American History

Question 1

What was the economic crisis that inspired the New Deal?

Answer 1

The Great Depression

Question 2

What was Andrew Jackson’s relationship to the Second Bank?

Answer 2

Distrust. Too much power in concentrated hands. Favored wealthy elite. Vetoed recharter bill in 1832.

Question 3

What was the “Bank War” by Andrew Jackson?

Answer 3

Jackson took steps to undermine the Bank’s influence by removing federal deposits from the Bank and placing them in state-chartered banks “Pet Banks.”

Question 4

What did Andrew Jackson issue in 1836 to curb speculation?

Answer 4

Specie Circular. Executive order demanding that government land be purchase by silver or gold. Led to financial panic of 1837.

Question 5

What was the tariff of 1828?

Answer 5

Passed by Congress to protect Northern industries by imposing high tariffs on imported goods.

Question 6

What was the nullification crisis?

Answer 6

1832 South Carolina declared the right to ignore unconstitutional federal laws (tariff of 1828) because they believed it favored northerners.

Question 7

What was the Indian Removal Act?

Answer 7

Signed in 1830 by Andrew Jackson authorizing gov’t to negotiate treaties for the relocation of Indian tribes west. Primarily to benefit white settlers looking to expand.

Question 8

What was the trail of tears?

Answer 8

Result of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 where thousands of Indians were forced to relocate to the west and many suffered and died along the way

Question 9

What was the Marshall Plan?

Answer 9

A post-World War II initiative officially known as the European Recovery Program (ERP), was proposed by U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall to aid European nations in economic recovery. It aimed to prevent the spread of communism by fostering economic stability through financial assistance and rebuilding efforts.

Question 10

What does “Common Form” refer to in the context of the Cold War?

Answer 10

The standardization of communist policies and practices across Soviet-dominated Eastern Bloc countries during the Cold War, exemplifying Soviet control over its satellite states and in response to the US Marshall Plan.

Question 11

What is McCarthyism?

Answer 11

The anti-communist witch hunt and intense scrutiny of individuals suspected of communist sympathies in the U.S. during the early Cold War period, named after Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Question 12

What characterized the ideological conflict during the Cold War?

Answer 12

The ideological conflict between the capitalist West, led by the U.S., and the communist East, led by the Soviet Union. Tensions arose as both superpowers competed for global influence.

Question 13

What is the significance of the Smith Act during the Cold War?

Answer 13

Enacted in 1940, the Smith Act criminalized advocating the overthrow of the government and was used during the Cold War to prosecute individuals for alleged communist activities or affiliations.

Question 14

What does “The Red Scare” refer to?

Answer 14

Periods of intense anti-communist fear and hysteria in the U.S., particularly in the late 1940s and early 1950s, leading to widespread suspicion, investigations, and blacklisting.

Question 15

What was the significance of NSC-68 during the Cold War?

Answer 15

A pivotal U.S. policy document advocating for a significant increase in military spending to contain the spread of communism, shaping U.S. foreign policy for years to come.

Question 16

What role did Los Alamos play during the Cold War?

Answer 16

It was the site of the Manhattan Project during World War II, where the U.S. developed the first atomic bomb, playing a crucial role in the geopolitical power dynamic of the Cold War.

Question 17

What is Strontium-90, and why is it significant in the context of the Cold War?

Answer 17

A radioactive isotope produced by nuclear weapons testing during the Cold War, raising global concerns about the long-term effects of nuclear weapons testing on human health.

Question 18

What was the Baby Tooth Survey, and what did it study?

Answer 18

A study measuring Strontium-90 levels in children’s teeth to assess the impact of nuclear weapons testing on human health, contributing to public awareness of the dangers of nuclear fallout.

Question 19

What was the War on Poverty and who initiated it?

Answer 19

A set of domestic programs initiated by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960s, aiming to reduce poverty and inequality in the U.S., and it was a key component of Johnson’s Great Society agenda.

Question 20

What characterized the Moscow Summit?

Answer 20

It was a series of meetings between U.S. and Soviet leaders in the 1970s aimed at reducing Cold War tensions. Détente marked a shift from the previous era of hostility and included arms control agreements.

Question 21

What is the Helsinki Accord, and when was it signed?

Answer 21

It was an agreement signed in 1975 by 35 nations, including the U.S. and Soviet Union, promoting economic cooperation and human rights. It contributed to the thawing of Cold War tensions.

Question 22

Who was Mikhail Gorbachev, and what was his connection to Chernobyl?

Answer 22

Mikhail Gorbachev was the leader of the Soviet Union in the 1980s. The Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986, occurring under his leadership, became a symbol of the shortcomings of the Soviet system and played a role in the eventual end of the Cold War.

Question 23

What was the Cuban Missile Crisis, and when did it occur?

Answer 23

A 13-day standoff in 1962 between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over the placement of Soviet ballistic missiles in Cuba. It is considered one of the closest moments to nuclear war during the Cold War.

Question 24

What was the Warsaw Pact, and when was it formed?

Answer 24

A military alliance formed in 1955 among the Soviet Union and its satellite states in response to the formation of NATO. It solidified the division between NATO and the Warsaw Pact countries during the Cold War.

Question 25

What is the concept of “Mutually Assured Destruction” (MAD)?

Answer 25

A strategic doctrine where both superpowers, the U.S. and the Soviet Union, believed that the use of nuclear weapons by one side would result in the destruction of both sides, deterring direct conflict.

Question 26

What is the Iron Curtain, and who coined this term?

Answer 26

The Iron Curtain was a term coined by Winston Churchill in 1946 to describe the ideological and physical division between communist Eastern Europe and the democratic West during the Cold War.

Question 27

What was the U-2 Incident, and when did it occur?

Answer 27

Incident took place in 1960 when a U.S. spy plane was shot down over Soviet territory, heightening Cold War tensions. The event exposed U.S. espionage activities and led to the capture of pilot Francis Gary Powers.

Question 28

What is the significance of the Berlin Airlift?

Answer 28

The Berlin Airlift (1948-1949) was a massive humanitarian effort by the U.S. and its allies to supply West Berlin by air after the Soviet Union blockaded the city. It demonstrated the West’s commitment to defending democratic principles in the face of Soviet aggression.

Question 29

What is the “Domino Theory,” and how did it shape U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War?

Answer 29

The belief that the spread of communism in one country would lead to its rapid spread in neighboring countries. This theory influenced U.S. foreign policy, particularly in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.

Question 30

What role did the Korean War play in the Cold War?

Answer 30

A conflict between communist North Korea, supported by China and the Soviet Union, and democratic South Korea, supported by the U.S. It exemplified Cold War proxy conflicts and ended in an armistice.

Question 31

What marked the end of the Cold War, and when did it officially conclude?

Answer 31

The Cold War officially ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the subsequent collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe were key events leading to the conclusion of the Cold War.