History Test 3
Between 1946 and 1960, the American gross national product: a. more than doubled, and wages increased. b. declined as wages stagnated. c. stayed about the same. d. returned to prewar levels. e. increased so dramatically that poverty was completely eliminated.
A
During the war, Americans: a. experienced the rationing of scarce consumer goods such as gasoline. b. found fewer consumer goods available by 1944. c. still suffered from high unemployment. d. were told that the end of war might bring a return of the Great Depression. e. experienced extreme deprivation.
A
For most women workers, World War II: a. had little impact. b. permanently changed the way employers viewed them. c. allowed them to make temporary gains. d. permanently changed the way unions viewed them. e. did not increase employment rates, especially for married women.
C
Although suburban communities were segregated in the 1950s, today, communities such as Levittown on Long Island are completely racially integrated.
FALSE
As residue from the Red Scare, anti-Semitism was widespread in America during the 1950s.
FALSE
Despite the communist victory in China's civil war and the Soviets' successful development of an atomic bomb, the Truman administration refused to endorse a permanent U.S. military buildup.
FALSE
Overall, despite good intentions, the Marshall Plan was not very successful.
FALSE
By 1955, the number of women working in America had exceeded the levels of World War II.
TRUE
The dropping of the atomic bombs to end World War II was the logical culmination of a war that was unprecedented in the targeting of civilian populations in the fighting.
TRUE
The percentage of families at or below the poverty rate fell during the 1950s.
TRUE
The war experience brought many more Native Americans closer to the mainstream of American life
TRUE
Truman was advised to "scare the hell out of people" as a means of gaining support for aid to Greece and Turkey.
TRUE
During World War II, Native Americans: a. served in the military and worked in war production. b. prospered, especially those on reservations. c. were eligible for GI Bill benefits only if living on reservations. d. became more isolated within American society. e. collaborated with the Japanese.
A
In 1948, the Progressive Party: a. advocated expanded social welfare programs. b. supported segregation. c. supported Truman's civil rights proposals. d. agreed with Truman's Cold War policies. e. did not allow socialists or communists to join.
A
Labor and employers agreed to a new "social contract" that included all of the following provisions EXCEPT: a. employers required the National Association of Manufacturers to accept the right of workers to organize unions. b. unions left decisions regarding capital investment in management's hands. c. unions left decisions regarding plant location in management's hands. d. employers granted wage increases. e. employers extended pensions and health insurance to workers.
A
The impact of the Cold War on American culture was: a. especially evident in the movies. b. limited in scope. c. discouraged in the public schools. d. widely criticized by the news media. e. felt mostly in the cities.
A
What does Henry Luce see as the cure for America in his book The American Century? a. For America to exert its influence on the world. b. Deficit spending to end the Depression. c. Creating a welfare state to fully embrace liberalism. d. Entering World War II to aid Great Britain. e. Return to a strict policy of isolationism.
A
Which statement about industry is FALSE? a. The West did not benefit from the industries that sprang up from the Cold War. b. By the mid-1950s, white-collar workers outnumbered blue-collar factory and manual laborers. c. The unions' success in raising wages inspired employers to mechanize more and more elements of manufacturing in order to reduce labor costs. d. Since the 1950s, the American economy has shifted away from manufacturing. e. New England benefited from the growth in the construction of aircraft engines and submarines.
A
"Militant Liberty" was the code name for a national security agency that: a. patrolled the border in search of illegal aliens. b. encouraged Hollywood to produce anticommunist movies. c. required labor unions to purge suspected communist leaders. d. forced schools to fire teachers and professors suspected of teaching Marxist ideas. e. encouraged artists to paint work in a Norman Rockwell style.
B
As suggested by some commentators, how did big business enable individual freedom in the 1950s? a. Big business successfully lobbied for higher tariffs on consumer goods, which increased profits and drove American wages up. b. With large-scale production of goods came the freedom for individuals to choose among many items. c. Corporations in the 1950s offered a range of benefits to employees that freed them from economic uncertainty. d. The repeal of New Deal regulatory controls on investment banking allowed individual Americans to put their money into the stock market without restriction. e. Big business made more luxury items affordable for the average American.
B
How did President Dwight D. Eisenhower surpass the New Deal in government involvement in the economy? a. He established the Veterans Administration health care system. b. He presided over the construction of 41,000 miles of interstate highways. c. He established the most generous agricultural subsidy programs in the nation's history. d. He signed Medicaid and Medicare into law. e. He established the Head Start preschool program.
B
In Korematsu v. United States, the Supreme Court: a. deemed Japanese internment unconstitutional. b. upheld the legality of Japanese internment. c. deemed loyalty oaths constitutional. d. barred Japanese-Americans from serving in the U.S. military. e. apologized for Japanese internment.
B
New conservatives trusted government to: a. regulate the economy. b. regulate personal behavior. c. protect civil liberties and the toleration of differences. d. provide a comprehensive welfare system. e. provide a national system of health care.
B
Ngo Dinh Diem: a. had allied with Ho Chi Minh in the struggle against Japanese occupation of Indochina during World War II. b. was backed by the United States in his decision to ignore the Geneva Accords' plan for elections in Vietnam. c. agreed to hold elections in South Vietnam in 1956. d. refused American aid intended to bolster his regime. e. was largely popular with small land owners in South Vietnam.
B
The Housing Act of 1949: a. set a high income ceiling for eligibility. b. reinforced the concentration of poverty in non-white urban neighborhoods. c. ended the concentration of poverty in non-white urban neighborhoods. d. allowed growing numbers of blacks to move to the suburbs. e. paired with urban renewal programs, made American cities more diverse and prosperous.
B
What was the "final solution"? a. The Allied operation for D-Day. b. Adolf Hitler's plan to mass-exterminate "undesirable" peoples. c. The United States' plan for the atomic bombs to be dropped on Japan. d. Japan's plan to attack Pearl Harbor. e. Joseph Stalin's plan to spread communism throughout the world.
