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Part III
DOCUMENT-BASED QUESTION
(June 2001)
Historical Context:
Throughout its history, the United States has followed different foreign policies to promote
its interests. These policies have included neutrality, imperialism, containment, and
internationalism. Specific actions have been taken and specific programs have been
established to carry out these policies.
Task:
Using information from the documents and your knowledge of United States history, answer
the questions that follow each document in Part A. Your answers to the questions will help
you write the Part B essay, in which you will be asked to:
• Describe two different United States foreign policies
• Discuss one specific action or program the United States has used to carry
out each foreign policy
• Evaluate the extent to which the action or program used was successful in
carrying out each foreign policy
(This outline was written as if this was a Thematic Essay)
Body 1 – One United States foreign policy was
neutrality. Neutrality is not becoming directly involved in other nations concerns, or to
be free from “foreign entanglements.” It was first introduced by George Washington. When
England and France went to war, George Washington agreed to stay out of the war when he
signed Jay’s Treaty. George Washington also mentioned neutrality again in his Farewell
Address. Neutrality became the United States’ traditional foreign policy.
Body 1 – One specific action or program the US used to carry the policy of neutrality was
Between World War I and World War II, the United States returned to its traditional
foreign policy of neutrality when it passed the Neutrality Acts of 1935, 1936, & 1937.
Specifically, these acts were designed to keep the United States from being dragged into another
war in Europe. Specifically, the Neutrality Acts banned the shipment of American made goods
to any country at war. The purpose these laws was to make sure the United States did NOT
repeat the same mistakes that caused them to get dragged into World War I.
Body 1 – This foreign policy’s action or program was
not very successful over the long term. With the official beginning of World War II, the
US wanted to side with the Allies without directly getting involved with the conflict. The US
changed its foreign policy by creating the Cash & Carry program. Now the US could trade
with warring nations only if they paid for American goods with cash and brought their own boats
to transport the goods. The US did not want our ships to be sunk by the German submarines that
were again practicing unrestricted warfare and were not respecting the freedom of the seas.
Then, the US again altered its foreign policy by allowing the Destroyers for Bases Deal with
England and then, expanded involvement even more with Lend – Lease. This made the US the
arsenal of democracy. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the US
became directly involved in World War II.
Body 2 – Another United States foreign policy was
Containment. This was the program that attempt to stop the spread of communism.
This policy began right World War II at the beginning of the Cold War. President Harry
Truman was angered that the Soviet Union did not pull out of Germany and Eastern Europe
after the war as Josef Stalin promised. Stalin was trying to spread communism to these new
satellite nations and use them as a buffer zone for a future invasion.
Body 2 – One specific action or program the US used to carry the policy of containment was
the Marshall Plan. This provided financial and military aid to the countries of Western
Europe, like Italy, France, England and West Germany. Specifically, the US gave $13 billion to
these countries in an effort to stabilize these nations, rebuild their economies, and guarantee
security. The theory was that if the United States did fix these problems in Western Europe than
people might see communism as the solution. Other US programs that provided aid to countries
in effort to stop the spread of communism were the Truman Doctrine and the Eisenhower
Doctrine.
Body 2 – This foreign policy’s action or program was
very successful. At no point in time did the countries of Western Europe fall to
communism. Stabile democracies were created in the former rubble of these countries. Also, the
Western European nations banded together in an example of collective security when they
created NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). In fact, democracy spread to Eastern
Europe and even to the former Soviet Union after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and the Soviet
Union broke up in 1991.