HST202 CBE
Multiple Choice Questions (#100 out of 110 provided)
Example alignment table
MO#
Module Outcome
Question #
HST202MO1-1
Describe the factors which combined to make the U.S. a
mature industrial society after the Civil War.
1,
HST202MO1-2
Analyze how the West was integrated economically and
socially into the rest of the country between 1877 and
1900.
Evaluate the efficacy of the Gilded Age political system in
meeting its goals, including those of imperialism.
Describe how the economic development of the Gilded Age
affected American freedoms, including those for minorities
and immigrants.
Examine how reformers of the period approached
problems of industrialization and labor.
Describe role of cities in Progressive America.
3,4
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HST202MO2-1
HST202MO2-2
HST202MO2-3
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HST202MO3-1
HST202MO3-2
HST202MO3-3
HST202MO3-4
HST202MO3-5
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HST202MO4-1
HST202MO4-2
HST202MO4-3
HST202MO5-1
HST202MO5-2
Analyze how the labor and women’s movements
challenged the nineteenth-century meanings of American
freedom.
Compare how Progressivism included both democratic and
anti-democratic impulses.
Evaluate the role of Progressive presidents in promoting
expansion of American power overseas.
Describe how the US got involved in World War I.
Analyze how the war affected race relations in the United
States.
Evaluate how 1919 was a watershed year for the United
States.
Describe how the government promoted business interests
in the 1920s.
Analyze how the protection of civil liberties gained
importance in the 1920s.
Examine the causes of the Great Depression and the
government’s response.
Describe the major policy initiatives of the New Deal in the
Hundred Days.
Analyze how the New Deal recast the meaning of American
freedom.
Explain how new ideas of economic justice developed in
the 1930s.
Describe how the U.S. got involved in World War II.
Describe how the U.S. mobilized economic resources and
promoted popular support for the war effort.
7,8
2,5
6
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HST202MO6-1
HST202MO6-2
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HST202MO6-4
HST202MO7-1
HST202MO7-2
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HST202MO7-4
HST202MO7-5
HST202MO8-1
HST202MO8-2
HST202MO8-3
HST202MO8-4
HST202MO8-5
Describe how the end of World War II began to shape the
post-war world.
Describe the origins of the Cold War and the roots of
containment.
Examine the effects of anticommunism on American
politics and culture.
Describe the main characteristics of the affluent society of
the 1950s.
Explain the goals of the civil rights movement in the late
1940s and 50s.
Describe the major events in the civil rights movement of
the early 1960s
Analyze the developments in the civil rights movement in
the 1960s.
Evaluate the presidential administrations of Kennedy,
Johnson and Nixon.
Assess how the Vietnam War transformed American politics
and culture.
Describe the rise of conservatism in the 1970s.
Describe the major initiatives of the Clinton administration
in the aftermath of the Cold War.
Analyze the forces that drove the economic resurgence of
the 1990s.
Examine the culture wars of the 1990s.
Describe the major policies of the war on terror in the wake
of September 11, 2001.
Describe the events that affected support for President
Bush during his second term.
1. As a result of the Spanish-American War, the United States had to resolve which of the following
constitutional questions?
a. Should taxes be applied to former Spanish colonies imports?
b. Did the Philippine Insurrection require military trials?
*c. Should citizenship be granted to people living in the former Spanish colonies?
d. Should former Spanish Colonies have immediate representation in the executive branch?
2. What country, beside Mexico, sent a large population of immigrant men, but not women, to work in
California by 1880?
a. Russia
b. Brazil
c. Ireland
*d. China
3. The Knights of Labor’s goal was to have one union that included all workers, skilled and unskilled,
males and females, Caucasians and selected minorities. How did the Knights’ goal affect their labor
union?
*a. Such a diverse membership prevented the adoption of common demands.
b. Congressmen and other U.S. leaders held control over the Knights of Labor.
c. Anti-immigration laws became the rallying cry for the unions.
d. Child labor laws became the only viable common thread among the groups.
4. How did the U.S. government help businesses integrate the West with the economy of the rest of the
country in the late 19th century?
*a. It gave the railroads land and subsidized their construction.
b. It built irrigation infrastructure for private companies.
c. It paid for immigrants to come West to provide labor.
d. It set up colleges and provided financial aid to students in the West.
5. How did the Coinage Act of 1873 affect the U.S. economy?
a. By demonetizing gold, the Act created a crash in gold prices and an international recession .
b. By making all coins copper, the Act drove up the price of copper, making Utah rich.
*c. By demonetizing silver, the Act hurt mining interests in the West.
d. By taking gold coins out of circulation, the Act laid the foundations for Fort Knox.
6. What rights did the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine claim for the U.S.?
*a. The right to intervene to help European nations negotiate issues with Latin America
b. The exclusive right to the newly developed Panama Canal
c. The right to free-trade zones in Pacific ports
d. The right to set up wildlife preserves to conserve nature throughout the region
7. Which of the following most accurately describes pasture land with no fences in the American West?
a. Ranchero
b. Ravine
c. Roundups
*d. Open ranges
8. Which statement best presents a justification of American imperialism after 1870?
*a. American leadership believed distant territories were important to national security in the long term.
b. American leadership continued President Washington’s belief that America should avoid entangling
alliances.
c. American leadership believed it was wrong to impose American ideals on foreign cultures.
d. American leadership believed trading with new colonies increased trade for military technology.
