Asked by xen

Which of the following arguments could have been used to support the U.S. acquisition of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines?
(1 point)

The United States needed naval bases in the Caribbean and the Pacific and new territory for businesses.

The United States needed to stop the spread of communism.

The United States should be the first Western country to build a colonial empire.

The United States needed to help nations that were struggling economically.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Correct answers: 1 and 4.

1 is a standard pro‑imperial argument (naval bases, coaling stations, new markets for U.S. business). 4 fits the paternalistic “civilizing/modernizing” justification used for annexation. 2 is anachronistic (anti‑communist arguments came later) and 3 is wrong because European powers already had colonial empires.