Unit 7 Review

1. Unit 7 Review

2. When President Truman declared in a speech to Congress in March 1947  that "it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures," he was referring to (A) the Berlin Blockade(B) the Truman Doctrine(C) support for Chiang Kai-Shek in China(D) the creation of the Warsaw Pact(E) the creation of NATO

3. Answer:(B) the Truman Doctrine Explanation: When President announced that military and economic aid would be provided to Greece and Turkey to prevent their falling under control of the Soviet Union, he was marking a change in U.S. foreign policy towards the containment of communism. Some point to his 1947 speech as the beginning of the Cold War.

4. Which of the following is not true of the 1948 Berlin Airlift? (A) U.S. and British planes airlifted tons of food and supplies to the citizens of West Berlin(B) it was prompted by the halting of road and train access to Berlin from West Germany(C) Soviet efforts to harass airlift planes were successful(D) the Soviets attempted to reduce the impact of the Airlift by offering free food to West Berliners(E) at its peak, 1500 flights a day landed in Berlin

5. Answer: (C) Soviet efforts to harass airlift planes were successful Explanation: The Berlin Blockade was one of the first confrontations of the Cold War as the Soviet Union stopped all access by road and rail to West Berlin from West Germany. U.S. and British planes airlifted tons of food, supplies, and coal to West Berlin to counter the blockade. Soviet attempts to harass the planes proved unsuccessful and as many as 1500 flights a day landed in Berlin. The Soviets lifted the blockade in May 1949.

6. The House Un-American Activities Committee (A) was headed by Senator Joseph McCarthy(B) conducted the Hollywood Ten hearings accusing individuals of leftist activities(C) found a former communist dentist in the U.S. Army(D) had little impact on American life(E) was formed following the arrest of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

7. Answer: (B) conducted the Hollywood Ten hearings accusing individuals of leftist activities Explanation: Established in 1938, the House Un-American Activities Committee became a permanent committee in 1945. It investigated charges of communist activities, most famously in the case of the Hollywood Ten, a group of producers, actors, and screenwriters who were found in contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions. Over 300 individuals were blacklisted by studios intimidated by anti-communist pressure.

8. General Douglas MacArthur proposed all of the following measures as Korean War tactics except (A) bombing communist supply bases within China(B) using nuclear weapons against both China and the Soviet Union(C) blockading the Chinese coast(D) conquering North Korea(E) using Taiwan-based Nationalist Chinese troops in the fight

9. Answer: (B) using atomic weapons against both China and the Soviet Union Explanation: General MacArthur favored an aggressive approach to dealing with the North Korean and Communist Chinese forces during the Korean War. All of the approaches except B were recommended by him at some point in the war. He was relieved of command by President Truman in April 1951 after a letter critical of Truman's strategy was leaked to the press. Before dismissal, MacArthur had been authorized to use nuclear weapons in Manchuria if that was the source of Chinese air strikes, though he never suggested bombing the Soviet Union.

10. The purpose of the Marshall Plan was to (A) finance the economic recovery of western Europe(B) provide collective security for non-communist nations by forming the North Atlantic Treaty Organization(C) repel the invasion of South Korea by North Korean communist troops(D) militarily contain Soviet expansion in southeast Asia(E) provide weapons and economic aid to anti-communist forces in Greece and Turkey

11. Answer:  (A) finance the economic recovery of western Europe Explanation:  The Marshall Plan, brainchild of Secretary of State George Marshall, proved to be an excellent bulwark against the advance of Soviet communism by providing billions of dollars of economic aid to rebuild the societies of western Europe following World War 2.

12. Which of the following 1950s civil rights events, resulting from a conversation between a white girl and a black boy, gave the world a visual depiction of the state of African-Americans in the deep South? (A) the Montgomery Bus Boycott(B) the march to Birmingham, Alabama(C) the desegregation of Little Rock, Arkansas schools(D) the bombing of a Sunday School in Montgomery, Alabama(E) the murder of Emmitt Till

13. Answer:  (E) the murder of Emmitt Till Explanation:  The brutal murder of 14-year old Emmitt Till in 1955 shocked the nation. Till allegedly spoke to a 21-year-old white girl and was later murdered and dumped in a river. Two men were acquitted, but then later confessed to the murder in a magazine interview.

