PERIOD 7 Review: 1898-1945
Long-Essay Questions
Directions: Write an essay to respond to one of each pair of questions. Cite
relevant historical evidence in support of your generalizations and present
your arguments clearly and logically.
Choose ONE of the following two long-essay questions.
1. Analyze how TWO of the following helped to shape the national
identity in the 20th century.
• Spanish American War
• World War!
• Great Depression/New Deal
• World War II
2. Analyze how women's identity was influenced by both peacetime and
wartime experiences in the period from 1900 to 1945.
Choose ONE of the following two long-essay questions.
3. Compare and contrast the beliefs and strategies of TWO of the
following to address the needs of the U.S. economic system.
• Progressives
• Economic conservatives of the 1920s and 1930s
• New Deal
4. Compare and contrast the effects of TWO of the foUowing on business
and labor.
• World War!
• Great Depression
• New Deal
• World War II
Choose ONE of the following two long-essay questions.
5. Analyze the causes and effects of changes in immigration patterns and
polices from 1900 to 1945
6. Analyze the causes and effects of changes in internal migration patterns
from 1900 to 1945
PERIOD 7 REVIEW: 1898-1945
547
Choose ONE of the following two long-essay questions.
7. Some historians have argued that the most important political
development between 1900 and 1945 was the increased role of the
federal government in the U.S. economy. Support, modify, or refute
this contention using specific evidence.
8. Some historians have argued that the greatest threat to civil liberties
came during wartime. Support, modify, or refute this contention using
specific evidence from the period of 1898- 1945.
Choose ONE of the following two long-essay questions.
9. Compare and contrast the goals of U.S. policy makers in the Spanish
American War, World War I and World War II.
10. Compare and contrast the influence of TWO of the following wars on
postwar foreign policy.
• Spanish-American War
• World War!
• World War II
Choose ONE of the following two long-essay questions.
11. Analyze the role of the arts and popular culture, including immigrant
and African American artists, in American society from 1900 to 1945.
12. Analyze how science and technological innovations contributed to
changes in American values and attitudes between 1900 and 1945.
548 u.s.
HISTORY: PREPARING FOR THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAM
SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS
Briefly answer the questions in complete sentences. A thesis is not required.
Question 1 is based on the cartoon below.
I
Source: Clifford
Berryman,
Washington Evening
Star, 1907. Library of
Congress
I. Using the cartoon, answer a and b.
a) Briefly explain the point of view expressed by the artist about TWO of
the following:
• bad trusts
• good trusts
• role of Theodore Roosevelt
b) Briefly explain ONE way that trust policies of Woodrow Wilson
differed from those of Theodore Roosevelt.
Question 2. Answer a and b.
a) Briefly explain the contributions of TWO of the following to the
Progressive movement:
• pragmatism
• scientific management
• muckrakers
• regulatory commissions
b) Briefly explain why the Progressives thought government needed to
playa more active role in solving America's problems.
452 u.s.
HISTORY: PREPARING FOR THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAM
Question 3 is based on the excerpt below.
"We believe also in protest against the curtailment of civil rights.
. We
especiaUy complain against the denial of equal opportunities to us in economic
life .... We note with alarm the evident retrogression in this land of sound
public opinion on the subject of manhood rights, republican government, and
human brotherhood ....
''Any discrimination based simply on race or color is barbarous, we care
not how hallowed it be by custom, expediency or prejudice .... but discriminations based simply and solely on physical peculiarities, place of birth, [or]
color [of] skin are relics of the unreasoning human savagery of which the world
is and ought to be thoroughly ashamed.
"Of the above grievances we do not hesitate to complain, and to complain
loudly and insistently. To ignore, overlook, or apologize for these wrongs is to
prove ourselves unworthy of freedom. Persistent, manly agitation is the way
to liberty, and toward this goal the Niagara Movement has started and asks the
cooperation of all men of all races."
- Principles of the Niagara Movement, July 1905
3. Using the excerpt, answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain how the point of view of this excerpt differed from the
approach advocated by Booker T. Washington.
b) Briefly explain ONE fonn of discrimination against African
Americans from the period that would support this excerpt.
c) Briefly explain ONE way the Niagara Movement reflected the ideas of
W. E. B. Du Bois.
Question 4. Answer a and b.
a) Briefly explain how TWO of the following refonns from the Wilson
administration fulfilled long standing goals of refonners.
• Underwood Tariff
• Federal Reserve Act
• Clayton Antitrust Act
• Federal Trade Commission
b) Briefly explain how ONE of the above either reflected or violated
Wilson's campaign policy of New Freedom.