B
Which of the following is NOT true about the growth of the postwar West? a. Unlike in previous migrations, people flowed into the region from all parts of the country. b. Washington and Oregon eclipsed California's population, due to unprecedented employment opportunities in the defense industry. c. Most western growth took place in urban rather than rural areas. d. Oil production led to explosive population growth in Dallas and Houston. e. California was the most popular destination and surpassed New York as the most populated state in 1963.
B
Who were the "Dixiecrats"? a. Members of the national press corps who covered the story of Strom Thurmond's breakaway from the Democratic Party. b. Southern Democrats who walked out of the 1948 convention to form the "States' Rights Democratic Party." c. Southern labor organizers who campaigned against passage of the Taft-Hartley Act. d. Republicans who favored maintaining segregation in the South in support of the principle of states' rights. e. Members of the Commission on Civil Rights.
B
How did black organizations employ the language of the Cold War? a. Most black activists shied away from any nod to Cold War language for fear of government reprisals. b. Organizations such as the NAACP used phrases such as "freedom versus slavery" to rally support for desegregation. c. They noted how the Russians could use racism to damage America's image abroad, given its hypocrisy about the meaning of "freedom" at home. d. The NAACP in particular copied the tactics of communist strategists in labor organizations such as the Southern Conference for Human Welfare. e. The NAACP adopted and translated slogans from the Soviet Union.
C
How did the Soviet focus on social and economic rights in the Cold War human rights debate affect American attitudes? a. It caused millions of Americans to be jealous and get curious about the Soviet Union. b. It inspired American politicians to invoke the example of the Soviet Union in order to push for bolder reincarnations of the New Deal. c. In the climate of anticommunist hysteria, it prompted many Americans to condemn these rights as a first step to socialism. d. It gave Americans comfort to know that their own emphasis on social and economic rights placed them far ahead of the Soviet Union. e. It secured voting rights for women along with a quota system for political leadership positions.
C
Who did publisher Henry Luce credit with the provision of "the abundant life" in his blueprint for postwar prosperity, The American Century? a. The Department of Defense. b. Returning veterans. c. Free enterprise. d. The New Deal state. e. Labor unions.
C
What made the Army-McCarthy Hearings unusual for American television programming of the 1950s? a. It appeared in color. b. It was the first live broadcast. c. It was the first broadcast via satellite. d. It was deeply political and controversial. e. It included explicit sexual revelations.
D
What reason did the Hollywood Ten give for not cooperating with the HUAC hearings? a. They were all communists and did want to indict themselves. b. Ronald Reagan had threatened that they would lose their jobs if they cooperated. c. They were all busy making movies and did not have time to attend the hearings. d. They felt the hearings were a violation of the First Amendment. e. As Republicans, they were insulted that their loyalty was being questioned.
D
Why did nearly 5 million workers walk off their jobs over the course of 1946? a. Returning veterans had been given preferential treatment in hiring and promotion. b. The millions of women who had worked in defense industries were refusing to leave their jobs. c. The postwar wave of deflation was dramatically reducing the value of worker's wages. d. The removal of price controls resulted in a drop in workers' real income. e. American workers had accumulated months of vacation and overtime during the war years.
D
In the aftermath of World War II: a. very few women lost their wartime jobs to returning veterans. b. the majority of returning GIs went back to work. c. the United States experienced difficulty demobilizing, prompting Congress to keep in place most wartime economic measures. d. Americans paid more for consumer goods. e. B and D
E
Which statement about the Japanese-American internment is FALSE? a. The press supported the policy of internment almost unanimously. b. The Supreme Court refused to intervene. c. Japanese-Americans in Hawaii were exempt from the policy. d. Japan used it as proof that America was racist toward non-white people. e. Once their loyalty was proven, they were free to leave.
E
By 1945, support for racial justice had finally taken its place on the liberal-left agenda alongside full employment, civil liberties, and the expansion of the New Deal welfare state.
TRUE
During the 1950s, religion had less to do with spiritual activities or sacred values than with personal identity and group assimilation.
TRUE
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was the first long-term military alliance between the United States and Europe since the Treaty of Amity and Commerce with France during the American Revolution.
TRUE
The shopping mall was the inevitable result of what institution? a. The suburb. b. Free-trade agreements. c. Fast-food restaurants. d. The college. e. The Internet.
A
Men like Henry Ford, Charles Lindbergh, and Father Coughlin were members of the: a. America Now! committee, an interventionist group. b. Anti-Semitism Society, a group that blamed the Jews for the war. c. America First committee, an isolationist group. d. Lend-Lease League, a group that supported technology for the war. e. Free Paris Society, a group that advocated the liberation of Paris.
C
What gave conservatives of the 1950s their political unity? a. The massive corporate sponsorships they secured through private fund-raising. b. The unifying political ideology of Friedrich von Hayek. c. The common enemies of the Soviet Union and the federal government. d. Their shared religious fundamentals of Protestant Christianity. e. Their shared commitment to white supremacy.
C
Freedom of speech and freedom of worship were not principles expressed by the Atlantic Charter because FDR feared their application to the African-American struggle for racial justice and equality at home.
FALSE
Hollywood remained the one voice of protest during the McCarthy era, making films that glorified individualism, socialism, and the questioning of authority.
FALSE
The United States won the Korean War.
FALSE
George Kennan's Long Telegram laid the foundation for the policy of containment.
TRUE
All of the following statements are true of the Fair Deal EXCEPT: a. the Fair Deal included a provision to expand public housing. b. Congress passed Truman's Fair Deal to raise the standard of living for Americans. c. the Fair Deal included a provision to increase the minimum wage. d. the Fair Deal included a provision to create a national health insurance program. e. the Fair Deal included a provision to expand Social Security coverage.
B
During the Eisenhower administration, U.S.-Soviet relations: a. were made worse with the introduction of the policy of massive retaliation. b. improved somewhat after the end of the Korean War and the death of Stalin. c. stayed about the same as those experienced during the Truman years. d. worsened considerably after the death of Stalin. e. improved immensely after the end of the Korean War.
B
FDR's "Economic Bill of Rights": a. included some provisions for veteran support, but did not have the funding to become law. b. would have empowered the federal government to secure education, housing, medical care, and full employment for all Americans. c. was modified to appease conservatives and pushed through Congress by Harry Truman. d. A and C e. was a large part of FDR's 1944 presidential campaign.