9. Which of the following became a major destination for cattle drives after 1867?
a. Denver
b. St. Louis
*c. Abilene
d. Fort Smith
10. What government institution declared the closing of the American frontier in 1890?
a. The U.S. Post Office
*b. The U.S. Census
c. The State of Texas
d. The Department of the Interior
11. What are some problems with the Frontier Thesis regarding the inherent freedom of the American
frontier?
a. The thesis was based on conditions in Siberia, which were not applicable to the American West.
b. The thesis ignored the issue of slavery in Utah and the West.
c. The thesis does not acknowledge the lack of access to trains of much of the Rocky Mountain region.
*d. The thesis does not take into account the condition of Indians and other minorities in the West.
12. Which of the following was NOT a direct effect of the railroad boom and transcontinental railroad?
a. The railroad stimulated mining.
b. The railroad facilitated the access of farmers to markets.
c. The railroad produced many millionaires.
*d. The railroad helped immigrants assimilate into Midwest society.
13. Why was the Interstate Commerce Commission founded?
a. To help small businessmen
b. To provide jobs for Theodore Roosevelt’s supporters
c. To regulate shipping for the first time
*d. To regulate railroads as they expanded
14. Which tycoon is closely associated with the oil industry?
a. Andrew Carnegie
*b. John D. Rockefeller
c. J. P. Morgan
d. Cornelius Vanderbilt
15. Which of the following territories was taken from another country as a result of American
imperialism?
a. Alaska
*b. Puerto Rico
c. Montana
d. The Falkland Islands
16. Upton Sinclair’s novel, The Jungle, described the meatpacking industry and workers. Which
statement best describes the influence of The Jungle?
a. The Jungle led to safety training of workers.
b. The Jungle promoted the use of local ranchers to regulate meat production.
c. The Jungle demonstrated the need for national food suppliers.
*d. The Jungle encouraged public demand for federal regulation of food production.
17. What was the Progressive Movement?
a. A movement to improve the national transportation system
b. A movement to promote the election of Theodore Roosevelt and other members of the Progressive
Party
c. A movement to extend U.S. friendship to China and other poor countries
*d. A movement for social, political and economic reforms to improve U.S. society
18. What impact did the large number of immigrants in the U.S. have during the late nineteenth and
early twentieth centuries?
a. The arrival of new immigrants led to improved working conditions in factories.
b. The arrival of skilled workers provided highly productive labor unions.
*c. The arrival of large amounts of inexpensive labor kept factory overhead cost low.
d. The arrival of new immigrants with women willing to work promoted child labor laws.
19. What was a “muckraker?”
a. A worker in the meatpacking industry
b. A politician who crusaded for reforms
c. A woman who called for suffrage
*d. A journalist who exposed problems in American life, government, and business
20. Where were immigrants at the turn of the 20th century most likely to live?
a. In sod houses on the Midwest prairie
b. In suburbs far from urban centers
c. In tent cities in city parks
*d. in crowded apartments called tenements
21. What was the main goal of the settlement house movement?
a. The movement sought to reform corrupt city institutions like Tammany Hall.
b. The movement worked to better the conditions of immigrant farm workers.
*c. The movement sought to educate immigrants in skills they needed to be part of American society.
d. The movement helped poor city people settle into wholesome Midwest communities.
22. Which statement is true about immigrants in the late 19th century?
*a. Skilled workers with Anglo-American traditions easily integrated into American life.
b. Unskilled immigrants quickly adapted to American industrial work.
c. Few immigrants moved to the West.
d. Immigrants found it impossible to assimilate into American society.
23. How did the Progressive movement impact Native American Indians?
a. The Native American population was unaffected by the Progressive Movement.
b. Native American women were able to move to urban areas and find clerical jobs.
*c. Native American intellectuals came together to discuss how to redress previous injustices .
d. Native men created settlement house initiatives similar to those in urban areas.
24. Which statement is true of the American middle class during the Progressive Period?
*a. The middle class grew at twice the rate of the working class during the same period.
b. The middle class disappeared because of the rush of immigrants from southern Europe.
c. The middle class declined because of the general economic decline of the U.S. during the period.
d. The middle class stayed close to its roots in east coast urban environments.
25. How did Progressivism change the American political system?
a. It supported the creation of Jim Crowe laws that separated the races in the wake of Reconstruction.
b. It created an efficient city government that featured a strong centralized political machine to
distribute jobs, goods and services to the poor.
*c. It promoted a strong reformist federal government that intervened in business on behalf of the
people.
d. It promoted a laissez-faire economic policy that promoted the interests of business in the interest of
economic progress.
26. In his acceptance speech to the National Democratic Convention September 2, 1916, Woodrow
Wilson stated the following
We can no longer indulge our traditional provincialism. We are to play a leading part in the world drama
whether we wish it or not. We shall lend, not borrow; act for ourselves, not imitate or follow; organize
and initiate, not peep about merely to see where we may get in.
