American History II Final Exam Review (June 2009) Ms. Kerri Waibel
Page 1 of 4 Clifton High School, Clifton, NJ
Multiple Choice
I. Roosevelt a. Lame duck – the period between election and inauguration in which no one really cares what the President does. b. Banks – Roosevelt closed banks in order to prevent withdrawal, and authorized the Emergency Banking Relief Act to check all banks. c. Emergency Banking Relief Act – Sound banks were reopened, insolvent ones would remain closed. Those in need of help would receive loans. d. Fireside chats – chats over the radio with the President, which helped Americans feel more connected to the country and President. e. FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) – provides federal insurance for bank accounts of less than $5,000. Reassured people their money was safe. f. WPA (Works Progress Administration) – employed many people by setting up public works programs g. SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) – regulated stock market; collected information on people, prevent companies from “rigging” the stock market. h. AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Act) – sought to raise crop prices by lowering production, which the government achieved by paying farmers to leave a certain amount of every acre unseeded. i. SS () WWII Cold War a. Potsdam Meeting – meeting of Attlee, Stalin and Truman. b. Yalta Conference – Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin Kennedy Years a. Change to SS Civil Rights Vietnam a. César Chávez – Mexican American farm worker who improved labor unions. b. Betty Friedan – famous American feminist who worked for women’s rights
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Short Answers
I. The New Deal a. What is the 20th Amendment? Why was it needed? i. It changed the periods at which a President’s office ends and when another begins. It was needed because before, the Presidents couldn’t legally do their work for a long time. b. Explain 3 parts to the Social Security Act. Is it still necessary? i. Old age insurance for retirees aged 65 or older and their spouses. ii. Unemployment compensation system. iii. Aid to families with dependent children and the disabled. iv. It is still necessary because most Americans can’t help themselves. c. Did FDR defend Civil Rights through legislation? Explain and give examples.
American History II Final Exam Review (June 2009) Ms. Kerri Waibel
Page 2 of 4 Clifton High School, Clifton, NJ
II.
i. No, he turned down poll tax ban and lynching ban, but he did have a “Black Cabinet” and wanted to support civil rights. d. Why would FDR refuse to support Civil Rights in this way? i. He didn’t want to upset Southern white voters, who were an important part of the Democratic vote. e. Explain 2 long term effects of the New Deal. i. Economic recovery, environmental improvements and Social Security, which are huge parts of the American standard of living today. f. Explain liberal and conservative critiques of the New Deal. Who is right? i. Conservatives thought FDR made the government too powerful, and liberals thought FDR didn’t do enough to eliminate social and economic equalities. Most people thought FDR kept a very good balance. World War II a. What is Lend-Lease? How did Germany respond? i. The USA supplied arms to “any country whose defense was vital to the United States.” Germany responded by deploying Wolf-Packs, tons of UBoats or submarines. b. What are 3 parts of the Atlantic Charter? i. Seek no territorial expansion. ii. Pursue no territorial changes without consent of the inhabitants. iii. Respect the right of people to choose their own form of government. iv. Promote free trade among nations. v. Encourage international cooperation to improve people’s lives. vi. Build a secure peace based on freedom from want and fear. vii. Work for disarmament of aggressors viii. Establish a “permanent system of general security.” c. What happened at Pearl Harbor? How did this effect American involvement in World War II? i. At Pearl Harbor, Hideki Tojo bombed many US battleships. The attack launched the US into a full scale war. d. What was the flaw of the Munich Pact? e. Quotes (who said it, what is about, and what it means): i. “I do not believe that we can become an arsenal for one belligerent without become a target for another.” 1. Michigan Senator Arthur Vandenberg was talking about the LendLease Act: if you supply the enemy of a country “x”, you are now the enemy of “x”. ii. “Any country whose defense was vital to the US” 1. FDR’s Lend-Lease Act: If the country was needed for the benefit of the USA, then they would receive munitions. iii. “If Hitler invaded Hell, he would work with the Devil himself.” 1. Churchill on Hitler: Hitler’s general evil.
