Global History and Geography II Regents Exam: Part II: Stimulus-Based, Short-Answer, Constructed-Response Questions (With Answers)

SET 1
Directions (11–13): Analyze the documents and answer the short-answer questions that follow each document. (Note that the actual exam will feature write-on lines, but you can practice on a piece of paper.)

Base your answer to question 11 on Document 1 and on your knowledge of social studies.
 

Document 1


11. Explain the historical circumstances that led to British attitudes about their empire as shown in this excerpt from An ABC for Baby Patriots.
Base your answer to question 12 on Document 2 and on your knowledge of social studies.
 

Document 2
The Discovery of India was written by Jawaharlal Nehru during his imprisonment at Ahmadnagar Fort in British India from April to September 1944. Nehru was a leader in the Indian National Congress.

The Chief business of the East India Company in its early period, the very object for which it was started, was to carry Indian manufactured goods—textiles, etc., as well as spices and the like—from the East to Europe, where there was a great demand for these articles. With the developments in industrial techniques in England a new class of industrial capitalists rose there demanding a change in this policy. The British market was to be closed to Indian products and the Indian market opened to British manufactures. The British parliament, influenced by this new class, began to take a greater interest in India and the working of the East India Company. To begin with, Indian goods were excluded from Britain by legislation, and as the company held a monopoly in the Indian export business, this exclusion influenced other foreign markets also. This was followed by vigorous attempts to restrict and crush Indian manufactures by various measures and internal duties which prevented the flow of Indian goods within the country itself. British goods meanwhile had free entry. The Indian textile industry collapsed, affecting vast numbers of weavers and artisans. The process was rapid in Bengal and Bihar; elsewhere it spread gradually with the expansion of British rule and the building of railways. It continued throughout the nineteenth century, breaking up other old industries also, shipbuilding, metalwork, glass, paper, and many crafts.
To some extent this was inevitable as the older manufacturing came into conflict with the new industrial technique. But it was hastened by political and economic pressure, and no attempt was made to apply the new techniques to India. Indeed every attempt was made to prevent this happening, and thus the economic development of India was arrested [stopped] and the growth of the new industry prevented. Machinery could not be imported into India. A vacuum was created in India which could only be filled by British goods, and which also led to rapidly increasing unemployment and poverty. The classic type of modern colonial economy was built up, India becoming an agricultural colony of industrial England, supplying raw materials and providing markets for England’s industrial goods. . . .

Source: Jawaharlal Nehru, The Discovery of India, The John Day Company, 1946

12. Identify Jawaharlal Nehru’s point of view concerning British colonialism in India based on this excerpt.
Base your answer to question 13 on both Documents 1 and 2 and on your knowledge of social studies.
 

Cause—refers to something that contributes to the occurrence of an event, the rise of an idea, or the bringing about of a development.
Effect—refers to what happens as a consequence (result, impact, outcome) of an event, an idea, or a development.

13. Identify and explain a cause-and-effect relationship associated with the historical developments in Documents 1 and 2. Be sure to use evidence from both Documents 1 and 2 in your response.

SET 2
Directions (14–16): Analyze the documents and answer the short-answer questions that follow each document. (Note that the actual exam will feature write-on lines, but you can practice on a piece of paper.)

Base your answer to question 14 on Document 1 and on your knowledge of social studies.
 

Document 1

Geographic Context—refers to where this historical development/event is taking place and why it is taking place there.

14. Explain the geographic context for the historical development/event shown in this 1946 cartoon.
Base your answer to question 15 on Document 2 and on your knowledge of social studies.
 

Document 2
United States President George H. W. Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin met at Camp David at a United States–Russian Summit. They issued a Joint Declaration on February 1, 1992.

At the conclusion of this meeting between an American President and the President of a new and democratic Russia, we, the leaders of two great peoples and nations, are agreed that a number of principles should guide relations between Russia and America.

1. Russia and the United States do not regard each other as potential adversaries. From now on the relationship will be characterized by friendship and partnership founded on mutual trust and respect and a common commitment to democracy and economic freedom.

2. We will work to remove any remnants of cold war hostility, including taking steps to reduce our strategic arsenals.

3. We will do all we can to promote a mutual well-being of our peoples and to expand as widely as possible the ties that now bind our peoples. Openness and tolerance should be the hallmark of relations between our peoples and governments.

4. We will actively promote free trade, investment and economic cooperation between our two countries.

5. We will make every effort to support the promotion of our shared values for democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights, including minority rights, respect for borders and peaceful change around the globe.

6. We will work actively together to:
–Prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and associated technology, and curb the spread of advanced conventional arms on the basis of principles to be agreed upon.
–Settle regional conflicts peacefully.
–Counter terrorism, halt drug trafficking and forestall [prevent] environmental degradation.

In adopting these principles, the United States and Russia today launch a new era in our relationship. In this new era, we seek a peace, an enduring peace that rests on lasting common values. This can be an era of peace and friendship that offers hope not only to our peoples, but to the peoples of the world. . . .
Source: “Joint Declaration,” U.S.–Russian Summit, Camp David, February 1, 1992 Berlin Information Center for Transatlantic Security online

15. Based on this document, explain the purpose of this joint declaration by United States President George H. W. Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin.
 

