HIS 122 Final Exam

The strongest and most visible opposition to Diem's government was led by:

(a. Buddhists) b. Socialists c. Muslims d. American diplomats e. French-speaking Vietnamese elites

The United States experienced a shock in 1949 when Communists took over:

(a. China) b. Korea c. Taiwan d. Vietnam e. Cuba

All of the following were original NATO members EXCEPT:

(a. Japan) b. Canada c. the United States d. Britain e. France

The goal of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933 was to raise farm income mainly through:

(a. cutbacks in production) b. intensive farming c. a government takeover of the commodity trade in Chicago d. state and federal subsidies e. marketing quotas

The major purpose of the Soviet missiles placed in Cuba was to:

(a. deter another American-supported invasion of Cuba) b. show hard-liners in the Soviet military that Khrushchev was sufficiently tough c. launch an attack upon the United States d. make Castro more dependent upon the Soviets e. get Kennedy to let the Soviets have West Berlin

Huey Long:

(a. developed a program called the Share-the-Wealth Society) b. founded the National Union for Social Justice c. challenged FDR for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1936 d. complained that the New Deal had gone too far by infringing on "the rights of persons and property" e. called Social Security a "socialistic share-the-wealth program"

The marine lieutenant colonel at the center of the Iran-Contra affair, Oliver North, was using profits from the sale of arms to Iran to:

(a. finance the Nicaraguan Contras) b. enrich himself and some corrupt friends c. buy new weapons for the Marine Corps d. contribute to Republicans e. pay for the release of American hostages

With the end of World War II, women workers were encouraged to:

(a. give up their jobs to returning veterans) b. work longer hours c. limit family sizes d. stay single e. upgrade their job skills through technical training or college

A sad legacy of Watergate was:

(a. lasting damage to the image of the presidency) b. ongoing limits on press freedom c. a renewal of divisive partisan politics d. Congress's inability to pass needed legislation e. the weakening of the CIA's domestic operations

The Civil Rights Act of 1964:

(a. outlawed segregation in public facilities) b. strengthened the Democratic party in the South c. was reluctantly supported by Johnson d. passed Congress with minimal opposition e. ended racism in the United States

After the war, Americans were most eager to:

(a. purchase) b. save c. travel d. pursue education e. work overtime

In its controversial Miranda v. Arizona decision, the Warren Court:

(a. required that an accused person be informed of certain basic rights) b. made abortion legal c. banned prayer in public schools d. protected job rights for homosexuals e. gave police more power to search without a warrant

Malcolm X:

(a. said blacks should be proud of their African heritage) b. was killed by a white racist during a speech in Harlem c. headed the Black Panthers d. supported the nonviolent tactics of Martin Luther King Jr. e. was a militant black Christian

In the Brown decision, the Supreme Court:

(a. struck down "separate but equal" in public education) b. ordered an immediate end to Jim Crow segregation c. rejected the legal arguments of the NAACP d. was closely divided e. recognized the high quality of black schools in the South

The religious Right fervently supported Reagan because he:

(a. supported its conservative social values) b. was active in his church as a deacon c. had memorized large sections of the Bible d. was a model family man e. was such a gifted actor

One major reason for religion's growing appeal in the 1950s was:

(a. the desire to combat "godless" communism) b. tax breaks for people who joined churches c. the fire and brimstone style of television preachers d. widespread guilt over the country's material abundance e. huge new churches that sponsored social and recreational activities

In its earliest years, the gay rights movement especially emphasized:

(a. the importance of gays "coming out") b. the need for more funding for AIDS research c. the passage of hate-crimes legislation d. the push to legalize gay marriage e. getting recognition of gay contributions to American history

The protest tactic initiated by black students in Greensboro, North Carolina, was:

(a. the sit-in) b. the occupation of campus administration buildings c. the March on Washington d. street theater e. the freedom ride

Reagan's experience as an actor:

(a. was invaluable in a television age) b. was irrelevant once he entered politics c. had been limited to a few performances on radio d. helped him master policy details e. caused conservative Christians to view him with suspicion given the immorality of Hollywood

In 1964, the University of California at Berkeley:

(a. was the site of a free-speech movement) b. remained racially segregated c. was shut down by anti-war protestors d. became the birthplace of the counterculture e. was the scene of a bloody confrontation between students and the National Guard

