my secret exam

1940s Black Struggles

• Segregation in military and defense jobs

• Racial violence (Detroit Riot 1943)

• Housing discrimination in North and high rates of poverty South

1940s Black Successes

• Executive Order 8802 (1941) — banned defense job discrimination

• FEPC created

• Truman desegregates military (1948)

• Rise of NAACP and Double V campaign

• Congress of Racial Equality founded for the freedom rides and sit ins late 40s early 50s

1940s Black Changes in Life

• Great Migration to industrial cities (~700,000)

• Military service opportunities

1950s Black Struggles

• Legal segregation (Jim Crow) upheld by local laws

• Violent resistance to desegregation

• Voter suppression in the South

• Not allowed in nice suburbs even if they were middle class

1950s Black Successes

• Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

• Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–56) after Rosa Parks was arrestede

• Sit in Diner Protests

• Little Rock 9 (1957)

1950s Black Changes in Life

• Growing urban Black middle class

• Increased involvement in organized nonviolent protest

• Formation of groups like SNCC

1960s Black Struggles

• Violent backlash to protests (Birmingham, Selma)

• Riots in urban areas (Watts 1965)

• Black Power movement backlash

• poverty

1960s Black Successes

• Civil Rights Act (1964)

• Voting Rights Act (1965)

• March on Washington (1963)

• Fair Housing Act of 1968

• Selma to Montgomery marches (1965)

1960s Black Change in Life

• Loving v Virginia (1967)

• Black is Beautiful Movement

Conditions Enabling Feminist Movement

• Post-WWII economic boom (1945–1960s) increased women’s workforce participation

• Expansion of higher education for women, especially after the 1960s

• Influence of the Civil Rights Movement (1950s–1960s) inspired other social justice efforts

• Introduction and wider availability of the birth control pill (approved in 1960)

Why Was Feminism Necessary in the 1960s and 70s

• Wage gap and job discrimination (1950s-60s)

• Lack of legal protections before 1964

• The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan (1963)

• Women’s low political representation (under 5% Congress early 60s)

• Restricted reproductive rights before Roe v. Wade (1973)

• Ignored domestic violence and sexual harassment issues

What different forms did feminist activism take in the 1960s and early 1970s?

• Founding of NOW (1966) by Betty Friedan and others

• Women’s Strike for Equality march (1970)

• Civil Rights Act Title VII (1964) banned sex discrimination in jobs

• Title IX (1972) banned sex discrimination in education

• Roe v. Wade (1973) legalized abortion

• Miss America Protests, Bra burning

Women Essay Thesis

Post War Economic growth + education + birth control → feminist activism → challenged inequalities → legal battles + protests + organizing → transformed women’s roles.

Black Essay Thesis

WWII service + Great Migration + Jim Crow oppression → NAACP legal wins (1944, 1946) + CORE and SCLC activism + Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-56) → challenged segregation → Sit-ins + Freedom Rides + March on Washington (1963) + Civil Rights Act (1964) + Voting Rights Act (1965)

What were the three most important reasons the Cold War ended?

• Soviet internal problems: economic stagnation, war in Afghanistan, rise of nationalism

• Reformist leadership: Gorbachev’s glasnost and perestroika, Reagan’s military pressure

• Global political shift: fall of the Berlin Wall (1989), Eastern European revolutions, dissolution of USSR (1991)

What internal problems in the Soviet Union helped end the Cold War?

• Economic stagnation: tech and consumer goods lagged behind the West

• Costly war in Afghanistan (1979–1989) drained resources

• Gorbachev’s reforms weakened Communist Party control

• Nationalist uprisings spread across Soviet republics

How did Gorbachev and Reagan contribute to ending the Cold War?

• Gorbachev:

  • Came to power in 1985

  • Introduced glasnost and perestroika

  • Signed INF Treaty (1987)

  • Withdrew from Afghanistan (1989)

• Reagan:

  • Called USSR “evil empire” (1983)

  • Proposed SDI (“Star Wars”)

  • Met with Gorbachev at Geneva (1985), Reykjavik (1986), Washington (1987)

  • Signed arms control agreements

What global events symbolized the end of the Cold War?

