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VirginiaUS History

Reporting Category 3: Virginia and United States History, 1914 to 1945

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How and why did the United States become a world power and overseas empire?

Explain the emergence of the United States as a world power, the causes and results of the Spanish-American War, the acquisition of overseas territories, and the foreign policies of the early 1900s (Virginia 2015 History and Social Science SOL VUS.9).
A SOL-level answer on American imperialism for the VUS exam: the motives for overseas expansion, the causes and results of the Spanish-American War (1898), the acquisition of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam, the annexation of Hawaii, and policies like the Open Door and the Panama Canal.
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How did immigration and the growth of cities reshape America?

Describe the new immigration of the late 1800s, the growth of cities, the experiences and challenges of immigrants, nativism, and the response to urban problems (Virginia 2015 History and Social Science SOL VUS.8).
A SOL-level answer on immigration and urbanization for the VUS exam: the shift to new immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, Ellis Island and Angel Island, the rapid growth of cities, the challenges immigrants faced, nativism and restriction, and reform responses like settlement houses.
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How did industrialization transform the American economy and society?

Explain the causes and effects of rapid industrialization after the Civil War, including new technologies, big business and the captains of industry, the rise of labor unions, and the response of government (Virginia 2015 History and Social Science SOL VUS.8).
A SOL-level answer on industrialization for the VUS exam: the technologies and resources that drove rapid industrial growth, big business and figures like Carnegie and Rockefeller, monopolies and trusts, the rise of labor unions, and early government responses such as the Sherman Antitrust Act.
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How did World War I change life at home and shape the troubled peace?

Describe the World War I home front (mobilization, propaganda, limits on civil liberties, the Great Migration) and the peace, including Wilson's Fourteen Points, the Treaty of Versailles, and the Senate's rejection of the League of Nations (Virginia 2015 History and Social Science SOL VUS.9).
A SOL-level answer on the World War I home front and peace for the VUS exam: war mobilization and propaganda, the Espionage and Sedition Acts and Schenck v. United States, the Great Migration, Wilson's Fourteen Points, the Treaty of Versailles, and why the Senate rejected the League of Nations.
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How did Progressive reformers try to fix the problems of industrial America?

Explain the goals and achievements of the Progressive movement, including the muckrakers, regulation of business, political reforms, and the constitutional amendments of the era (16th, 17th, 18th, 19th) (Virginia 2015 History and Social Science SOL VUS.8).
A SOL-level answer on the Progressive Era for the VUS exam: the muckrakers who exposed abuses, the regulation of business and food and drugs, political reforms expanding democracy, the conservation movement, and the Progressive amendments (16th income tax, 17th direct senators, 18th prohibition, 19th woman suffrage).
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Why did the United States abandon neutrality and enter World War I?

Explain the causes of World War I, the reasons for American entry (submarine warfare, the Lusitania, the Zimmermann Telegram), and the impact of American involvement on the war's outcome (Virginia 2015 History and Social Science SOL VUS.9).
A SOL-level answer on World War I for the VUS exam: the underlying causes (militarism, alliances, imperialism, nationalism), why the United States moved from neutrality to war (unrestricted submarine warfare, the Lusitania, the Zimmermann Telegram), and how fresh American troops helped the Allies win.
12 min answer →