Midterm

91. What was the Interstate Highway Act and its purpose?

The Interstate Highway Act (1956) created a network of highways across the U.S. to improve transportation and defense.

92. What was the Checkers Speech? Who gave it?

Richard Nixon gave the Checkers Speech in 1952 to defend himself against accusations of corruption.

93. Define franchise.

A franchise is a business model where individuals operate under a company’s brand (e.g., McDonald’s).

94. Define conglomerate.

A conglomerate is a large corporation that owns multiple unrelated businesses.

95. Who created the Interstate Highway Act? What was it?

President Eisenhower initiated it to improve road travel and national defense.

96. Who moved to the suburbs during the 1950s?

Mainly middle-class white families moved, while minorities faced housing discrimination.

97. What was the main purpose of migration to the suburbs?

People moved for more space, better schools, and affordable housing.

98. What was the Federal Housing Administration?

The FHA provided loans for homes, encouraging suburban growth.

99. What groups were most impacted by immigration policy changes in 1965?

Asian, African, and Latin American immigrants benefited from the Immigration and Nationality Act.

100. What was the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965?

It removed racial quotas and allowed more diverse immigration.

101. What country experienced the greatest economic expansion after WWII?

The United States.

102. What was the G.I. Bill of Rights?

It provided WWII veterans with benefits like education and home loans.

103. What were Baby Boomers?

People born after WWII during a population spike (1946–1964).

104. Define planned obsolescence.

Planned obsolescence is designing products to wear out quickly, encouraging replacements.

105. What was consumerism?

Consumerism is the focus on buying goods and services.

106. What impact did consumerism have in the 1950s?

It led to economic growth and new products becoming household essentials.

Cold War Questions:

65. What was the first disagreement between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. after WWII?

The division of Germany and Eastern Europe’s control.

66. What was the Cold War?

A political and ideological conflict between the U.S. (democracy) and U.S.S.R. (communism).

67. What was the Marshall Plan?

A U.S. plan to rebuild Europe after WWII to stop communism.

68. What was the Truman Doctrine?

A policy to help countries resist communism.

69. What was the policy of Containment?

Preventing the spread of communism.

70. What was the Eisenhower Doctrine?

U.S. support for Middle Eastern countries resisting communism.

71. What was the CIA and who organized it?

The CIA is the U.S. spy agency, organized under President Truman.

72. What was the Loyalty Review Board?

A group to investigate government employees for communist ties.

73. What was the House Un-American Activities Committee?

It investigated suspected communists in America.

74. What caused the arms race during the Cold War?

Fear of nuclear dominance between the U.S. and U.S.S.R.

75. What was the space race and who won?

A competition to explore space; the U.S. “won” by landing on the moon.

76. What was the outcome of the space race?

Increased technology and U.S. prestige.

77. How did the space race impact the Cold War?

It showed technological and military dominance.

78. How did agricultural innovation help during the Cold War?

It boosted food production, helping developing countries resist communism.

79. What was the Green Revolution’s impact on developing countries?

It improved food supply and reduced poverty.

80. Difference between the atomic and hydrogen bombs?

Hydrogen bombs are far more powerful than atomic bombs.

81. Explain the Korean War’s purpose.

The U.S. fought to stop communism in Korea.

82. How did the U.S. respond to the Soviet Union’s atomic bomb?

It began developing the hydrogen bomb.

83. Who were the Hollywood Ten?

Filmmakers blacklisted for refusing to testify about communism.

84. What is McCarthyism?

Accusing people of communism without evidence.

85. What was a successful UN Cold War initiative?

The Korean War intervention to stop aggression.

86. What are examples of U.S. UN commitment?

Military support in Korea and peacekeeping efforts.

87. What was the hydrogen bomb and who made it?

A more powerful bomb made by the U.S. in 1952.

88. What was the Berlin Blockade and its result?

The U.S.S.R. blocked Berlin; the U.S. responded with the Berlin Airlift.

