Question 6 of 10
Which of the following arguments could have been used to support the U.S. acquisition of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines?
A.
The United States needed naval bases in the Caribbean and the Pacific and new territory for businesses.
B.
The United States needed to stop the spread of communism.
C.
The United States should be the first Western country to build a colonial empire.
D.
The United States needed to help nations that were struggling economically.
A. The United States needed naval bases in the Caribbean and the Pacific and new territory for businesses.
To determine which of the following arguments could have been used to support the U.S. acquisition of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, we can evaluate each option:
A. The United States needed naval bases in the Caribbean and the Pacific and new territory for businesses.
This argument suggests that the acquisition of these territories would provide strategic locations for naval bases and offer new economic opportunities for American businesses. This argument is applicable and provides a logical reason for the acquisition.
B. The United States needed to stop the spread of communism.
This argument is not relevant to the context of the question. It is anachronistic as communism did not become a significant global concern until later in the 20th century, while the acquisition of these territories occurred during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
C. The United States should be the first Western country to build a colonial empire.
This argument emphasizes national prestige and expansion as a motivation for acquiring colonies. While it could have been used as an argument at the time, it is not specific to the territories mentioned in the question.
D. The United States needed to help nations that were struggling economically.
While this argument aligns with humanitarian motivations, it does not directly address the acquisition of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. It is too broad to specifically support the U.S. acquisition of these territories.
Therefore, the argument that could have been used to support the U.S. acquisition of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines is A. The United States needed naval bases in the Caribbean and the Pacific and new territory for businesses.