American History II Final Exam Review (June 2009) Ms. Kerri Waibel
Page 3 of 4 Clifton High School, Clifton, NJ
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iv. “When you see a rattlesnake poised to strike, you do not wait until he has struck before you crush him. These Nazi Submarines and raiders are the rattlesnakes of the Atlantic.” 1. FDR in a fireside chat, speaking of the German U-Boat response. Communism a. Give 2 examples of how the US tried to succeed with the policy of Containment. i. The Marshall Plan – give aid to any European country that needed it. ii. Berlin airlift – fly food and supplies into West Berlin. b. Name 2 goals of America and 2 goals of the Soviet Union at this time. i. America 1. Contain communism. 2. Reunite Germany. ii. Soviet Union 1. Keep Germany divided. 2. Encourage communism in other countries. c. Was America afraid of Communism in their country? Give 2 specific examples to support your opinion. i. Yes: 1. The Hollywood Ten were arrested for making movies when the Soviets were our allies. 2. Alger Hiss + the Rosenburgs were both treated unfairly. d. Explain MacArthur’s successes and failures in Korea. i. He was able to push back the North Koreans, but got hot headed and pushed further, when Soviets and Chinese fought them back. e. Explain the purposes of the following orders by presidents: Truman Doctrine, Eisenhower Doctrine. i. Truman Doctrine: Support capitalism worldwide and fight communism. ii. Eisenhower Doctrine: the USA would defend the Middle East against attack by any Communist country. f. How did the conviction of spies during this time affect the country? i. The country was a bit divided and scared about the issue of civil liberties during tough times. 1950’s a. What factors contributed to the American postwar economic boom? i. American spending, manufacturing of new technologies, baby boom. b. List and explain 3 ways of life that changed during the 1950’s. i. Social conformity – types of people had to fit into certain cultures ii. Women were idolized as homemakers, especially in TV iii. A lot more leisure time, such as bowling, fishing, boating and books. c. How did buying and selling change during the 1950’s? Give two examples. i. Heavy advertising ii. Planned obsolescence – manufacturers planned on making models out of date, in order to force people to buy newer models.
American History II Final Exam Review (June 2009) Ms. Kerri Waibel
Page 4 of 4 Clifton High School, Clifton, NJ
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d. What is white flight? How did it affect America? i. White people left the cities for suburbs, and blacks moved into cities. It shaped America as it looks today. The New Frontier a. How did television change the Kennedy / Nixon election of 1960? i. People focused more on looks and charisma, rather than expertise, which hugely worked in the favor of Kennedy. b. Explain one of the following events and how it affected the country: i. Bay of Pigs – Cuban exiles invaded Cuba, but failed to take over, and it was publicized. ii. Cuban Missile Crisis – Everyone was utterly terrified of a US city being nuked indirectly by Russia through Cuban missile bases. iii. Berlin Crisis – Because people were fleeing into West Berlin, Khrushchev constructed the Berlin wall. c. Name two successes of the Kennedy administration. i. Solving poverty abroad. ii. Stimulating the economy. d. Did Johnson build a “Great Society”? If yes, describe three pieces of legislation supporting. If no, give three specific examples. i. Yes: 1. Economic Opportunity Act (EOA) - $1B for youth programs, antipoverty, small business loans and job training. 2. Truth in Packaging Act – set standards for labeling consumer products 3. Immigration Act – ended national-origin quotas e. Explain 2 decisions of the Warren Court. i. Banned prayer in public schools ii. Declared state-required loyalty oaths unconstitutional Civil Rights a. Give an example of how people resisted the Brown vs. BOE decision. i. They delayed the desegregation. b. Explain 2 ways people tried gaining Civil Rights. i. Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus, and sparked a boycott movement that hurt the bus company. ii. Sat down in white-only areas, in events called “sit-ins.” c. Explain differences in Philosophy between MLK, Malcom X, and the Black Panthers. i. MLK was nonviolent, Malcom X was (if necessary). Panthers were even more aggressive than Malcom X, and actually had several shootouts with the FBI and police. d. Was the Civil Rights Era successful? i. Yes; blacks have rights today. See above for examples.