• all of Berlin Wall: November 1989

• Eastern European revolutions: 1989 (Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, East Germany)

• Dissolution of Soviet Union: December 1991, formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States

• Improved US–USSR diplomacy: INF Treaty (1987), multiple summits

Cold War Thesis

Soviet economic stagnation + costly Afghanistan War (1979–1989) → internal crisis and unrest → Gorbachev rises (1985) → introduces glasnost + perestroika → weakens Communist control + sparks nationalism → Reagan pressure + arms race + diplomacy (INF Treaty 1987) → Gorbachev allows Eastern European revolutions (1989) → fall of Berlin Wall (Nov 1989) → Soviet collapse (Dec 1991) → Cold War ends

Cold War Reason 1

• Soviet Internal Problems:

  • Economic stagnation

  • Costly Afghanistan War (1979–1989)

  • Rise of nationalism in Soviet republics

Cold War Reason 2

Reformist Leadership:

• Gorbachev’s glasnost and perestroika (1985)

• Reagan’s military pressure and diplomacy

• INF Treaty (1987), withdrawal from Afghanistan (1989)

Cold War Reason 3

Shift in Global Politics:

• Peaceful revolutions in Eastern Europe (1989)

• Fall of Berlin Wall (Nov 1989)

• Dissolution of Soviet Union (Dec 1991)

Obama Essay Point 1 - 2008 Financial Crisis Hurt Republicans

• Fall 2008: Lehman Brothers collapses → global financial panic

• Unemployment rises; housing market crashes

• President George W. Bush (Republican) blamed for deregulation, recession

• McCain suspended campaign briefly → appeared erratic

• Obama seen as more stable, forward-looking on economy

Obama Essay Point 2 - John McCain Tied to Unpopular Republican Policies

• Supported Iraq War, Bush tax cuts

• Voted with Bush ~90% of the time (used in Obama ads)

• Picked Sarah Palin as VP → excited base but seen as unqualified

• Failed to distance himself from unpopular Bush legacy

Obama Essay Point 3 - Barack Obama Energize Democratic Base

• First Black nominee → record turnout from Black voters

• Strong grassroots/digital campaign (small donors, youth voters)

• 2004: rose to national fame with DNC speech

• Ran on “hope and change” + opposition to Iraq War

• Won 365 electoral votes; Democrats gained 8 Senate & 21 House seats

Zoot Suit Riots (1943)

Definition: Violent clashes in Los Angeles between white servicemen and Mexican American youth wearing zoot suits.
• Significance: Reflected WWII-era racial tensions and anti-Mexican sentiment amid wartime patriotism.

A. Philip Randolph (1940s)

Definition: Black labor leader who threatened a march on Washington to protest discrimination in defense industries.
• Significance: Pressured FDR to issue Executive Order 8802; early victory for civil rights during WWII.

Benjamin Netanyahu 1990 - 2000s

Definition: Prime Minister of Israel known for conservative policies and strong U.S. ties.
• Significance: Shaped U.S.–Middle East policy post-Cold War and during the War on Terror.

Marcus Garvey 1920

Definition: Jamaican-born Black nationalist who led the “Back to Africa” movement.
• Significance: Advanced Black pride and self-reliance during the Harlem Renaissance.

Freedom Rides 1961

Definition: Integrated bus rides challenging segregation in interstate travel in the South.
• Significance: Provoked federal intervention; energized the Civil Rights Movement.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy 2020

Definition: President of Ukraine leading resistance against Russian invasion.
• Significance: Symbol of democratic resilience in post–Cold War Europe.

Bay of Pigs 1961

Definition: Failed CIA-backed invasion of Cuba by anti-Castro exiles.
• Significance: Embarrassed Kennedy; worsened U.S.–Cuba–USSR relations in early Cold War.

17th Parallel 1954

Definition: Line dividing North and South Vietnam after the Geneva Accords.
• Significance: Became flashpoint for U.S. Cold War involvement in Southeast Asia.

