Mid Spring STAAR Practice
The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, later renamed the March of Dimes, was established in 1938 and . . . was a grassroots campaign run primarily by volunteers. Over the years, millions of people gave small amounts of money to support both the care of people who got ______1_____ and research into prevention and treatment. Those contributions financed Jonas Salk, Albert Sabin, and the other researchers who developed the . . . ______2_____ that children around the world receive today. —"March of Dimes," National Museum of American History, www.americanhistory.si.edu/ (accessed July 19, 2012) Which words correctly complete this excerpt?
1: polio, 2: vaccines
Which of the following was a defining characteristic of the United States during the 1930s?
An extended period of economic depression
How were the Navajo words used during World War II?
As a secret code for communicating battle plans between Allied units
In 1997, Vernon Baker was awarded the Medal of Honor. How was this award historically significant?
Baker was the only living African American veteran of World War II ever to receive the medal.
How did the person named in this 1909 handbill work to improve the lives of African Americans?
By promoting vocational training for African Americans
Which of the following was the main reason for the rapid settlement of the Great Plains during the late 1800s?
Congress passed a law allowing people to claim public land and convert it to private property through homesteading.
Which pull factor contributed to the Great Migration?
Economic opportunities in industrialized cities
You, Mr. President, are not declaring a quarantine, but rather are setting forth an ultimatum and threatening that if we do not give in to your demands you will use force. —Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, letter to President John F. Kennedy, October 24, 1962 Which U.S. action is Khrushchev challenging in this excerpt?
Establishing a naval blockade to stop the shipment of missiles to Cuba
T. A. Edison Electric-Lamp Patent, 1880 How did the invention affect industry?
Factories could extend working hours.
How did the publication of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle contribute to a change in the relationship between government and business?
Government regulations requiring the inspection of food products were implemented.
What role did Arkansas governor Orval Faubus play in the Little Rock Crisis?
He challenged the authority of the federal government to desegregate schools.
Which outcome was an important effect of the 1898 event illustrated by this map?
Increased U.S. public support for the construction of a canal through Central America
Which of these is an effect rock and roll had on society in the United States in the 1950s?
It contributed to a cultural divide between generations.
Which of the following was a major contribution of the Harlem Renaissance to U.S. culture?
It established jazz as a prominent musical form.
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. . . . — 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution What was one way the constitutional amendment excerpted above helped advance the cause of gender equality?
It gave women a greater opportunity to influence government.
How did the military innovation shown in this photograph affect the course of World War I?
It helped break the stalemate of trench warfare.
How did President Harry S. Truman's decision to drop the atomic bomb affect international relations?
It initiated the arms race with the Soviet Union.
For the purpose of enabling each State to furnish financial assistance, as far as practicable under the conditions in such State, to aged needy individuals, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated . . . for each fiscal year a sum sufficient to carry out the purposes of this title. —Social Security Act of 1935, Title 1, Section 1
It made the government more responsible for the people's economic welfare.
How did the Zimmermann telegram influence U.S. entry into World War I?
It revealed a proposed military alliance between Mexico and Germany.
Smoot-Hawley Tariff Purpose: To protect U.S. agriculture and industry from foreign competition Outcome: ? Which of the following best completes this?
Led to a decrease in U.S. international trade
When citizens can only meet in public for certain purposes, they regard such meetings as a strange proceeding of rare occurrence, and they rarely think at all about it. When they are allowed to meet freely for all purposes, they ultimately look upon public association as the universal, or in a manner the sole, means which men can employ to accomplish the different purposes they may have in view. —Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, 1840 Which value is best reflected in this excerpt?
Liberty
Most states allow citizens to vote in elections after presenting a voter-registration card. Some federal legislators attempted to pass a bill requiring another form of identification for voting. Some citizens who opposed this proposed bill solicited donations and hired someone to talk to members of Congress on their behalf. The hired representative met with the members of Congress and attempted to persuade them to vote against the bill. What type of political activity is described in this scenario?