B
How did "Patriotic Assimilation" differ from "Americanization"? a. Patriotic assimilation advocated the forced integration of racial and ethnic groups into American society, whereas Americanization promoted tolerance. b. Patriotic assimilation described the American way of life, where people of different backgrounds could live together in freedom and unite as a people. c. Both terms essentially described the same wartime cultural practice, but referred to different periods of American history: World War I and World War II. d. Patriotic assimilation was in reference to ethnic minorities who served in the military and experienced integration and greater equality while fighting overseas. e. Americanization described plurality with a rigid hierarchy.
B
The new conservatives: a. spoke the language of personal autonomy. b. emphasized tradition, community, and moral commitment. c. supported a more centralized federal government. d. were also known as libertarians. e. wanted more federal regulation of business.
B
What did Eleanor Roosevelt do of particular significance several years after the war ended? a. She acted as the U.S. representative in attendance at the Nuremburg Trials. b. She chaired the committee that drafted the United Nation's "Universal Declaration of Human Rights." c. She became an outspoken critic of communist independence movements around the world. d. She traveled to China in an attempt to broker an end to the bitter civil war. e. She was the first U.S. official to visit Japan after the end of WWII.
B
Which long-held U.S. territory was granted independence in 1946? a. Puerto Rico. b. The Philippines. c. Wake Island. d. Guam. e. Samoa.
B
Between 1950 and 1970, suburbanization: a. eased racial tensions in American cities. b. encouraged a revitalization of American cities. c. hardened racial divisions in American life. d. encouraged Puerto Rican immigration. e. was the theme of the Broadway musical West Side Story.
C
Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed which kind of individuals to his cabinet? a. The "best and brightest," young intellectuals in their fields. b. Former government men who had lots of combined political experience. c. Wealthy businessmen to run the government like an efficient business. d. A balanced mixture of Republicans and Democrats, since his party did not control Congress. e. Weak men with little experience so that he could have complete control over domestic and foreign affairs.
C
Operation Wetback: a. was the code name for a CIA operation conducted on the border between Texas and Mexico. b. was how leftist news organizations described the McCarran-Walter Act. c. was a military operation that rounded up illegal aliens found in Mexican-American neighborhoods for deportation. d. was opposed by President Truman. e. deported very few illegal aliens.
C
How did 1950s consumerism differ from previous eras? a. Advertising shaped patterns of consumption based on "desires" rather than "needs." b. Americans became accustomed to buying goods with credit cards. c. The wide availability of goods such as Levis, dishwashers, and refrigerators symbolized the superiority of American culture to communist culture. d. B and C e. A and B
D
"D-Day" refers to the: a. Allied invasion of the Soviet Union. b. Allied invasion of Japan. c. Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. d. dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan. e. Allied invasion of Europe at Normandy.
E
All of the following statements about the Cold War's impact on American life are true EXCEPT: a. the Cold War reshaped immigration policy. b. the Cold War promoted the rapid expansion of higher education. c. Cold War policy supported scientific research in medicine and computers. d. the Cold War contributed to the dismantling of segregation. e. Cold War military spending weakened the economy.
E
The "zoot suit" riots were between the police of Detroit and the black workers of the city.
FALSE
During the Cold War, Americans: a. formed anticommunist groups who pressured public libraries to remove "un-American" books from their shelves. b. were united in their outrage over the jailing of Communist Party leaders. c. fired teachers who refused to sign loyalty oaths. d. remained generally unconcerned over the prospect of communists living in America. e. A and C
A
How did the Allied campaign in Italy prepare for the ground invasion of France on D-Day? a. The defeat of Mussolini's regime forced Hitler to redirect valuable German troops to occupy Italy. b. American soldiers had the opportunity to hone their fighting skills in the much more forgiving Mediterranean theater of war. c. Allied forces had to secure the Mediterranean for unperturbed access to Middle Eastern oil, a necessary resource for the ground invasion. d. By occupying Italy, Allied forces were able to channel supplies through Switzerland and France to the westward marching invaders from Normandy. e. The defeat of Italy made it possible to recruit desperately needed Italian ground troops for an invasion in France.
A
The "social contract": a. describes the new style of cooperation between labor and management that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s. b. was of great benefit to union and the majority of nonunion workers alike. c. did not include wage increases or health insurance. d. was accepted by the National Association of Manufacturers as a compromise measure to ease labor disputes eroding industry profits. e. had no effect on workers in nonunion jobs.
A
The Taft-Hartley Act: a. outlawed the closed shop. b. legalized sympathy strikes. c. strengthened the rights of organized labor. d. banned right-to-work laws. e. was supported by President Truman.
A
The Four Freedoms: a. was a campaign slogan of the Republicans. b. were the war aims of Nazi Germany. c. were President Roosevelt's statement of the Allied war aims. d. included the freedom to join the Communist Party. e. did not apply to Jehovah's Witnesses.
C
During the war, the AFL made great strides in helping blacks and was more racially integrated than any union had ever been before.
FALSE
The principle of human rights—the idea of basic rights belonging to all persons because they are human—was introduced into international relations: a. after the Holocaust. b. after the dropping of the atomic bomb. c. when NATO was established. d. in the revolutionary period of the late eighteenth century. e. when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted.
D
The Office of War Information: a. imprisoned isolationists. b. cast the war's sole goal as retaliation against the Japanese. c. attempted to stir up nationalist hysteria. d. was a New Deal program. e. used radio, film, and press to give the war an ideological meaning.
E
Organized labor emerged as: a. a vocal critic of McCarthyism. b. a major supporter of the foreign policy of the Cold War. c. a radical wing of the Communist Party. d. a militant group willing to fight the Red Scare. e. the best informants for the FBI and HUAC.
B
In the 1950s, what did the term "totalitarianism" describe? a. Fascism and national socialism. b. Socialism and communism. c. Social democracy and the New Deal. d. Fascism, Nazism, and communism. e. Capitalism and conservatism.
