HIST Quizzes Study Guide

M/C Question 1 The key to Ray Kroc’s success was

a) advertising.

b) uniqueness.

c) standardization.

d) conservative thinking.

ANS: c

Skill=Understand, Objective=25.1: Examine the sources of American prosperity in the period after the end of the World War II, Topic=American Stories, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 2 By 1960, a majority of all American families

a) had little extra spending money.

b) had made few gains from the Depression years.

c) could attain a middle-class lifestyle.

d) found they could not keep up with the cost of living.

ANS: c

Skill=Understand, Objective=25.1: Examine the sources of American prosperity in the period after the end of the World War II, Topic=Economic Boom, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 3 During the Eisenhower administration, an important factor in promoting the material development of the United States was

a) a population shift away from suburban areas.

b) less corporate control of the American economy.

c) construction of the interstate highway system.

d) control of the economy by the Office of Price Administration.

ANS: c

Skill=Understand, Objective=25.1: Examine the sources of American prosperity in the period after the end of the World War II, Topic=Economic Boom, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 4 As a result of defense spending in the 1950s, all of the following occurred EXCEPT

a) aircraft and electronic industries were stimulated.

b) half the federal budget went to the armed forces.

c) most citizens protested the huge expenditures.

d) business-government ties grew stronger.

ANS: c

Skill=Understand, Objective=25.1: Examine the sources of American prosperity in the period after the end of the World War II, Topic=Economic Boom, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 5 During the Truman and Eisenhower administrations, corporate development in the United States

a) declined in importance economically.

b) was unable to expand into foreign markets.

c) was discouraged by government policy.

d) was characterized by increasing concentration of control.

ANS: d

Skill=Understand, Objective=25.1: Examine the sources of American prosperity in the period after the end of the World War II, Topic=Economic Boom, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 6 By 1956, the majority of workers in the United States

a) worked in factories.

b) were engaged in agricultural pursuits.

c) held white-collar jobs.

d) faced a decline in their living standards.

ANS: c

Skill=Understand, Objective=25.1: Examine the sources of American prosperity in the period after the end of the World War II, Topic=Economic Boom, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 7 In the late 1940s, workers

a) enjoyed great support from the federal government.

b) lost basic rights.

c) decided that strikes were ineffective.

d) went on several strikes.

ANS: d

Skill=Understand, Objective=25.1: Examine the sources of American prosperity in the period after the end of the World War II, Topic=Economic Boom, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 8 Part of labor’s cooperation was gained by material concessions such as General Motors’ 1948 introduction of

a) double time for overtime.

b) profit sharing.

c) cost-of-living adjustment.

d) guaranteed annual wage.

ANS: c

Difficulty=Easy, Skill=Factual, Objective=25.1: Examine the sources of American prosperity in the period after the end of the World War II, Topic=Economic Boom

M/C Question 9 During the 1950s, agricultural developments in the United States

a) were influenced by important new technology.

b) ceased to be important to the American economy.

c) tended to focus on the family farm.

d) required a greater number of farmers than in the Depression years.

ANS: a

Skill=Understand, Objective=25.1: Examine the sources of American prosperity in the period after the end of the World War II, Topic=Economic Boom, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 10 In early post-World War II America,

a) Americans became less mobile.

b) Elvis Presley died.

c) the birthrate in the United States increased.

d) shopping centers became less important in American society.

ANS: c

Objective=25.2: Report the massive demographic, technological, and environmental impact of the postwar economic boom of America, Topic=Demographic and Technological Shifts, Difficulty=Moderate, Skill=Understand

M/C Question 11 Which areas benefited the most from the military expenditures of the 1950s and 1960s?

a) Atlantic Coast and Alaska Territory

b) New England and the Midwest

c) the Pacific Coast and the West

d) the mid and Deep South

ANS: c

Skill=Factual, Topic=Demographic and Technological Shifts, Difficulty=Moderate, Objective=25.2: Report the massive demographic, technological, and environmental impact of the postwar economic boom of America

M/C Question 12 In the years since World War II,

a) the American population has shifted away from the West and Southwest.

b) the rich have become more concentrated in the center of American cities.

c) American housing has become less standardized.

d) suburbs have become more important in American society.

ANS: d

Skill=Understand, Objective=25.2: Report the massive demographic, technological, and environmental impact of the postwar economic boom of America, Topic=Demographic and Technological Shifts, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 13 The major influence on American societal norms that developed after World War II was

a) movies.

b) radio.

c) newspapers.

d) television.

