When you have finished studying this chapter, you should be able to:
Explain why the political system of the late nineteenth century stood in such perilous stalemate.
Describe the dominant issues of the day, including the "bloody shirt," civil service reform, the tariff, monetary reform, and revolt of the farmers.
Describe effects of the depression of 1893, and explain why government failed to take action to resolve it.
Explain the significance of the election of 1896 and the political realignment it marked.
Explain why American imperialism can be described as indirect, and list territorial acquisitions and other evidences of the growth of imperial influence.
Explain some political, economic, and cultural factors that shaped the course of American overseas expansion. Explain why the United States went to war with Spain as part of its emergence as an imperial power.
