Facts and Details in U.S. Foreign Policy from 1790 to 1898

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AP U.S. History › Facts and Details in U.S. Foreign Policy from 1790 to 1898

Questions 1 - 10
1

In 1846, the Oregon Treaty fixed the U.S. border with which country at the 49th parallel?

Canada

Mexico

Russia

Cuba

The Bahamas

Explanation

In 1846, the Oregon Treaty fixed the U.S. border with Canada at the 49th parallel.

2

Introduced on December 2, 1823, this American foreign policy stated that attempts by European nations to establish colonies or impact the affairs of countries in South or North America would be judged as aggressive acts, requiring United States response. What was the name of this policy?

The Monroe Doctrine

The Interventionist Policy

The Western Hemisphere Ultimatum

The American Assertion

The Marshall Doctrine

Explanation

First stated by President James Monroe, the Monroe Doctrine became a long-standing tenet of American foreign policy.

3

What was the derogatory name given to the 1867 purchase of Alaska by the U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward from the Russians?

Seward's Folly

The Alaskan Mistake

The Russians' Gain

The Arctic Calamity

Seward's Shame

Explanation

William H. Seward's detractors believed that the Alaska Purchase was a great mistake, calling it Seward's Folly.

4

The American military took possession of the Phillipines during which conflict?

Spanish-American War

World War II

Korean War

World War I

The US Invasion of Panama

Explanation

The Spanish-American War was fought simultaneously against Spanish possessions in the Caribbean and the Pacific. Claiming to defend Filipino rebels, the United States invaded the Philippines and fought the Spanish there, soundly defeating them. From 1899-1914, the US fought the very Filipino insurgents they were claiming to defend in their invasion in 1898.

5

The territory that the Russian Empire sold to United States Secretary of State William Seward in 1867 became the state of __________.

Alaska

Hawaii

Oregon

American Samoa

Washington

Explanation

In 1867, the Russian Empire was convinced that it would lose its possessions in America due to problems stemming from the Crimean War. Anxious to recoup some value, the Russian Czar negotiated a treaty with US Secretary of State William Seward. The United States, in what critics called Seward's Folly, bought what would become the state of Alaska for $7.2 million.

6

Union forces had their initial success in the American Civil War in __________.

the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys

the border between Maryland and Virginia

the Deep South

the Great Lakes region

the Pacific Coast

Explanation

After hostilities began in 1861, the Union Armies found limited success in the theaters in the War. Fighting at this stage was largely confined to the area of Northern Virginia between the capitals of Richmond and Washington in the East, and along the broader Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys in the Western theater. The only place with significant Union victories was along the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys.

7

From what European country did the United States buy Florida?

Spain

France

England

Portugal

The Netherlands

Explanation

In 1819, the United States bought Florida from Spain in the Adams-Onis Treaty.

8

Which of the following conflicts contributed to the outbreak of the War of 1812?

The Napoleonic Wars

The Revolutions of 1848

The French Revolution

Pontiac's Rebellion

Irish Rebellion of 1798

Explanation

The War of 1812 was seen as a source of national pride for the young American nation--and a sideline to the serious business of the Napoleonic Wars by the British. Most of the initial causes of the war for the Americans directly related to British conduct during the Napoleonic Wars, including detaining sailors heading to French ports, seizing goods from American ships, and violating American territorial claims in Canada.

9

What Civil War General was first offered the position of Supreme Commander of the Army of the United States at the outbreak of the Civil War?

Robert E. Lee

Ulysses S. Grant

William T. Sherman

George Meade

George Thomas

Explanation

Robert E, Lee was uneasy about secession throughout the crisis that developed following Abraham Lincoln's election, and was not sure about joining the Confederacy. Lee was offered command of the United States Army before his home state of Virginia seceded, which caused him to join the Confederacy. All of the other answer choices were Union generals who would come to prominence later in the war.

10

The Rush-Bagot Agreement .

Stated that the region between the United States and British North America would be heavily demilitarized

Ceded control of the Oregon territory to the United States

Returned the relations between Britain and the United States to the pre-war status quo

Failed to pass Congress and lead to a massive militarization of the Great Lakes region

Ceded control of Maine to the United States

Explanation

The Rush-Bagot Treaty was a demilitarization treaty signed between Great Britain and the United States following the end of the War of 1812. It forbade the maintenance of more than a few naval ships on the Great Lakes territory between the United States and British North America. As importantly, it laid the foundation for a future agreement to be reached with Canada that has ensured that the northern border of the United States has remained demilitarized for two centuries.

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