THINK AS A HISTORIAN: MAKING A CHOICE ABOUT PERIODIZATION
If you were writing a history of women in the United States,
what years would you include in a chapter title "Women in the
Progressive Era"? Explain your choices.
THE PROGRESSIVE ERA, 1901 - 1917
453
-
SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS
Briefly answer the questions in complete sentences. A thesis is not required.
Question 1. Answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain ONE argument that supports the view that the SpanishAmerican War was caused by humanitarian concerns.
b) B,·iefly explain ONE ru·gument that suppo'" the view tlmt tl,e SpanishAmerican War was caused by imperialist motives.
c) Briefly explain ONE argument why the Spanish-American War could
be considered the beginning of a new era in American foreign policy.
Question 2 is based on the excerpt below.
"A quintessentially American figure and a iegitimateAmerican hero, [Theodore]
Roosevelt has been a subject of controversy. Especially during periods when
interventionism has been out of fashion, he has been denounced as a heavyhanded imperialist, insensitive to the nationalism of the people he considered
backward. During the Cold War years, on the other hand, he was widely praised
as a realist, more European than American in his thinking, a shrewd and skillful
diplomat who understood power politics, appreciated the central role America
must play in the world, and vigorously defended its interests."
---George C. Herring, historian, From Colony to Superpower, 2008
2. Using the excerpt, answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain ONE example that supports the view that President
Ruus~vdl was a "ht!avy-hanJed irnpt!rialisl."
b) Briefly explain ONE example that supports the view that President
Roosevelt was "a shrewd and skillful diplomat."
c) Briefly explain why the author believed that Roosevelt's reputation has
changed over time.
Question 3. Answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain ONE example of why the U.S. relationship with Great
Britain improved during the period from the 1890s to 1914.
b) Briefly explain ONE example of why the U.S. relationship with Japan
became more difficult.
c) Briefly explain ONE example of why the U.S. relationship with
Mexico became more difficult.
BECOMING A WORLD POWER, 1898- 1917
429
Question 4 is based on the cartoon below.
Source: 1914,
The Granger
Collection, NYC
4. Using the cartoon, answer a, b, and c. The teacher represents Woodrow
Wilson. The the board says "We can have no sympathy with those who
seek to seize the power of government to advance their own pesonal interests or ambition." The bats are labeled Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Mexico.
a) Briefly explain the point of view of the expressed by the cartoonist.
b) Briefly explain ONE event during the Woodrow Wilson administration
that supported the point of view expressed by the artist.
c) Briefly example ONE difference or similarity between the policies of
Wilson and either Theodore Roosevelt or William Howard Taft.
THINK AS A HISTORIAN: CHOOSING A POSITION ABOUT CONTINUITY
Historians debate whether the increased role for the United States in
international affairs after 1896 was an extension of earlier policies or
a departure from them. Which events listed below indicate it was an
extension and which indicate it was a departure?
I. Washington's Farewell Address
2. Monroe Doctrine
3. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
4. Kanagawa Treaty
5. Purchase of AJaska
430 u.s.
HISTORY: PREPARING FOR THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAM
SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS
Briefly answer the questions in complete sentences. A thesis is not required.
Question 1 is based on the cartoon below.
I
Source: Clifford
Berryman,
Washington Evening
Star, 1907. Library of
Congress
I. Using the cartoon, answer a and b.
a) Briefly explain the point of view expressed by the artist about TWO of
the following:
• bad trusts
• good trusts
• role of Theodore Roosevelt
b) Briefly explain ONE way that trust policies of Woodrow Wilson
differed from those of Theodore Roosevelt.
Question 2. Answer a and b.
a) Briefly explain the contributions of TWO of the following to the
Progressive movement:
• pragmatism
• scientific management
• muckrakers
• regulatory commissions
b) Briefly explain why the Progressives thought government needed to
playa more active role in solving America's problems.
452 u.s.
HISTORY: PREPARING FOR THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAM
Question 3 is based on the excerpt below.
"We believe also in protest against the curtailment of civil rights.
. We
especiaUy complain against the denial of equal opportunities to us in economic
life .... We note with alarm the evident retrogression in this land of sound
public opinion on the subject of manhood rights, republican government, and
human brotherhood ....
''Any discrimination based simply on race or color is barbarous, we care
not how hallowed it be by custom, expediency or prejudice .... but discriminations based simply and solely on physical peculiarities, place of birth, [or]
color [of] skin are relics of the unreasoning human savagery of which the world
is and ought to be thoroughly ashamed.
