U.S. History: The Revolutionary War (1775-1783)

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Questions and Answers

Which treaty formally concluded the Revolutionary War, recognizing the independence of the United States?

  • Treaty of Tordesillas
  • Treaty of Versailles
  • Treaty of Paris (1783) (correct)
  • Treaty of Ghent

What was the primary goal of Reconstruction following the Civil War?

  • To expand industrial production in the North
  • To establish new colonies in the West
  • To rebuild the South and integrate formerly enslaved people into society (correct)
  • To establish a monarchy in the United States

Which of these was a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement?

  • Andrew Carnegie
  • Martin Luther King Jr. (correct)
  • Dwight D. Eisenhower
  • Henry Ford

Which event is generally considered the start of the Great Depression?

<p>The Stock Market Crash of 1929 (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The Cold War was primarily an ideological conflict between which two superpowers?

<p>United States and Soviet Union (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was a major cause of the Revolutionary War?

<p>British taxation without representation (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the Emancipation Proclamation?

<p>It freed enslaved people only in states that were in rebellion against the Union. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary goal of the Montgomery Bus Boycott?

<p>To protest segregation on public buses (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which New Deal program was designed to provide retirement income and assistance to the unemployed?

<p>Social Security Act (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which event brought the United States and the Soviet Union closest to nuclear war?

<p>The Cuban Missile Crisis (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following factors contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War?

<p>Economic differences between the North and South, particularly regarding slavery (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 aim to address racial discrimination?

<p>By outlawing discriminatory voting practices, such as literacy tests (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did the New Deal attempt to address the issue of unemployment during the Great Depression?

<p>By creating government jobs through programs like the CCC and WPA (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following was a major outcome of the Cold War?

<p>The collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the bi-polar world order (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the significance of the Battle of Saratoga during the Revolutionary War?

<p>It convinced France to ally with the American colonies. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of these principles was a cornerstone of Lincoln's approach to Reconstruction?

<p>Swift reintegration of Southern states with minimal conditions (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision impact the legal landscape of segregation?

<p>It declared state-sponsored segregation in public schools unconstitutional. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did the Dust Bowl contribute to the economic hardship of the Great Depression?

<p>By displacing farmers and destroying agricultural land in the Midwest (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the significance of the Truman Doctrine in shaping US foreign policy during the Cold War?

<p>It committed the United States to containing the spread of communism. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of these events MOST directly resulted from the end of the Cold War?

<p>The reunification of Germany (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did differing interpretations of states' rights contribute to the Civil War?

<p>Southern states argued that they had the right to nullify federal laws and preserve slavery. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the long-term impact of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 beyond outlawing discrimination?

<p>It fundamentally reshaped American society by promoting greater equality and challenging discriminatory practices. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did the economic policies of the Hoover administration inadvertently worsen the Great Depression?

<p>By raising tariffs on imported goods, leading to a decline in international trade (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the underlying strategic rationale behind the Marshall Plan?

<p>To rebuild the economies of Western European countries to prevent the spread of communism (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the strategy of 'Vietnamization' during the Vietnam War?

<p>Gradually withdrawing US troops and transferring responsibility to South Vietnamese forces (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the significance of the Battle of Antietam during the Civil War?

<p>It prompted Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did the Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) impact the Civil Rights Movement decades later?

<p>It established the 'separate but equal' doctrine, which the Civil Rights Movement sought to overturn. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following New Deal programs had the most far-reaching and lasting impact on American society?

<p>Social Security Act (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary significance of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989?

<p>It symbolized the end of the Cold War and the collapse of Soviet influence in Eastern Europe. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did the Sons of Liberty contribute to the onset of the American Revolution?

<p>By organizing boycotts, protests, and acts of civil disobedience against British policies (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did the actions of General William Tecumseh Sherman during his 'March to the Sea' affect the course of the Civil War?

<p>By implementing a scorched-earth policy that devastated the South's economy and morale (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the significance of the 'Little Rock Crisis' in the broader context of the Civil Rights Movement?