D
Why did southern Democrats fear losing their position in the Democratic Party following its national convention of 1948? a. The numbers were ever shrinking in proportion to northern Democrats. b. The strong migration westward had significantly reduced the southern Democratic constituency. c. President Truman used the convention to bolster the position of his fellow Democrats from the northeastern establishment. d. Party liberals under the leadership of Hubert Humphrey had added a strong civil rights plank to the party platform. e. The success of Republicans in the South was eroding the constituency base for southern Democrats.
D
Civil rights initiatives after 1948: a. waned, given widespread American sentiment that any criticism of American society smacked of "disloyalty." b. continued in the same vein as those achieved during the Truman administration. c. included enforcement of bans on discrimination in employment and housing. d. remained a strong priority for the Democratic Party. e. became more important after the Soviets pointed out American hypocrisy.
A
Freedom House was an organization that: a. demanded American intervention in the European war. b. Jewish refugees could flee to from Europe. c. believed the European war was not an American concern. d. raised funds for Japanese-Americans to use for legal fees to bring court cases against the United States for unlawful imprisonment. e. was located in Chicago and acted as a networking resource for blacks moving there from the South.
A
Guatemalan leader Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán: a. sought to reduce foreign corporations' control over his country's economy. b. was ousted by the KGB and replaced with a Soviet-friendly dictator. c. was a friend and close ally of Soviet premier Josef Stalin before his death. d. appealed to President Eisenhower for military support to defeat a growing communist insurgency in Guatemala. e. was born in Moscow and became a nationalist after emigrating to Guatemala.
A
How did the United States respond to Joseph Stalin's blockade around Berlin? a. Truman ordered that supplies be brought to Berlin via an airlift. b. Truman put American forces on high alert and threatened atomic war if Stalin did not lift the blockade. c. Truman ignored it. d. Truman asked the United Nations to place an embargo on all goods going to the Soviet Union. e. American forces forced their way through the road blockade with a caravan of armored tanks.
A
In 1940, the "cash and carry" plan: a. allowed Great Britain to purchase U.S. arms on a restricted basis. b. allowed Germany to purchase U.S. arms on a restricted basis. c. allowed Japan to purchase U.S. arms on a restricted basis. d. allowed all belligerents to purchase U.S. arms on a restricted basis. e. was voted down by Congress.
A
In the United States during World War II: a. unemployment declined, production soared, and income taxes increased. b. the economy grew only slightly. c. income taxes increased only for the wealthy. d. little was done to regulate the economy. e. the actual size of the federal government shrank as the New Deal ended.
A
What was so ironic about Dean Acheson's speech to the Delta Council in 1947? a. Acheson praised the president's defense of democratic institutions in the place that did not know democracy. b. Acheson was urging the gathering of cotton planters to automate production, while the Democrats were pushing for fair wages for black farmworkers. c. Acheson was delivering a speech meant for new African-American Democrats in Mississippi to a gathering of white supremacists. d. The Under Secretary of State was warning the same audience against the Cold War that had already heard Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech a month prior. e. Acheson had delivered the same speech to the council the year before.
A
Why did the United States back away from pressuring its European allies to grant self-government to colonies in Asia and Africa? a. American diplomats valued nations like France more highly for their alliance in the European Cold War. b. Since the United States was expanding its own empire, it was losing the moral high ground against European colonial powers. c. American strategists reasoned that national independence in Asia and Africa was likely to benefit the Soviet Union more than the United States. d. Southern Democrats in Congress did not want to inspire civil rights campaigns at home by supporting national independence in Asia or Africa. e. The United States depended on European nations to wage war against communists in the developing world.
A
During the 1950s, American teenagers: a. declined in number within the general population. b. increased in number and were often perceived to be alienated. c. were not viewed as a distinct population group. d. voted in significant numbers. e. were prohibited from reading any comic books.
B
In 1949, Mao Zedong: a. represented the Chinese at the United Nations. b. led a successful communist revolution in China. c. led a successful communist revolution in Taiwan. d. was an ally of the United States. e. cooperated with the Chinese nationalists.
B
In the 1952 presidential campaign, Richard Nixon's Checkers speech: a. reflected the growing importance of board games in American life. b. reflected the growing importance of television in American life. c. reflected the growing importance of pets in American life. d. was not well received, and the Republicans lost the election. e. introduced plans for peace in Korea.
B
Operation Dixie was: a. a postwar strike wave. b. the postwar union campaign in the South. c. an effort to increase black suffrage. d. the congressional effort to outlaw lynching. e. the mass return of African-Americans to the South after World War II.
B
Organized labor assisted in the war effort by: a. decreasing union membership. b. agreeing to a no-strike pledge. c. accepting wage cuts. d. asking Congress to abolish Social Security. e. joining the army.
B
The 1943 Texas Caucasian Race-Equal Privileges resolution: a. specified that Japanese-Americans interned in that state were not allowed to use the same public accommodations as whites. b. allowed Mexicans equal treatment in public accommodations, while still segregating blacks. c. stated that German POWs being held in the state could be allowed to enjoy the same public accommodations as whites. d. segregated blacks and Mexicans from all public accommodations. e. granted equal privileges to all Texans, regardless of race.
B
The 1948 presidential race: a. was a three-way race. b. was the last to occur before television forever changed campaigning. c. ended the movement of southern Democrats into the Republican Party. d. highlighted gender as a campaign issue for the Republican Party. e. had Strom Thurmond as a close second to Harry Truman.
B
The GI Bill of Rights: a. was very limited in scope. b. included scholarships for education for veterans. c. extended benefits to very few veterans. d. did not include health insurance. e. was unavailable for African-American veterans.
B
The Lend-Lease Act: a. authorized military aid to Germany and Japan. b. authorized military aid to those fighting against Germany and Japan. c. excluded China. d. excluded the Soviet Union. e. maintained trade relations with Japan.
B
The National Resources Planning Board: a. urged the curtailment of Social Security. b. urged the expansion of the welfare state. c. urged the discontinuation of Keynesian spending in peacetime. d. urged less government spending in general. e. had the full support of Congress.
B
To libertarian conservatives, freedom meant: a. first and foremost a moral condition. b. individual autonomy, limited government, and unregulated capitalism. c. using government as a vehicle for social reform, ensuring an equal distribution of wealth. d. what it did in the late eighteenth century—the right to own property and to vote. e. racial equality and the end of a segregated society.
