1C2 - American Historical Events from 1919 - 2024

Question 2

What was the significance of the Treaty of Versailles (1919)?

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Answer 2

Treaty ended WWI, punished Germany.

The treaty’s so-called “war guilt” clause forced Germany and other Central Powers to take all the blame for World War I. This meant a loss of territories, reduction in military forces, and reparation payments to Allied powers.

Question 3

What amendment to the U.S. Constitution guaranteed women the right to vote?

Answer 3

19th Amendment

(1920)

Question 4

What was significant about the Stock Market Crash of 1929?

Answer 4

The banks failed and the economy took a major downturn for years.

The crash led to the Great Depression, which eventually led to regulatory changes.

Question 5

Which president was elected in 1933?

Answer 5

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Question 6

What was Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal?

Answer 6

Series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted between 1933 and 1938.

Question 7

Why was the Attack on Pearl Harbor (1941) important?

Answer 7

It was the event that led the United States to enter World War II.

Question 8

How long did World War II last?

Answer 8

1939-1945, a total of six years.

Question 9

What was a major turning point in World War II?

Answer 9

The Allied Powers invaded Normandy, France on D-Day (1944).

The Battle of Midway, Battle of Stalingrad, and D-Day were key turning points in WWII. Midway crippled Japan’s offensive capabilities, Stalingrad marked the Third Reich’s decline, and D-Day opened a second front against Germany, accelerating the war’s end.

Question 10

Who were the two sides during World War II?

Answer 10

• Allies: United States, France, Great Britain, later Soviet Union
• Axis: Germany, Italy, Japan

Question 11

What event caused the surrender of Japan, ending WWII?

Answer 11

The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.

Question 12

When was the United Nations created?

Answer 12

October 24th,1945

Question 13

Describe 2 causes of the Korean War (1950-1953).

Answer 13

1. U.S. and Soviet Union split Korea into two parts.
2. North Korea invades South Korea, U.S. responds.

Question 14

What important Supreme Court case stated that school segregation was unconstitutional?

Answer 14

Brown v. Board of Education

(1954)

Question 15

Why was the Montgomery Bus Boycott important?

Answer 15

The 1955 protest campaign against the policy of racial segregation on the public transit system led to desegregation.

Question 16

What were 2 causes of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 16

1. U.S. attempted overthrow of Castro in Cuba.
2. Soviet Union sending nuclear missiles to Cuba.

Question 17

How did the Cuban Missile Crisis end?

Answer 17

Khrushchev of the Soviet Union removed missiles from Cuba and President Kennedy of the United states removed missiles from Turkey.

Question 18

What important event took place after the March on Washington in 1963?

Answer 18

Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

Question 19

What law was passed in 1964 that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin?

Answer 19

Civil Rights Act

(1964)

Question 20

What did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 do?

Answer 20

Prohibits racial discrimination in voting.

Question 21

How long did the Vietnam War occur?

Answer 21

The war lasted from 1955 to 1975, with major U.S. involvement from 1965 to 1973.

Question 22

What were 2 causes of the Vietnam War?

Answer 22

1. The U.S. and Soviet Union were involved in the Cold War.
2. The decolonization movement.

Question 23

What event was the turning point in American involvement in the Vietnam War?

Answer 23

Tet Offensive

(1968)

The 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution allowed President Johnson to escalate U.S. military involvement in Vietnam. The 1968 Tet Offensive, a series of surprise attacks by North Vietnamese forces, shifted U.S. war objectives from victory to an honorable withdrawal.

Question 24

Why was the Apollo 11 Landing (1969) significant?

Answer 24

First human moon landing.

On July 20, 1969, the Apollo 11 mission marked a historic milestone with the first human moonwalk, inspiring global interest in space exploration and advancing space technology.

Question 25

What Supreme Court decision in 1973 legalized abortion?

Answer 25

Roe v. Wade

Question 26

What did **Dobbs v. Jackson** (2022) overturn?

Answer 26

It overturned Roe v. Wade (1973).

Question 27

What caused the 1979 **Iran Hostage Crisis**?

Answer 27

Iran was undergoing a political struggle between right and left-wing forces. ## Footnote The 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis was triggered by the Islamic revolution, U.S. support for the overthrown Shah, and his subsequent asylum in the U.S. This led to the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and a 444-day hostage crisis.

Question 28

What was signficant about the **Challenger** (1986) disaster?

Answer 28

On January 28, 1986, the **Space Shuttle Challenger** broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members aboard.

Question 29

Why was the **Fall of the Berlin Wall** (1989) an important moment?

Answer 29

It marked the beginning of the **end of the Cold War** and the reunification of Europe. ## Footnote The fall of the Berlin Wall, a pivotal event that occurred on November 9, 1989, symbolized the end of the Cold War, spurred the spread of democracy and capitalism in Eastern Europe, and led to the reunification of Germany.

Question 30

# Explain: Why were there riots in Los Angeles in 1992?

Answer 30

People were upset that police officers who had beaten **Rodney King** on camera were acquitted. ## Footnote The Los Angeles riots, sparked by the acquittal of four white police officers charged with excessively beating Rodney King, an African American, began on April 29, 1992, and lasted for six days. These riots exposed deep racial tensions and led to significant police department reforms.

Question 31

# Identify: What happened during the **Oklahoma City bombing** (1995)?

Answer 31

It was a domestic terrorist truck bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, on April 19, 1995.

Question 32

# Explain: Why was the **2000 presidential election** contested?

Answer 32

* George Bush won Florida by such a close margin that state law required a recount. * A month-long series of legal battles led to the highly controversial 5–4 Supreme Court decision Bush v. Gore, which ended the recount. * Bush won Florida by 537 votes, a margin of 0.009%.

Question 33

# Explain: Why was the election of Barack Obama in 2008 significant?

Answer 33

He became the first African-American president in American history.