"Of the above grievances we do not hesitate to complain, and to complain
loudly and insistently. To ignore, overlook, or apologize for these wrongs is to
prove ourselves unworthy of freedom. Persistent, manly agitation is the way
to liberty, and toward this goal the Niagara Movement has started and asks the
cooperation of all men of all races."
- Principles of the Niagara Movement, July 1905
3. Using the excerpt, answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain how the point of view of this excerpt differed from the
approach advocated by Booker T. Washington.
b) Briefly explain ONE fonn of discrimination against African
Americans from the period that would support this excerpt.
c) Briefly explain ONE way the Niagara Movement reflected the ideas of
W. E. B. Du Bois.
Question 4. Answer a and b.
a) Briefly explain how TWO of the following refonns from the Wilson
administration fulfilled long standing goals of refonners.
• Underwood Tariff
• Federal Reserve Act
• Clayton Antitrust Act
• Federal Trade Commission
b) Briefly explain how ONE of the above either reflected or violated
Wilson's campaign policy of New Freedom.
THINK AS A HISTORIAN: MAKING A CHOICE ABOUT PERIODIZATION
If you were writing a history of women in the United States,
what years would you include in a chapter title "Women in the
Progressive Era"? Explain your choices.
THE PROGRESSIVE ERA, 1901 - 1917
453
-
SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS
Briefly answer the questions in complete sentences. A thesis is not required.
Question 1. Answer a and b.
a) Briefly explain ONE example of how the government mobilized
industry or labor during World War I.
b) Briefly explain the impact of World War I on TWO of the following
groups:
• women
• African Americans
• German Americans
• Mexican Americans
Question 2 is based on the photo below.
Source: 1918. National Archive
2. Using the photo, answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain ONE context or purpose of the photograph.
b) Briefly explain ONE way the poster may represent the morale or
make-up of troops that served in World War I.
c) Briefly explain ONE role of U.S. troops such as those shown in the
photograph in Europe during World War I.
WORLD WAR I AND ITS AFTERMATH, 1914-1920
473
Question 3 is based on the excerpt below.
'''The League of Nations failed to take hold in America because the country
was not yet ready for so global a role. Nevertheless, Wilson's inteUectua1 victory proved ... semina1 .... For, whenever America has faced the task of
constructing a new world order, it has returned in one way or another to Woodrow Wilson's precepts. At the end of World War n, it helped build the United
Nations on the same principle as those of the League, hoping to found peace
on a concord of the victors. When this hope died, America waged the Cold
War ... as a mora1 struggle for democracy. When communism collapsed, the
Wilsonian idea that the road to peace lay in collective security ... was adopted
by administrations of both major American political parties."
- Henry Kissinger, Harvard professor and secretary of state under
Presidents Nixon and Ford, Dipiomncy, 1994
3. Using the excerpt, answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain ONE cause for the failure of the Treaty of Versailles in
the U.S. Senate, in addition to the one given by Kissinger.
b) Briefly explain ONE example what the author meant in the excerpt by
"Woodrow Wilson's precepts."
c) Briefly explain ONE reason for the influence of Wilson's ideas on
U.S. foreign poticy over time.
Question 4. Answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain ONE way the Red Scare was related to World War L
b) Briefly explain ONE way the post-war labor problems were related to
World War 1.
c) Briefly explain ONE way the race riots of 1917-1919 were related to
World War 1.
THINK AS A HISTORIAN: ORGANIZING EVIDENCE FOR COMPARISONS
In a short essay, a writer might describe one topic in detail and
then describe the other, and make comparisons and contrasts in
the final paragraph. Or a writer might describe one trait at a time,
going back and forth between events. Writers can use the same two
types of organization within a paragraph. Is each example below
organized by topic or by trait?
I. In government, both the United States and Great Britain were
democracies with free elections and basic civil1iberties.
2. Great Britain was a democracy, a long-standing world power, and
ethnically homogenous. The United States was a democracy, new
on the world stage, and ethnically diverse.
474
•• hpp . . . . . . . . . . . ..
u.s. HISTORY: PREPARING FOR THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAM
SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS
Briefly answer the questions in complete sentences. A thesis is not required.
Question 1 is based on the excerpt below.
"Through his artistic efforts the Negro is smashing this immemorial stereotype
faster than he has ever done through any other method he has been able to use .
. .. He is impressing upon the national mind the conviction that he is an active
and important force in American life; that he is a creator as well as a creature;
that he has given as well as received; that he is the potential giver of larger and
richer contributions ....