ANS: d

Skill=Understand, Objective=25.2: Report the massive demographic, technological, and environmental impact of the postwar economic boom of America, Topic=Demographic and Technological Shifts, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 14 During the 1950s, material consumption in the United States

a) was generally uninfluenced by advertising.

b) was facilitated by installment plans.

c) tended to be limited because many Americans who had experienced the Depression resisted purchasing luxury goods.

d) was yet to be influenced by easier credit.

ANS: b

Difficulty=Moderate, Skill=Understand, Objective=25.2: Report the massive demographic, technological, and environmental impact of the postwar economic boom of America, Topic=Demographic and Technological Shifts

M/C Question 15 The first consumer credit card was

a) American Express.

b) Diners Club.

c) Bank Americard.

d) Mastercard.

ANS: b

Skill=Factual, Objective=25.2: Report the massive demographic, technological, and environmental impact of the postwar economic boom of America, Topic=Demographic and Technological Shifts, Difficulty=Easy

M/C Question 16 During the 1950s, ethnic Americans in general

a) constituted an increasingly greater percentage of the American population.

b) tended to become less homogeneous with the rest of the American population.

c) became more readily assimilated into American society.

d) unlike most Americans, were influenced little by television.

ANS: c

Topic=Consensus and Conformity, Difficulty=Moderate, Skill=Understand, Objective=25.3: Recognize reasons as to why conformity became the norm in the postwar United States

M/C Question 17 Religious developments in the United States during the 1950s

a) were characterized by a strong concern with doctrinal issues.

b) emphasized the differences between various religious beliefs.

c) were characterized by less church attendance than in the previous decade.

d) emphasized family life.

ANS: d

Skill=Understand, Objective=25.3: Recognize reasons as to why conformity became the norm in the postwar United States, Topic=Consensus and Conformity, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 18 For women in the United States, the 1950s was a period when

a) male attitudes significantly changed concerning their role in society.

b) they faced tremendous pressure to conform.

c) fewer married women worked.

d) they showed little resistance to returning to their traditional role in society.

ANS: b

Skill=Understand, Objective=25.3: Recognize reasons as to why conformity became the norm in the postwar United States, Topic=Consensus and Conformity, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 19 An Esquire magazine article in 1954 asserted that

a) women deserved the advantages given to men.

b) working wives were a “menace.”

c) women should continue working in military plants.

d) lower-class women could attain middle-class affluence.

ANS: b

Skill=Understand, Objective=25.3: Recognize reasons as to why conformity became the norm in the postwar United States, Topic=Consensus and Conformity, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 20 Which one of the following was LEAST likely to reinforce the traditional image of women in the 1950s and 1960s?

a) Adlai Stevenson

b) Benjamin Spock

c) Betty Friedan

d) Doris Day

ANS: c

Skill=Factual, Objective=25.3: Recognize reasons as to why conformity became the norm in the postwar United States, Topic=Consensus and Conformity, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 21 The conviction that a woman’s main role was still homemaking was used to

a) keep married women out of the workplace altogether.

b) redefine some occupations as acceptable for women.

c) justify lower wages and denial of promotions.

d) limit job choices to domestic work or child care.

ANS: c

Skill=Understand, Objective=25.3: Recognize reasons as to why conformity became the norm in the postwar United States, Topic=Consensus and Conformity, Difficulty=Moderate,

M/C Question 22 In American society during the Truman and Eisenhower years,

a) sexuality was seldom discussed publicly.

b) white, well-educated women had little difficulty in reassuming their traditional roles.

c) the attitude toward women’s roles drastically changed.

d) black women frequently lost the jobs they had held during the war.

ANS: d

Skill=Understand, Objective=25.3: Recognize reasons as to why conformity became the norm in the postwar United States, Topic=Consensus and Conformity, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 23 During the Eisenhower years of the 1950s, African American women

a) joined the women’s movement.

b) were able to move into white-collar jobs.

c) did not succeed in increasing their income.

d) had to take domestic work to survive.

ANS: b

Skill=Understand, Objective=25.3: Recognize reasons as to why conformity became the norm in the postwar United States, Topic=Consensus and Conformity, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 24 During the 1950s, a group of authors who promoted unconventional values in their writings were known as

a) litterateurs.

b) the Beats.

c) conformists.

d) hippies.

