America History

    1. Who were the New Deal’s major critics on the Left and the Right? There were three on each side. Name all six and explain the solution (or action taken) by each one. All six are required for full credit.

2. Explain how America got “The Bomb”. Why, and how, did the U.S. use it on Japan in 1945? What were the immediate and long-term effects of this use on Japan?
3. What factors led to the Cold War?
4. Explain what is meant by the “Feminine Mystique”? Why did Betty Friedan write it? How did the “female ideal” she was referring to play out in society in the 1950s and 60s? Finally, how did this “ideal” impact women’s lives and the expectations of women in this period?
5. African-Americans were not the only minority groups seeking justice and equality during the 1950s and 60s. Describe two examples from each movement – the Chicano and the American Indian – as well as the relevance of each example (four total).
6. How was the American family of the 1970s different from the family of the 1950s? What accounts for the differences?
7. What was the “three-legged stool” of the New Right, and how did each leg develop within the context of the Cold War in the 1970s and 1980s?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

America History

 

1. WW II: What was the impact of World War II on the everyday lives of the majority of Americans? What specific impacts did war mobilization have on women and racial minorities? What changes were implemented by the federal government?

 

2. Containment (1945-1963): Explain what containment is; its policies and timing; and several (at least 3) events across the globe that illustrate its results. Detail how these results were either good and/or bad – politically, economically, socially, culturally, and militarily – for both America and the countries involved.

 

3. Middle Class: What were the major factors – and the relevance of each one – in the expansion, elevation, and eventual dominance of the Middle Class from 1945 through the 1960s? A complete answer will detail the impact of: returning soldiers, education, employment, unions, the military-industrial complex, housing, suburbs, advertising and consumerism, the Sunbelt, and religion.

 

4. Two Nations: America was considered by many to be “two nations” by the 1960s. These were exemplified by the suburbs and the inner city, white and black. What is meant by “two nations?” Detail examples of the differences and issues existing between the two parts of America and why these were developing.

 

5. Civil Rights Movement: What was life like in the Jim Crow South for blacks? What factors explain the rise of the civil rights protest movement in the 1940s and 50s? Next, there were two strategies used by civil rights leaders during this period: legal and civil disobedience. Explain each strategy and give several examples of each one.