WJEC Eduqas GCSE History: The Development of the USA, 1929–2000

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering the economic, social, political, and foreign policy developments of the United States from 1929 to 2000, tailored for WJEC Eduqas GCSE History.

On what date did "Black Thursday" occur, marking the collapse of share prices in the Wall Street Crash?

24 October 1929, when nearly $13\text{ million}$ shares were traded and thousands of investors were ruined.

By 1933, what percentage of the black American workforce was unemployed during the Great Depression?

Black unemployment was $50\%$, compared to about $20\%$ for white Americans.

What was the "Dust Bowl" and which states were worst affected by the 1931 drought?

An area of about $20\text{ million hectares}$ where poor farming methods and drought turned soil to dust; Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico, and Kansas were the worst hit, causing over $1\text{ million}$ migrants ("Okies" and "Arkies") to move west.

During the Great Depression, what did the ironic terms "Hoover blankets", "Hoover flags", and "Hoover wagons" mean?

"Hoover blankets" were old newspapers, "Hoover flags" were trouser pockets turned inside out to show an absence of money, and "Hoover wagons" were motor cars pulled by horses when owners could not afford petrol.

Who were the Bonus Marchers and what occurred during their protest in Washington DC in July 1932?

Over $12,000$ unemployed First World War veterans demanding early payment of bonuses due in 1945; when $5,000$ refused to leave, President Herbert Hoover deployed the US army, who burned down their camp and used tear gas, leaving over $100$ injured and one baby dead.

What satirical device is featured in this 1932 Democratic campaign poster mocking President Herbert Hoover's optimistic stance?

The "Smilette", a gadget worn on the face to force a smile, satirising Hoover's superficial approach to the Great Depression.

What was the "Hundred Days" and how did President Franklin D. Roosevelt address the banking crisis at its start?

The period from 9 March to 16 June 1933 when Roosevelt passed emergency legislation; he declared a ten-day bank holiday, passed the Emergency Banking Act, and used his first "fireside chat" to reassure $60\text{ million}$ radio listeners.

What was the purpose and geographical scale of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) established in 1933?

It built dams to produce cheap hydroelectricity, control annual flood damage of $\$1.75\text{ million}$, and regenerate the region; it eventually covered seven states, an area of $104,000\,\text{km}^2$, and a population of $7\text{ million}$ people.

What rights did the National Labour Relations Act (Wagner Act) of 1935 establish for American workers?

It upheld workers' rights to organise into unions and engage in collective bargaining, created the National Labour Relations Board against unfair employer practices, and helped expand union membership from $3\text{ million}$ in 1933 to $9\text{ million}$ in 1939.

Why did the Supreme Court declare the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) unconstitutional in the 1935 "Sick Chickens" case?

In Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government had no constitutional power to regulate commerce within a single state (New York), resulting in the scrapping of $750$ NRA codes of practice.

How did the Second World War affect US civilian unemployment figures between 1939 and 1944?

Unemployment plummeted from $9.5\text{ million}$ in 1939 to $670,000$ in 1944 as $16\text{ million}$ Americans were conscripted and factory employment expanded to $14\text{ million}$ workers.

What famous wartime propaganda figure is shown in this 1942 poster produced for the War Production Co-ordinating Committee?

Rosie the Riveter, a fictional female factory worker created by the US government to recruit women into wartime manufacturing and munitions industries.

What racial restriction characterised early post-war suburban developments such as Levittown on Long Island?

Private developers refused to sell properties to ethnic minorities; in 1960, when Levittown had a population of $65,000$, not a single home was owned by an African-American.

What were the Tuskegee Airmen and the 761st Tank Battalion known for during the Second World War?

The Tuskegee Airmen (332nd Fighter Group) were an all-black fighter squadron who won acclaim escorting bombers; the all-black 761st Tank Battalion ("Black Panthers") received praise from General Patton for their role in the Battle of the Bulge.

Why did President Roosevelt issue Executive Order 8802 in 1941, and what body did it create?

To stop A. Philip Randolph's planned March on Washington; it barred racial discrimination in federal defence jobs and created the Fair Employment Practices Commission (FEPC).

What ruling did the US Supreme Court issue in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case?

Chief Justice Earl Warren ruled that the "separate but equal" doctrine had no place in public education because separate educational facilities are inherently unequal and psychologically harmful to black children.

How did President Eisenhower intervene at Little Rock High School, Arkansas, in September 1957?

After Governor Orval Faubus used the National Guard to block nine black students, Eisenhower sent over $1,000$ federal troops from the 101st Airborne Division to protect the students for the entire school year.

What organization was formed on 5 December 1955 to lead the Montgomery bus boycott, and who was chosen as its president?

The Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA), led by Martin Luther King Jr., was formed to coordinate the boycott following Rosa Parks' arrest.

What occurred during the Birmingham civil rights demonstrations of May 1963 under Police Chief Eugene "Bull" Connor?

Connor turned police dogs and high-pressure fire hoses on peaceful demonstrators, including children, arresting $2,000$ people and nearly $1,300$ children, which forced federal intervention and the drafting of a Civil Rights Bill.

What took place during the March on Washington on 28 August 1963?

Over $250,000$ demonstrators gathered at the Lincoln Memorial to support civil rights legislation and jobs, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I have a dream" speech.

