Eisenhower Years, 1953-1961

Question 1

Who became the 34th president of the U.S., was a former 5 Star General, and was president throughout the 1950s?

Answer 1

Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)

Question 2

What popular image does the 1950s have in American history? Americans experienced the highest standard of living in the world, but the Cold War and the threat of nuclear destruction loomed in the background.

Answer 2

“Happy Days”

Question 3

In 1953, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles criticized Truman’s containment policy and suggested to push the Soviets to the brink of war. What was this policy known as?

Answer 3

Brinkmanship

Question 4

In 1953, this secretive government agency overthrew the leader of Iran and put in a new Shah (monarch) of Iran. The Shah would rule as a brutal autocrat.

Answer 4

CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)

Question 5

In 1954, this secretive government agency overthrew the government of Guatemala, because their leftist government threatened American business interests.

Answer 5

CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)

Question 6

In 1953, Stalin dies and this new soviet dictator took his place.

Answer 6

Nikita Khrushchev

Question 7

In 1954, SEATO was created to prevent Southeast Asia from falling to Communism. What is SEATO?

Answer 7

Asian Alliance (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization)

Question 8

In 1954, the French loose control of this territory after Ho Chi Minh led a Communist force to overthrow French rule.

Answer 8

Vietnam (Indochina)

Question 9

In 1954, at this conference the French gave up Indochina, which became Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam. Vietnam was also divided at the 17th parallel.

Answer 9

Geneva Conference

Question 10

This is a theory that was developed during the 1950s, in that if South Vietnam falls to Communism, one nation after another in Southeast Asia would also fall to Communism.

Answer 10

Domino Theory (1957)

Question 11

In 1955, this was an military alliance between the USSR and Eastern European statellite nations to unite and counter NATO.

Answer 11

Warsaw Pact (1955)

Question 12

In 1956, this crisis happened in Egypt where Britain, France, and Israel invaded. Eisenhower was furious and these countries withdrew from this region.

Answer 12

Suez Crisis (1956)

Question 13

In 1956, this act allowed for the construction of 42,000 miles of federal roads linking all the nation’s major cities. This sparked the growth of suburbia.

Answer 13

Interstate Highway Act (1956)

Question 14

In 1956, this was an attempted revolt against Communist rule in an Eastern European nation. Khrushchev sent in Soviet tanks to crush this rebellion. Eisenhower did nothing for fear of staring another war.

Answer 14

Hungarian Revolution (1956)

Question 15

In 1956, the U.S. puts this unpopular anti-communist dictator in power in South Vietnam. He will later be assassinated by his own supporters.

Answer 15

Ngo Dinh Diem

Question 16

In 1957, this doctrine extended the Truman Doctrine to the Middle East. Pledged economic and military aid to any Middle Eastern country threatened by Communism.

Answer 16

Eisenhower Doctrine (1957)

Question 17

In 1957, this shocked the U.S. and surprised the world when the Soviets launched the first satellite.

Answer 17

Sputnik

Question 18

In 1958, the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) did what?

Answer 18

Gave millions in federal money to schools for science, math, and foreign language.

Question 19

In 1958, this government agency was created for the purpose to build missiles and explore outer space.

Answer 19

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)

Question 20

In 1958, there was a Second Berlin Crisis, where Khrushchev threatened the U.S. to pull its troops from West Berlin. After a meeting with Eisenhower, the crisis was over. What famous quote did Khrushchev give about capitalism during this crisis?

Answer 20

“We will bury capitalism” - Nikita Khrushchev

Question 21

In 1959, this individual overthrew the U.S. supported Cuban dictator. He then nationalized American owned businesses and properties in Cuba. Communism was now only 90 miles away from the U.S.

Answer 21

Fidel Castro (Cuban Revolution 1959)

Question 22

In 1960, this incident led to increased tensions between the U.S. and USSR when an American spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union.

Answer 22

U-2 Incident (Gary Powers - pilot)

Question 23

In 1960, the National Liberation Front is formed in South Vietnam. From this group come the Viet Cong. Who are the Viet Cong?

Answer 23

South Vietnamese Communists

Question 24

In 1947, this baseball player broke the color line by being hired by the Brooklyn Dodgers as the first African American to play on a major league team.

Answer 24

Jackie Robinson

Question 25

In 1948, President Harry S. Truman integrated what government institution?

Answer 25

Military (armed forces)

Question 26

List some problems that African Americans faced in the South in the 1950s.