What policy was Wilson criticizing?
a. The gold standard, which made gold the basis of the world monetary system
*b. Isolationism, or the unwillingness to be involved in international affairs
c. Imperialism, which posited that the U.S. should be a beacon of democracy for all the world
d. Postmodernism, which resisted conventions in art and culture
27. Why did the United States not ratify the Versailles Treaty?
a. Americans protested the treaty in noisy demonstrations throughout the country.
*b. Wilson could not convince the majority of the Senate to pass the treaty.
c. Henry Cabot Lodge, the head of the Senate, was a strong enemy of Wilson and would not support the
treaty.
d. All answers are correct.
28. What did Wilson’s 14 Points contribute to the negotiations for the Versailles Treaty?
a. They provided a model for the “War Guilt Clause” which made Germany responsible for the war.
b. They specified new borders for Germany and other European nations.
*c. They expressed U.S. war aims in terms of ideal goals for European peace.
d. All answers are correct.
29. Charles T. Schenck was a socialist who was arrested for distributing anti-draft leaflets. In the
Supreme Court decision Schenck v. United States, 1919, Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes declared
“The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a
theatre and causing a panic. It does not even protect a man from an injunction against uttering words
that may have all the effect of force.” The court ruled against Schenck’s right to distribute the leaflets.
How does this case illustrate that the Constitution is a living document?
a. The ruling showed that the right to free speech is absolute based on the letter of the Constitutional
language.
b. The ruling showed that Constitutional protections did not apply in time of war.
c. The ruling overturned rulings from the Lincoln Era and so demonstrated that the Constitution could be
changed at will.
*d. The Court demonstrated that the Bill of Rights could be limited by the “clear and present danger” in
a contemporary context.
30. Why did Theodore Roosevelt promote the construction of the Panama Canal?
a. To promote better relations with Colombia and other Latin American countries
*b. To strengthen U.S. military responsiveness and power
c. To promote trade with China
d. To provide jobs for American workers in a time of economic recession.
31. What event sparked World War I?
*a. The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
b. The Alliance between Serbia and Germany
c. The publication of Woodrow Wilson’s fourteen points
d. Hitler’s rise to power
32. The Zimmerman Note proved which of the following?
a. The British conspired with the U.S. against Mexico.
b. The Germans allied with Britain.
*c. The Germans sought an alliance with Mexico.
d. Mexico reached out to the U.S. for assistance against Mexico.
33. Why did Wilson resort to the Lend-Lease program during World War I?
a. Wilson wanted to show support for the Central Powers in order to protect U.S. interests.
b. Secretary of State William Bryan swayed Wilson to help Europe in its time of need.
c. Theodore Roosevelt counseled Wilson to support Allied Powers in order to prepare the American
people for war.
*d. President Wilson wanted to help the Allied Powers in order to protect U.S. interests.
34. The primary issue of the 1916 presidential election was which of the following?
a. Continuing the Progressive Reforms
b. Economic Depression of 1915
*c. Involvement in the war in Europe
d. Immigration reform to allow Chinese immigrants to enter the country
35. What did Eugene V. Debs, Randolph Bourne, and Jeanette Rankin have in common?
a. They were Southern Democrats who supported World War I.
*b. They were all anti-war activists.
c. They were radicals.
d. They were freedom of speech activists.
36. During World War I, what was the primary reason black Americans migrated to northern cities?
a. Sharecropping was ending as government subsidies were curtailed.
b. Southern Blacks knew race relations in the North were ideal.
c. Northern agribusiness offered more opportunities than sharecropping.
*d. There were economic opportunities in the expanding northern industries.
37. Why did Wilson intervene in the Russian Civil War?
*a. To reopen the Russian front and to secure payment for American war materials
b. Because of his opposition to communism throughout the world
c. In response to strong opposition to Lenin and Trotsky in the U.S. Senate
d. To support American territorial claims in the Aleutians
38. Most American got information about World War I from which of the following?
*a. Theaters
b. Radio
c. TV
d. Whistle stop speeches
39. What killed the most Americans during World War I?
a. machine guns
*b. disease and accidents
c. gas attacks
d. airplane attacks
40. Which statement most accurately describes the role of women in the work force in the 1920s?
a. Because of World War I, women made major strides into previously all-male professions.
*b. The majority of college educated women continued in “women’s” professions such as nursing,
teaching school, and serving as librarians.
c. The proportion of women in the workforce was proportional to the death count of soldiers during
World War I.
d. Women entered the healing professions more than men for the first time in the history of the U.S.
41. Which of the following statements is NOT true about the Harlem Renaissance in 1920s?
a. The Harlem Renaissance included French-speaking black writers in Paris.
b. White patronage supported The Harlem Renaissance.
c. The Harlem Renaissance ended with the Great Depression.
*d. Despite the name, The Harlem Renaissance was most powerful in Chicago and the Mississippi Delta.
42. How did housework change for middle class women in the early 20th century?
a. Men began to pick up a large portion of the chores.
b. The large influx of black and immigrant women meant most white women had the services of a maid.