Lobbying
Selected Events in the History of Ford Motor Company 1908 Ford begins manufacturing the Model T. 1913 Ford introduces the first moving automobile assembly line. 1914 The Ford Motor Company doubles worker pay to $5.00 a day and cuts the length of a shift from nine hours to eight. 1921 The Ford Motor Company accounts for 55 percent of the automotive industry's total production. How did the events on this time line affect U.S. businesses?
Mass-manufacturing techniques were adopted to maximize production.
During the 1920s, what was one result of innovations in U.S. transportation technology?
Mass-produced automobiles made travel more affordable for many people.
There is hereby created [an agency] . . . , which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. —Mission statement for the_______?________ , 1916 Which agency name belongs on the blank line?
National Park Service
Which group of people most likely inspired the creation of this 1893 cartoon?
Nativists
What was the primary reason for U.S. involvement in East Asia during the early 1950s?
North Korean attempts to unify the peninsula challenged the U.S. policy of containment.
Decline in worldwide trade. Bank failures _________? What above is missing that lead to the Great Depression?
Over speculation in the stock market
How does the 1966 Supreme Court decision in Miranda v. Arizona continue to affect society?
People accused of a crime must be informed of their constitutional rights.
What is one ongoing result of the New Deal?
People can rely more on the federal government during times of economic distress.
Which of these factors contributed most to the Dust Bowl?
Prolonged drought and poor farming practices
Statement 1: The U.S. oil industry boomed due to oil deposits found in conquered territories. Statement 2: Rebuilding its devastated army cost the United States an enormous amount of money. Statement 3: The acquisition of new territories allowed for the expansion of U.S. commercial trade. Statement 4: Territorial losses forced the United States to purchase expensive natural resources from other countries. Which statement would most likely be found in a history of the economic impact of the Spanish-American War on the United States?
Statement 3
We are not now required to ascertain the scope of the phrase "general welfare of the United States" or to determine whether an appropriation in aid of agriculture falls within it. Wholly apart from that question, another principle embedded in our Constitution prohibits the enforcement of the Agricultural Adjustment Act. . . . It is a statutory plan to regulate and control agricultural production, a matter beyond the powers delegated to the federal government. —United States v. Butler, 1936 Which constitutional amendment did the Supreme Court use as a basis of this ruling?
Tenth
Cause ? U.S. control of the Philippines, Cuban independence, U.S. control of Puerto Rico, U.S. control of Guam Effect ? Which sentence provides information needed to complete both the cause and effect portions of this diagram?
The 1898 Spanish-American War led to world power status for the United States.
The 1943 Hollywood movie Song of Russia was produced with the encouragement of the Office of War Information (OWI). At the time the movie was made, the United States and the Soviet Union were allies in the fight against Nazi Germany. The movie tells the story of an American conductor who falls in love with a Russian pianist just before World War II. Together they spend time in an idealized version of the Soviet Union. When the Nazis invade, they join Soviet villagers in the resistance. Which group later investigated the political ideology and actions of many people associated with this film?
The House Un-American Activities Committee
A student learning about U.S. history is instructed to write a paper about W. E. B. Du Bois and race relations in the United States. Which of the following facts would be most relevant to the student's assignment?
The NAACP was organized to help secure full legal equality for minority citizens.
Militant Americanism was dominant in Washington today—in those quarters of the capital where action counts in this perilous time. By one bold strike President Wilson had emboldened the timid, scattered his enemies, and brought honest critics to his side. The exposure of the German Government's attempt to line up Japan and Mexico with Germany in a war against the United States caused hesitating Senators and Representatives to come out in the open with declarations of support of the President and his method of dealing with the German submarine menace. While the international situation is more critical, the atmosphere has been cleared of doubt and misunderstanding, and Germany's enmity is now clearly revealed. —New York Times, March 2, 1917 What was one result of the events reported in the excerpt above?