ANS: b

Skill=Factual, Objective=25.3: Recognize reasons as to why conformity became the norm in the postwar United States, Topic=Consensus and Conformity, Difficulty=Easy

M/C Question 25 A prominent member of the Beat Generation was

a) Jack Kerouac.

b) Betty Friedan.

c) Elvis Presley.

d) Dwight Eisenhower.

ANS: a

Skill=Factual, Objective=25.3: Recognize reasons as to why conformity became the norm in the postwar United States, Topic=Consensus and Conformity, Difficulty=Easy

M/C Question 26 Among those considered to be cultural rebels during the 1940s and 1950s in the United States was

a) General Douglas MacArthur.

b) John Wayne.

c) Elvis Presley.

d) Marilyn Monroe.

ANS: c

Skill=Understand, Objective=25.3: Recognize reasons as to why conformity became the norm in the postwar United States, Topic=Consensus and Conformity, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 27 A major concern of the Truman administration was

a) a lack of consumer goods.

b) the expansion of the welfare state.

c) a lack of population growth.

d) a return to the economic conditions of the Depression.

ANS: b

Skill=Understand, Objective=25.4: Recall the efforts of successive American presidents in converting America into a welfare state, Topic=Consolidation of the Welfare State, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 28 In terms of economic goals during his administration, President Truman attempted to

a) reduce government interference in the economy.

b) guarantee full employment through government action.

c) restrict the policies of the New Deal.

d) resist the liberal policies of the Republicans.

ANS: b

Skill=Analyze, Objective=25.4: Recall the efforts of successive American presidents in converting America into a welfare state, Topic=Consolidation of the Welfare State, Difficulty=Difficult

M/C Question 29 In the midterm elections of 1946, the American voters

a) demonstrated reservations about Truman’s competency.

b) indicated their enthusiasm for Truman’s leadership.

c) overwhelmingly endorsed the principles of the Fair Deal.

d) defeated Truman for reelection.

ANS: a

Skill=Analyze, Objective=25.4: Recall the efforts of successive American presidents in converting America into a welfare state, Topic=Consolidation of the Welfare State, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 30 The passage of the Taft-Hartley Act

a) was an indicator of public reaction against unions.

b) reinforced the Democratic labor policies of the New Deal era.

c) gave federal protection for the concept of the “closed shop.”

d) had the strong support of Harry Truman.

ANS: a

Skill=Analyze, Objective=25.4: Recall the efforts of successive American presidents in converting America into a welfare state, Topic=Consolidation of the Welfare State, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 31 In the election of 1948, the Democratic Party

a) faced defections from the right and left wings of the party.

b) had no significant opposition from the Republicans.

c) was able to compromise satisfactorily on the civil rights issue.

d) refused to renominate Truman as their candidate.

ANS: a

Skill=Understand, Objective=25.4: Recall the efforts of successive American presidents in converting America into a welfare state, Topic=Consolidation of the Welfare State, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 32 Truman’s Fair Deal program

a) was an overwhelming success.

b) had the strong support of Congress.

c) suffered because of the president’s concern about the Cold War.

d) promised gains for a select few in American society.

ANS: c

Skill=Analyze, Objective=25.4: Recall the efforts of successive American presidents in converting America into a welfare state, Topic=Consolidation of the Welfare State, Difficulty=Difficult

M/C Question 33 In comparison to his predecessors, Dwight Eisenhower

a) had difficulty in getting people to work for him.

b) had little desire to be president.

c) was abrupt and aggressive in his actions.

d) had limited experience with everyday politics.

ANS: d

Skill=Understand, Objective=25.4: Recall the efforts of successive American presidents in converting America into a welfare state, Topic=Consolidation of the Welfare State, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 34 In Eisenhower’s perception of the function of the government,

a) the government should have a limited role in the economy.

b) the role of the president should be expanded.

c) economic activism was an important role for the government.

d) the size of the federal government should continue to grow to meet the needs of the nation.

ANS: a

Topic=Consolidation of the Welfare State, Difficulty=Moderate, Skill=Understand, Objective=25.4: Recall the efforts of successive American presidents in converting America into a welfare state

M/C Question 35 When President Eisenhower left the presidency in 1961, he

a) was extremely unpopular with most Americans.

b) had been unable to reduce the role of government in the economy at all.

c) had implicitly accepted the fundamental features of the welfare state.

d) had managed to sell the Tennessee Valley Authority to private interests.