Turning Point—is a major event, idea, or historical development that brings about significant change. It can be local, regional, national, or global.

16 a–16 b Using evidence from both Documents 1 and 2 and your knowledge of social studies:

a)Identify a turning point associated with the historical developments related to both Documents 1 and 2.
b) Explain why the historical developments associated with these documents are considered a turning point. Be sure to use evidence from both Documents 1 and 2 in your response.

Answers: PART II: Stimulus-Based, Short-Answer, Constructed-Response Questions

SET 1

11) The historical circumstances that led to British attitudes about their empire as shown in this excerpt from An ABC for Baby Patriots were that Britain established a record number of colonies (which created a large empire) and acquired new markets (that could provide raw materials and be sold finished goods). Subsequently, the British people were extremely proud of the size of their empire and the resources it had.
Note: This response receives full credit because it correctly explains the historical circumstances that led to British attitudes about their empire as shown in this excerpt. This response uses information from the document, such as the fact that “Great Britain has [the] most” colonies and thus such a large empire. This response also uses outside knowledge of global history and geography, such as the fact that Great Britain acquired new markets that could supply raw materials and be sold finished goods. Although outside information is not required to receive credit, it helps strengthen the response. It also offers a better explanation as to which historical events fostered the British people’s pride for their empire, as demonstrated in the excerpt.

12) Based on this excerpt, Jawaharlal Nehru’s point of view concerning British colonialism in India was that British imperialism benefited Britain more so than it did India because Britain monopolized trade with India and many traditional Indian industries were damaged by British colonialism.
Note: This response receives full credit because it correctly identifies Jawaharlal Nehru’s point of view, or opinion, about the effects that British colonialism had on India. This response focuses on Nehru’s negative opinion of British imperialism in India and the ways in which he described how Britain’s industrial success came at the expense of the Indian people and their industries.

13) A cause-and-effect relationship associated with the historical developments in Documents 1 and 2 is that due to its desire to build a large global empire, Britain colonized India and exploited India’s people, industries, and resources for Britain’s own economic gain. By the late 1800s, the British could boast “that of all the great nations Great Britain [had the] most” colonies and had such a large empire that the “sun never [set]” on it (Doc. 1). One of the nations that Britain colonized and acquired new markets from was India. As a result of British colonialism, India was negatively impacted as Britain’s takeover led to “increasing unemployment and poverty” in India. In fact, India became “an agricultural colony of industrial England, supplying raw materials and providing markets for England’s industrial goods” (Doc. 2).
 

Note: This response receives full credit because it identifies and explains a cause-and-effect relationship associated with the historical developments in Documents 1 and 2. Additionally, the response cites evidence from both documents, and outside knowledge is incorporated to strengthen the response.

SET 2
14) The geographic context for the historical development/event shown in this 1946 cartoon is that following World War II, Europe became divided along ideological lines into noncommunist countries in Western Europe and communist countries in Eastern Europe (which were controlled by the Soviet Union). This division was represented by the Iron Curtain. This cartoon depicts Winston Churchill trying to look under the Iron Curtain to see what is happening on the other side.
 

Note: This response receives full credit because it correctly explains the geographic context for the historical development/event shown in this cartoon by focusing on the division of Europe into noncommunist countries in the West and communist countries in the East based on ideological differences. This response also identifies that this division was represented by the Iron Curtain.

15) Based on this document, the purpose of this joint declaration by United States president George H. W. Bush and Russian president Boris Yeltsin was to promote economic freedom and cooperation as well as to demonstrate a newfound trust and respect between the United States and Russia after these two countries had fought for decades during the Cold War.
 

Note: This response receives full credit because it correctly explains the purpose of this joint declaration, which was to promote democracy and economic freedom and to create a more peaceful relationship between the United States and Russia that was founded on mutual trust and respect.

16 a) A turning point associated with the historical developments related to both Documents 1 and 2 was the collapse of communism and the Soviet Union, which marked the end of the Cold War.
 

Note: This response receives full credit because it correctly identifies the collapse of communism and the Soviet Union and the subsequent end of the Cold War as the turning point, or catalyst for change, that is associated with the historical developments related to both documents.

16 b) The collapse of communism and the Soviet Union (and the subsequent end of the Cold War) was a turning point because these historical developments allowed a relationship to form between Western nations and the former Soviet Union after decades of political and economic isolation from each other. Prior to the end of the Cold War, the democratic capitalist countries of Western Europe were isolated from the Soviet Union, as represented by the proverbial Iron Curtain (Doc. 1). By 1992, communism had failed, the Soviet Union (and the Iron Curtain) had collapsed, and Russian president Boris Yeltsin began talks with United States president George H. W. Bush to promote a trading relationship between their respective nations and to end Cold War hostilities. In a joint declaration between the two leaders, they pledged to maintain a “partnership founded on mutual trust and respect and a common commitment to democracy and economic freedom” (Doc. 2).
 

Note: This response receives full credit because it correctly explains why the historical developments associated with the documents are considered a turning point. It provides evidence from both documents to describe the hostilities between Western Europe and Eastern Europe during the Cold War. The evidence provided also explains how the relationship between Russia (the former Soviet Union) and Western democratic nations changed as a result of the collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War.