ESSAY QUESTIONS: essay questions will appear on the test; you will have to answer one of them. Essays should be well-organized, with an introduction, specific historical evidence to support your arguments, and a conclusion. Be sure to define your terms – do not assume that the reader knows what you are writing about. Also, anticipate possible objections to your argument.
1. Was the “new imperialism” really new, or was it merely a continuation of American expansion? Discuss in detail the causes and consequences of imperial expansion of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including the Spanish-American War and its aftermath, and show how it either mirrored or differed from earlier territorial expansion.
2. Which president was more progressive, Theodore Roosevelt or Woodrow Wilson? Define progressivism in the terms of its main proponents and discuss the ideas, policies and accomplishments of both presidents in your answer.
3. What were the causes of the Great Depression? Did the New Deal legislation of the 1930s address and solve the fundamental problems that had caused the Great Depression? Be specific about both the causes of the Depression and the New Deal laws and programs in your answer.
4. Compare and contrast the United States’ involvement in World War I and World War II. What were America’s reasons for going to war and their methods and tactics for fighting in each war? What role did the U.S. play in winning each war? What happened on the home front in each conflict?