"I do not think it too much to say that through artistic achievement the
Negro has found a means of getting at the very core of the prejudice against him
by challenging the Nordic superiority complex. A great deal has been accomplished in this decade of 'renaissance.'''
- James Weldon Johnson, poet and secretary of the NAACP, Harper's, 1928
I. Using the excerpt, answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain ONE way the Harlem Renaissance supported the point
of view in the excerpt.
b) Briefly explain ONE example of an African American artist's
achievement from the era that would support this excerpt.
c) Briefly explain what the author most likely meant by "the very core of
prejudice" faced by African Americans in the 1920s.
Question 2. Answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain ONE example of how religion and science were a
source of conflict in American society during the 1920s.
b) Briefly explain ONE development during the 1920s that changed
attitudes toward Prohibition.
c) Briefly explain ONE important difference in the immigrant legislation
of the 1920s in comparison to earlier periods.
Question 3. Answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain ONE example of how the media of 1920s contributed to
development of a shared national culture.
b) Briefly explain ONE development that caused the disiUusionment
among writers of the 1920s.
c) Briefly explain ONE important artistic response during the 1920s and
1930s to industrial development or urban experience.
494 u.s. HISTORY: PREPARING FOR THE ADVANCED
PLACEMENT EXAM
Question 4 is based on the excerpts belows.
"I couldn't forgive him or like him, but I saw that what he had done was, to
him, entirely justified. It was all very careless and confused. They were careless people, Tom and Daisy-they smashed up things and creatures and then
retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was
that keep them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made."
-F. Scott Fitzgerald, novelist, The Great Gatsby, 1925
"Never was a decade snuffed out so quickly as the 1920's. The stock market
crash was taken as a judgment pronounced on the whole era, and, in the grim
days of the depression , the 1920's were condemned as a time of irresponsibility
and irrunaturity."
- William E. Leuchtenburg, historian, The Perils of Prosperity, 1959
4. Using the excerpts, answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain ONE sociaJ development in the 1920s that supports
the FitzgeraJd quote.
b) Briefly explain ONE economic development of the 1920s that
supports the Leuchtenburg argument.
c) Briefly explain ONE argument that supports that the 1920s made a
positive contribution to the long-term prosperity of the United States.
THINK AS A HISTORIAN: ADDING DETAilS FOR CONTEXTUAlIZATION
Adding information about the historical context of an event
helps the reader understand its significance. Which THREE of the
sentences below best demonstrate the use of contextualization?
I. The corruption in the Harding administration involving A1bert Fall
and Harry Daugherty was serious.
2. The Kellogg-Briand Treaty expressed a reaction against war that
could be seen throughout Europe and eastern Asia.
3. In his novels, F. Scott FitzgeraJd reflected the materialism,
consumer culture, and fascination with weaJth that dominated the
I920s.
4. The Harlem Renaissance was even more impressive because
it occurred during a period when the KKK and anti-immigrant
feelings were on the increase.
5. Grant Wood appreciated the subtle beauty of Iowa and other rural
parts of the United States.
THE MODERN ERA OF THE 19205
495
SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS
Briefly answer the questions in comp lete sentences. A thesis is not required.
Question 1. Answer a and b.
a) Briefly explain a New Deal policy developed to address the Great
Depression problems for TWO of the following:
• banking
• conservation
• housing
• unemployment
b) Briefly explain the composition of the New Deal political coalition.
Queston 2.
Answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain the internal migration that resulted from the Dust Bowl.
b) Briefly explain the impact of the Great Depression on migration of
ONE of the foUowing
African Americans
Mexican Americans
c) Briefly explain ONE similarity or difference between the Great
Depression of 1929 and [be Depression of 1893.
Question 3. Answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain ONE cause of the Great Depression that was different
from causes of 1893 or 1873 depressions.
b) Briefly explain ONE example of continuity between Lbe policies of the
Progressive era and the New Deal era.
c) Briefly explain ONE New Deal refonn that went beyond the refonns of
the Progressive Era.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND THE NEW DEAL, 1929- 1939
519
Question 4 is based on the excerpts below
"Wben the New Deal was over, capitalism remained intact. The rich still
controlled the nation's wealth, as well as its laws, courts, police, newspaper,
churches, colleges. Enough help had been given to enough people to make
Roosevelt a hero to millions, but the same system that had brought depress ion
and crisis-the system of waste, of inequality, of concern for profit over human
need- remained."
