Download History 232: The US

History 232: The U.S. Since 1865
Instructor: John Maynard
Fall Summer 2011
Study Guide
Final Examination
(150 Points)
July 27, 2011
Section I: Identifications (50 points). Write short identifying essays about 10 persons,
events, concepts, etc. The following samples should give you an idea of what to expect:
Ku Klux Klan
Lend-Lease
Montgomery Improvement Association
Marshall Plan
McCarthyism
Fourteen Points
Dawes Plan
Pullman strike
Wagner Act
22nd Amendment
Omaha Platform
Brown vs. Board of Education
Clayton Antitrust Act
Prohibition
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Yalta Conference
GI Bill of Rights
Truman Doctrine
Sections II and III: Short Essays (25 points each). You will write two medium-length
essays, giving as much detail as you can within the time allowed. The questions will be
drawn from both halves of the course and will be similar to the following:
In the half-century following the Civil War, American farms became more and
more productive, even as more and more land was put under cultivation, especially in the
West. Why were American farmers unhappy with the results? What were some of the
things that made them angry, whom did they blame for them, and how, in particular, did
they organize to fight for change?
In what ways were the Populist and Progressive movements similar, and in what
important ways were they very different? Be as specific as you can.
It was hard making a living as a factory worker in the late 19th century. What
kinds of things did American workers do to try to make their lives better? Why did so
few of them become revolutionaries and try to overthrow the capitalist system?
Why did the United States wait so long to enter World War II, and how did
President Roosevelt manage to help the British fight Hitler even though the U.S. was still
at "peace?"
Section IV: Major Essay (50 points). You will write an essay answering one question
which is similar to the following. Be as specific as you can within the time allowed.
How did Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal policies (first and second)
change the relationship between the American people and their government? Cite
specific examples.
What did Woodrow Wilson hope the United States (and the world) could “get”
out of American participation in World War I?
Why and how did the U.S. acquire overseas colonies, even though it disapproved
of other nations’ empires?
How and why did the Cold War haappen?
Write a short history of the US involvement in Vietnam.