14. The 1954 Brown v. Topeka Board of Education decision resulted in which of the following? (A) the creation of white citizen councils throughout the deep South(B) the rapid desegregation of schools throughout the U.S.(C) the Montgomery bus boycott(D) the passage of the Civil Rights Act(E) the end of grandfather clauses and literary tests to prevent blacks from voting

15. Answer:  (A) the creation of white citizen councils throughout the deep South Explanation:  The Supreme Court's decision in the Brown case caused deep unrest throughout the segregated South even though the ruling suggested that the integration of schools not be immediate, but take place "with all deliberate speed." Opponents of integration formed white citizen councils in many states to counter the decision.

16. Which of the following statements about Dwight Eisenhower is not accurate?(A) he served as president of Columbia University before running for president(B) he had little interest in politics prior to his candidacy and had never voted in a presidential election(C) he chose Richard Nixon, a political conservative, as his vice-presidential running mate (D) he showed political courage by refusing to appear at a campaign appearance with Senator Joseph McCarthy(E) he defeated Democrat Adlai Stevenson in 1952

17. Answer:  (D) he showed political courage by refusing to appear at a campaign appearance with Senator Joseph McCarthy Explanation:  Though privately Eisenhower disapproved of McCarthy's tactics in trying to expose communists in government, he appeared with McCarthy at a campaign appearance in Wisconsin in 1952. McCarthy had previously accused Secretary of State George Marshall of being part of a communist conspiracy. Eisenhower allegedly planned to praise Marshall while on stage with McCarthy but omitted mentioning the former World War 2 general in his speech.  A disgusted President Truman commented "I had never thought the man who is now the Republican candidate would stoop so low."

18. In which of the following 1950s international situations did the U.S. and British governments take radically different positions? (A) the French defeat at Dienbienphu(B) the launching of the Soviet satellite Sputnik(C) the Suez Crisis, in which Egypt's nationalization of the Suez Canal resulted in an invasion of Egypt(D) the Soviet invasion of Hungary(E) the invasion of South Korea by North Korean troops

19. Answer:  (C) the Suez Crisis, in which Egypt's nationalization of the Suez Canal resulted in an invasion of Egypt Explanation:  Following the nationalization of the Suez Canal in 1956, Great Britain, France, and Israel launched a military invasion of Egypt in an attempt to regain international control of the Canal. Under pressure from the U.S., the three nations withdrew their military forces after several months.

20. The growth of television viewing in the 1950s had all of the following consequences except (A) the rise of consumer fads based on shows such as Davy Crockett(B) the closing of thousands of movie theaters throughout the U.S.(C) news broadcasting changed from individuals reading the news to include taped material and live broadcasts from news scenes(D) regional cultural differences became more pronounced as American culture became less homogenized(E) quiz shows became very popular despite being plagued by scandals

21. Answer:  (D) regional cultural differences became more pronounced as American culture became less homogenized Explanation:  Television had a major effect on American culture, the acquisition of news, and consumer behavior in the 1950s as more American homes featured TV sets and many neighborhood movie theaters went out of business. The number of TVs in homes rose from one million in 1949 to 44 million in 1969. One result of the growth of television was that regional cultural differences were replaced with a more generalized American culture that dominated regional subcultures.

22. In the election of 1960, (A)Democrat John Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon in a landslide(B) Americans chose the presidential ticket with the most experience in foreign affairs(C) televised debates were featured for the first time, but had little impact on the outcome(D) the Democratic ticket featured a northern presidential and southern vice-presidential candidate(E) voters respected Kennedy's promise to respect the separation of church and state and his Roman Catholic religion was not an issue

23. Answer:  (D) the Democratic ticket featured a northern presidential and southern vice-presidential candidate Explanation:  In the extremely close 1960 election, American voters chose Democrat Kennedy despite his lack of foreign policy experience and his Roman Catholic faith, though the latter was an issue for some voters. The televised debates aided Kennedy's campaign, as did his choice of Texas Senator Lyndon Johnson as his running mate.

24. "Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The urge for freedom will eventually come. This is what has happened to the American Negro. Something within has reminded him of his birthright of freedom; something without has reminded him that he can gain it."What is the source of the above quote: (A)"I Have a Dream" speech(B) "Letter From the Birmingham Jail"(C) the Port Huron Statement of the Students for a Democratic Society(D) John F. Kennedy's 1961 Inaugural Address(E) The Autobiography of Malcolm X

25. Answer:  (B) "Letter From the Birmingham Jail" Explanation:  Jailed for his participation in a civil rights demonstration in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote a moving and inspirational letter to a group of white ministers that spelled out his non-violent approach and his desire to bring justice to white-black relations.

26. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution resulted in (A)the withdrawal of the French troops from Vietnam(B) the overthrow of the Diem regime in South Vietnam(C) an escalation in the bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong(D) a vote of Congressional support for increased U.S. military activity in Vietnam(E)a formal declaration of war on North Vietnam

27. Answer:  (D) a vote of Congressional support for increased U.S. military activity in Vietnam Explanation:  While not a formal declaration of war, the Tonkin Gulf Resolution authorized an expansion of U.S. military activity in Vietnam. It passed by overwhelming votes of 416-0 in the House of Representatives and 88-2 in the Senate.

28. "It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate."Which of the following Supreme Court decisions concerning student protest included this famous statement in the majority opinion? (A) Tinker v. Des Moines(B) Brown v. Topeka Board of Education(C) Miranda v. Arizona(D) Loving v. Virginia(E) Gideon v. Wainwright

29. Answer:  (A) Tinker v. Des Moines Explanation:  In the Tinker case, three students were suspended in 1965 from Des Moines public schools for wearing armbands in protest of the Vietnam War. In 1969 the Supreme Court ruled that the students' protests was constitutionally protected free speech and their suspension was thus unconstitutional. Writing the majority opinion, Justice Abe Fortas argued  that in order for school officials to justify censoring speech, they "must be able to show that [their] action was caused by something more than a mere desire to avoid the discomfort and unpleasantness that always accompany an unpopular viewpoint."

30. Which of the following 1968 events resulted in rioting in Chicago, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.? (A) assassination of Robert F. Kennedy(B) the My Lai massacre(C) assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.(D) the Vietnamese Tet Offensive (E) black power protests at the Mexico City Olympics

31. Answer:  (C) assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Explanation:  Martin Luther King, Jr. was in Memphis supporting a garbage workers' strike when he was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Rioting erupted in several American cities, with the most serious taking place in Washington, D.C. with crowds of 30,000 overwhelming police officers' attempt to quell the violence. Twelve rioters were killed and over 6,000 were arrested.

32. In the Watergate scandal which dominated American political life from 1972 to 1974, (A) Richard Nixon was impeached by the House of Representatives(B) in an emotional televised address, Nixon admitted to lying and apologized to the American people(C) during questioning in a Senate Committee hearing, a secret White House taping system was revealed(D) President Nixon consistently supported the efforts of Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox(E)no Cabinet members were convicted of crimes

33. Answer:  (C) during questioning in a Senate Committee hearing, a secret White House taping system was revealed Explanation:  The secret taping system that was described by Alexander Butterfield during a Senate hearing led to requests for transcripts of White House conversations concerning Watergate.  Nixon became the first president to resign from office prior to a House vote of impeachment. He ordered Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox to be fired, causing his Attorney General Elliot Richardson to resign in protest. Nixon appointee John Mitchell was convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury, served 19 months in prison and became the first Attorney General convicted of a crime. Nixon never apologized for his actions.

34. Which of the following statements about the end of the Cold War is not true? (A) President Reagan challenged the Soviets in 1987 in Berlin by stating "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."(B) the Soviet Union dissolved into a loose association known as the Commonwealth of Independent States(C) Mikhail Gorbachev's policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring ) hastened the Soviet collapse(D) in Eastern Europe a number of dictatorships arose to replace the former communist governments(E) Russia ended up possessing most of the Soviet Union's nuclear arsenal after it dissolved

35. Answer:  (D) in Eastern Europe a number of dictatorships arose to replace the former communist governments Explanation:  As Soviet control of the Warsaw Pact of Eastern Europe weakened, many of the former Soviet bloc nations formed democratic governments. Despite years of animosity between the Soviet Union and western powers, the Cold War ended without a shot being fired.

36. As a result of the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision (A) none of the state statutes restricting abortion were ruled unconstitutional(B) a state may not prevent a woman from having an abortion during the first three months of pregnancy(C) the 4th Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures were broadened(D) the abortion rate in the U.S. declined(E) the debate between pro-life and pro-cboice forces in the U.S.

37. Answer:  (B) a state may not prevent a woman from having an abortion during the first three months of pregnancy Explanation:  The landmark Roe v. Wade decision fundamentally changed the role of states in the regulation of abortions. Using both the 9th and 14th Amendments and building on the earlier Griswold v. Connecticut decision, the Court gave women the right to obtain an abortion in the early stages of pregnancy. Rather than ending the pro-choice and pro-life debates, Roe v. Wade pitted the opposing sides in angry debates and demonstrations