Study Guide for US & Modern History S2

Condensed version of Kolbe Academy's 12th grade history

Why does it seem inevitable, according to the end of the first section of the Communist Manifesto that the bourgeois will not survive?

The advance of industry, whose involuntary promoter is the bourgeoisie, replaces the isolation of the laborers due to competition

Is individualism the same thing as egoism, according to Alexis de Tocqueville? What is the difference between the two?

He says selfishness is a person’s pursuit of personal good at the expense of the common good. And that Individualism, characteristic of modern democracy, is the belief that each man is alone in the world.

Describe the events in the Marbury v. Madison case.

Marbury had been appointed justice by John Adams towards the end of his presidency. Secretary of State Marshall failed to give him his commission. The new Secretary of State Madison also refused to hand him the commission. This led to the Court trial.

What danger does Booker T. Washington foresee in the leap from slavery to freedom?

He says that society will overlook the fact that people live by the productions of their own work. He worries people will forget what it means to do hard work.

What does Frederick Turner Jackson say is the most important effect of the frontier on American life? What role does individualism play in this effect?

He says the largest effect on the frontier is democracy. The frontier transformed Jeffersonian democracy in Jacksonian democracy. Individualism fostered by the frontier’s wilderness created a natural spirit.

Explain to what effect James Monroe thinks Europe should interfere with politics on the American continent.

He warned European countries not to interfere in the Western Hemisphere, stating "that the American continents...are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers."

How does Tocqueville describe the father's authority in a democratic family?

The father’s mandate was both political and natural, as the authoritative weight of wisdom. A father “listened to with deference, addressed with respect, and loved without a modicum of fear”

Does the Supreme Court in Dred Scott v. Sanford decide if the descendants of African slaves are citizens or not? What implications does this have?

The Supreme Court ruled that Americans of African descent, whether free or slave, were not American citizens and could not sue in federal court

Is the change of social circumstances and the difference in home quality between the rich and poor good that have resulted on account of industrialization, according to Andrew Carnegie? Explain.

He argued that wealthy Americans like himself had a responsibility to spend their money in order to benefit the greater good. He thought the richest Americans should engage in philanthropy and charity to close the gap between rich and poor

What does the Fugitive Slave Laws require concerning fugitives?

This controversial law (in 1850) allowed slave-hunters to seize fugitive slaves without due process and prohibit anyone from aiding escaped fugitives

What does Washington see is the spirit of party politics?

He feared that partisanship would lead to a "spirit of revenge" in which party members would not govern for the good of the people, but for power

According to Tocqueville, what does the government over the democratic race of men do if it oversteps its bounds? What is the problem with this?

Nothing, tyranny of majority

Explain the causes of the Civil War in the 19th century, focusing on political and economic reasons. Include a discussion of the development of slavery and race issues and the difference in economies between the North and the South.

The Civil War was fought over the moral issue of slavery. The South wished to take slavery into the western territories, while the North was committed to keeping them open to white labor alone. War was from 1861 to 1865.

Explain the various reasons for which America became involved in World War I. How does Wilson seem to be responsible for America's entry into the war?

Wilson cited Germany's violation of its pledge to suspend unrestricted submarine warfare in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and its attempts to entice Mexico into an alliance against the United States, as his reasons for declaring war.

How was the League of Nations defeated? Who does Richard Heffner hold accountable for its defeat?

The US Congress refused to partake in the League, resulting in a stubborn partisanship which refused to compromise. Heffner finds fault with both the legislature and the executive branches for refusing to compromise in favor of party loyalty.

According to John Maynard Keynes what three features composed Europe's post-war economic defeat?

Cessation of Europe’s internal productivity, breakdown of transport and exchange, and inability of Europe to purchase supplies from overseas

According to Paul Johnson, how did Einstein's theory of relativity instigate the Modern Age? Did Einstein foresee the cultural effects of his scientific theories? How did he view these effects?

The theory influenced society to believe that if things like time and space are relative, everything else is too, including morals. Einstein did not foresee these cultural effects and wished his theory was not taken in such a way

What were the major contents and implications of Roosevelt's "Four Freedom Speech"?

His "four essential human freedoms" included some phrases already familiar to Americans from the Bill of Rights, as well as some new phrases like freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear

Explain the Post War problems in Eastern Europe. Why do the countries need economic aid so desperately?

So much had been destroyed during the war, many European countries were heavily in debt to the United States. There were shortages of food and raw materials and many people left homeless. There were almost no jobs and unemployment was high [Marshall Plan]

Give an outline of Hitler's five step program for world domination.

Undoing the Treaty of Versailles, uniting all Germans, destroying the Soviet Union, establisihing new racial order, and global dominiation throu

Why did the Nazi attack on Russia prove to be Hitler's "great blunder"?

Codenamed Operation Barbarossa, the invasion called for German troops to advance along a line running north- south from the port of Archangel to the port of Astrakhan. The Russians counter-attacked and inflicted a severe defeat on the Germans. Living conditions in Moscow during the fall and winter of 1941 deteriorated seriously

Briefly summarize LBJ's three-pronged plan for the "Great Society".

The Society rests on abundance and liberty for all. It demands an end to poverty and racial injustice and is a place where every child can find knowledge to enrich his mind. The three places to build the Great Society are in our cities, in our countryside, and in our classrooms

According to Aleksander Solzhenitsyn, what is the problem with a society that governs purely by the "letter of the law".

When a culture is purely legalistic, the people allow unjust laws to remain

On what points does Richard Heffner criticize Ronald Reagan?

He believes Reagan was praised for much but blamed for too little because he has an ability to avoid personal responsibility for his contradictions He called America strong but never questioned when enemies massacred US marines. He called Russia an empire of evil but continued to pursue trade with them

According to Paul Johnson what was the most surprising event of the twentieth century? Why does he believe this?

The most outstanding event of modern times was the failure of religious belief to disappear

Explain how the Second World War was really just a continuation of the Great War. Also, explain how the Second World War enabled the Soviet Union to become a World Power.

The Treaty of Versailles, which came from the Great War, largely impacted the start of WWII. The Soviets became a world power because of the development of nuclear power in Russia