Examkin

Period 7: 1890–1945

242 questions

Question 241Question →

"First: Money is the worst of all contrabands because it commands everything else...
Second: The powerful financial interests which would be connected with these loans would be tempted to use their influence to make the country take sides...
Third: An American citizen who goes abroad and associates himself with a belligerent army cannot expect active protection from his government..."
— Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan, letter to President Woodrow Wilson, August 10, 1914

Which of the following developments during the period of United States neutrality from 1914 to 1917 most directly undermined the policy advice presented in the excerpt?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: The heavy lending of capital and sale of war materials to Allied nations by American banks and businesses

Answer

The heavy lending of capital and sale of war materials to Allied nations by American banks and businesses
The correct answer is correct because while Secretary of State Bryan warned that loans and trade would undermine neutrality and draw the nation into war, the United States ultimately allowed massive credit lines and trade with the Allied powers. This economic entanglement made the US highly invested in an Allied victory, directly undermining the strict neutrality Bryan advocated.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document to identify the speaker's main argument.
Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan warns that offering loans to belligerents and allowing citizens to put themselves in harm's way will undermine United States neutrality and pull the nation into the conflict.
Establishing the historical context and the argument of the document is the first step in answering a stimulus-based question.
2
Evaluate the historical developments between 1914 and 1917 to see which one conflicted with or undermined Bryan's warnings.
Although initially banning loans, the Wilson administration eventually permitted American banks to extend billions of dollars in credit to the Allies, and American businesses sold massive quantities of war materials to them.
This allows us to identify the specific economic ties that directly challenged Bryan's vision of strict neutrality.
3
Connect this development to the options to select the correct historical trend.
The option describing the heavy lending of capital and sale of war materials to Allied nations by American banks and businesses represents the correct historical contradiction.
This directly matches the historical evidence of how US neutrality was undermined economically.

Key Concept

The debates over United States neutrality and the economic ties that influenced WWI entry
Estimated Time:1m 15s
Question 242Question →

William Jennings Bryan, *The Menace of Evolution*, 1921:

"The question is not whether the teacher is a good man or a bad man; the question is whether he has a right to teach what the taxpayers do not want taught. The taxpayers build the schools, they pay the salaries, and they have a right to decide what shall be taught to their children. If a teacher is permitted to teach evolution, which contradicts the Bible story of creation, he is undermining the faith of the children. We cannot afford to have our schools used to destroy the religious faith of the next generation. The Bible is the word of God, and it should not be replaced by the guesses of scientists. We must protect our children and our communities from this threat to our Christian civilization."

The debate described in the excerpt most directly reflects which of the following broader cultural tensions in United States society during the 1920s?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: The clash between modernist cultural values and traditional religious fundamentalism

Answer

The clash between modernist cultural values and traditional religious fundamentalism
The debate over evolution and creationism in the classroom, as expressed by William Jennings Bryan, represents the cultural conflict of the 1920s between traditional fundamentalists, who adhered to a literal interpretation of the Bible, and modernists, who attempted to reconcile faith with scientific theories such as evolution.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus to identify the author's primary concern.
The author is concerned that teaching evolution undermines the religious faith of children and contradicts the Bible.
Understanding the core argument of the excerpt is essential for connecting it to historical developments.
2
Relate the author's argument to the historical context of the 1920s.
During the 1920s, a major cultural division existed between religious fundamentalism, which defended traditional views, and modernism, which embraced scientific advancements like evolution.
Connecting the source to the period's cultural movements allows for accurate categorization of the debate.
3
Evaluate the options to find the one that best captures this division.
The clash between modernist cultural values and traditional religious fundamentalism accurately characterizes the debate over teaching evolution in schools.
This option directly matches the conflict described in the text and the broader historical context of the Scopes Trial era.

Key Concept

Social and Political Controversies of the 1920s
Estimated Time:1m 0s
PreviousPage 13 / 13
Period 7: 1890–1945 — AP United States History — Page 13 | Examkin