B
Which of the following does NOT accurately depict one of the uses of anticommunism? a. Businesses resisted government regulatory efforts as "socialism." b. Conservative Catholic congregations were investigated for enforcing "principles of communist conformity" among parishioners. c. Republicans accused New Deal Democrats of "subversion." d. Democrats supported the implementation of tough anticommunist measures as a defense against Republican charges of "disloyalty." e. The McCarran-Walter Act maintained immigration quotas and authorized the deportation of immigrants identified as communists.
B
Which of the following statements best describes Japan's overseas actions in the 1930s? a. Japan requested an emergency session of the League of Nations to discuss treaty options with the United States. b. Japan invaded China in 1931 and 1937 to expand its military and economic power. c. Japanese diplomats seeking a peaceful solution in a territorial dispute with China were killed in Nanking. d. Domestic power struggles kept Japan out of international affairs until 1941. e. Japan failed in its attempt to annex China.
B
Which statement about the Korean conflict is FALSE? a. The United Nations authorized the use of forces to repel the North Koreans. b. Chinese troops threatened to enter the conflict, but never did. c. General MacArthur argued for an invasion of China and for the use of nuclear weapons. d. Truman removed General MacArthur from his command when he publicly criticized Truman. e. The war ended in a cease-fire, not with a formal peace treaty.
B
Which statement best describes the thesis of David Riesman's book The Lonely Crowd? a. White America had alienated black Americans from mainstream society. b. Americans were conformists and lacked the inner resources to lead truly independent lives. c. Women were unhappy with the role of wife and mother and longed for acceptance in higher education and other intellectual pursuits. d. After World War II, Europe was left behind economically and politically with the emergence of the United States and Soviet Union as superpowers. e. Unionism in America was doomed to fail if the union leaders did not embrace the fact that their demands and strikes labeled them as communists.
B
Which statement best describes what NSC-68 called for? a. Patience on the part of the United States in dealing with the Soviet Union. b. A permanent military buildup and a global application of containment. c. Limited strategic goals, confronting the Soviets only at key industrial areas. d. A sole reliance on nuclear weapons in order to spare conventional forces. e. Limited strategic goals, confronting the Chinese only at key industrial areas.
B
Why did the Soviet Union strongly support the national independence movements in the new Third World? a. Soviets were desperately trying to expand their share in foreign export markets. b. They hoped to convince new nations to ally themselves with the eastern bloc against European and American imperialists. c. Soviets feared the obvious appeal an alliance with former colonial rulers had for these new nations. d. The Soviet Union had made the right to self-determination a principle for all nations around the world. e. The Soviet Union was looking to secure reliable export markets for their consumer goods surpluses.
B
William Levitt, with the help of the GI Bill, gave many Americans the opportunity to: a. get an education. b. buy a home. c. buy a gray flannel suit. d. buy a car. e. advance within the military.
B
Women working in defense industries during the war: a. were viewed as permanent workers after the war, so long as they did a good job. b. made up one-third of the West Coast workers in aircraft manufacturing and shipbuilding. c. had little impact on the war effort. d. were small in number, as most women took clerical work or joined the military service as nurses. e. were all young, single women who left their jobs once they got married.
B
After World War II, most working women: a. remained in the industrial jobs they held during the war. b. did not work outside the home. c. were concentrated in low-paying, nonunion jobs. d. earned the same wages as men. e. joined unions.
C
All of the following spurred the growth of the suburban middle class EXCEPT: a. federal tax subsidies. b. mortgage guarantees for home purchases. c. a growing popular interest in the arts. d. federal highway construction. e. the GI Bill.
C
How did Los Angeles epitomize the new emphasis on the car in 1950s America? a. Filmmakers in Hollywood released hundreds of movies in the new "road picture" genre, featuring sleek cars racing down Los Angeles highways. b. The city's centralized design enabled people to carpool to suburban transit centers and then take public transportation. c. People drove to and from work on a web of highways and shopped at malls only accessible by driving. d. Bucking the western trend, Los Angeles actually maintained its extensive system of trains, trolleys, and buses well into the 1970s. e. Very little of the city's space was paved over with roads and freeways due to limited funding.
C
How did World War II change the role of corporations in American life? a. U.S. corporations became friendly and close collaborators with the federal government. b. With the loss of its overseas affiliates in Asia and Europe, U.S. corporations once again became predominantly American. c. Technological innovation and high productivity in the war effort restored the reputation of corporations from its Depression lows. d. The heavy reliance of the Roosevelt administration on corporate leaders for its wartime agencies left U.S. corporations with the stain of government bureaucracy. e. Thin profits during the war years forced U.S. corporations to dramatically innovate for increased efficiency.
C
How had the political climate changed in the South during World War II in the early Cold War years? a. The mass exodus of African-Americans for the West Coast and Northeast left the region almost exclusively white. b. The high concentration of prisoner-of-war camps in the region had made these southerners savvy in foreign affairs. c. The number of African-Americans in the region that were registered to vote increased sevenfold. d. In light of the fight against an enemy with a racial ideology, the states of the upper South abolished segregation and Jim Crow rule. e. The region's central role in the development of the atom bomb made it the capital of militant Cold War politics.
C
On what grounds did the Austrian-born economist Friedrich A. Hayek reject the New Deal state? a. In all its details, he thought it indistinguishable from National Socialism. b. The American consumer economy, he thought, lacked the complexity that required economic planning. c. He was convinced that even the best intentioned government planning efforts would threaten individual liberties. d. He reasoned that economic planning during the war had almost cost the United States its victory. e. He worried that the New Deal would eventually assist African-Americans in achieving equality.
C
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: a. was immediately ratified by Congress. b. was honored by both the United States and the Soviets. c. included freedom of speech and religion. d. was drafted by President Truman. e. did not address economic rights.
C
The impact of the Cold War on the civil rights movement: a. was quite limited at the time. b. was beneficial because the Urban League accepted communists into its ranks. c. included government action against black leaders. d. caused the NAACP to enlist the aid of the Soviets. e. brought wider support for civil rights from southern Democrats who wanted to fight communism.