*c. Housework was lightened substantially by new technologies.
d. The decline in the numbers of women working outside the home made housework a new priority for
the middle class.
43. During the Great Depression, why did President Franklin Roosevelt’s program plant millions of trees
on the Great Plains?
a. To provide raw materials for the railroad business
b. To provide jobs for people in the East
*c. To prevent soil erosion
d. To carry through with the national park system
44. How did Franklin Roosevelt improve the environment during the Great Depression?
a. He built a national power grid.
b. He established the national park system.
*c. He provided jobs in conserving and utilizing natural resources.
d. He established the Environmental Protection Agency.
45. Why did Roosevelt engage the “deficit spending” ideas of John M. Keynes?
a. Keynes, as Speaker of the House, was key to passing the New Deal legislation.
b. Roosevelt hoped that deficit spending would hasten U.S. entry into World War II, and so end the
Great Depression.
*c. Roosevelt believed with Keynes that the government should borrow money and spend it to stimulate
the economy.
d. Roosevelt hoped that by setting an example of personal spending, other Americans would be
encouraged to spend and so lift the economy.
46. Which of the following was part of the New Deal?
*a. The Social Security Act
b. The Income Tax Act
c. The Civil Rights Act
d. All answers are correct.
47. Which of the following was Roosevelt’s primary economic goal during the Great Depression?
a. Trade agreements with European countries to increase economic activity
*b. Jobs for unemployed workers
c. Increased government control of industry to prevent price gouging
d. To restructure the banks
48. The song “Happy Days are Here Again” was associated with Franklin Roosevelt’s election for what
reason?
a. Roosevelt vowed to end Hoover’s government corruption.
b. Roosevelt removed immigration restrictions allowing many European families to be reunited.
c. Roosevelt promised to regulate business corporations.
*d. Roosevelt promised to ease economic hardships during the Great Depression.
49. What natural disaster happened to the U.S. during the Great Depression?
a. The Potato Famine
b. Global Warming
*c. The Dust Bowl
d. Global Cooling
50. Which of the following best describes Eleanor Roosevelt’s primary role as First Lady?
*a. Eleanor Roosevelt actively participated in politics with her husband.
b. Eleanor Roosevelt’s charm offset her husband’s sour image.
c. Eleanor Roosevelt supported childhood immunization and redecorated the White House.
d. Eleanor Roosevelt served on the Cabinet as the first female Secretary of Labor.
51. Which of the following was NOT part of Franklin Roosevelt’s immediate response to the banking
crisis that initiated the Great Depression?
a. Roosevelt proposed the Emergency Banking Act.
*b. Roosevelt nationalized the banking industry.
c. Roosevelt set up procedures for managing failed banks.
d. Roosevelt encouraged Americans to trust the banks again during fire side chats.
52. What did the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) do during the Great Depression?
a. The CCC promoted energy- and water-saving devices.
b. The CCC served as a youth political organization to teach political techniques in high school.
*c. The CCC employed young men in rural projects such as reforestation, park maintenance, and other
environmental projects.
d. The CCC worked to bring water and schools to Indian reservations.
53. Which New Deal legislation paid farmers to take acreage out of production?
*a. Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933
b. Farmers Insurance Corporation Act
c. Famer’s Holiday Bill
d. Agricultural Subsidies Act
54. Which New Deal legislation established government support for the poor, the unemployed, young
children, and the ill?
*a. Social Security Act
b. Wagner Act
c. Hatch Amendment
d. Federal Welfare Program Act of 1935
55. What major demographic shift marked the presidential election of 1936?
a. More women than men voted in presidential campaigns.
b. Communist party candidates won 5 delegates to the Electoral College.
*c. African-American voters switched to the Democratic from Republican Party.
d. The West had more electoral votes than the East for the first time.
56. What was the subject matter of John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath?
a. California’s railroad workers
b. The migration of unemployed from Chicago to Pittsburgh seeking jobs in the steel industry
*c. The struggles of dislocated Dust Bowl families moving to California for work
d. Suffering among Hollywood elite during the Great Depression
57. How did the Great Depression affect African-American migration?
a. African-Americans flooded western cities like Denver in pursuit of growing numbers of jobs in
industry.
b. African-Americans moved to the South to escape jobless cities in the North
*c. African-American migration from the South to the North slowed, but did not stop.
d. African-Americans were virtually untouched by the Depression because they were already at the
bottom economically.
58. The following is a list of events in U.S.-Japanese relations. What is the correct order of these
events?
*a. US oil embargo against Japan, Pearl Harbor attack, Battle of Midway, Battle of Guadalcanal, Battle of
Okinawa
b. Pearl Harbor attack, US oil embargo against Japan, Battle of Guadalcanal, Battle of Midway, Battle of
Okinawa
c. Pearl Harbor attack, US oil embargo against Japan, Battle of Okinawa, Battle of Midway, Battle of
Guadalcanal
d. Battle of Okinawa, Battle of Midway, Pearl Harbor attack, Battle of Guadalcanal, US oil embargo
against Japan
59. In 1931, Japan demonstrated its expansionist agenda by invading _________.
a. Korea
*b. Manchuria
c. Mongolia
d. Pearl Harbor
60. What program did President Roosevelt use to maintain neutrality while supporting the British war
effort during the Battle of Britain?
a. He sold American tanks and cruisers to Great Britain on a deferred payment schedule.
b. He allowed Britain to use American air bases in exchange for safe passage of American ships in the
Atlantic.