Answer 26

1. Segregation in public places.
2. Poll taxes, literacy tests, granfather clauses.
3. Intimidation by the KKK

Question 27

In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in this court case that segregation of black children in public schools was unconstitutional. It was determined that the “equal protection of the laws” in the 14th Amendment was being violated.

Answer 27

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)

Question 28

What previous court case did Brown v. Board of Education overturn?

Answer 28

Plessy v. Ferguson = “separate but eqaul” ruling

Question 29

In 1955, Rosa Parks sat in the front of a bus and was arrested for violating segregation law. Which young civil rights leader started the Montgomery Bus Boycott in Alabama.

Answer 29

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Question 30

What was Martin Luther King, Jr.’s philosophy on protesting for civil rights?

Answer 30

Nonviolent Protest

Question 31

In 1956, Governor Faubus of Arkansas used the National Guard to prevent nine African American students from entering this high school. Eisenhower sent in federal troops to protect the black students.

Answer 31

Little Rock Central High School

Little Rock Nine

Question 32

In 1957, the Civil Rights Commission was created to protect the voting rights of who?

Answer 32

African Americans

Question 33

In 1957, Martin Luther King Jr. formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which organized ministers and churches to get behind what movement?

Answer 33

Civil Rights

Question 34

In 1960, this movement started when college students in Greensboro, North Carolina began to sit-in at segregated lunch counters to challenge Jim Crow laws. Many of them were arrested.

Answer 34

Sit-In Movement (1960)

Question 35

SNCC was formed in 1960 to keep the sit-in movement organized. What does SNCC stand for?

Answer 35

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committe

Question 36

What is the term that is used to describe the 1950s, in which everyone followed traditional views. Also, houses looked the same, people drove similar cars, watched the same shows, wore same clothes.

Answer 36

Conformity

Question 37

What is the term that could describe the 1920s and the 1950s. Americans earned money and wanted to spend it on automobiles and new appliances.

Answer 37

Consumerism

Question 38

What became widely used in the 1950s among Americans that allowed them to purchase more goods?

Answer 38

Credit Cards

Question 39

What became the center of family life in millions of homes during the 1950s. This spurred the use of advertising to sell products.

Answer 39

Television

Question 40

This term describes the movement of middle-class American moving out of the cities into these areas during the 1950s.

Answer 40

Suburbia (Suburbs)

Question 41

During the 1950s, in corporate America men dressed in similar business suits. William Whyte wrote this book that documented the loss of individuality.

Answer 41

The Organization Man

Question 42

Which two powerful unions merged in 1955, creating one extremely powerful union.

Answer 42

AFL and CIO

Question 43

What was the typical woman’s role during the 1950s?

Answer 43

Homemaker

Question 44

What does non-conformity mean?

Answer 44

Against traditional values

Question 45

This non-conformist author, David Riseman wrote this book which criticized the conformity of individuals.

Answer 45

The Lonely Crowd

Question 46

This non-conformist author, J.D. Salinger wrote this book that depicted the “phoniness” as viewed by a troubled teenager.

Answer 46

The Catcher in the Rye

Question 47

This non-conformist author, Joseph Heller wrote this book where he satirized the stupidity of the military and war.

Answer 47

Catch-22

Question 48

During the 1950s, teenagers fell in love with rock n’ roll music. What individual popularized rock n’ roll and became known as The King?

Answer 48

Elvis Presley

Question 49

Name two actors that symbolized the youth rebellion in the 1950s.

Answer 49

James Dean - Rebel Without a Cause

Marlon Brando - The Wild One

Question 50

What was the name given to rebellious writers and intellectuals that made up the Beat Generation of the 1950s?

Answer 50

Beatniks

Question 51

Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg were two authors that best represented the Beat Generation by advocating spontaneity, use of drugs, and rebellion against societal standards. Name their famous works?

Answer 51

Jack Kerouac - On The Road

Allen Ginsberg - “Howl”

Question 52

The Beatniks of the 1950s would become models for the youth rebellion of which era?

Answer 52

1960s

Question 53

Martin Luther King, Jr. was inspired to use nonviolent protest from this American transcendentalist author?

Answer 53

Henry David Thoreau

Question 54

Henry David Thoreau was an American transcendentalist author who would later inspire Martin Luther King, Jr. to protest nonviolently. Which famous essay did he write that influenced KIng?

Answer 54

Civil Disobedience

Question 55

What did President Dwight D. Eisenhower warn Americans of in his farewell address?

Answer 55

Military-industrial complex