<p>It demonstrated the federal government's commitment to enforcing desegregation, even in the face of strong resistance. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did the unequal distribution of wealth contribute to the Great Depression?

<p>It resulted in a lack of demand for goods and services, as a large portion of the population lacked purchasing power. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following events is considered an example of a proxy war during the Cold War?

<p>The Korean War (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What if, hypothetically, the Continental Army had lost the Battle of Saratoga? Which outcome is most probable?

<p>France would have been far less likely to publicly support the American cause, depriving the revolutionaries of essential military and financial aid, likely leading to eventual defeat. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Consider an alternate timeline where the Soviet Union did NOT collapse in 1991 and maintained its sphere of influence. How might this have affected the trajectory of globalization at the start of the 21st century?

<p>Globalization would have proceeded, but in a more fragmented and contested manner, potentially slower and more regionally focused, due to the presence of two competing economic and political systems. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Revolutionary War

Conflict between Great Britain and its American colonies, resulting in the creation of the United States.

Declaration of Independence

A formal declaration asserting the thirteen American colonies' independence from Great Britain, adopted on July 4, 1776.

Battle of Yorktown

Military engagement where British General Cornwallis surrendered to American and French forces.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

Ended the Revolutionary War, formally recognized the United States as independent from Great Britain.

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Civil War

Conflict between the United States and the Confederate States of America (1861-1865).

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Fort Sumter

South Carolina military engagement; marked the beginning of the American Civil War.

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Emancipation Proclamation

Issued by Abraham Lincoln, declared slaves free in Confederate-held territory.

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Appomattox Courthouse

Final battle of the Civil War; Confederate General Lee surrendered.

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Reconstruction (1865-1877)

Period after the Civil War focused on rebuilding the South and integrating formerly enslaved people into society.

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13th Amendment

Abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States.

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Civil Rights Movement

Movement to end racial segregation and discrimination and achieve equal rights for African Americans.

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Brown v. Board of Education

Supreme Court decision declaring state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional.

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Montgomery Bus Boycott

A political and social protest campaign started in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, intended to oppose the city's policy of racial segregation on its public buses.

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March on Washington (1963)

A march for jobs and freedom in Washington, D.C. It became a key moment in the growing struggle for civil rights in the United States.

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Civil Rights Act of 1964

Landmark legislation outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

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Voting Rights Act of 1965

Prohibited racial discrimination in voting.

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Great Depression

Severe economic downturn that began with the stock market crash of 1929 and lasted throughout the 1930s.

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Dust Bowl

A period in the 1930's of severe duststorms causing major ecological and agricultural damage to American prairie lands

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New Deal

Series of programs and policies enacted in the United States during the Great Depression, designed to provide relief, recovery, and reform.

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Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

A work relief program in the United States that gave jobs to millions of unemployed young men to work on environmental conservation projects

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Public Works Administration (PWA)

U.S. agency created as part of the New Deal designed to reduce unemployment by improving nation's infrastructure.

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Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Largest and most ambitious American New Deal agency, employing millions of unemployed people to carry out public works projects.

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Social Security Act

Landmark act establishing old-age benefits, unemployment insurance, and aid to families with dependent children.

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Cold War

A period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies (1947-1991).

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Truman Doctrine

American foreign policy with the primary goal of containing Soviet geopolitical expansion during the Cold War.

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Marshall Plan

American initiative passed in 1948 to aid Western Europe, in which the United States gave over $12 billion in economic assistance to help rebuild Western European economies after the end of World War II.

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Berlin Blockade

Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, road, and canal access to the sectors of Berlin under Western control.

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Korean War

A war between North Korea (with the support of China and the Soviet Union) and South Korea (with the principal support of the United States).

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Cuban Missile Crisis

A 13-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union initiated by the American discovery of Soviet nuclear missile deployments in Cuba.

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Vietnam War

A war pitting the communist government of North Vietnam and its allies in South Vietnam, known as the Viet Cong, against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States.