The U.S. government abandoned its official policy of neutrality.
Which of the following was a direct result of the 1957 launch of Sputnik 1?
The U.S. government founded a federal agency dedicated to space exploration.
Which of these was a major goal of Jane Addams's Settlement House movement in Chicago?
The assimilation of immigrants
In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education. Such an opportunity, where the state has undertaken to provide it, is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms. —Chief Justice Earl Warren, 1954 Which action occurred as a result of the Supreme Court decision excerpted above?
The desegregation of public schools
The Twenty-second Amendment was passed in response to which event?
The election of Franklin D. Roosevelt to a fourth presidential term
Daily News 1960 Sit-in Protest at Woolworth's Lunch Counter in Greensboro, N.C. Daily News 1961 Freedom Rides Begin from Washington, D.C. Daily News 1963 250,000 Participate in March on Washington What was the main result of the events referred to in these headlines?
The expansion of political and economic opportunities for minority citizens
Which of the following occurred as a result of the Sherman Antitrust Act?
The federal government could dissolve business monopolies.
To His Excellency William McKinley, President, and the Senate, of the United States of America . . . We, the undersigned, native Hawaiian citizens . . . who are members of the Hawaiian Patriotic League of the Hawaiian Islands, and others who are in sympathy with the said League, earnestly protest against the . . . [addition] of the said Hawaiian Islands to the said United States of America in any form or shape. — Petition, 1897 What were these Hawaiian citizens protesting?
The forced annexation of the islands as a U.S. territory after the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy
Which of these contributed to the ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment?
The growing political influence of women
In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note . . . that all men . . . would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. . . . Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check. . . . We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and security of justice. —"I Have a Dream," Martin Luther King, Jr., 1963 What is a major result of the campaign described by Martin Luther King, Jr.?
The national identity of the United States has become more inclusive.
The conflict is still sharpening throughout the world between two political systems. The one system represents government by freedom of choice exercised by the individual citizens. In the other, and opposing system, individual freedom and initiative are all made subordinate to the totalitarian state. —President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1938 What was the ultimate result of the situation President Roosevelt refers to in this excerpt?
The outbreak of World War II
What was one reason for the expansion of machine politics in the late nineteenth century?
The rapid influx of immigrants made it difficult for local governments to provide basic services.
Which of these resulted from the prohibition of alcohol during the 1920s?
The rise of organized crime
Warfare During the First World War ______? Soldiers dug trenches. The two aspects of warfare during WWI lead to - A stalemate developed along the western front. Which action is missing from above?
The use of machine guns resulted in massive casualties.
Why did the United States adopt the motto In God We Trust in 1956?
To distinguish the nation from countries that restricted religious practices
Why did the Populist Party want free coinage of silver?
To increase the amount of money in circulation
What was a primary purpose of the program being promoted by this poster?
To increase the food supply during a farm-labor shortage
Why did the federal government create this program in 1933?
To provide jobs and improve the regional standard of living
This is a cross-sectional diagram of a major operation ordered by President Harry S. Truman in 1948. The flight pattern illustrated in the diagram was designed to allow an airplane to land every three minutes. Why was this operation undertaken?
To provide supplies to a blockaded city
There is a solidarity and interdependence about the modern world . . . which makes it impossible for any nation completely to isolate itself from economic and political upheavals in the rest of the world, especially when such upheavals appear to be spreading and not declining. . . . International anarchy destroys every foundation for peace. It jeopardizes . . . the future security of every nation, large or small. It is, therefore, a matter of vital interest and concern to the people of the United States that the sanctity of international treaties and the maintenance of international morality be restored. —President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1937 President Roosevelt later used similar reasoning as one justification for —
U.S. involvement in World War II
Which civic action demonstrates the most fundamental responsibility of citizens in a democracy?