C
To wage the cultural Cold War, the Central Intelligence Agency and Defense Department: a. promoted the work of artist Norman Rockwell. b. censored the work of modern artists. c. funded artistic publications, concerts, performances, and exhibits. d. sought to censor the work of painter Jackson Pollock. e. imposed artistic conformity.
C
Under the bracero program: a. Mexican immigrants were denied entry to the United States. b. Mexican immigrants were eligible for citizenship. c. Mexicans were encouraged to immigrate, but they were denied the right of citizenship. d. Indians were encouraged to leave their reservations. e. marriages between Mexicans and Americans were banned.
C
What did Henry Luce and Henry Wallace have in common? a. They both believed that the United States should assume an isolationist policy, leading by example, not by action. b. They were both liberals in their political beliefs and strongly supported the New Deal, which they believed should be spread to the rest of the world. c. They both put forth a new conception of America's role in the world based in part on internationalism and on the idea that the American experience should serve as a model for all other nations. d. They both believed that the best course of action for the United States after the war was fiscal conservative policies, including high tariffs and domestic taxes. e. They were both working for the Office of War Information in promoting, through books, the positions held by the group America First.
C
Which of the following statements is NOT true of the Asian-American experience during World War II? a. Complete prohibition of Chinese immigration to the United States ended. b. A view of the Chinese emerged as gallant fighters against the aggressive Japanese. c. Executive Order 9066 fully integrated Asian-Americans into U.S. army units serving overseas. d. Chinese-Americans worked alongside whites in jobs on the home front. e. Japanese-Americans were viewed with suspicion as potential spies.
C
Why did Executive Order 9066 NOT apply to persons of Japanese descent living in Hawaii? a. In the wake of the U.S. navy's defeat at Pearl Harbor, it was the Japanese that governed Hawaii. b. The number of Japanese-Americans in Hawaii was so insignificant that the order seemed irrelevant. c. Since nearly 40 percent of the population was of Japanese descent, the evacuation order would have been impractical. d. Most persons of Japanese descent in Hawaii actually served in military units. e. At the time, the federal government did not yet have such jurisdiction over its territorial possessions.
C
Why did France and other Europeans understand NATO as a form of double containment? a. The organization would keep both the United States and the Soviet Union in check. b. NATO would prevent the expansion of the British empire as well as of American imperialism. c. The pact would guard them against Soviet aggression as well as against the resurgence of a powerful Germany. d. NATO would contain communism but also contain the costs of defense for European nations. e. NATO would counterbalance Soviet influence and that of the United Nations.
C
Why did Franklin D. Roosevelt announce his candidacy for a third term in 1940? a. He feared that the Republican incumbent Wendell Wilkie lacked the experience to govern the nation. b. He argued that the nation should not switch its executive leadership in the middle of war. c. He argued that the recovery was too fragile and the international situation too dangerous for him to leave his post. d. He argued that the United States could only defeat the dictators of Italy, Germany, and Japan if they follow the leader with similar authority and power. e. He did so reluctantly after recognizing that his eight years of leadership had failed to produce a viable successor in the Democratic Party.
C
Why did anticommunist Harry Truman veto the McCarran-Walter Act? a. The anticommunist measures targeting immigrants did not go far enough for Truman. b. The McCarran-Walter Act closely mirrored the Committee on Immigration's report, Whom Shall We Welcome, an investigative body commissioned by Truman's political enemies. c. Truman had become alarmed at the excesses of the anticommunist crusade. d. Truman did not actually veto the act, preferring to propose an alternative bill. e. The bill did not adequately address how to respond to illegal aliens.
C
Why did auto manufacturers and oil companies vault to the top ranks of corporate America in 1950s? a. Profits in both industries rose steeply, due to the vast majority of auto manufacturing and oil refinery jobs being shipped overseas. b. Lucrative government defense contracts continued, due to a postwar need for military trucks and jeeps. c. The consumer demand for the automobile boomed in this decade. d. Most members of Congress had business backgrounds. e. More Americans lived in the suburbs and used public transportation to commute to work.
C
Why did so many American workers walk out of their jobs between 1943 and 1944? a. They were protesting equal pay for women and men, blacks and whites. b. They were protesting discriminatory hiring practices of FEPC. c. They charged their employers with the unseemly expansion of corporate profits. d. They sought to express moral objections to the mass manufacturing of guns and ordinance. e. They were protesting the fact that the United States failed to make the destruction of German death camps a priority in its war efforts.
C
Why did the Eisenhower administration embrace the doctrine of "massive retaliation"? a. The doctrine provided Eisenhower with the necessary flexibility to fight communism in Central America and Southeast Asia. b. The doctrine prevented not only large but small military conflicts as well. c. The constant threat of mutually assured destruction under the doctrine made for more cautious diplomacy. d. The doctrine reduced national anxiety over the threat of nuclear annihilation. e. As a man with mostly military experience, he did not know how else to address the Cold War crisis.
C
"Rosie the Riveter": a. refers to a movie star during World War II. b. was a term applied only to black women workers. c. described only single women workers. d. refers to Norman Rockwell's image of a female industrial laborer. e. refers to a type of industrial machinery.
D
After World War II, the automobile: a. declined in use, and the Midwest suffered economically. b. became a status symbol only for the wealthy. c. remained a luxury, not a necessity of life. d. altered the American landscape. e. was replaced by the train as the preferred method of transportation.
D
After the United States entered World War II: a. Americans saw little military action for the first few months of 1942. b. Americans immediately won several key battles. c. it maintained control of the Philippines. d. Americans experienced a series of military losses. e. no Americans were taken prisoner by the Japanese.
D
During the 1950s, Americans: a. tended to marry later in life than did previous generations. b. experienced a declining birth rate. c. stressed the importance of a college education, especially for women. d. on average married younger and had more children than previous generations. e. encouraged women to choose careers over marriage.
D
During the 1950s, television: a. effectively spread images of working-class life to a growing number of Americans. b. tried to replace newspapers as the most common source of information but failed. c. became the nation's least favorite form of leisure activity. d. became an effective advertising medium. e. presented shows that were controversial.
