U.S. History Practice Test: Imperialism and the Spanish-American War
- Imperialism and the Spanish-American War
- 10 questions
- 12 minutes
These 10 questions follow the United States as it gained overseas territory and influence between about 1890 and 1914. Keep the places straight: which lands were won from Spain, which were annexed, and which were only influenced.
Tap an option to mark your answer. You can change your mind, or tap the same option again to leave the question blank. The correct answers and explanations appear when you finish the test.Tap an option to answer; tap it again to leave the question blank.
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Question 1
In his 1890 book on sea power, naval officer Alfred Thayer Mahan argued that a great nation needed
Correct answer: B
Mahan linked national power to sea power, which meant a modern navy and overseas bases to refuel it. His ideas encouraged the U.S. to build battleships and look for Pacific islands.
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Question 2
In 1893, American sugar planters, backed by U.S. Marines, overthrew which ruler of Hawaii?
Correct answer: D
Queen Liliuokalani was removed in 1893, and the United States annexed Hawaii in 1898. Kalakaua was her brother and the previous king; he died in 1891.
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Question 3
What event in February 1898 helped push the United States toward war with Spain?
Correct answer: A
The Maine exploded and sank in Havana harbor, killing more than 260 sailors. American newspapers blamed Spain, and war was declared in April 1898.
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Question 4
Newspaper publishers William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer were accused of "yellow journalism" before the war with Spain. What does the term mean?
Correct answer: C
Yellow journalism used shocking headlines and exaggerated stories about Spanish cruelty in Cuba. It stirred public anger and built support for war.
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Question 5
Under the Treaty of Paris of 1898, which territories did Spain give up to the United States?
Correct answer: A
Spain ceded Puerto Rico and Guam and sold the Philippines for $20 million. Cuba became independent, Hawaii was annexed separately, and the Virgin Islands were bought from Denmark in 1917.
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Question 6
The Platt Amendment, which Cuba had to add to its constitution in 1901, gave the United States
Correct answer: D
The Platt Amendment limited Cuban independence by allowing U.S. intervention and naval bases, including Guantanamo Bay. It did not let Washington pick Cuba's leaders directly.
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Question 7
Secretary of State John Hay's Open Door notes of 1899 called for
Correct answer: B
The Open Door policy asked the powers with spheres of influence in China to let every nation trade there on equal terms. The ban on Chinese immigration was a separate law from 1882.
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Question 8
The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine (1904) stated that the United States would
Correct answer: C
Theodore Roosevelt claimed the right to intervene in nearby countries so that European creditors would have no excuse to step in. The original Monroe Doctrine only warned Europe to stay out.
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Question 9
To build the Panama Canal, the United States supported Panama's 1903 revolt for independence from which country?
Correct answer: A
Panama was part of Colombia, whose senate rejected a canal treaty. After Panama declared independence with U.S. backing, the new government signed the treaty, and the canal opened in 1914.
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Question 10
Members of the Anti-Imperialist League, including writer Mark Twain, opposed taking the Philippines mainly because
Correct answer: D
Anti-imperialists argued that governing colonies contradicted the Declaration of Independence and its idea of government by consent. Some also had economic or racial motives, but this was their central argument.
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