Voting in a presidential election
Puerto Rico • ? • Residents granted U.S. citizenship in 1917 • Governors have been elected by popular vote since 1948 • Adopted both a constitution and commonwealth status in 1952 ? Which of the following best replaces the question mark in this list of information about Puerto Rico?
Was ceded to the United States as a result of the Spanish-American War
Daily News Atomic Bombs Dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki What was the main effect of the event reported in this headline?
World War II ended with Japan surrendering to the Allies.
This 1972 poster depicts an organization originally formed to advocate —
better economic treatment of migrant workers
During the 1920s, Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan were most closely identified with the —
conflict between modernism and traditionalism
Although the women of America are one step nearer to nylon stockings as a result of new ceiling price schedules . . . , the prospect of "nylons for Christmas," except for a favored few, is not good, hosiery manufacturers said yesterday. —"Outlook Is Gloomy for Christmas Nylons," New York Times, November 10, 1945 This excerpt suggests that U.S. consumers were affected by —
continued supply shortages after World War II
In the late 1800s, the Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson —
created a legal justification for segregation laws
The skill and courage of the Tuskegee Airmen served to —
decrease opposition to integrating the armed forces
President Franklin D. Roosevelt sought to reassure the American public during uncertain economic times by —
delivering a series of evening radio speeches known as fireside chats
Onset of World War II - leads to - Acceleration of the Manhattan Project This diagram indicates that during World War II the federal government —
developed a new weapon designed to gain a strategic advantage over enemies
The Daily Star Japanese Forces Occupy Bataan Peninsula Many of the U.S. soldiers involved in the event mentioned in this headline —
died during a forced march to a prison camp in the Philippines
Navajo soldiers made an important contribution to the Allied war effort during World War II by —
encoding military communications for secure transmission
The government issued ration books during World War II in order to —
ensure the fair distribution of scarce goods
The participants in this week's antidraft demonstration . . . are . . . students or young men . . . who are working within a coalition . . . which calls itself the Stop the Draft Week Committee. . . . —Douglas Robinson, New York Times, December 6, 1967 The demonstration described in this article was most likely prompted by —
escalated deployment of military forces to Vietnam
America's present need is not heroics but healing; . . . not revolution but restoration; . . . not submergence in internationality but sustainment in triumphant nationality. —Warren G. Harding, presidential campaign speech, 1920 This excerpt illustrates Harding's campaign promise to be a president who would —
help the country recover from the turmoil of the previous decade
Jackie Robinson first rose to national prominence in the late 1940s when he —
helped bring an end to racial segregation in Major League Baseball
The Federal Housing Administration is a New Deal agency that continues to assist many Americans primarily by —
helping them obtain mortgage loans from banks
The ideas contained in the Declaration of Independence helped —
inspire people in other countries to question the authority of their government
The Roaring Twenties were characterized by —
installment plans, Prohibition, and flappers
The rights of citizens under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution were violated by the U.S. government when it authorized the establishment of —
internment camps for Japanese Americans
The introduction of vaccines to the United States helped —
limit the spread of infectious diseases
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 eliminated —
literacy tests as prerequisites for voting
The opponents of . . . recall, however they may phrase their opposition, in reality believe the people can not be trusted. On the other hand, those of us who espouse these measures do so because of our deep-rooted belief in popular government, and not only in the right of the people to govern, but in their ability to govern; and this leads us logically to the belief that if the people have the right, the ability, and the intelligence to elect, they have as well the right, ability, and intelligence to reject or to recall. . . . — California governor Hiram Johnson, inaugural address, 1911 The reform discussed by Governor Johnson in this excerpt —
made elected officials more directly accountable to their constituents
Spark-Plug Installation on Dive Bombers, 1943 best illustrates the need in 1943 to —
maintain the country's military and industrial production levels
During the nineteenth century, one way political bosses gained voter support was by —
making improvements in urban infrastructure
Upon entering World War I, the United States enlarged its military by —
passing the Selective Service Act
The President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity established by this order is directed immediately to scrutinize and study employment practices of the Government of the United States, and to consider and recommend additional affirmative steps which should be taken by executive departments and agencies to realize more fully the national policy of nondiscrimination within the executive branch of the Government. —President John F. Kennedy, Executive Order 10925, 1961 The primary objective of the executive order excerpted here was to —
promote fair employment practices in government agencies
During the Progressive Era, one goal of state-level political reformers was to —
promote the principle of direct democracy
Nineteenth-century nativist organizations advocated —
promoting an ethnically homogeneous society through restrictions on immigration
In January 1932 Congress approved the formation of an independent government agency called the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC). The RFC was funded by the U.S. Treasury and was authorized to make loans to banks, railroads, life insurance companies, and other large businesses devastated by the Great Depression. President Herbert Hoover believed that funds disbursed through the RFC would eventually benefit the average citizen through job growth, higher wages, and the protection of bank accounts and insurance policies. The Reconstruction Finance Corporation is similar to later New Deal legislation in that both —
protected the economy through government intervention in private business
Whoever, when the United States is at war, shall willfully . . . utter, print, write, or publish any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the form of government of the United States . . . shall be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment for not more than twenty years, or both. . . . —Espionage Act, May 1918 This law demonstrates that at one time the federal government was willing to —
suspend freedom of speech
Senator Joseph McCarthy is best known for his involvement in —
the Red Scare of the 1950s
No single great material work which remains to be undertaken on this continent is of such consequence to the American people as the building of a canal across the Isthmus connecting North and South America. Its importance to the Nation is by no means limited merely to its material effects upon our business prosperity. . . . —President Theodore Roosevelt The policy outlined in the excerpt was directly influenced by problems that the U.S. Navy had recently confronted during —
the Spanish-American War
• Food Stamp Act of 1964 • Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965 • Child Nutrition Act of 1966 The passage of the pieces of legislation in this list resulted in —
the creation of programs to alleviate poverty
The creation of initiative, referendum, and recall procedures during the Progressive Era resulted in —
the expansion of citizens' direct participation in the democratic process
The creator of this political cartoon was expressing his concerns about —
the expansion of executive power during the Great Depression
Under the U.S. Constitution, the government may not take private property unless —
the government pays the owner fair compensation for the land
During the Gilded Age there was a notable increase in federal support for —
the growth of big business
Last Thursday I described the American form of Government as a three horse team provided by the Constitution to the American people so that their field might be plowed. The three horses are, of course, the three branches of government—the Congress, the Executive and the Courts. Two of the horses are pulling in unison today; the third is not. —President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1937 Many members of Congress disagreed with President Roosevelt's proposed solution to the problem described above because —
the power of the executive branch would increase
Founded in 1913 as the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage (CU), the National Woman's Party (NWP) was instrumental in raising public awareness of the women's suffrage campaign. . . . The NWP effectively commanded the attention of politicians and the public through its aggressive agitation, relentless lobbying, clever publicity stunts, and creative examples of civil disobedience and nonviolent confrontation. —Library of Congress The political activism of the group described in the excerpt contributed directly to —
the ratification of the 19th Amendment
During the 1950s the federal government funded educational initiatives in math and science in response to —
the successful launch of the first artificial satellite
Chronic wrongdoing, . . . which results in a general loosening of the ties of civilized society, may in America, as elsewhere, ultimately require intervention by some civilized nation, and in the Western Hemisphere the adherence of the United States to the Monroe Doctrine may force the United States, however reluctantly, in flagrant cases of such wrongdoing . . . to the exercise of an international police power. —President Theodore Roosevelt, 1904 President Roosevelt issued this statement in response to —
the threat of European intervention in Latin America
During the Civil Rights movement, the Black Panther Party's tactics differed from those of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., because the Black Panthers called for —
the use of armed resistance if necessary
General John J. Pershing made a major contribution to the Allied victory in World War I by —
transforming inexperienced troops into an effective military force