*c. He transferred fifty aging American destroyers to Britain in exchange for leases on British air and
naval bases.
d. He publicly developed a timetable for American involvement in World War II.
61. Why did President Franklin Roosevelt delay going to war even after Japan attacked American
interests in the Philippines?
a. Negotiations were going well and most of the points of disagreement between Japan and the U.S.
were expected to be resolved.
b. Japan had ended its aggressive campaigns against China and Korea.
*c. Roosevelt’s main focus was on the European war, even though the U.S. was still neutral.
d. Roosevelt failed to see the danger presented by Japan.
62. What effect did World War II have on the American scientific community?
*a. Scientists actively developed new weapons, medicines, and techniques to fight the Axis powers.
b. Most prominent national scientists opposed the war and refused to cooperate.
c. The scientific and military communities opposed each other over the use of weapon research.
d. Scientists left government research institutes to as acts of conscience.
63. Why did President Franklin Roosevelt begin work on an atomic bomb?
a. To end the Pacific war by obliterating as many Japanese as efficiently as possible
*b. To preempt work by Germany on such a weapon
c. To preempt the Soviet Union, which was known to have mastered nuclear fission
d. To help American industry, which was recruited to build important parts of the bomb
64. What legislation was inspired by black labor union leader A. Philip Randolph?
a. An executive order for the internment of Japanese Americans
*b. An executive order prohibiting discrimination in defense industries
c. Racial integration of the military in Europe
d. The Social Security Act
65. What convinced Japan to accept unconditional surrender?
a. The Battle of Iwo Jima
b. The death of the Emperor
c. The end of the war in Europe
*d. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
66. In a radio broadcast on December 29, 1940, a year before Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D.
Roosevelt said that America was to become the “Arsenal of Democracy.” What did he mean?
*a. That America would produce the necessary materiel, to fight the Axis powers
b. The U.S. demonstrated how democracies should wage war
c. That the U.S. would join the war in Europe.
d. The U.S. would show other countries how to be neutral and allow other nations decide their own
fates
67. Which pair is INCORRECTLY matched?
a. Winston Churchill, Great Britain
b. Joseph Stalin, Soviet Union
c. Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S.A
*d. Benito Mussolini, France
68. Why did Franklin Roosevelt propose the Lend-Lease Act?
*a. He wanted to provide aid to any nation that was vital to American security
b. He hoped the Act would increase American economic prosperity
c. He argued that France needed help for the Vichy government
d. He wanted to prevent the Holocaust
69. Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor?
a. Japan believed it could force the U.S. to withdraw from Germany.
b. Japan believed the U.S. was planning an attack on Japan from Pearl Harbor.
*c. Japan wanted to destroy US power in the Pacific.
d. Japan needed Pearl Harbor as a base to attack the U.S. homeland.
70. Why can it be argued that Fascism in Italy was beneficial to the Allies?
*a. It prevented a communist revolution in Italy
b. It paved the way for free elections in Italy
c. It prepared Italy for World War II
d. It protected Jews as long as they remained in Italy
71. What was the primary goal of the Allies for Germany after World War I?
*a. To keep Germany from returning to power
b. To equally divide reparations among the victors
c. To make Germany into a democracy
d. To give German land back to Poland
72. What points were originally on the axis designated by the term “Axis Powers”?
a. Berlin and Tokyo
b. Berlin, Tokyo and Warsaw
c. Berlin, Tokyo and Rome
*d. Berlin and Rome
73. In 1949, Western European nations entered into a treaty creating the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization. Which statement accurately describes NATO’s effect on the Cold War?
a. NATO established an embargo against Eastern European goods.
b. NATO called for the disarmament of Western European countries in favor of UN aid and U.S.
protection.
c. NATO encouraged the U.S. to take the lead in Eastern European affairs.
*d. NATO created a mutual defense alliance among the U.S. and Western European countries.
74. Which policy was President Dwight Eisenhower referring to with the following statement: “You have
a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is the
certainty that it will go over quickly.”
a. Withdrawal from Japan
*b. Containment of communism
c. Provision for Berlin
d. Financial support for Egypt
75. President Franklin D. Roosevelt made the following statement. What was the long term result of the
legislation created from the referenced bill?
[This bill] gives servicemen and women the opportunity of resuming their education or technical training
after discharge, or of taking a refresher or retrainer course, not only without
tuition charge of up to
$500 per school year, but with the right to receive a monthly living allowance while pursuing their
studies.
a. Community college and vocational education was offered for the first time in American history.
b. Veterans remained in the military in large numbers, which strengthened the military for the Cold War.
*c. An entire generation was able to access higher education for the first time, and so create a large
stable professional class in the 1950s.
d. Veterans received an education, but no social changes resulted until the 1960s.