Here are the remaining sections answered as simply as possible:

Post WWI Questions:

89. What was planned obsolescence?

It’s when companies design products to break or become outdated quickly so people buy new ones.

90. What was consumerism and one key product that became essential in homes?

Consumerism is a focus on buying goods; TVs became a household essential.

World War II Questions:

36. What was the main reason for Japanese internment camps?

The U.S. feared Japanese-Americans might be spies during WWII.

37. What was Korematsu v. United States?

A Supreme Court case that ruled Japanese internment was legal during wartime.

38. What were the Nuremberg Trials and why were they important?

Trials held to punish Nazi war criminals and establish accountability for crimes against humanity.

39. Where were the Nuremberg Trials held and why?

In Nuremberg, Germany, to prosecute Nazi leaders.

40. What is genocide?

The deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially a specific race or ethnicity.

41. What was the primary goal of the United Nations?

To maintain world peace and prevent future wars.

42. Was the United Nations effective? Why or why not?

Partly—it helped with peacekeeping but couldn’t always prevent conflicts.

43. What was the War Production Board and its goal?

It coordinated U.S. factories to produce military supplies during WWII.

44. What describes the shift of resources during WWII?

Factories shifted from consumer goods to making war materials.

45. What was the Office of Scientific Research?

A U.S. agency that developed technologies like radar and medical advancements during WWII.

46. Who was Dr. Jonas Salk?

He developed the polio vaccine.

47. Name the two sides of WWII.

The Allies (U.S., U.K., Soviet Union) and the Axis (Germany, Japan, Italy).

48. Compare men, women, and African Americans during WWII.

   •   Men: Fought in the war.

   •   Women: Worked in factories (“Rosie the Riveter”).

   •   African Americans: Faced segregation but served and worked for civil rights.

49. What was the battleship New Jersey’s role in WWII?

It provided support for Allied invasions in the Pacific.

50. What was Albert Einstein’s role in WWII?

He encouraged the U.S. to develop the atomic bomb (Manhattan Project).

51. How did New Jersey play a role in WWII?

Its shipyards built battleships and provided supplies.

52. Name a Middle Eastern nation that is a democracy and has nuclear weapons.

Israel.

53. Was the League of Nations effective?

No, it failed to prevent WWII.

54. Was the Treaty of Versailles effective?

No, it caused resentment and led to WWII.

55. What was the Kellogg-Briand Pact?

An agreement to outlaw war, but it failed to stop WWII.

56. What impact did women have on the workforce during WWII?

They replaced men in factories and proved they could do the same jobs.

57. How did Native Americans help in WWII?

They served as “Code Talkers,” using their language for secure communication.

New Deal and Great Depression Questions:

24. How did FDR attempt to “pack” the Supreme Court?

He proposed adding more justices to gain support for New Deal laws.

25. What was National Labor Relations Board v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp?

A case that upheld workers’ rights to unionize.

26. Who were critics of the New Deal?

Conservatives, who thought it gave the government too much power, and some liberals, who wanted more reforms.

27. How did FDR’s philosophy differ from Hoover’s during the Great Depression?

FDR used government programs to help people; Hoover believed in limited government intervention.

28. What was voluntarism?

Hoover’s idea that private charities should help people, not the government.

29. Who was Mary Bethune and why was she significant?

An African American educator and advisor to FDR on racial issues.

30. What role did Eleanor Roosevelt play in the Great Depression?

She advocated for civil rights and programs for the poor.

31. Who was Francis Perkins and why was she significant?

The first female Cabinet member, helping shape labor policies like Social Security.

32. What was the Federal Art Project?

A New Deal program that employed artists to create public art.

33. What was the PWA and who did it employ?

The Public Works Administration created jobs building public infrastructure, like roads and bridges.

34. What country’s currency plummeted during the Great Depression?

Germany’s currency (Weimar Republic) lost value, leading to hyperinflation.

35. What was the Hawley-Smoot Tariff?

A law that raised tariffs on imports, worsening the Great Depression globally.