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Study Guide for Unit on America’s Rise to World Power and WWI
Standards:
5-3.5 Summarize the reasons for the United States’ control of new territories as a result of the Spanish
American War and the building of the Panama Canal, including the need for raw materials and new
markets and competition with other world powers.
5-3.6 Summarize the factors that led to the involvement of the United States in World War I and the role of
the United States in fighting the war.
Vocabulary Focus:
1. Militarism____________________________________________________________________________
2. Alliance_____________________________________________________________________________
3. Nationalism__________________________________________________________________________
4. Imperialism__________________________________________________________________________
5. Empire______________________________________________________________________________
6. Territory_____________________________________________________________________________
7. Annex_______________________________________________________________________________
8. yellow journalism_____________________________________________________________________
9. neutral______________________________________________________________________________
10. isolationism__________________________________________________________________________
11. trench warfare________________________________________________________________________
12. ration_______________________________________________________________________________
Questions:
1. What contributed to the United States’ rise to world power during the early 1900s?
2. Spanish-American War- where was it fought, when, and who won?
3. What were the causes for U.S. involvement in the Spanish-American War?
4. What new territories did the United States annex as a result of the Spanish-American War?
5. What was the Panama Canal?
6. Why did the United States want to build the Panama Canal?
7. What were the causes of WWI (in Europe)?
8. Name 3 reasons the U.S. got involved in WWI?
9. Who won WWI?
10. What was the Treaty of Versailles?
11. What was the League of Nations?
12. What did President Wilson want to accomplish with his “Fourteen Points?”
13. Why did the United States Congress refuse to join the League of Nations?
14. How did women help during the war?
*You should be able to locate the following on a map: Guam, Phillipines, Puerto Rico, Cuba
Name: __________________________________
Class: _________
Study Guide for Unit on America’s Rise to World Power and WWI
Answer Key
Standards:
5-3.5 Summarize the reasons for the United States’ control of new territories as a result of the Spanish
American War and the building of the Panama Canal, including the need for raw materials and new
markets and competition with other world powers.
5-3.6 Summarize the factors that led to the involvement of the United States in World War I and the role of
the United States in fighting the war.
Vocabulary Focus:
1. militarism the building of a strong military
2. alliance an agreement between nations to support and defend each other
3. nationalism the belief that your country deserves more success than others, “extreme patriotism”
4. imperialism when nations build empires by adding colonies
5. empire
6. territory- land that a country owns but is not considered a state (Puerto Rico, Guam)
7. annex- to gain the U.S. gained Hawaii and Alaska
8. yellow journalism a kind of writing that exaggerates news to shock and attract readers
9. neutral- to not side with a country
10. isolationism trying to stay out of world events and wars
11. trench warfare fighting from long, narrow ditches called trenches
12. ration a measured amount of foods and supplies
Questions:
1. What contributed to the United States’ rise to world power during the early 1900s?



There was a need for more sources of raw materials.
There was a need for more markets to sell the goods produced by American industries.
Many people believed that Americans were superior and had the right to expand across the seas.
2. What was the Spanish-American War?
The Spanish-American War was really Cuba’s war for independence from Spain, fought in the late 1890s
between Cuba and Spain. America joined in 1898.
3. What were the causes for U.S. involvement in the Spanish-American War?
Cuba had a great location, and we were very interested in its economic possibilities. The U.S. newspapers
used yellow journalism and made people in the U.S. believe that Spain was treating the Cubans terribly
and that the Cubans needed “help” fighting their war. When the USS Maine blew up in Havana,
newspapers made it seems like Spain blew it up, and we went to Cuba to fight to help demonstrate
American military power. We won the war, changing it into the Spanish-American War. We also continued
to occupy Cuba for more than 30 years, setting up a permanent naval base there.
4. What new territories did the United States annex as a result of the Spanish-American War?
The U.S. gained control of Cuba as a protectorate, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam from Spain as
territories.
5. What was the Panama Canal?
The Panama Canal is a canal (really a system of locks) that allows ship to pass through the narrow isthmus
of Panama (Connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean)
6. Why did the United States want to build the Panama Canal?
It would allow American merchant and war ships easier access between the Atlantic and Pacific.
7. What were the causes of WWI (in Europe)?
A man from Serbia assassinated Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand, and then all the alliances of Serbia
and Austria got involved. The Allied Powers were the countries allied with Serbia and included: Great
Britain, France, Russia. The Central Powers were Austria-Hungary, Germany, Ottoman Empire, and
Bulgaria. The 4 MAIN causes of WWI were:
M-Militarism
A-Alliances
I-Imperialism
N-Nationalism
8. What were the reasons the U.S. got involved in WWI?
 Germany began bombing passenger ships. They bombed the Lusitania in 1915, a British passenger ship
with Americans onboard. The Allies made an agreement with Germany that passenger ships would not
be bombed, but Germany broke the promise.
 Germany also asked Mexico for help through the “Zimmerman Note.” They promised to return Texas to
Mexico if it would allow Germans to establish a military route through Mexico into the United States.
 We wanted to make the world safe for democracy.
 In 1917, we joined the war.
9. Who won WWI?
The Allied Powers won WWI after America came to help.
10. What was the Treaty of Versailles?
Countries signed this in attempt to punish Germany because of World War I
11. What was the League of Nations?
The League of Nation's task was simple - to ensure that war never broke out again, many looked to the League
to bring stability to the world
12. What did President Wilson want to accomplish with his “Fourteen Points?”
To prevent future world wars
13. Why did the United States Congress refuse to join the League of Nations?
They thought it would compromise the right of Congress to declare war and wanted to isolate itself from
world conflicts.
14. How did women help during WW1?
Women began working in factories, working on the farm and were nurses in the war. Women had to take
over for the men because they were at WW1
*You should be able to locate the following on a map:
Guam, Phillipines, Puerto Rico, Cuba