A major reason the United States began to seek oversea territories during the late 1890s was that the...
a) Monroe doctrine required such action
b) Population pressures within the United States had become more severe
c) expansion of American industry made acquiring new markets and additional resources desirable
d) cold- war rivalry between the united states and soviet union had heightened

A major reason the United States began to seek oversea territories during the late 1890s was that the expansion of American industry made acquiring new markets and additional resources desirable

Explanation:

The major reason for the expansion of US towards oversea territories was due to:-

Economic Reasons: Us witnessed a rise in industrialization in the late 1800s due to the need to trade  with other countries. Manufacturers spending huge amount on the construction of  factories with  assembly lines, but big companies often produced more products than the  American people needed. This caused companies to find places to sell their  productsMilitary Reasons:The U.S. needed naval ports in the Pacific because  the merchants of France and Great Britain traded with this route and US found competition with them. These merchants would prevent other countries from trading with US.Moral Reasons : The Europeans and Americans felt superior t  because they believed that the Christian religion made them morally superior. They  sent missionaries to other countries to bring them into the Christian religion.

productive most commonly means: achieving or producing a significant amount or result.

explanation:

productive can also mean:

producing or giving rise torelating to or engaged in the production of goods, crops, or other commodities.

these depend on how the word productive is used. most likely productive will mean   achieving or producing a significant amount or result.