76. How was Mexican immigration affected by World War II?
a. Mexican immigration stopped due poor economic conditions in the United States.
b. Mexican immigration increased due to lax border patrol.
c. Mexican immigration slowed due to U. S. women taking the jobs.
*d. Mexican immigration increased due to the shortage of male labor.
77. Why did the U.S. institute a system of rationing during World War II?
a. The shift to military manufacturing reduced the availability of civilian workers.
*b. The shift to producing military goods reduced the available materials for civilian goods.
c. The shift to military production caused many civilians to question the impact on the environment for
both military and civilian production.
d. Union workers refused to pull double shifts.
78. How did uncensored television reporting affect America’s perception of the Vietnam War?
*a. Uncensored visuals brought home the unpleasant aspects of war.
b. Uncensored information instructed the general populace regarding how to effectively organize
protests
c. Graphic images desensitized the masses to atrocities committed by warring armies.
d. Editorial comments by famous TV personalities increased support for the war.
79. What made Berlin a hotspot in the Cold War?
*a. West Berlin was located within the borders of a communist country.
b. West Berlin was communist while East Berlin was capitalistic.
c. West Berlin built a wall to deter Soviet aggression.
d. West Berlin was obligated to send an ambassador to East Germany.
80. What was the U.S. response to the 1948 Soviet Blockade of West Berlin?
a. The U.S. organized protests in front of the UN in New York.
b. The U.S. threatened to launch an atomic bomb at Moscow.
c. The U.S. allowed the incorporation of West Berlin into East Germany.
*d. The U.S. developed an airlift to resupply West Berlin from June 1948 to May 1949.
81. Why did President Truman implement the Truman Doctrine in 1947?
a. He wanted to contain the spread of communism in Southeast Asia
b. He wanted to prevent Great Britain from becoming a socialist state.
*c. He wanted to provide aid to Turkey and Greece to offset the spread of communism.
d. He wanted to place nuclear missiles in Western Europe to deter Soviet aggression.
82. In March 1946, in Missouri, Winston Churchill said the following in a speech at Westminster College:
“From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron curtain has descended across the Continent.”
What was the Iron Curtain Churchill feared?
a. The imminent threat of a resurgent Nazi Germany
*b. The Soviet Union as an insurmountable divide between a Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe, and the
democracies of the West
c. The disparity in wealth between industrialized economies of the West and less developed economies
of Eastern Europe
d. The ability of the industrial production capacity of Europe to rebound after World War I
83. Why did Truman smile as he held up a newspaper declaring he had lost the 1948 presidential
campaign?
a. Because he no longer wanted the job of president
b. Because the headline referred to the election in Chicago, which was overridden by the results from
the larger state of California
c. Because the Supreme Court had just declared him the winner, despite some problems with voting
results in Florida
*d. Because the newspaper editors had misgauged a very close election, and Truman had actually won a
second term
84. What did Joseph McCarthy say about the U.S. government in 1950?
a. That President Truman was corrupting the office of president and needed to be impeached
b. That the government was a fine example of democracy in action
*c. That the American bureaucracy endangered America because it had communists working in it
d. That Richard Nixon should be the next presidential candidate of the Republican Party
85. What advice did Eisenhower’s Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, have for the President about
the Soviet Union?
a. That the U.S. needed to negotiate with the Soviet Union
b. That the U.S. needed to discuss border relations with China to reduce problems in Japan, Vietnam,
and Korea
*c. That the U.S. should offer no concessions to the Soviet Union, participate in no negotiations, and
adhere to a strong anti-communist policy
d. That the U.S. should actively support the Soviet Union against China in Southeast Asia
86. Which of the following describes the impact of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 on the American
democratic polity?
a. The Act was a failure because it did not lower the requirements for naturalization.
b. The Act was a failure because it did not take into account Asian immigration.
*c. The Act was a success because it allowed more citizens to vote in local, state, and presidential
elections.
d. The Act successfully raised the qualifications for participation in presidential elections.
87. What did Chief Justice Earl Warren mean by the following reflection on the U.S. Constitution?
In approaching this problem, we cannot turn the clock back to 1868, when the Amendment was
adopted, or even to 1896, when Plessy v. Ferguson was written. We must consider public
education in the light of its full development and its present place in American life thoughout
the Nation. … Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local
governments.
a. The Judicial branch should adhere strictly to precedents for decisions.
b. The Legislative branch needed to rewrite laws according to judicial decree.
*c. Key constitutional principles should be reinterpreted as society changes.
d. The original intent of the Constitution must remain unchanged regardless of how society changes.
88. What distinguished militant civil rights groups such as the American Indian Movement and the Black
Panthers from the followers of Martin Luther King?
a. The primary goal of the radicals was forming coalitions with other groups, while King was
uninterested in conciliation.
b. The radicals were less interested in economic success than was King.
c. The radicals wanted the support of moderate southern voters, while King reached out to the North
alone.
*d. The radicals concluded that moderate methods were ineffective in achieving progress for minorities.
89. How does Brown v. Board of Education support the legal theory that the Constitution is a living
document?
