Second-Semester Exam Review Sheet Modern American History

World War II

What did imperialism lead the governments of Italy, Germany and Japan to do during the 1930s? Created empires by dominating weaker nations economically, politically, culturally, or militarily

Why did the U.S. government evacuate Japanese Americans from the West Coast during World War II? The bombing of Pearl Harbor caused prejudice and fears.

How did United States get out of the Great Depression? They began to build military production of goods for World War II.

Why did Hitler want to rid Germany of Jewish people? Hitler blamed the Jews for the defeat in WWI and the economic situation of Germany Hitler wanted to remove all undesirable persons from positions of power

The U.S.’s island-hopping strategy in the Pacific Ocean was designed to end where? Japan

What was the purpose of the Manhattan project? develop an atomic bomb

What historical events contributed to the rise of Hitler and Mussolini? The Great Depression and the Treaty of Versailles

Why did the Japanese attack the U.S. at Pearl Harbor? The U.S. restricted the sale of oil and steel to limit Japanese expansion. Destroy the United States Naval Fleet

Which jobs did American women begin to fill as men headed off to war? Worked in factories as steelworkers and welders

What attack finally ended World War II? The dropping of atomic bombs by the United States on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Cold War & Vietnam

What was the Cold War? Democracy v Communism Capitalism v Communism American and Soviet isolationism

What impact did Senator Joseph McCarthy have on American Society? It encouraged a widespread fear of Communism

Why did the U.S. want to keep oil-rich Arab nations from becoming Communist? The United States wanted prevent oil-rich Arab nations from falling under Soviet influence

What is a satellite nation? Nations dominated or controlled by the Soviet Union

What principle was the goal of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)? The principle of collective security

What was the goal of the Marshall Plan? Create stable democracies in Europe that could resist communism Economic Aide to help rebuild Europe

What policy prompted the U.S. to enter the Korean Conflict? The policy of containment

How was Korea divided after the Korean War? 38 th parallel Two nations, one democratic and one communist

What is deterrence? The policy of making U.S. military power so strong that no enemy would attack for fear of retaliation

How did Sputnik change America? The united States Congress increased spending on teaching science and mathematics

What is a franchise system (example: McDonald’s)? A business that contracts to offer certain goods or services from a larger parent company They would replace many unique stores who had ties with the local community?

What happened as a result of the Cuban Missile Crisis? The Soviets removed their missiles from Cuba.

What best describes the guiding principle behind the foreign policies of Kennedy and Johnson? They wanted to stop the spread of communism

Why did the Soviets build the Berlin Wall? To stop East Germans from fleeing to the democratic or capitalist West

What was the goal of the Peace Corps? Program established to send volunteers to help developing nations around the world

When did President Kennedy say NASA would land a man on the moon? The Year 1961

How did television change the way Americans felt about war during the Vietnam War? They felt bad because it showed the brutality of the war into people’s living rooms

What is a conscientious objector? People who opposed fighting the war on moral or religious grounds

What principle became associated with U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia ? The domino theory

Why did refugees from Southeast Asia come to the U.S. after the Vietnam War? To escape persecution, starvation and labor camps

Why did the Vietnam War finally end in 1975? North Vietnam gained control over all of Vietnam

Civil Rights

What did the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education end? The “separate but equal” doctrine

Why were even civil rights opponents shocked by television coverage of the way police handled non-violent protests? They were shocked by the police violence.

What was the goal of the March on Washington (1963)? Try to convince Congress to pass civil rights legislation

What policy did Martin Luther King, Jr. and other members of the SCLC encourage? Nonviolent protests

What was the goal of the Selma march? Wanted to get voting rights legislation passed

What was the Voting Rights Act of 1965? Gave African Americans the right to vote.

Before his pilgrimage to Mecca, what did Malcolm X encourage African Americans to do? To separate themselves from white society

What were Freedom Rides supposed to test? A Supreme Court decision that declared bus segregation illegal

What did Black Panthers want African Americans to do? Become self-sufficient and lead their own communities

What was President Johnson’s “Great Society”? He wanted to end poverty He created a group of antipoverty programs

What was perestroika and glasnost? They helped cause the fall of Communist regimes in Eastern Europe.