial superioritycalled
  1. Social Darwinism
  2. Enlightenment
  3. Gospel of Wealth
  4. Transcendentalism
  1. Strong's racial argument in favor ofAnglo­Saxon superiority and his "genius forcolonizing"statement was used to justify which imperialistic action that was taking place inthe1890s?
  1. Purchasing of Alaska
  2. Open Door Policy
  3. Taking the Philippines
  4. Building the Panama Canal

The following three questions refer to the cartoon above

  1. Individuals opposed to the concept in the cartoon would have most likely agreed with which of the following perspectives?
  1. America should avoid imperialist expansion
  2. America was morally obligated to spread Christianity
  3. America should maintain a position as a global interventionist
  4. American industry must expand to compete against Europe
  1. Which of the following was an immediate cause of increased American influence in the Caribbean and Pacific Islands?
  1. American victory in the Spanish-American War
  2. American victory in World War I
  3. the closing of the American frontier
  4. the efforts of muckrakers to expose the ills of society
  1. The ideas expressed in the cartoon best characterize which if the following periods in United States history?
  1. Imperialism
  2. Manifest Destiny
  3. Early Industrial Revolution
  4. Federalist Era

We admit that in many places and in ordinary times the defendants in saying all that was said in the circular would have been within their constitutional rights. But the character of every act depends upon the circumstances in which it is done...The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent.

The majority opinion in Schenck v. U.S., 1917

The following three questions refer to the excerpt above

  1. The court decision above is a continuation of which of the following acts
  1. Alien and Sedition Acts of 1790s that restricted civil liberties
  2. Reconstruction Acts of the 1860s that dictated the post civil war process for Southern states
  3. Dawes Severalty Act of the 1890s that offered nominal citizenship to Native Americans
  4. Pendleton Act 1880s that provided civil service exams for Federal jobs
  1. The decision excerpted most directly reflected a belief that the power of the federal government should be used to
  1. limit freedoms during wartime
  2. expand rights of the accused
  3. curtail religious freedom
  4. guarantee corporate contracts
  1. Which of the following amendments of the Constitution is challenged by the decision in this case?
  1. the First Amendment, protecting freedom of speech
  2. the Fifth Amendment, guaranteeing due process
  3. the Fourth Amendment, protecting personal property
  4. the Fourteenth Amendment, guaranteeing equal treatment under the law

We younger Negro artists who create now intend to express our dark-skinned selves without fear or shame. If white people are pleased, we are glad. If they are not, it doesn’t matter. We know we are beautiful. And ugly too.The tom-tom cries and the tom-tom laughs. If colored people are pleased we are glad. If they are not, their displeasure doesn't matter either. We build our temples for tomorrow, strong as we know how, and we stand on top of the mountain, free within ourselves.”

Langston Hughes, “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain,” 1926

The following two questions refer to the excerpt above

  1. The sentiments expressed in the quotation above are best understood in the context of the
  1. existence of segregation laws in the South.
  2. Harlem Renaissance movement
  3. restrictions on free speech coming out of World War I
  4. rise of cinema in the 1920s.
  1. The “Great Migration” out of the South by many African Americans during World War I was most immediately the result of
  1. the first Red Scare
  2. their economic displacement due to the rising number of migrants from Mexico moving into the South
  3. the influence of the mass media
  4. economic opportunities created by the demands of World War I

Whoever, when the United States, is at war, shall willfully make or convey false reports or false statements with intent to interfere with the operation or success of the military ornaval forces of the United States or to promote the success of its enemies…and whoever, when the United States is at war, shall willfully cause orattempt to cause insubordination, disloyalty,mutiny, orrefusal of duty,in the military ornaval forces of the United States…and whoever, when the United States is at war, shall willfully obstruct the recruiting or enlistment service of the United States…shall be punished by a fine of not more than$10,000 orimprisonment fornot more than twenty years, or both...