ANS: c

Skill=Analyze, Objective=25.4: Recall the efforts of successive American presidents in converting America into a welfare state, Topic=Consolidation of the Welfare State, Difficulty=Difficult

M/C Question 36 What problems did black sharecroppers experience?

a) foreign competition

b) mechanization

c) eviction

d) All of these answers are correct.

ANS: d

Skill=Factual, Objective=25.5a: Report the hardships faced by different sections of American society in post-World War II America, Topic=The Other America, Difficulty=Easy,

M/C Question 37 How did many rural blacks respond to southern problems?

a) They moved to northern cities.

b) They placed their children in better schools in southern cities.

c) They found better jobs in southern cities.

d) All of these answers are correct.

ANS: d

Skill=Factual, Objective=25.5a: Report the hardships faced by different sections of American society in post-World War II America, Topic=The Other America, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 38 All of the following describe the black church in northern cities EXCEPT

a) it provided day-care facilities.

b) it played an important role in sustaining black life.

c) it hosted Girl and Boy Scouts events.

d) it often rejected poor black families.

ANS: d

Skill=Factual, Objective=25.5a: Report the hardships faced by different sections of American society in post-World War II America, Topic=The Other America, Difficulty=Moderate,

M/C Question 39 All of the following statements explain the efforts of President Truman regarding civil rights EXCEPT:

a) In 1946 he created a committee to investigate lynching and other racial problems.

b) In 1948 he presented a civil rights program to Congress—the first president to do so.

c) He issued a ban against discrimination in federal employment.

d) He helped Congress to pass major civil rights legislation and voting bills.

ANS: d

Skill=Factual, Objective=25.5a: Report the hardships faced by different sections of American society in post-World War II America, Topic=The Other America, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 40 Latino immigrants in the United States after World War II came from

a) Mexico.

b) Central America.

c) Cuba.

d) All of these answers are correct.

ANS: d

Skill=Factual, Objective=25.5a: Report the hardships faced by different sections of American society in post-World War II America, Topic=The Other America, Difficulty=Moderate,

M/C Question 41 Which Latin American nation created a partnership with the United States to provide labor during and after World War II?

a) Chile

b) Mexico

c) Peru

d) Panama

ANS: b

Skill=Factual, Objective=25.5a: Report the hardships faced by different sections of American society in post-World War II America, Topic=The Other America, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 42 All of the following relate the history of the braceros EXCEPT

a) working conditions were harsh.

b) some workers were deported by the federal government.

c) many workers stayed beyond their official agreement.

d) all braceros were returned to their home nation.

ANS: d

Skill=Factual, Objective=25.5a: Report the hardships faced by different sections of American society in post-World War II America, Topic=The Other America, Difficulty=Moderate

M/C Question 43 Following World War II, Puerto Ricans

a) were forced to immigrate to the United States.

b) settled primarily in the Southwest of the United States.

c) failed to enjoy the promise of the American dream as immigrant people.

d) enjoyed widespread wealth and prosperity.

ANS: c

Difficulty=Moderate, Skill=Factual, Objective=25.5a: Report the hardships faced by different sections of American society in post-World War II America, Topic=The Other America

M/C Question 44 By the end of the 1960s, the city with the largest Puerto Rican population in the world was

a) San Salvador.

b) San Juan.

c) New York City.

d) Miami.

ANS: c

Skill=Factual, Objective=25.5a: Report the hardships faced by different sections of American society in post-World War II America, Topic=The Other America, Difficulty=Easy

M/C Question 45 The Immigration and Nationality Act

a) removed the long-standing ban on Japanese immigration.

b) established a quota of 100 immigrants a year for each Asian nation.

c) provided that first-generation Japanese Americans were now eligible for citizenship.

d) All of these answers are correct.

ANS: d

Skill=Factual, Objective=25.5b: Note the small percentage of the population that benefitted from the postwar conditions, Topic=The Other America, Difficulty=Moderate,

Essay

Essay Question 46 Discuss the general economic conditions of the United States in the decade and a half after the end of World War II.

Global Correct Feedback: It was a period of general economic expansion. Accumulated savings fueled consumption after the war, while the automobile industry, the interstate highway system, and housing construction stimulated economic growth. A government attitude favorable to business and expenditures associated with the Korean War also stimulated the economy. In general, it was a period of prosperity and affluence, especially for the middle class.