All of the following were consequences of the Vietnam War EXCEPT:

a. 58,000 Americans died b. Saigon fell to the Communists and became Ho Chi Minh City c. many young Americans questioned the value of military service d. Americans were more determined than ever to spread democracy (e. deep divisions over foreign policy continued)

Following the Pearl Harbor attack:

a. American isolationism increased b. a congressional resolution for war passed unanimously c. the United States avoided involvement in the European conflict (d. Germany and Italy also declared war on the United States) e. Franklin Roosevelt resigned the presidency

What did the governments of Italy and Germany have in common by the 1930s?

a. Both had established communist forms of government. b. Both had thriving liberal democracies. c. Both had strong monarchies. (d. Both had established fascist forms of government.) e. Both went to war with the United States.

Germany's invasion of what country triggered the beginning of World War II in Europe?

a. Czechoslovakia b. the Soviet Union c. Britain (d. Poland) e. Austria

Which of the following statements about the 1940 presidential election is true?

a. Franklin Roosevelt named a Republican as his vice-presidential running mate in the name of national unity. b. Franklin Roosevelt became the first sitting president to lose a reelection bid in the midst of a national crisis. c. Republican Thomas Dewey defeated Franklin Roosevelt in a landslide. d. Franklin Roosevelt followed precedent and declined to run for a third term. (e. Franklin Roosevelt became the only president to run for and win a third term.)

All of the following countries were physically damaged during World War II EXCEPT:

a. Great Britain b. France c. Japan (d. the United States) e. Germany

In late summer 1940, President Roosevelt agreed to send fifty "overaged" destroyers to Britain in return for:

a. Republican promises not to ask for a peacetime draft (b. allowing the United States to build naval and air bases on British islands in the Caribbean) c. congressional approval of a draft registration act d. fifty "outdated" British aircraft carriers e. a renegotiated payment schedule of the Allies' war debt from World War I

When North Korean Communists invaded South Korea:

a. South Korean forces initially repulsed the invaders (b. the United Nations authorized military intervention against the aggressors) c. Truman persuaded Congress to declare war on North Korea d. Stalin told the North Koreans to stop their aggression e. the Soviets used their Security Council veto to prevent United Nations action

The fall of the Berlin Wall was soon followed by:

a. Soviet military intervention in East Germany b. the threat of war in Central Europe c. the formal dissolution of NATO (d. Germany's reunification) e. the Communists constructing an even stronger one

The most important factor behind the sexual revolution of the 1960s was the:

a. Supreme Court's legalization of abortion (b. development of birth-control pills) c. free-love philosophy of the hippie movement d. increasing number of women in college e. permissive messages and images in Hollywood films

The use of atomic bombs against Japan had what significance?

a. They prevented the Soviets from entering the war in Asia. b. They shocked Germany into surrendering before facing the same fate. c. They killed the Japanese emperor and paved the way for surrender. (d. According to military planners, it saved thousands of Allied casualties and even more Japanese losses.) e. They rendered the entire island of Honshu inhabitable for twenty-three years.

Ronald Reagan viewed the Soviet Union as:

a. a close and trusted ally b. militarily weak c. a source of global stability (d. an evil empire) e. capable of becoming more democratic while remaining Communist

The Grenada invasion resulted in:

a. a dangerous U.S.-Soviet confrontation b. massive anti-war protests across America c. a big drop in Reagan's approval ratings (d. an easy American victory) e. the commitment of UN forces just as in Korea

Following the declaration of war:

a. a surge of volunteerism allowed the repeal of the Selective Service Act to end the draft (b. men between the ages of eighteen and forty-five were drafted) c. all men and women between the ages of eighteen and forty-five were drafted d. men between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five were drafted e. the draft was enacted for the first time in American history

The Soviet acquisition of the atomic bomb in 1949 inspired Truman to:

a. arrange a summit conference with Stalin b. order the resumption of the military draft (c. order the development of a hydrogen bomb) d. see the folly of the nuclear arms race e. arm American submarines with nuclear missiles

Before becoming president, Eisenhower was most shaped by his experience in:

a. business (b. the military) c. higher education d. politics e. the law

Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique:

a. celebrated the cult of female domesticity (b. explained the unhappiness of so many middle-class women) c. told women how to better please their husbands d. painted an ideal portrait of suburban living e. argued that women should be paid high wages for housework