What happened on "Bloody Sunday" (7 March 1965) at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama?

State troopers and Sheriff Jim Clark's deputies attacked peaceful voting rights marchers with clubs, tear gas, and horses, prompting President Johnson to introduce the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

How did Malcolm X's views change after his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1964?

He witnessed Muslims of different races interacting as equals, left the Nation of Islam, changed his name to Malik El-Hajj Shabazz, and formed the Muslim Mosque, Inc. and the Organisation of Afro-American Unity to promote racial unity.

What protest action is being conducted by Tommie Smith and John Carlos on the medal podium at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games?

The Black Power salute, raising black-gloved clenched fists during the national anthem to protest racial discrimination and poverty in the United States.

Who founded the Black Panther Party in October 1966 and what social programme did they run?

Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in Oakland, California; they operated the "Free Breakfast for Children Program", established clothing centres, and ran armed community patrols against police brutality.

What were the key social and civil rights reforms of President Kennedy's "New Frontier"?

Appointed black judges like Thurgood Marshall, sent troops to support James Meredith at Mississippi University, raised the minimum wage to $\$1.25$, and enacted the Housing Act of 1961 and Manpower and Training Act of 1962.

What two medical programmes were introduced under President Lyndon B. Johnson's "Great Society" via the Medical Care Act of 1965?

Medicare (healthcare coverage for the elderly) and Medicaid (healthcare assistance for the poor).

Why did President Richard Nixon resign from office on 8 August 1974?

To avoid impeachment following the Watergate scandal, after unedited White House audio tapes revealed he had directed the cover-up of the June 1972 Democratic National Committee headquarters break-in.

What was the economic doctrine of "Reaganomics" and what was its impact on the US national debt?

Based on Arthur Laffer's supply-side "trickle-down" theory, it slashed income taxes by $\$33\text{ billion}$ in 1981 and cut social spending; combined with doubled defence spending, it raised the national debt to nearly $\$1\text{ trillion}$.

What major fiscal achievement occurred during President Bill Clinton's administration by 1998?

The US federal budget was balanced for the first time since 1969, creating over $22\text{ million}$ jobs and lowering national unemployment to $4.0\%$ by November 2000.

Why was the 1955 film Rebel Without a Cause significant in the development of 1950s youth culture?

It was the first film to address the generational divide and specifically target a teenage audience, cementing James Dean as a cult anti-hero and symbol of youth rebellion.

What occurred during the anti-war demonstration at Kent State University, Ohio, on 4 May 1970?

Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire on students protesting the US invasion of Cambodia, killing four students and wounding eleven, leading to strikes that closed $400$ colleges nationwide.

What was the core thesis of Betty Friedan's 1963 book The Feminine Mystique, and what organisation did she co-found in 1966?

It rejected the idea that women could find fulfillment solely through domestic housewife roles, prompting Friedan to co-found the National Organisation for Women (NOW).

What constitutional right did the US Supreme Court establish in the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling?

The constitutional right of women to have an abortion, which struck down the anti-abortion laws of $46$ states.

What foreign policy principle was declared by the Truman Doctrine on 12 March 1947?

The policy of containment, committing the United States to provide military and economic support to free peoples resisting subjugation by armed minorities or external communist pressures, initially providing aid to Greece and Turkey.

What Cold War crisis is depicted in this 1948 British political cartoon showing Joseph Stalin watching storks carrying supplies?

The Berlin Airlift (Operation Plainfare, 1948–49), wherein the Western Allies flew food and coal over the Soviet ground blockade of West Berlin.

What secret agreement between Robert Kennedy and the USSR helped resolve the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962?

The US pledged not to invade Cuba and secretly agreed to withdraw American Jupiter nuclear missiles stationed in Turkey in exchange for the Soviet removal of missiles from Cuba.

What was "Operation Rolling Thunder" and which chemical defoliant was widely used by the US military in Vietnam?

A 3.5-year US aerial bombing campaign against North Vietnam (1965–68); the US sprayed $82\text{ million litres}$ of Agent Orange, a toxic herbicide, to eliminate jungle cover.

Why was the Vietcong's Tet Offensive of January 1968 a turning point in the Vietnam War?

Attacking over $100$ cities and the US Embassy in Saigon proved that communist forces were far from defeated, destroying American domestic morale and convincing the US public that the war was unwinnable.

What were the three "baskets" of the 1975 Helsinki Agreements signed by the USA, the USSR, and 33 other nations?

Security (recognising European frontiers and West Germany), Co-operation (economic, scientific, and cultural ties), and Human Rights (respecting fundamental individual freedoms such as thought, religion, and speech).

Why was the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty of December 1987 significant in Cold War history?

Signed by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, it was the first treaty to eliminate an entire category of nuclear weapons (land-based missiles with ranges of $500\text{ to }5,500\,\text{km}$), destroying $2,692$ missiles.

How did the Iran hostage crisis begin in November 1979 and when was it concluded?

Militant Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran demanding the return of the exiled Shah; $52$ American hostages were held for $444$ days and released on 20 January 1981, minutes after Ronald Reagan was inaugurated.

What were Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Saber during the 1991 Gulf War?

Operation Desert Storm was the coalition air campaign launched on 16 January 1991 against Iraq, and Operation Desert Saber was the ground offensive launched on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in under $100$ hours.