*a. The decision overturned previous Supreme Court rulings that said school segregation was legal.
b. The decision expanded media coverage of Constitutional amendments that affect civil rights.
c. The decision ruled that segregation was legal because Congress said it was.
d. The decision declared the evidence in the case had been unconstitutionally attained.
90. What does the following timeline indicate about the government’s response to the Civil Rights
Movement?
1957 – Federal troops enforce integration of Arkansas high school.
1964 – Civil Rights Act forbids discrimination of public facilities.
1965 – Voting Rights Act forbids literacy tests to vote.
a. Minorities won rights through violent protest.
b. Though government tried, there was little effective government response to claims of racial injustice
in the 1950s and 60s.
c. The federal government refused to support civil rights for all.
*d. It took a while, but the federal government worked to secure constitutional guarantees for all.
91. What was a poll tax?
a. A tax to raise funds for political parties
b. A tax designed to decrease the income tax on wealthy American voters
*c. A tax designed to exclude poor voters from the polls
d. A tax on individual heads of households
92. What did Ross Perot mean when he said about the North American Fair Trade Act (NAFTA), “There
will be a job-sucking sound going south?”
a. There were fewer jobs in Mexico, so the Act would create an illegal immigration problem.
b. Canada had stronger labor unions for potential job seekers, which would hurt the U.S. by comparison.
*c. The labor cost in Mexico was significantly less than in the U.S., which would move American jobs to
Mexico.
d. Mexico was a growing high tech labor market attracting highly skilled American workers.
93. What influence did the civil rights marches from Selma to Montgomery have on African-American
voters?
a. The marches promoted a popular reform movement in Alabama and other Southern states the
following year.
b. The marches hindered the civil rights movement because they caused a backlash at the local level.
*c. The marches rallied support for reform from national politicians.
d. The marches ensured the Civil Rights Act of 1965 provided protection from police brutality.
94. During the 1980s, Bill Gates, Stephen Wozniak, and Steve Jobs introduced which of the following
product to the U.S. population?
a. Walkman
b. HDTV
c. Playstation
*d. Personal Computers
95. Why was the 1980 presidential election significant?
a. Reagan won the Electoral College but lost the popular vote in Florida, throwing the election into the
Supreme Court.
*b. Reagan won the electoral and popular vote and the Republicans gained control of the Senate for the
first time since 1955, initiating a conservative revolution.
c. Reagan won all 50 states while the Democratic nominee did not win a single state.
d. Reagan realized that in order to win he must make concessions.
96. What was the basis for “Reaganomics?”
*a. Cut taxes so the country’s economy can expand and produce more revenue for the federal
government
b. Raise corporate taxes and personal income tax for joint filers making over $250K per year to fund
defense spending
c. Reduce defense spending and spend more money on domestic programs
d. Increase taxes to the wealthy so you can cut taxes to the middle class
97. What was Ronald Reagan’s “evil empire?”
a. China
b. Ayatollah Khomeini’s Iran
*c. The Soviet Union
d. North Korea
98. Why is Ronald Reagan’ nomination of Sandra Day O’Conner significant?
a. O’Conner was the first woman FBI Director.
b. O’Conner was the first Surgeon General who had an abortion.
c. O’Conner was the first female Adjunct General of the Army.
*d. O’Conner was the first woman confirmed to the Supreme Court.
99. Even though President Ronald Reagan was an ardent defender of America, how did he ease tensions
during the Cold War?
a. Reagan funded pro-communist countries so they would adopt American capitalism.
b. Reagan offered SDI technology to China, the Soviet Union, and Korea.
*c. Reagan developed a warm personal relationship with Mikhail Gorbachev.
d. Reagan traveled to China and opened the door to trade and economic prosperity.
100. What role did religion play in politics during the 1980s?
a. The Religious Left supported socialist revolutions in Eastern Europe.
b. to the Religious Right developed a passion for civil rights for minority groups.
c. Many Baby Boomers turned to eastern religious and Islamic thought.
*d. Religion gained a decisive cultural and political influence that it had not previously had.
101. Why did protestors criticize the World Trade Organization early in the twenty-first century?
a. The protestors opposed trade agreements that supported government regulation of overseas
industries.
b. The protestors believed trade agreements failed to encourage business and industrial expansion in
underdeveloped countries.
c. The protestors opposed agreements that increased taxes on consumer goods.
*d. The protestors believed trade agreements provided few incentives to improve working conditions
for workers in developing countries.
102. Why did the United States of America become involved in the Persian Gulf War in 1990-1991?
a. Saddam Hussein established a chemical program in Kuwait.
b. The Iranian dictator had weapons of mass destruction.
c. The US wanted to reestablish the democratic government of the Iraqi people.
*d. The US wanted to expel the Iraqi government from Kuwait.
103. After the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, Congress passed the Uniting and
Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism bill
(The USA Patriot Act). What arguments have been used to criticize this Act?
a. Most of the groups that support the Act have ties to know terrorists organizations.
b. Democratic congressmen believed the Act would destroy President George W. Bush’s credibility.
*c. The Act bypassed many of the liberties guaranteed by the Constitution such as the First and Fourth
Amendments based on probable cause.
d. The Patriot Act made it impossible to surveil U.S. citizens who were not accused of any crime.