Source:Espionage Act,1918

The following three questions refer to the excerpt above

  1. Which of the following was most likely prohibited during the WWI years as a result of the law above?
  1. peacefully supporting the Allies
  2. writing a book that glorified Germany
  3. discouraging someone from registering for the war draft
  4. traveling on British passenger ships
  1. In 1919, the Supreme Court in Schenck vs. U.S. upheld the constitutionality of the Espionage Act establishing the______doctrine as legal precedent.
  1. “separate butequal”
  2. “clear and presentdanger”
  3. “elastic clause”
  4. “eminent domain”
  1. The constitutional debate surrounding the Espionage Act is most similar to the constitutional debate surrounding which of the following?
  1. the formation of the Anti-ImperialistLeague.
  2. the ratification of the 17th amendment
  3. The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798
  4. Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890

The following four questions refer to the image above

  1. Which of the following early 20th-century cultural conflicts most directly contradicted the scene portrayed in the image above?
  1. Idealism versus disillusionment
  2. Native-born versus new immigrants
  3. Urban versus rural
  4. Fundamentalism versus modernism
  1. Which of the following federal actions during World War I most directly undercut the message of the poster above?
  1. Restrictions on freedom of speech
  2. A ban on all immigration to the United States
  3. Limiting African American migration to northern cities
  4. Outlawing labor union activities such as strikes
  1. The overarching message of this piece of propaganda was
  1. Spread propaganda to promote cultural harmony
  2. convince young men to register for the draft
  3. defend humanitarian and democratic principles
  4. raise money to pay for World War I
  1. How did U.S. participation in World War I impact U.S. foreign policy in the decade right after the war?

a.The United States became isolationist in its diplomatic and political relations.

b.The United States used the military to acquire new territories.

c.The United States joined the League of Nations.

d.The United States strengthened its alliances in Latin America.

Cartoon by James P Alley 1919

The following three questions refer to the imageabove

  1. The concern illustrated in the cartoon above was most consistent with support for
  1. restrictive immigration quotas
  2. Progressive reforms
  3. U.S. entry into World War I
  4. labor unions
  1. Which of the following events most directly contributed to the attitudes expressed in the cartoon above?
  1. The debate over the League of Nations in the United States following World War I
  2. The expansion of freedom of speech during World War I
  3. Labor strikes which disrupted society following World War I
  4. The shortage of an inexpensive supply of labor
  1. The cartoon above is best understood in the context of
  1. the Great Migration
  2. the Red Scare
  3. American imperialism
  4. the Treaty of Versailles

"..frustrations felt …during the first World War and the subsequent disclosure by historians and journalist of the shoddy motives that had apparently been at the base of American intervention. Some were pacifist who felt vindicated by the failure of the Versailles Treaty. Other had supported the war and apparently felt guilty about the results of their actions. Still others examined the quickly opened diplomatic documents of Russia and the Central Powers and discovered evidence that Germany, the chief object of hatred during the war, was probably less guilty…that her ally Austria or.. America's allies Russia and France. The moral and religious fervor which the war had been conducted contrasted painfully with the story of sordid imperialistic intrigue, diplomatic conniving, deceitful secret treaties, peace initiatives squashed by America's allies, undemocratic methods used by leaders even as they mounted Wilson pieties…"

Robert M. Crunden, From Self to Society, 1919 - 1941, Prentice-Hall, c1972

The following two questions refer to the excerpt above

  1. The results of WWI caused which reformed minded group to become frustrated with America in the 1920s
  1. Progressives
  2. Instrumentalist
  3. Pragmatists
  4. Darwinians
  1. A group of young people who succumbed to the disillusionment created by WWI and the end of many reforms were called
  1. A selfish generation
  2. Lost generation
  3. Baby boomers
  4. Silent majority

Just as he was an Elk, a Booster, and a member of the Chamber of Commerce, just as the priests of the Presbyterian Church determined his every religious belief and the senators who controlled the Republican Party decided in little smoky rooms in Washington what he should think about disarmament, tariff, and Germany, so did the large national advertisers fix the surface of his life, fix what he believed to be his individuality. These standard advertised wares—toothpastes, socks, tires, cameras, instantaneous hot-water heaters—were his symbols and proofs of excellence; at first the signs, then the substitutes, for joy and passion and wisdom.

Sinclair Lewis "Babbitt"

The following four questions refer to the excerpt above

  1. Which of the following most clearly represents what Sinclair Lewis is criticizing in the selection from Babbitt?
  1. U.S. failure to join the League of nations following WWI
  2. The growth of big business
  3. Control of the U.S. government by Protestant religious establishment
  4. The shallow and superficial nature of American Society
  1. A highly charges Tennessee court case in the 1920s reflected religious conflict between
  1. Catholics and Protestants
  2. creationist and "big bang" theorists
  3. fundamentalist Christianity and scientific modernism
  4. adherents of Social Darwinism and adherent of the Social Gospel
  1. The foreign policy of the 1920s reflected what change from the two preceding decades?
  1. An expansive role in international bodies like World Court and League of Nations
  2. Movement toward a more isolationistic posture
  3. A more aggressive and jingoistic policy toward Latin America
  4. A massive military buildup so the "preparedness for war" would never again be an issue
  1. Which of the following best characterizes the stance of the writers associated with the literary movement of the 1920’s, such as Sinclair Lewis and F. Scott Fitzgerald?
  1. Sympathy for Protestant fundamentalism
  2. Nostalgia for the “good old days”
  3. Commitment to the cause of racial equality
  4. Criticism of middle-class conformity and materialism

"Until four-thirty this morning I had hoped against hope that some miracle would prevent a devastating war in Europe and bring to an end the invasion of Poland by Germany.

