CLEP US History II

Answer: A - The diminutive size of the U.S. Navy, by comparison to the navies of the European countries, played a large role in keeping the United States out of territorial conflicts beyond its own continent. Though commercial shipping was a relatively strong industry during certain periods of the 19^thcentury, the Navy was underdeveloped. It was all but completely neglected during the post-Civil War period of Reconstruction. The United States did not become a significant player in international affairs in the Eastern Hemisphere until the end of the 19th century. By that time, a succession of armed conflicts required the attention of the country’s growing naval forces, rather than the possibility of territorial conquest.