Hoover's early efforts to end the Depression included:

a. cutbacks in public works, to shore up the public treasury b. a stricter credit policy by the Federal Reserve, to stop the flow of "easy money" available for speculation c. an increase in aid to farmers, to allow them to produce more d. extending federal loans to individuals (e. asking businessmen to maintain wages and avoid layoffs, in order to keep purchasing power strong)

Between 1945 and 1960, home ownership:

a. declined, due to the construction of cheap apartments (b. significantly increased) c. was hampered due to shortages of credit d. became almost universal e. was not as popular as government-provided public housing

Truman's response to the Soviet blockade of West Berlin in 1948 was to:

a. divide the rest of Germany into occupation zones b. mass American troops on the Soviet border c. get the United Nations to officially protest (d. launch a massive airlift of supplies into West Berlin) e. meet with Stalin to diplomatically resolve the crisis

By the end of his presidency, Reagan had:

a. dramatically shrunk the federal government's size b. abolished the Department of Education c. privatized Social Security (d. restored American confidence) e. fulfilled the religious Right's agenda on issues such as school prayer

Life magazine's ideal woman of the mid-1950s was:

a. educated and single b. career oriented c. able to juggle home and career d. an equal partner with her husband (e. a white suburban housewife)

One major impetus behind the rise of a Native American rights movement was the:

a. effective work of the Bureau of Indian Affairs b. interest of many Americans in Indian history c. realization of Indians that their votes could swing elections in several states d. fact that Indians were still not recognized as citizens (e. terrible levels of poverty that persisted in the Indian population)

To punish the United States for supporting Israel during the Yom Kippur War, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC):

a. expelled the United States from membership b. flooded the American market with cheap petroleum to drive American oil producers out of business (c. threatened to cut off oil shipments to the United States) d. nationalized American oil companies in their countries e. announced it would deal exclusively with the Soviet Union

When Islamic fanatics bombed and killed 241 U.S. Marines in Lebanon in 1983, Reagan:

a. froze Lebanese assets in the United States (b. soon pulled out the remaining marines) c. declared war on Islamic terrorists d. began to reassess U.S. support of Israel e. ignored what had happened

Kennedy's successor as president, Lyndon Johnson:

a. had a humble and modest character b. was a fairly typical southern conservative c. may have been involved in the assassination d. like Kennedy, had been born into wealth and privilege (e. genuinely cared about the disadvantaged in society)

In 1961, Khrushchev escalated tensions over Berlin by:

a. imposing another Soviet blockade of West Berlin b. sending spy planes over West Germany c. putting nuclear missiles in East Berlin (d. erecting the Berlin Wall) e. walking out of a summit conference in Vienna

Nixon's policy of "Vietnamization" involved:

a. increasing the number of young men being drafted b. launching a U.S. invasion of North Vietnam c. establishing diplomatic and trade relations with North Vietnam (d. gradually reducing the number of American troops in Vietnam) e. working toward the reunification of North and South Vietnam

The Hiss-Chambers case:

a. involved charges of atomic espionage b. brought Senator Joseph McCarthy to national prominence c. involved a homosexual scandal in the State Department (d. resulted in Hiss's being convicted of lying about espionage) e. resulted in a lengthy prison term for Chambers

A very important reason for passage of the GI Bill was to:

a. keep men in the military beyond their term of enlistment b. spend surplus funds in the federal budget c. help Roosevelt get reelected (d. prevent the return of the Depression) e. create a bureaucracy to administer it

One of Johnson's major goals in Vietnam was to:

a. kill as many Vietnamese as possible b. keep the Soviets and Chinese from attacking elsewhere in Asia c. use nuclear weapons to end the war as quickly as possible d. use the war to unite the country at home (e. avoid losing it to communism)

The bracero program:

a. led to the forced evacuation of over 100,000 Japanese Americans b. was a reaction to the Zoot Suit Riots c. allowed most recent immigrants to join the American armed services after a thorough background check d. sought to mobilize Indian reservations in support of the American war effort (e. brought some 200,000 Mexican farmworkers into the western United States)

Permanent members of the United Nations Security Council:

a. now include Germany and Japan b. meet every two years c. do not participate in the General Assembly d. periodically rotate so that new countries participate (e. can veto any major proposal)