D
Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected president in 1952 in part because he: a. pledged to use nuclear weapons in the Korean War. b. promised to dismantle the New Deal. c. supported civil rights. d. manifested a public image of fatherly warmth. e. promised to cut highway construction spending.
D
How did American companies contribute to the influx of Puerto Rican migrants by the hundreds of thousands beginning in the 1950s? a. They were looking for cheaper labor to replace expensive union contracts. b. They recruited Puerto Ricans primarily for construction jobs in Florida and in the fishing industry. c. The end of the bracero program in 1954 prompted American agro-business to look for new cheap labor in Puerto Rico. d. The increasing control of land by U.S. sugar companies on the island pushed small tobacco and coffee farmers off the land and into a search for jobs on the mainland. e. The dramatic environmental destruction corporations brought to Puerto Rico left residents no choice but to migrate to the mainland.
D
How did World War II affect the West Coast of the United States? a. The populations of both San Francisco and Los Angeles declined as the prospect of a Japanese invasion led many people to migrate inland. b. The West Coast cities of Portland and Seattle received a relatively small amount of federal money for their shipyards. c. Unlike other regions profiting from military-industrial production, growth rates in the West remained essentially flat. d. Millions of Americans moved to California for jobs and military service. e. The military temporarily relocated its headquarters to Portland to plan for a Japanese invasion.
D
How did wartime experiences change Mexican-American life in California? a. Tremendous wage increases prompted young Mexican workers to spend carelessly on frivolous outfits. b. Employment opportunities in the defense sector attracted Mexican farmworkers to the cities, where they built exclusive barrio neighborhoods. c. Service in segregated army units motivated Mexican-American activists to join ranks with African-American civil rights groups. d. Employment opportunities in the defense sector prompted Mexican-Americans to find work outside of their neighborhoods. e. The war increased the need for farmworkers, prompting Mexican-Americans to leave urban neighborhoods for rural regions instead.
D
How did white supremacists take advantage of anticommunist rhetoric? a. They pointed to the interracial society of the Soviet Union as a warning sign. b. They stressed the fact that African-Americans were twenty times more likely to be communist than whites. c. They pointed out that the United States' only reliable ally against the Soviet Union was the apartheid regime of South Africa. d. They charged African-American civil rights leaders with a communist agenda. e. They proposed deputizing the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) as an anticommunist paramilitary unit.
D
In what aspect of American foreign policy did Franklin D. Roosevelt remove himself from Herbert Hoover's precedent? a. He called for the era of isolationism toward Europe to be over. b. He promised nationalists in China to intervene in their civil war. c. He promised Latin American neighbors to end his predecessor's policy of interventionism. d. He formally recognized the Soviet Union in an effort to stimulate trade. e. He urged European nations to abandon their colonial possessions in Africa.
D
President Truman's civil rights plan called for all of the following EXCEPT: a. a permanent federal civil rights commission. b. national laws against lynching and the poll tax. c. equal access to jobs. d. reparations. e. equal access to education.
D
The "zoot suit" riots of 1943: a. were a series of fashion shows in Hollywood. b. involved Mexican immigrants fighting with blacks in Los Angeles. c. involved autoworkers in Detroit. d. highlighted the limits of racial tolerance during World War II. e. highlighted the growing acceptance of Mexicans in southern California.
D
The Berlin Blockade was: a. a barrier erected by Allied forces in postwar Berlin to shield them from angry protests of starving residents. b. a means for the United States to justify its threat to mobilize Allied forces stationed in Turkey. c. erected because the United States threatened to invade the Soviet Union. d. the reaction by the Soviet Union to the establishment of a separate currency in western Berlin's occupied zones. e. a temporary defensive measure by the United States that was soon taken down.
D
The McCarran-Walter Act: a. removed immigration quotas based on nationality. b. made immigration law much more flexible for Asians and Latinos. c. recognized the need for political asylum for refugees from South Africa. d. authorized the deportation of communists, including naturalized citizens. e. was supported by President Truman.
D
The charges against which of the following organizations led to the downfall of Joseph McCarthy in 1954? a. The Defense Department. b. The Voice of America. c. The State Department. d. The army. e. The Communist Party.
D
The status of blacks during World War II: a. strengthened somewhat after the Red Cross reversed its long-standing policy against mixing blood from whites and blacks in its blood banks. b. changed dramatically, particularly in the South, after a federal antilynching law was finally passed. c. was not affected by Roosevelt's denunciation of any race of people claiming the right to be "master" over another. d. in northeastern cities was not always improved, despite the promise of better economic opportunity through wartime jobs. e. C and D
D
What about the golden age of capitalism between 1946 and 1960 was most beneficial for Americans? a. The American GNP more than doubled. b. The United States maintained a trade surplus. c. Prices remained stable. d. Most monetary gains reached ordinary citizens through rising wages. e. The economy operated on the gold standard, which made it safe from recessions.
D
What did Roosevelt mean by the phrase "Freedom from Want"? a. It referred to his support of the Lend-Lease Act, which would equip Great Britain with war materiél. b. Initially, it was a call to eliminate barriers to international trade. c. It suggested the Great Depression would not continue after the war. d. B and C e. A and B
D
What taste of freedom did women enjoy in World War II? a. A life beyond the control of men. b. The thrills and excitement of military service. c. The blessing of long-term job security. d. The perks of doing men's jobs. e. New job benefits, such as paid vacation and retirement packages.
D
Why did Harry Truman's loyalty review system target homosexuals working for the government? a. The president was an outspoken homophobe. b. Joseph McCarthy's announcement that there were over fifty homosexuals in the State Department had forced Truman's hand. c. Homosexuals were legally prohibited from working for the government. d. Homosexuals were considered susceptible to blackmail and thought to be lacking the manly qualities necessary to fight communism. e. Truman was alleged to be gay himself and sought to deflect any suspicions.
D
Why did President Eisenhower use the CIA to overthrow the government of Iran in the early 1950s? a. He did not believe Iran was ready for a democratically elected leader after centuries of monarchical rule. b. Iran had refused to enter peace talks with the United States and the Soviet Union in 1950. c. Israel had protested Iran's friendly relationship with Egypt. d. The government had attempted to nationalize British-owned oil fields. e. The government was slowly adopting communist policies.
