Recalling the specter of the Great Depression (1929–40), America now advocated open trade for two reasons: to create markets for American agricultural and industrial products, and to ensure the ability of Western European nations to export as a means of rebuilding their economies. Reduced trade barriers, American policy makers believed, would promote economic growth at home and abroad, bolstering U. S. friends and allies in the process. –“Outline of United States History,” US State Department This passage most clearly relates to the creation of the