104. What role did Monica Lewinsky play in the Clinton Administration?
a. Lewinsky was a whistle blower who made public Sara Jones’ affair with President Clinton.
*b. Lewinsky was a White House intern who had an affair with President Clinton.
c. Lewinsky was the first female Surgeon General, and supported government funding for AIDS testing.
d. Lewinsky was the first female Army Ranger who died in Afghanistan.
105. What role did the United States play in the Somali Civil War in the 1990s?
a. The U.S. supported the Iraqi invasion of Somalia
b. The U.S. supported the forces of President Muhammad.
c. The U.S. supported the rebel forces.
*d. The U.S. sent food and humanitarian supplies.
106. Which is the most important factor relating to the falling proportion of whites in the population
during recent and coming years?
a. Illegal immigrants are routinely enrolled in welfare programs and given well-paying jobs in the U.S.
*b. The average age of American whites is rising.
c. The proportion of legal immigrants from Europe is falling as the proportion from other parts of the
world is rising.
d. The birth rate of white families is falling compared to those of other ethnic groups.
107. What do modern immigrants NOT have in common with their predecessors in previous
generations?
a. The taxes they pay, particularly to Social Security, help support the older generation.
b. Unions take an interest in organizing them and helping them achieve rights and job security.
*c. They more quickly assimilate and adopt the culture of their new country of residence.
d. They face discrimination and anti-immigrant bias.
108. What contributed to the “Great Recession” of 2008?
a. A sharp decline in the median family income
b. Overproduction of manufactured goods
c. An influx of immigrant labor into the workforce
*d. A rising bubble in the housing market that burst in 2008
109. Which of the following was NOT an obstacle to Barrack Obama’s election in 2004?
a. The questions surrounding his birth certificate
b. The electorate did not believe he had enough experience
*c. The candidacy of the previous Vice President, Dick Cheney
d. His bi-racial heritage
110. Which of the following was NOT an issue in the presidential campaign of 2008?
a. the environment
*b. the Cold War
c. the economy
d. international affairs
Short Essay Questions (#10 out of 14 provided)
1. How has the United States’ position of world dominance changed and adapted since 1945 to the
present? What strengths and weaknesses have graced and plagued the USA as a world leader? Make
explicit reference to U.S. leadership in the areas of politics, business and economy, and military power.
2. Explain the “Reagan Revolution.” How did the persona and actions of Ronald Reagan influence the
social, ideological, economic and political changes that occurred in the U.S. and the World during the
1980s? In what ways were the changes that took place during the 1980 results of Reagan’s presidency
and in what way were they consequences of larger forces at work in the country and in the world?
3. Analyze the development of new technologies of information and communication in the 1980s and
1990s. How did they influence society, economy, politics, and culture in the United States? How were
the effects and implications of the information revolution different for different social, economic,
ethnic, and racial groups?
4. How did the Cold War affect American policy, lifestyle, and role as leader in the world from 1945
through the 1950s?
5. How did the Truman administration develop and implement the policy of containment in Europe and
Asia?
6. How did the United States respond to acts of aggression by Italy, Germany, and Japan prior to the
onset of World War II? Should the country have reacted differently to prevent war?
7. Why and how did the role of women in U.S. society change as a result of World War II? How did the
concept of “women’s work” changes as a result of the mobilization of the wartime economy? How did
these changes play out with respect to the postwar Women’s Movement? What have been the lasting
effects of these change of gender roles?
8. How did the Great Depression affect different sectors of industry and society? What were the
immediate and longer-term effects on industry and agriculture? How did the Depression play out
differently in the northern, southern, and western regions of the country? What were the implications
for migration among these regions?
9. How did attitudes and beliefs about the role of government in the economy change in the wake of the
Great Depression and New Deal? What have been the lasting effects of those changes and what New
Deal programs continue today?
10. Describe and analyze America’s involvement in World War I from the assignation at Sarajevo to the
Treaty of Versailles. How prepared was the U.S. military for the war and what happened once it was
deployed? How important was the U.S. entry to the overall Allied victory?
11. The decade of the 1920s in the United States has been called “The Roaring Twenties.” What
distinctive social, cultural, and artistic practices were prevalent during the 1920s and how was the
culture of the decade related to broader historical circumstances? Apply specific examples to support
your explanation.
12. Explain how historical circumstances and movements of the late 19th century such as suffragism and
abolitionism contribute to the attitudes of the Progressive and influenced public perceptions of
economic inequality, work, corruption, and the immigrant experience, ultimately leading to the political
reforms of the Progressive Era. Why did various immigrant, political, business, labor, and reform groups
support change? Why did business, political, and conservative groups oppose reforms?
13. Describe the technical changes and institutional developments that constituted the “Second
Industrial Revolution.” How did technical changes in the areas of industry, energy, and transportation
drive economic growth and the rise of big business? What were the effects on specific industries,
business activities, labor and labor organizations, and government regulation?
14. Describe the transformation of the West starting in 1862 to the late 1800s. In what ways did the
American West change after 1862 with specific reference to economic circumstances, immigration, and
government policies that affected the West more than other areas of the country?