D
Why did the United States allow West Germany to become part of a defensive alliance less than ten years after the defeat of Nazi Germany? a. East Germany had positioned nuclear missiles along the border to the west. b. The United States depended heavily on the expertise of German rocket scientists. c. The United States made this concession in order to win access to lucrative German consumer markets. d. The successful Soviet detonation of a nuclear bomb underlined the importance of a militarily united West. e. The United States had thoroughly "de-nazified" the country.
D
Why did the editors of Life magazine fear that American freedom might be in danger from not being used enough? a. American voter participation had fallen dramatically since World War II. b. Americans remained reluctant to travel and see the world. c. Americans failed to enjoy the blessings of their private lives. d. Americans seemed to have largely withdrawn from open dissent in the public sphere. e. Americans no longer knew how to have fun and enjoy their vacations.
D
Why were American suburbs of the 1950s so heavily segregated? a. African-Americans preferred to live in the inner cities. b. Neighborhoods formed around churches, and as long as churches were segregated, suburbs would remain so as well. c. All states had laws in place mandating the segregation of residential districts. d. Residents, brokers, and realtors dealt in contracts and mortgages that barred the sale to non-white residents. e. The federal government required segregated residential neighborhoods.
D
According to some critics, how did the casting of the Cold War as a worldwide struggle between freedom and slavery have unfortunate consequences? a. It made it difficult to discern legitimate postwar struggles for economic and political freedom from those simply motivated by American interests. b. It suggested that the United States would align itself against postwar colonial independence movements in the name of anticommunism. c. It prevented any long-term establishment of a diplomatic presence in Moscow. d. It unfortunately positioned the United States as the leader in military aggression, rather than a beacon of peace. e. A and B
E
During the 1950s: a. the federal government bypassed the South as a location for new military bases and shipyards. b. more efficient machinery and fertilization techniques helped the shift toward larger farms with fewer people working on them, particularly in the West. c. agricultural production in the West rapidly declined in the face of rising competition from world markets. d. the Cold War stimulated western manufacturing in defense industries such as guided missiles. e. B and D
E
During the Cold War, religious differences: a. created much division among Americans. b. were heightened by the growth of the suburbs. c. were not a factor, as church and synagogue membership declined. d. were intensified through the institution of school prayer. e. were absorbed within the notion of a common Judeo-Christian heritage.
E
During the postwar suburban boom, African-Americans: a. experienced little, if any, discrimination, especially in the North. b. were encouraged to move into communities like Levittown, New York. c. were discriminated against only in the South. d. received special treatment if they were veterans. e. were often unable to receive financing for housing.
E
Eisenhower's intervention in Vietnam partly consisted of: a. urging Ngo Dinh Diem not to hold elections. b. hosting the 1954 Geneva Accords. c. the United States paying four-fifths of the cost of the war between the French and Ho Chi Minh's nationalist forces. d. providing asylum for Vietnamese communist nationalists fleeing the bloodshed in their country. e. A and C
E
Fascism: a. was a political movement similar to Nazism. b. became the political system in Spain by the late 1930s. c. attracted widespread popularity in Sweden and Switzerland as an alternative to Nazism. d. was initially embraced by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, who viewed it more favorably than capitalism. e. A and B
E
Joseph McCarthy: a. had the full support of the Senate during his anticommunist crusade. b. successfully uncovered the communist infiltration of the federal government. c. successfully uncovered the communist infiltration of the U.S. army. d. was hailed as an American hero for his fight against communism. e. was an embarrassment to his party by 1954.
E
Secretary of State John Foster Dulles's policy of massive retaliation: a. was part of the effort to rely more on conventional forces. b. eased tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. c. calmed the American public's fear of nuclear war. d. applied only to communist China. e. declared that any Soviet attack would be countered by a nuclear attack.
E
The "Third World": a. encompassed an enormous range of territory, including several tiny western European nations. b. was largely left out of the Cold War struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union. c. was an invented term describing developing nations not aligned with either the Soviet Union or United States. d. included many nations newly created out of former European colonies. e. C and D
E
The Road to Serfdom: a. advocated for laissez-faire economics. b. offered an intellectual basis for the critique of active government. c. was written by an Austrian-born economist who embraced the label of "conservative" all of his life. d. B and C e. A and B
E
Which of the following does NOT explain why Americans hoped to avoid involvement in the war in Europe? a. Many regretted intervention in the First World War, especially after Senate hearings revealed bankers and arms merchants had profited enormously from it. b. Hitler had admirers in the United States. c. Anticommunists thought German expansion could check Soviet aggression. d. Businessmen such as Henry Ford wanted to maintain profitable German markets. e. It was clear to most people that there was little possibility of an Allied victory.
E
In 1948, the Supreme Court ruled against provisions that would have allowed banks and private developers from barring non-whites from home ownership in the suburbs.
FALSE
The Kitchen Debate refers to the public debate during the 1950s over whether women ought to work outside of the home.
FALSE
The majority of the Japanese-Americans who were interned during the war were not actually citizens of the United States.
FALSE
To improve the image of American race relations abroad, the U.S. government sponsored trips of African-American jazz musicians to Africa.
FALSE
By the mid-1950s, for the first time in American history, white-collar workers outnumbered blue-collar factory and manual laborers.
TRUE
During the 1950s, the West became the home of numerous military bases and government-funded shipyards.
TRUE
Generally speaking, economics and geopolitical interests motivated American foreign policy, but the language of freedom was used to justify America's actions.
TRUE
Japanese propaganda depicted Americans as a self-indulgent people contaminated by ethnic and racial diversity, as opposed to the racially "pure" Japanese.
TRUE
Texas passed the Caucasian Race-Equal Privileges resolution in 1943 in a goodwill effort to help Mexican-Americans.
TRUE
The "standard consumer package" of the 1950s included a car, house, and television.
TRUE
The Berlin Airlift made it clear that Truman was determined to deny the Soviet Union any victories in the Cold War.
TRUE
The Bretton Woods meeting established a new international economic system.
TRUE