"For four long years a succession of actual wars and constant crises have shaken the entire world and have threatened in each case to bring on the gigantic conflict which is today unhappily a fact…

"It is easy for you and for me to shrug our shoulders and to say that conflicts taking place thousands of miles from the continental United States, …do not seriously affect the Americas -- and that all the United States has to do is to ignore them and go about (our) its own business…

"This nation will remain a neutral nation, but I cannot ask that every American remain neutral in thought as well. Even a neutral has a right to take account of facts. Even a neutral cannot be asked to close his mind or close his conscience.

"I have said not once but many times that I have seen war and that I hate war. I say that again and again."

Franklin Roosevelt, Fireside Chat, September 3, 1939

The following three questions refer to the excerpt above

  1. The tone of FDR's fireside chat reflects his belief that
  1. the US should remain completely neutral in WWII
  2. WWII will have little impact on the United States
  3. moral necessity would force the U.S. into war
  4. Japan posed the greatest threat to U.S. interests
  1. FDR's foreign policy in the late 1930s reflected what change from the foreign policy of the 1920s?
  1. A return to the isolationism of the Gilded Age
  2. A call for increased military invention in Latin America
  3. More aggressive confrontation with the USSR
  4. Greater involvement in world affairs
  1. By the time of U.S. entry into WWII in December 1941, the U.S. had done all of the following EXCEPT
  1. provide the Allies with much-needed supplies
  2. move Japanese Americans to internment camps
  3. institute the first peacetime draft in U.S. history
  4. meet with Allied leaders to agree on war aims

“The system of quotas . . . was the first major pillar of the Immigration Act of 1924. The second provided for the exclusion of persons ineligible to citizenship.... Ineligibility to citizenship and exclusion applied to the peoples of all the nations of East and South Asia. Nearly all Asians had already been excluded from immigration. . . . The exclusion of persons ineligible to citizenship in 1924... completed Asiatic exclusion. . . . Moreover, it codified the principle of racial exclusion into the main body of American immigration and naturalization law.”

Mae M. Ngai, historian, Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America, 2004

The following two questions refer to the excerpt above

  1. The Immigration Act of 1924 produced highly discriminatory results because it
  1. created a guest worker program that encouraged temporary immigration but denied citizenship
  2. relied on a series of literacy tests and physical examinations to manage immigration
  3. placed restrictions on immigration by national origin, ethnicity, and race
  4. encouraged immigration of people with highly sought after skills or family in the United States
  1. Which of the following evidence would best support Ngai’s argument in the excerpt?
  1. Census data showing the changing percentages of the foreign-born population from 1920 to 1930
  2. Narratives describing the challenges of immigrant family life in the 1920s
  3. Diplomatic correspondence reflecting the increasing isolationism of United States foreign policy in the 1920s and 1930s
  4. Census data revealing the Great Migration of African Americans to cities in the North and West in the 1920s

The following three questions refer to the image above

  1. The poster was intended to
  1. persuade women to enlist in the military
  2. promote the ideals of republican motherhood
  3. advocate for the elimination of sex discrimination in employment
  4. convince women that they had an essential role in the war effort
  1. The poster most directly reflects the
  1. wartime mobilization of United States society
  2. emergence of the United States as a leading world power
  3. expanded access to consumer goods during wartime
  4. wartime repression of civil liberties
  1. The famous image of "Rosie the Riveter" and other images of women working during WWII
  1. symbolized the erosion of some of the prejudice against women working in traditionally male jobs
  2. symbolized a permanent change in the status of working mothers in the American economy.
  3. symbolized the continued categorization of women in jobs deemed appropriate for them by male bosses.
  4. showed how women's work was analogized to their traditional roles in the home.

“The peace-loving nations must make a concerted effort in opposition to those violations of treaties and those ignorings of humane instincts which today are creating a state of international anarchy and instability from which there is no escape through mere isolation or neutrality.