Anita Hill 1991

Definition: Law professor who accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment.
• Significance: Sparked national debate on gender, race, and workplace harassment in the 1990s.

Levittown 1947

Definition: Mass-produced suburban housing development in New York.
• Significance: Represented post-WWII suburbanization and reinforced racial segregation.

Executive Order 9066 1942

Definition: Authorized internment of Japanese Americans during WWII.
• Significance: Revealed wartime racial prejudice and civil liberties violations.

Joseph McCarthy 1950

Definition: Wisconsin senator who led anti-communist witch hunts.
• Significance: His tactics defined Cold War fear and political repression.

Betty Friedan 1963

Definition: Author of The Feminine Mystique and co-founder of NOW.
• Significance: Helped ignite second-wave feminism in the 1960s.

Kenneth Starr 1990

Definition: Independent counsel who investigated Bill Clinton.
• Significance: His work led to Clinton’s impeachment; reflected 1990s political polarization.

SNCC 1960

Definition: Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a civil rights group.
• Significance: Mobilized grassroots action; pivotal in sit-ins, Freedom Rides, and voter drives.

Mikhail Gorbachev 1985-91

Definition: Last Soviet leader; introduced glasnost and perestroika reforms.
• Significance: Helped end the Cold War and dissolve the Soviet Union.

Saturday Night Massacre 1973

Definition: Nixon’s firing of special prosecutor Archibald Cox and top Justice Department officials during the Watergate probe.
• Significance: Deepened distrust in the presidency during the 1970s.

Marshall Plan 1948

Definition: U.S. aid program to rebuild Western Europe after WWII.
• Significance: Strengthened alliances and curtailed communism in the early Cold War.

GI Bill of Rights 1944

Definition: Gave WWII veterans access to education, housing, and loans.
• Significance: Expanded the middle class and fueled 1950s economic growth.

Extraordinary Rendition 2000

Definition: CIA program of secretly transferring terror suspects to foreign prisons.
• Significance: Criticized for human rights abuses in the War on Terror.

Phyllis Schlafly 1970

Definition: Conservative activist who opposed the Equal Rights Amendment.
• Significance: Mobilized the New Right and stalled feminist legal gains.

Birther Movement mid 2000s

Definition: Conspiracy claiming Obama was not born in the U.S.
• Significance: Reflected racial backlash and fueled modern far-right populism.

Jackson State 1970

Definition: Mississippi police shot and killed Black students protesting Vietnam War.
• Significance: Exposed racial disparities in antiwar movement responses.

Bonus Army 1932

Definition: WWI vets demanding early bonus payments; violently dispersed.
• Significance: Symbolized Hoover’s failure during the Great Depression.

Me Too Movement 2017

Definition: Movement exposing sexual abuse by powerful men.
• Significance: Renewed feminist activism in the digital age.

Sputnik 1957

Definition: First satellite launched by the USSR.
• Significance: Triggered U.S. space race investment and Cold War scientific rivalry.

Strategic Defense Initiative 1983

Definition: Reagan’s proposed space-based missile defense system.
• Significance: Pressured Soviet economy and escalated the arms race.

Huey Long 1930

Definition: Populist Senator from Louisiana, had a lotttt of power, controlled education transporation in his state, pushed for populism and was really popular amongst his people, SHARE OUR WEALTH DURING GREAT DEPRESSION

• Significance: Criticized New Deal from the left during Great Depression.

Scopes Trial 1925

Definition: Legal battle over teaching evolution in Tennessee schools.
• Significance: Highlighted 1920s clash between modernism and traditionalism.

Pentagon Paper 1971

Definition: Secret Vietnam War documents leaked by Daniel Ellsberg.
• Significance: Shattered trust in government; deepened antiwar sentiment.

CREEP 1972

Definition: Nixon’s Committee to Re-Elect the President, tied to Watergate.
• Significance: Symbol of 1970s political corruption and abuse of power.

38th Parallel 1953

Definition: Border between North and South Korea after Korean War.
• Significance: A lasting Cold War flashpoint that remains tense today.