Skill=Analyze, Objective=25.1: Examine the sources of American prosperity in the period after the end of the World War II, Topic=Economic Boom, Difficulty=Moderate

Essay Question 47 Discuss the major developments in corporate business in the later 1940s through the 1950s.

Global Correct Feedback: During that period, corporate business trends were toward concentration of control in the form of oligopolies and conglomerates. Franchise operations became a widespread business model, and many companies began to expand into foreign markets.

Skill=Understand, Objective=25.1: Examine the sources of American prosperity in the period after the end of the World War II, Topic=Economic Boom, Difficulty=Moderate

Essay Question 48 Assume that you were a typical white, middle-class, white-collar employee during the 1950s and 1960s. Describe your working conditions and your living environment.

Global Correct Feedback: The typical white-collar worker would be salaried rather than paid by the hour and would be among the majority of workers. There would be a general conformity among workers with stress on teamwork rather than individuality. They would have more children and better health care than previous generations. Many would move west and probably live in the suburbs in standardized housing, while doing much of their purchasing at shopping malls.

Objective=25.1: Examine the sources of American prosperity in the period after the end of the World War II, Topic=Economic Boom, Difficulty=Difficult, Skill=Apply

Essay Question 49 Discuss union gains from the end of World War II through the 1950s. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of those gains.

Global Correct Feedback: Immediate postwar adjustment was hostile with more strikes in 1946 than ever before in U.S. history. By the late 1940s, an accommodation was reached: big business acknowledged basic rights of industrial workers, and union workers acknowledged management prerogatives and the principle of a fair profit. The unions gained material concessions, but with the loss of worker autonomy and control. Automation and expansion abroad to use cheap labor created anxiety in the work force.

Skill=Evaluate, Topic=Economic Boom, Difficulty=Difficult, Objective=25.1: Examine the sources of American prosperity in the period after the end of the World War II

Essay Question 50 Discuss the major demographic trends and settlement patterns of the postwar era.

Global Correct Feedback: The population grew dramatically as a “baby boom” developed. War industries prompted many people to move west. White middle-class Americans moved into the suburbs. Levitt’s mass production housing and government-insured mortgages fueled housing booms. Shopping centers catered to suburban customers.

Skill=Analyze, Objective=25.2: Report the massive demographic, technological, and environmental impact of the postwar economic boom of America, Topic=Demographic and Technological Shifts, Difficulty=Difficult

Essay Question 51 Suppose you are a typical consumer of the postwar era. Describe your activities and standard of living.

Global Correct Feedback: Science and technology created new gadgets and appliances. Television, made cheaper by the invention of the transistor, became the main purchase. More staple appliances were purchased, as well as less essential items such as electric pencil sharpeners. Credit cards and installment plans encouraged buying. After the rigors of war, Americans felt entitled to abundance and leisure.

Skill=Apply, Objective=25.2: Report the massive demographic, technological, and environmental impact of the postwar economic boom of America, Topic=Demographic and Technological Shifts, Difficulty=Difficult

Essay Question 52 Discuss the pressures for conformity as well as social changes for various levels of American women.

Global Correct Feedback: After World War II, traditional gender roles were reaffirmed. Women faced tremendous pressure to conform but entered the workforce at higher rates than the prewar period. The media and authority figures, such as Dr. Spock, reinforced stereotypes. More professions were available but only in those areas that reinforced women’s traditional roles. African American women improved their wages and professional options.

Skill=Analyze, Objective=25.3: Recognize reasons as to why conformity became the norm in the postwar United States, Topic=Consensus and Conformity, Difficulty=Difficult

Essay Question 53 Suppose you were a nontypical American college student during the period from 1945 to 1960. Describe your probable interests and the cultural figures that would most probably appeal to you.

Global Correct Feedback: The nontypical American college student would probably have been interested in those artists and philosophers who questioned the prevailing conformity in American society, such as J. D. Salinger, Jack Kerouac, and Allen Ginsberg. He or she would probably have grooved to Elvis Presley’s music and been interested in the art of Jackson Pollock and the “New York School.” The female college student may have read Betty Friedan.

Difficulty=Difficult, Skill=Apply, Objective=25.3: Recognize reasons as to why conformity became the norm in the postwar United States, Topic=Consensus and Conformity