Semester 2 Final - Review Questions

Explain the ideas of the Enlightenment and their influence on the political attitudes of the American colonists and the separation from Britain

Explain the balance of power between the federal and state governments (10th Amendment) as seen in conflicts from the ratification of the Constitution; to westward expansion (nullification); to the outbreak of the Civil War.

Explain the reasons why the Constitution has endured and identify key elements including: the 3 branches of government, guaranteed rights in Bill of Rights, and examples of checks and balances.

Define “federal” (vs. unitary) system of government and describe the conflict between the state and national levels of government (with examples from the 18th or 19th century).

Explain the significance of the cotton gin, manifest destiny, the Trail of Tears, and the War with Mexico.

Explain key aspects of the Civil War including: causes, Northern advantages, and the effects of the War.

Identify the provisions of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments and explain their relation to the outcome of the war.

Describe industrialization and evaluate the competing interests of relevant groups including labor unions and industrialists.

Identify causes of industrialization in the United States including: system of government, resources, and image of the U.S. that encouraged emigration/immigration.

Explain effects of industrialization including: efficiency of monopolies, lower prices, better standards of living, urbanization, immigration, and Progressivism.

Describe major immigration shifts in the U.S. from 1870-1920 and identify regions/countries that were considered more desirable than others for Americans.

Explain Progressivism as a reaction to effects of industrialization and urbanization and identify reforms/key legislation in the following areas: consumer protection, women’s rights, workplace abuses, poverty, and protection of the environment.

Explain ways in which Presidents T. Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson promoted the Progressive agenda.

Identify the levels of imperialism from least to most intrusive/aggressive.

Explain the motives, costs, and benefits of imperialism for the U.S. in Latin America and the Pacific including the annexation of Hawaii and the Spanish-American War.

Identify pros and cons of U.S. imperialism, including economic interests and political influence.

Explain the Monroe Doctrine and T. Roosevelt’s “big stick” policy; and their relation to each other.

Explain how U.S. participation in World War 1 impacted U.S. attitudes towards our role in the world.

Explain why the United States choses to enter WW1 at the point that it did.

Evaluate the opposing viewpoints on the Espionage and Sedition Act.

Describe key portions of Wilson’s 14 points and explain the fate of U.S. involvement in the League of Nations.

Explain, and give examples of, how conservatism (“normalcy”). came into conflict with changing social norms and values in the 1920s (including: women, media, entertainment, sports, and celebrities)

Explain the causes of the “Crash of 1929” and the Great Depression including major changes in stock prices in reference to demand, speculation, and margin buying.

Compare/contrast political responses of Democrats (more liberal) and Republicans (more conservative) in addressing the economic and social problems caused by the Great Depression.

Evaluate the impact of the New Deal on the Great Depression and the role of the federal government.

Explain how the New Deal changed the role of the federal government in regard to providing for the elderly, the needy, and labor; and increasing regulations for banks and businesses.

Explain the dangers of a budget deficit and how that relates to the national debt.

Compare and contrast the benefits of capitalism and socialism.

Describe how World War 2 Demonstrated a shift in US foreign policy from isolationism to containment.

Explain the position of the US at the outset in Europe and the events that pulled the US into the War.

Explain the complete mobilization of the U.S. population and economy for a unified national effort.

Explain the basic course of the fighting, including the significance and chronology of key battles such as: Pearl Harbor, Midway, Stalingrad, El Alamein, Invasion of Italy, D-Day, and the Battle of the Bulge.

Evaluate US action or inaction regarding news of anti-Jewish policies in Europe.

Explain the main issues surrounding the controversial internment of Japanese- Americans.

Contrast arguments for and against the use of the atomic bomb on Japan to end WW2.

Explain the key results for the defeated in World War 2, namely Germany and Japan.

Explain how early events of the Cold War continued the expansion in U.S. foreign policy that began with WW2.

Explain how the events and outcome of WW2, as well as the contrasting ideologies of the Soviet Union and the U.S., led to conflict between the two countries, creating a bi-polar world in the post-War era (eg. Berlin Airlift, Marshall Plan, Truman Doctrine, Hungarian Uprising).

Explain the rationale for the founding of NATO and the Warsaw Pact.

Describe the causes and effects of the Chinese Civil War and the Korean War.

Explain how the arms race and space race were accelerated by Cold War tensions (eg. Sputnik, U-2 incident).

Define McCarthyism and explain constitutional dilemmas that surfaced regarding the fear of communism during the Cold War.

Explain how consumerism and entertainment impacted the culture and values of the 1950s.

Explain the roots of racism in the U.S., the system of segregation and inequality that discriminated against African-Americans.

Describe the impact of Plessy v. Ferguson, examples of voter discrimination, and Jim Crow laws.

Describe contributions of at several civil rights leader previous to the 1950s (eg., DuBois, Washington, Garvey, Randolph, and pre-Civil War abolitionists).

Compare and evaluate the various methods used by various groups in the struggle for civil rights.

Identify key points of struggle including: Money (MS), Little Rock (AR), Montgomery (AL), Selma (AL), & D.C.

Describe the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education and its impact on schools nationwide.

Apply the concept of federalism (balance of power) to the struggle for civil rights problems and also explain its shortcomings in ending de facto segregation.

Analyze how the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement impacted later movements for equality.

Evaluate U.S. foreign policy in regards to Cuba, East Germany (Berlin), and the Soviet Union in the early 1960s.

Explain the significance of the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis in the context of U.S./Soviet relations.

Explain the main causes and effects of the Soviet construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961.

Evaluate the controversy surrounding the assassination of JF Kennedy including the Warren Commission.

Evaluate U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War: considering causes (eg. Cold War fears), Johnson’s and Nixon’s policies, and the experiences of the U.S. military.

Explain basic war objectives (eg. “domino theory”) and describe the experiences of typical American soldiers.

Describe American anti-war protests and evaluate their impact on the course of the war and domestic political rifts in the U.S. (including “credibility gap”, My Lai Massacre, Kent State Shootings, Pentagon Papers, etc.).

Explain the effects of the Vietnam War on Republican and Democratic party leadership and the election of 1968.

Describe the domestic policy goals and accomplishments of The Great Society/Domestic programs of 60’s presidents.

Explain the impact of the Vietnam War including the War on Powers Act, fate of Vietnam, and U.S. confidence.