U.S. History Practice Test Part 3

Student Responses for Session 2 Item 37 Prompt Based on the sources and your knowledge of U.S. history, evaluate whether the United States was justified in its involvement in Asia during the late nineteenth century and the twentieth century. Response 1 The United States of America has involved themselves in the affairs of other places. While these actions were beneficial at times, the United States was not always justified in its involvement in Asia because they often caused harm to other nations and themselves. Such actions as taking control of Hawaii, acquiring the Philippines and other territories after the Spanish American War and intervening in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Not all of these actions were justifiable. During the late nineteenth century, the United States influenced and took control of multiple nations, such as Hawaii and the Philippines. The U.S. justified this by claiming that these nations were not capable of self-government with imperialists like Albert Beveridge arguing that the consent of governed < applies only to those who are capable of self-government.= Prior to the U.S. annexation of Hawaii, it was a nation governed under a monarch. Planters from the United States started taking control of Hawaii leading their queen to surrender and Hawaii ultimately became a United States territory. This led to a loss of Hawaiian culture, and the Americanization of a nation. Although U.S. imperialist believed < Hawaii is ours,= Hawaiians did not consent to the United States' government. The Hawaiians were fully capable of governing themselves. A difference in government and desires for economic and military benefits do not justify the overtaking of a nation. The Hawaiians may have not violently resisted the United states government, but the Filipinos did. The United States acquired the Philippines without their consent after the Spanish American War. The Filipinos did not want to be governed by another imperialist nation and they < demand[ed] independence with the Philippine Insurrection." Intervening in the affairs of foreign nations and forcing nations to impose a democratic government caused problems for the United States. People have the right to govern their countries however they feel necessary and it is not the responsibility or the right of the United States to intervene or try to control those nations. American lives were put at risk and unnecessary money was spent. When communism began to spread throughout Europe, the United States did everything in their power to stop the spread. This was because the United States was afraid that communism would spread and reach Americans. When the Korean War broke out between communist North Korea, and non-communist South Korea, the United States sent troops to South Korea to fight communism. The United States saw it as their duty to intervene, but they should have focused on protecting itself and those in the western hemisphere from the threat of communism instead. The drive to contain communism also led to a defeat for the United States. After North Vietnam became communist, it attempted to impose communism on South Vietnam. The United States intervened again, leading to a full blown war on Vietnam. Although President Johnson explained that "our purpose is peace" in Vietnam the result was thousands of lives lost and stirring up social unrest among the American people. In conclusion, the United States involvement in Asian affairs has harmed America's economy and people. America's actions in these times were unjustified and unnecessary. Claims: 4; Content: 4 The response earns a score of 4 for claims and a score of 4 for content. It presents the claim that U.S. involvement in Asia was not justified because U.S. actions < often caused harm to other nations and themselves.= The response incorporates well-chosen evidence from three of the five sources in a sophisticated manner (e.g., < with imperialists like Albert Beveridge arguing that the consent of governed 8applies only to those who are capable of self-government,9= < U.S. imperialist believed 8Hawaii is ours,9= < The United States acquired the Philippines . . . after the Spanish American War,= < Filipinos . . . 8demand[ed] independence with the Philippine Insurrection,9" and < President Johnson explained that 8our purpose is peace9 in Vietnam=). A strong score of 4 in the claims dimension is also supported by the use of clear lines of reasoning and cohesive explanations of the connections among ideas, events, and people. Although Hawaii is not considered part of Asia, the student effectively makes this connection and incorporates the example into the response in a way that helps to build his/her argument and enhance the response instead of detract from it. Likewise, the response earns a strong score of 4 in the content dimension. The student fully attends to all parts of the prompt and integrates ample, accurate information from his/her content knowledge on U.S. involvement in Hawaii, the Philippines, Korea, and Vietnam into the response (e.g., < Planters from the United States started taking control of Hawaii leading their queen to surrender and Hawaii ultimately became a United States territory,= < The Filipinos did not want to be governed by another imperialist nation,= < When the Korean War broke out between communist North Korea, and non-communist South Korea, the United States sent troops to South Korea to fight communism.= and < The United States intervened [in Vietnam] . . . the result was thousands of lives lost and stirring up social unrest among the American people=). Response 2