Senator McCarthy was very effective in:

a. passing major legislation b. nabbing actual Communists c. gathering proof to back his accusations d. protecting American freedoms (e. exploiting public fears)

The 1939 Neutrality Act's cash-and-carry provision:

a. permitted the United States to sell arms to Britain and France as long as they paid up-front and allowed American ships to deliver the purchase b. prohibited all arms exports, even to countries with cash who could carry them on their own ships c. was removed from the final bill due to isolationist opposition to permitting any trade with warring nations (d. permitted the United States to sell arms to Britain and France if they paid up-front and carried their purchases on their own ships) e. permitted all trade, except arms and munitions, with warring nations who paid and carried their own goods

The Reagan administration's initial response to AIDS was to:

a. pour money into medical research b. give away condoms and clean hypodermic needles c. urge all Americans to get a vaccination d. crack down on people having sex outside of marriage (e. largely ignore it as a "gay" disease)

Eleanor Roosevelt:

a. primarily played the role of White House hostess b. had more influence than her husband in shaping New Deal policies c. was an official member of FDR's cabinet (d. was especially supportive of women, blacks, and youth) e. became most famous for her "fireside chats"

The GI Bill did all of the following EXCEPT:

a. provide educational benefits for veterans b. provide housing loans for veterans c. help prevent a postwar depression (d. pay veterans large bonuses to remain in the military) e. provide medical treatment for veterans

The Revenue Act of 1935 (sometimes called the Wealth-Tax Act):

a. provided for a regressive tax b. increased federal revenue significantly and thus helped finance the New Deal (c. raised taxes on incomes above $50,000) d. created a more equal distribution of wealth in America e. was an FDR response to Long's "soak-the-rich tax"

In 1948, President Truman desegregated:

a. public schools b. defense industries c. Washington, D.C. d. public transportation (e. the military)

At the outset of his presidency, to deal with the banking crisis, Roosevelt:

a. pushed through a bank bailout bill worth more than $7 billion b. used his emergency powers to nationalize the banking industry c. put strict limits on the issuance of paper currency d. ordered the Federal Reserve Board to lower interest rates (e. declared a bank holiday, shutting the banks down briefly)

Revelations of the Iran-Contra affair indicated that Reagan had violated his pledge to never:

a. raise taxes b. work with Communists c. lie to the American people (d. negotiate with terrorists) e. needlessly send troops into battle

In early 1937, FDR proposed to reform the Supreme Court by:

a. requiring justices to retire at age 70 (b. adding up to six additional members) c. removing justices appointed by previous presidents d. making justices regularly run for election e. requiring Senate confirmation hearings

In 1940, the Battle of Britain:

a. saw the British defeat a massive German land invasion of the British Isles b. was the single greatest defeat that Britain faced during World War II c. was mostly a propaganda war between Germany and Britain that saw little actual bloodshed (d. saw the British turn back a massive German air attack and force Germany to postpone its invasion plans) e. saw Winston Churchill earn distinction by shooting down fifty German fighters

Most blacks who moved to the North were fleeing terrible poverty in:

a. southern cities such as Memphis and New Orleans (b. the rural South) c. the Dust Bowl d. New England e. other northern cities

By 2015, Hispanics:

a. still rarely voted (b. had become the country's largest minority) c. had attained equality with whites in average income levels d. launched their own political party e. no longer desired to speak Spanish

All of the following were objectives of the Tennessee Valley Authority EXCEPT:

a. the production of cheap electric power b. opening rivers to boats and barges c. flood control d. soil conservation and forestry (e. the development of Smoky Mountain National Park)

The main purpose of the Civilian Conservation Corps was to:

a. train young men for the Army Corps of Engineers (b. provide work relief for young men) c. give young women an opportunity to earn money for higher education d. promote conservation practices by the general public e. build environmental education projects at the first national parks

Franklin D. Roosevelt:

a. was born into a family of sharecroppers b. was twice elected governor of Georgia (c. was permanently disabled after contracting polio) d. supported the continuation of Prohibition e. was a graduate of the Naval Academy

The Tet offensive of early 1968:

a. was the American attempt to destroy the Ho Chi Minh Trail b. was a major victory for the Viet Cong c. resulted in Saigon's fall to the Communists d. inspired Johnson to dramatically raise troop levels in Vietnam (e. dramatically affected public support for Johnson's war policy)