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Arms Race

The policy where many nations became armed with nuclear weapons during The Cold War

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Space Race

A 20th-century competition between two Cold War rivals, the Soviet Union and the United States, for achievements in space exploration.

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Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989)

A barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin.

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Collapse of the Soviet Union (1991)

Dissolution of the Soviet Union on December 26, 1991.

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Study Notes

  • U.S. History is a broad field encompassing the history of the United States from pre-colonial times to the present
  • The Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, the Great Depression, and the Cold War are major events in U.S. History

Revolutionary War (1775-1783)

  • The Revolutionary War was a conflict between Great Britain and its thirteen American colonies, which declared independence as the United States of America
  • Causes included British taxation without representation, restrictions on trade, and perceived violations of colonists' rights
  • Key events: Battles of Lexington and Concord, Declaration of Independence (1776), Battle of Saratoga, Valley Forge, Battle of Yorktown (1781)
  • Key figures: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, King George III
  • Outcome: American victory, recognition of US independence, establishment of a new nation based on republican ideals
  • The Treaty of Paris (1783) formally ended the war

Civil War (1861-1865)

  • The Civil War was a conflict between the United States (the Union) and eleven Southern states that seceded to form the Confederate States of America (the Confederacy)
  • Causes included slavery, states' rights, economic differences between the North and South, and political extremism
  • Key events: Fort Sumter, First Battle of Bull Run, Battle of Antietam, Emancipation Proclamation (1863), Battle of Gettysburg, Sherman's March to the Sea, Appomattox Courthouse (Confederate surrender)
  • Key figures: Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, Frederick Douglass
  • Outcome: Union victory, abolition of slavery (13th Amendment), preservation of the United States as a single nation, but also immense loss of life and widespread destruction, particularly in the South
  • Reconstruction (1865-1877) aimed to rebuild the South and integrate formerly enslaved people into society but faced significant challenges

Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968)

  • The Civil Rights Movement was a struggle by African Americans and their allies to end racial segregation and discrimination and achieve equal rights under the law
  • Key events: Brown v. Board of Education (1954), Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956), Little Rock Crisis (1957), March on Washington (1963), Selma to Montgomery marches (1965)
  • Key figures: Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, John Lewis, Thurgood Marshall
  • Key legislation: Civil Rights Act of 1964 (outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin), Voting Rights Act of 1965 (prohibited racial discrimination in voting)
  • Tactics included nonviolent resistance, civil disobedience, legal challenges, and grassroots organizing
  • Significant progress was made in dismantling legal segregation, but racial inequality persists in many forms

Great Depression (1929-1939)

  • The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that originated in the United States after the stock market crash of October 1929
  • Causes included overproduction, speculation, unequal distribution of wealth, and a decline in international trade
  • Key events: Stock market crash, bank failures, widespread unemployment, Dust Bowl, New Deal
  • Key figures: Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • Hoover's response was initially limited, emphasizing voluntary action and local relief efforts
  • Roosevelt's New Deal was a series of programs and policies designed to provide relief, recovery, and reform
  • Programs included the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Public Works Administration (PWA), Works Progress Administration (WPA), and Social Security Act
  • The New Deal helped to alleviate some of the suffering caused by the Depression, but full recovery was not achieved until World War II

Cold War (1947-1991)

  • The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies
  • It was characterized by ideological conflict, nuclear arms race, proxy wars, and espionage
  • Causes included ideological differences (capitalism vs. communism), Soviet expansionism, and mutual mistrust
  • Key events: Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, Berlin Blockade, Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War, arms race, space race, fall of the Berlin Wall (1989), collapse of the Soviet Union (1991)
  • Key figures: Harry Truman, Joseph Stalin, John F. Kennedy, Nikita Khrushchev, Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev
  • Proxy wars: Conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan, where the US and USSR supported opposing sides without directly fighting each other
  • The threat of nuclear annihilation loomed throughout the Cold War, leading to arms control treaties
  • The collapse of the Soviet Union marked the end of the Cold War and a shift in the global balance of power

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