- Howard Zinn, historian, A People's History of the United States, 1999
"Most of Roosevelt's solutions did tittle. The public hoopla of 'job programs'
barely dented unemployment numbers, which still stood at 12.5 percent in
1939, or ten times what they had been under Coolidge .... Did FDR do anything right? Yes. By taking the United States off the gold standard, he saved
what was left of the banking system. But as they say, even a blind squirrel finds
a nut once in a while."
- Larry Schweikart, historian, 48 Liberal Lies about
American History, 2008
4. Using the excerpts, answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain ONE development during the New Deal era not
mentioned in the excerpts that supports Zinn's point of view.
b) Briefly explain ONE development during the New Deal era not
mentioned in the excerpts that supports Scheikart's point of view.
c) Briefly explain ONE additional development that supports the position
that the New Deal produced a "limited welfare state."
THINK AS A HISTORIAN: USING DOCUMENTS IN ARGUMENTS
When using information from sources in an essay or documentbased question (DBQ), identify the source by the author's name
rather than its document or page number and quote only the
key words. Add clarifying informati on as needed . Which of the
following uses information from a source more effectively?
1. Eleanor Roosevelt was aware that her advocacy for civil rights
caused "grave concern" among her husband's political advisers.
2. In the quotation from Eleanor Roosevelt on page 523, she says that
"I knew, for instance, that many of my racial beliefs and activities
in the field of social work caused ... grave concern."
520 u.s. HISTORY: PREPARING FOR THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAM
SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS
Briefly answer the questions in complete sentences. A thesis is not required.
Question 1 is based on the excerpts below.
"Whereas there is evidence that available and needed workers have been barred
from employment in industries engaged in defen se production solely because of
considerations of race, creed, color, or national origin to the detriment of workers' morale and national unity:
"Now, therefore. by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution .
. . . I do bereby reaffinn the policy of the United States that there shall be no discrimination in the employment of workers in defense industries or government
because of race, creed, color or national origin."
-Executive Order No. 8802, June 25, 1941
"Whereas the successful prosecution of the war requires every possible protection against espionage and against sabotage to national-defense ....
"Now, therefore, by virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the
United States.. . . I hereby, authorize and direct the Secretary of War ... to
prescribe military areas ... from which any and all persons may be excluded."
-Executive Order 9066, February 19, 1942
1. Using the excerpts, answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain the context for the executive order of June 25,1941
b) Briefly explain the context for the executive order of February 19, 1942
c) Briefly analyze possible inconsistencies between the two orders.
Question 2. Answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain the role of ONE of the following in the mobilization of
American economy during World War II:
• federal government
• large corporations
• universities and scientific labs
b) Briefly explain the impact of the war on ONE of the following:
• internal migration
• Mexican Americans
• American women
c) Briefly analysis the global legacy of ONE of the fOllowing:
• Manhattan Project
• Holocaust
• United Nations
DIPLOMACY AND WORLD WAR II, 1929- 1945
545
Question 3 is based on the excerpt below.
"[TJhis announcement of unconditional surrender was very deeply deliberated .
. . . It was a true statement of Roosevelt's considered policy and he refused all
suggestions that he retract the statement or soften it and continued refusal to the
day of his death .... What Roosevelt was saying was that there would be no
negotiated peace, no compromise with Nazism and Fascism, no 'escape clauses'
provided by another Fourteen Points which could lead to another Hitler. (The
ghost of Woodrow Wilson was again at his shoulder.) ... He wanted to ensure
that when the war was won it would stay won."
- Robert A. Sherwood, writer, Roosevelt and Hopkins, 1948
3. Using the excerpt, answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain Sherwood's point of view on unconditional surrender.
b) Briefly explain ONE criticism of the policy of unconditional surrender.
c) Briefly explain the reference to the "ghost of Woodrow Wilson" in
FDR's decision-making about the end of the war.
Question 4. Answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain the significance of ONE of the following in regards to
World War II:
• quarantine speech
• cash and carry
• Atlantic Charter
b) Briefly explain the significance of ONE of the following:
• strategic bombing
• i ~ land hopping
• kamikaze attacks
c) Briefly explain the significance of ONE of the following:
• Big Three
• Casablanca Conference
• Yalta Conference
THINK AS A HISTORIAN: SELECTING RELEVANT EVIDENCE
Which three of the following would be most relevant for an essay
about whether wars increase or decrease acts of prejudice?
1. Korematsu v. United States
3. Four Freedoms speech
2. Smith v. Allwright
4. zoot suit riots
546
u.s.
HISTORY: PREPARING FOR THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAM