US History Exam Review: Ch. 23-31 (1920s - 1980s)

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13. The United States first successfully launched a missile from a submarine in 1960, with the A. Polaris. B. Minuteman. C. Titan. D. Atlas. E. Mercury.

A. Polaris.

49. Of the following, the HUAC investigation of Alger Hiss primarily helped the political career of A. Richard Nixon. B. Joseph McCarthy. C. John Kennedy. D. Ronald Reagan. E. Lyndon B. Johnson.

A. Richard Nixon.

23. In the last months of 1949, events in the Soviet Union and China included A. Russia's successful test of an atomic weapon. B. the collapse of Mao Zedong's government to communist forces. C. the death of Joseph Stalin. D. both the collapse of Mao Zedong's government to communist forces, and the death of Joseph Stalin. E. All these answers are correct.

A. Russia's successful test of an atomic weapon.

38. Martin Luther King Jr. was leader of the A. Southern Christian Leadership Conference. B. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. C. United Negro Improvement Association. D. Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. E. Congress of Racial Equality.

A. Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

55. Joseph McCarthy burst into national prominence by charging that there were known communists in the A. State Department. B. Defense Department. C. Truman Cabinet. D. Central Intelligence Agency. E. United States Senate.

A. State Department.

2. In early 1943 at a meeting in Casablanca, A. Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt agreed the Axis powers must surrender unconditionally. B. Joseph Stalin had refused to attend. C. Churchill and Roosevelt agreed to follow Stalin's strategy to defeat Germany. D. Stalin threatened to make a separate peace with Germany. E. Stalin argued against the Allies opening a second front in western Europe.

A. Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt agreed the Axis powers must surrender unconditionally.

22. During the 1950s, the American environmental preservation movement was mobilized by A. a proposed dam on the Green River in Echo Park, Utah. B. the construction of a dam in the Hetch Hetchy Valley at Yosemite National Park. C. the diverting of water from Owens Valley to Los Angeles, California. D. the growing proliferation of nuclear power plants. E. the nuclear incident at Three Mile Island.

A. a proposed dam on the Green River in Echo Park, Utah.

5. In designing the structure of the new United Nations, planners called for A. each nation on the Security Council to have veto power over the others. B. a General Assembly in which select nations would have voting rights. C. the president of the UN to be selected from one of the five major powers. D. membership to be limited to one hundred nations. E. Germany and Japan to be added to the Security Council after 25 years.

A. each nation on the Security Council to have veto power over the others.

33. In the 1948 presidential election, A. early polls had seemed to indicate that Harry Truman would lose. B. President Truman refrained from attacking Republicans, for fear of alienating voters. C. the Progressive and "Dixiecrat" candidates combined for 20 percent of the popular vote. D. both of these were the case: early polls had seemed to indicate that Harry Truman would lose, and President Truman refrained from attacking Republicans for fear of alienating voters. E. None of these answers is correct.

A. early polls had seemed to indicate that Harry Truman would lose.

10. In 1945, when Harry Truman became president, he A. had almost no familiarity with foreign affairs. B. believed Joseph Stalin could be trusted. C. was already drawing up plans for his "Truman Doctrine." D. looked to Great Britain to contain the Soviet Union. E. renounced the Yalta accords signed by Roosevelt.

A. had almost no familiarity with foreign affairs.

31. Rural America A. lost 10 percent of its population in 1956 alone. B. saw its percentage of the national income drop to less than 2 percent in the 1950s. C. saw the South increase plantings of cotton as a cash crop in the 1950s. D. both lost 10 percent of its population in 1956 alone, and saw its percentage of the national income drop to less than two percent within the decade of the 1950s. E. All these answers are correct.

A. lost 10 percent of its population in 1956 alone.

30. The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 A. permitted the "union shop." B. expanded the Wagner Act. C. permitted the "closed shop." D. prohibited states from passing "right-to-work" laws. E. was supported by President Truman.

A. permitted the "union shop."

8. In 1954, the American scientist Jonas Salk developed a vaccine for the prevention of A. polio. B. tuberculosis. C. influenza. D. yellow fever. E. typhoid.

A. polio.

45. During the Korean War, the Truman administration faced major strikes in the industries of A. rail and steel. B. steel and textiles. C. textiles and coal. D. coal and rail. E. rail and textiles.

A. rail and steel.

2. Between 1945 and 1960, the birth rate in the United States A. reversed a long pattern of decline. B. peaked in 1949. C. led to a doubling of the nation's population in this period. D. led to shortages of many consumer goods. E. fell precipitously from its World War II highs.

A. reversed a long pattern of decline.

52. In 1950, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were accused of spying for A. the Soviet Union. B. North Korea. C. China. D. Poland. E. Israel.

A. the Soviet Union.

15. Beginning in 1947, the United States' policy of "containment" was A. the basis for its foreign policy for more than forty years. B. first applied in Poland. C. an extension of the Atlantic Charter. D. both the basis for its foreign policy for more than forty years, and an extension of the Atlantic Charter. E. None of these answers is correct.

A. the basis for its foreign policy for more than forty years.

18. U.S. aid through the Marshall Plan A. was offered to the Soviet Union. B. failed to significantly revive European industrial production. C. had little impact on communist influence within nations that accepted aid. D. was opposed by many Republicans in Congress. E. grew more controversial after a Soviet coup in Czechoslovakia in 1948.

A. was offered to the Soviet Union.

26. During the mid-1940s, the American economy A. was plagued by serious inflation. B. experienced few labor strikes. C. fell back to depression conditions. D. witnessed a significant tax increase. E. confronted a wave of unexpected bank failures.

A. was plagued by serious inflation.

40. The government of Syngman Rhee in Korea after World War II A. was pro-Western. B. had a powerful military. C. was supported by the Soviet Union. D. was backed by communists in China. E. was remarkably democratic.

A. was pro-Western.

5. All of the following researchers made important contributions to the development of antibiotics EXCEPT A. Louis Pasteur. B. Paul Muller. C. Joseph Lister. D. Alexander Fleming. E. Howard Florey.

B. Paul Muller.

12. In 1945, President Harry Truman conceded to communist authority in A. China. B. Poland. C. Berlin. D. Hungary. E. Yugoslavia.

B. Poland.

1. In 1945, Joseph Stalin's vision of a postwar world in which great powers would control strategic areas of interest was largely shared by: A. Charles de Gaulle. B. Winston Churchill. C. Franklin Roosevelt. D. Mao Zedong. E. Harry Truman.

B. Winston Churchill.

53. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were A. not members of the Communist Party. B. accused of passing American secrets to its enemies. C. convicted and sentenced to life in prison. D. both accused of passing American secrets to its enemies, and convicted and sentenced to life in prison. E. None of these answers is correct.

B. accused of passing American secrets to its enemies.

21. In 1948, President Harry Truman responded to the Soviet blockade of West Berlin by A. sending American paratroopers into West Berlin. B. airlifting supplies to West Berlin. C. threatening war with the Soviet Union. D. encouraging the United Nations to pass economic sanctions. E. creating a blockade of East Berlin.

B. airlifting supplies to West Berlin.

41. The Truman administration responded in 1950 to the onset of fighting in Korea by A. declaring war on North Korea. B. calling on the United Nations to intervene. C. warning China not to intervene. D. threatening the use of atomic weapons. E. telling South Korea to stand down.

B. calling on the United Nations to intervene.

19. During the 1950s in the United States, married women who worked outside the home A. faced social pressures to continue working. B. decreased in number throughout the decade. C. accounted for only one-third of all married women. D. both decreased in number throughout the decade, and accounted for only one-third of all married women. E. All these answers are correct.

B. decreased in number throughout the decade.

21. During the 1950s, television networks A. refused to show how the lower classes lived in America. B. generally sought to convey an idealized image of a homogeneous America. C. created conditions that helped to ameliorate social conflict. D. both refused to show how the lower classes lived in America and generally conveyed an idealized image of America. E. None of these answers is correct.

B. generally sought to convey an idealized image of a homogeneous America.

36. The Supreme Court case of Shelley v. Kraemer (1948) dealt a blow to A. voter discrimination. B. housing discrimination. C. communism in the United States. D. labor unions. E. Truman's plans for national health care.

B. housing discrimination.

15. The primary goal of the American Apollo program was to A. launch manned vehicles into space to orbit the earth. B. land men on the moon. C. build an orbiting space station. D. send men to Mars. E. develop a reusable spaceship.

B. land men on the moon.

40. As part of his economic agenda, President Dwight Eisenhower A. cut back public welfare programs. B. lowered federal support for farm prices. C. generally followed the lead of the right wing of his party. D. allowed the federal deficit to rise due to high military spending. E. maintained the wage and price controls of the Truman administration.

B. lowered federal support for farm prices.

18. In 1946, Dr. Benjamin Spock's best-selling Baby and Child Care contended that A. fathers needed to spend as much time as mothers in the care and raising of their children. B. mothers should stay at home with their children. C. families should not have more than three children. D. the ages of children in a family should not be spaced out over more than five years. E. children should not be breast-fed or allowed to sleep with their parents.

B. mothers should stay at home with their children.

43. In 1951, President Harry Truman relieved General Douglas MacArthur of command because MacArthur A. publicly stated that an invasion of China would be a military disaster. B. publicly criticized President Truman's policy in Korea. C. refused to support Truman's plan to use atomic weapons in Korea. D. both publicly criticized Truman's policy in Korea and refused to support Truman's plan to use atomic weapons in Korea. E. None of these answers is correct.

B. publicly criticized President Truman's policy in Korea.

6. In 1945, when the United States Senate considered the proposed United Nations, it A. initially rejected American membership. B. quickly ratified the agreement by a large majority. C. refused to vote on the charter for nearly a year. D. made major changes to its charter. E. put the question to a national referendum.

B. quickly ratified the agreement by a large majority.

27. Like many early white rock musicians, Elvis Presley drew heavily from black traditions in A. jazz. B. rhythm and blues. C. country western. D. gospel. E. folk.

B. rhythm and blues.

24. The 1950 National Security Council report known as NSC-68 stated A. Western allies must take the initiative in resisting communism in their region. B. the United States must resist communism anywhere it developed in the world. C. the defense of Western Europe was the key to winning the fight against communism. D. the United States must gradually increase its level of defense spending. E. that Chinese aggression against Taiwan would result in war.

B. the United States must resist communism anywhere it developed in the world.

58. The results of the election of 1952 saw A. the Republicans take control of the White House but not the Congress. B. the end to a long period of Democratic dominance. C. a close outcome between the two major parties. D. all of these: the Republicans take control of the White House but not the Congress; the end to a long period of Democratic dominance; and a close outcome between the two major parties. E. None of these answers is correct.

B. the end to a long period of Democratic dominance.

30. All of the following statements regarding poverty in America between 1950 and 1960 are true EXCEPT that A. more than 30 million Americans lived in poverty at any given time during the year 1960. B. the percentage of the population living in poverty rose during the decade. C. Native Americans were the single poorest group in the country. D. most of the poor experienced poverty only temporarily. E. many rural Americans lived on the margins of the affluent society.

B. the percentage of the population living in poverty rose during the decade.

36. In 1957, the effort to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, required A. President Dwight Eisenhower to remove the governor of Arkansas from office. B. the presence of federal troops to enforce court orders. C. the replacement of many of the school's teachers. D. the arrest of hundreds of whites protesting at the school. E. the Supreme Court to issue another decision, Brown II.

B. the presence of federal troops to enforce court orders.

14. The first American to be launched into space, in 1961, was A. Yuri Gagarin. B. John Glenn. C. Alan Shepard. D. Edwin Aldrin. E. Neil Armstrong.

C. Alan Shepard.

24. The popular "beat" novel On the Road (1957) was written by A. Allen Ginsberg. B. J. D. Salinger. C. Jack Kerouac. D. William Burroughs. E. Saul Bellow.

C. Jack Kerouac.

41. The most significant and largest public works project of the federal government under President Dwight Eisenhower involved A. a nuclear energy program. B. the space program. C. a federal highway system. D. a national healthcare system. E. a large tax cut.

C. a federal highway system.

33. All of the following were factors in rising poverty rates in inner cities in the 1950s, EXCEPT A. large numbers of poor people migrating into these areas. B. increasing automation. C. a growth of unskilled industrial jobs in these areas. D. persistent racial discrimination. E. the movement of factories and mills to new locations.

C. a growth of unskilled industrial jobs in these areas.

8. All the following statements regarding the "zones of occupation" of Germany in 1945 are true EXCEPT that A. there were a total of four zones, each controlled by a different nation. B. the zones were to be determined by the position of troops at the end of the war. C. all of Berlin was to be placed under Soviet control. D. at an unspecified date, Germany would be reunited. E. Roosevelt preferred a reconstructed and reunited Germany.

C. all of Berlin was to be placed under Soviet control.

50. In 1947, the Truman administration responded to Republican attacks that it was weak on communism by A. ignoring them. B. charging the Republicans with harboring communists within their own party. C. beginning an investigation into the loyalty of federal employees. D. blaming lax security on the Federal Bureau of Investigation. E. supporting passage of the McCarran Internal Security Act.

C. beginning an investigation into the loyalty of federal employees.

22. In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization A. was created in response to the Soviet Union's Warsaw Pact. B. called for a de-militarized zone across Western Europe. C. declared that an attack on one member nation was an attack on all. D. both was created in response to the Soviet Union's Warsaw Pact, and declared that an attack on one member nation was an attack on all. E. All these answers are correct.

C. declared that an attack on one member nation was an attack on all.

6. Following World War II, American scientists made a critical contribution to the development of penicillin by A. demonstrating the value of antiseptic solutions to prevent infection. B. first using the antibacterial agent known as sulfanilamide. C. developing methods for its mass production and commercial distribution. D. discovering the antibacterial properties for which the drug was named. E. discovering it could be used to treat streptococcal blood infections.

C. developing methods for its mass production and commercial distribution.

54. When Joseph McCarthy first leveled charges of communist infiltration in the government, he was a A. member of the State Department. B. private citizen. C. first-term Republican senator. D. member of the Defense Department. E. Democratic member of the House.

C. first-term Republican senator.

56. During Joseph McCarthy's investigation into alleged subversion in government, A. Republicans criticized his broad attacks on the Democratic Party. B. Dwight Eisenhower spoke against him, after McCarthy attacked George Marshall in 1952. C. he never produced conclusive evidence that any federal employee was a communist. D. much of the public criticized his blunt tactics and coarse behavior. E. he drew particularly strong support from the "eastern establishment."

C. he never produced conclusive evidence that any federal employee was a communist.

25. In his 1950 book, The Lonely Crowd, sociologist David Riesman argued that Americans were A. increasingly more likely to judge themselves on the basis of their own values. B. increasingly interested in winning approval in their jobs and from their family. C. increasingly more likely to be "other-directed." D. both increasingly more likely to judge themselves on the basis of their own values, and increasingly interested in winning approval in their jobs and from their family. E. All these answers are correct.

C. increasingly more likely to be "other-directed."

13. By 1945, the Chinese government of Chiang Kai-shek had A. grown antagonistic toward the United States. B. designs on taking over conquered Japan. C. little popular support. D. drifted toward communism. E. willingly ceded authority to Mao Zedong.

C. little popular support.

4. During the 1950s, the American Federation of Labor in the United States A. was intimidated by powerful and wealthy corporations. B. made significant concessions in benefits in order to gain higher wages. C. merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations. D. represented nearly half of all working Americans. E. saw its president, David Beck, charged with the misappropriation of union funds.

C. merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations.

38. The immediate cause of the Korean War, in 1950, was the A. decision by the United States to send troops to South Korea. B. triumph of communism in China. C. military invasion by North Korea into South Korea. D. division of Korea into northern and southern halves. E. military invasion of North Korea by China.

C. military invasion by North Korea into South Korea.

35. In 1949, the Truman administration made progress in civil rights by A. making lynching a federal crime. B. abolishing the poll tax. C. ordering an end to discrimination in the hiring of government employees. D. establishing the Fair Employment Practices Commission. E. ordering the desegregation of public transportation.

C. ordering an end to discrimination in the hiring of government employees.

29. Michael Harrington's 1962 book, The Other America, focused on the problems of A. sexism. B. racism. C. poverty. D. the alienation of youth. E. McCarthyism.

C. poverty.

31. President Harry Truman's actions after the 1946 election included A. deciding not to run for office in 1948. B. becoming more conservative. C. proposing a major civil rights bill. D. abandoning his Fair Deal. E. calling his opponents "soft on communism."

C. proposing a major civil rights bill.

29. The 1946 elections A. revealed growing public support for President Harry Truman's domestic agenda. B. saw the Democrats retain control of the House, but lose the Senate. C. saw Republicans win control of both houses of Congress. D. saw President Truman chastise Republican critics with the slogan "Had Enough?" E. saw Republicans argue that Truman aimed to roll back the New Deal.

C. saw Republicans win control of both houses of Congress.

39. All of the following statements regarding Korea are true EXCEPT that A. in 1945, both the United States and the Soviet Union had troops in Korea. B. the Soviet Union established a communist government in the north. C. the United States left Korea in 1946. D. the Soviet Union left Korea in 1949. E. the country was divided along the 38th parallel.

C. the United States left Korea in 1946.

20. All of the following statements regarding early television are true EXCEPT that A. in the 1920s there were experiments in broadcasting pictures and sound. B. in 1946 there were 17,000 television sets in the United States. C. the federal government largely kept big business sponsorship out of television advertising. D. all three major television networks had started as radio companies. E. television quickly became the most powerful medium of mass communication in history.

C. the federal government largely kept big business sponsorship out of television advertising.

10. The correct chronological order for developments in electronic technology, from earliest to latest, is A. vacuum tube, integrated circuit, transistor. B. transistor, vacuum tube, integrated circuit. C. vacuum tube, transistor, integrated circuit. D. integrated circuit, transistor, vacuum tube. E. transistor, integrated circuit, vacuum tube.

C. vacuum tube, transistor, integrated circuit.

46. As a result of the Korean War, the A. American economy was dragged into a recession. B. American public felt reassured that communism was being contained. C. stature of the American military increased. D. American public believed there was something wrong with the United States. E. government reduced the amount of money it was pumping into the economy.

D. American public believed there was something wrong with the United States.

48. All of the following statements regarding the HUAC investigation of Alger Hiss and Whittaker Chambers are true EXCEPT that A. Chambers was a former communist agent. B. classified documents allegedly stolen by Hiss were kept hidden by Chambers in a pumpkin. C. the case cast suspicion on a generation of liberal Democrats. D. Hiss was convicted of espionage. E. Hiss served several years in prison.

D. Hiss was convicted of espionage.

11. President Harry Truman initially decided to "get tough" with the Soviet Union A. following the end of the war in the Pacific. B. once the United States had successfully used the atomic bomb. C. at the Potsdam Conference. D. after his first few days in office. E. after it became clear Stalin was supporting communist forces in China.

D. after his first few days in office.

34. In 1949, President Harry Truman succeeded in getting Congress to pass A. civil rights legislation. B. nationalized health care. C. federal aid to education. D. aid for public housing. E. significant tax cuts.

D. aid for public housing.

17. The United States was motivated to develop the Marshall Plan in 1947 due to A. a humanitarian concern for the European people. B. a desire to roll back communism from East Asia. C. a desire to create strong European markets for American goods. D. both a humanitarian concern for the European people, and a desire to create strong European markets for American goods. E. All these answers are correct.

D. both a humanitarian concern for the European people, and a desire to create strong European markets for American goods.

34. The Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) A. reaffirmed the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision. B. passed by a narrow 5-4 vote. C. set specific timetables for enactment. D. declared that separate educational facilities were unlawful. E. arose from a case involving segregation in Mississippi.

D. declared that separate educational facilities were unlawful.

25. The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 A. was limited to servicemen who had been wounded in combat. B. mainly provided counseling for emotionally troubled veterans. C. helped to reduce government spending. D. gave economic and education subsidies to veterans. E. explicitly discriminated against African Americans.

D. gave economic and education subsidies to veterans.

4. In early 1945 at the Yalta Conference, A. Franklin Roosevelt was too ill to attend. B. Joseph Stalin withdrew a promise to enter the Pacific war. C. Winston Churchill left early in a dispute with Stalin. D. it was agreed that the Soviet Union should regain land lost in the 1904 Russo-Japanese War. E. Joseph Stalin refused to agree to Roosevelt and Churchill's plans for the United Nations.

D. it was agreed that the Soviet Union should regain land lost in the 1904 Russo-Japanese War.

37. The Montgomery bus boycott of 1955-1956 A. failed to end the segregation policies on public city buses. B. was ruled illegal by the Supreme Court. C. was sparked by a beating of an African American woman. D. marked the emergence of an effective form of racial protest. E. led to the creation of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).

D. marked the emergence of an effective form of racial protest.

42. The American invasion at Inchon during the Korean War A. was aimed at preventing Chinese communists from entering the war. B. was a military debacle. C. led to a fight between General Douglas MacArthur and President Harry Truman. D. prompted President Truman to try to push communists out of North Korea. E. was ultimately thwarted due to the surprise intervention of the Chinese navy.

D. prompted President Truman to try to push communists out of North Korea.

9. All the following statements regarding the use of DDT are true EXCEPT that A. the pesticide likely saved the lives of thousands of soldiers during World War II. B. the pesticide was recognized to be extremely toxic to insects. C. after its introduction, it quickly gained a positive reputation for its effectiveness. D. scientists during WWII knew the pesticide had a long-term toxic effect on humans and animals. E. it was first used on a large scale in Italy in 1943-1944, during a typhus outbreak.

D. scientists during WWII knew the pesticide had a long-term toxic effect on humans and animals.

3. During the 1950s, the region of the United States that experienced the most dramatic change as a result of economic growth was A. the North. B. the South. C. the East. D. the West. E. Alaska and Hawaii.

D. the West.

28. President Harry Truman's Fair Deal called for A. a retraction of many New Deal programs. B. an end to public housing. C. a freeze on the minimum wage to combat inflation. D. the creation of national health insurance. E. an end to the Fair Employment Practices Act and other wartime measures.

D. the creation of national health insurance.

12. During the 1950s, the U.S. government's primary motive for the development of rocket and missile technology was A. exploration of outer space. B. the establishment of communication and spy satellites around the earth. C. the quest to land a man on the moon. D. the long-range delivery of weapons. E. to catch up with German knowledge of rocketry.

D. the long-range delivery of weapons.

11. The first significant public awareness of computers in the United States came during the A. 1961 Mercury space flight. B. 1957 launch of Sputnik. C. 1958 launch of the first American satellite. D. 1950 Bureau of the Census tabulations. E. 1952 election tabulations.

E. 1952 election tabulations.

16. Between 1945 and 1957, the growth of American consumerism was aided by A. an 800-percent increase in consumer credit. B. the development of credit cards. C. low-payment credit plans. D. revolving charge accounts. E. All these answers are correct.