U.S. History: 1877–Present (Grades 10–11) Midterm — Semester 2, Form A

← Midterm Library / Social Studies / U.S. History: 1877–Present

Grades 10–11 15 multiple choice + 1 written

Free printable U.S. History: 1877–Present midterm (Grades 10–11): 15 multiple-choice questions plus 1 written response covering World War II, Cold War & Civil Rights, Modern America (1970s–2010s). Answer key included — customize it in the Midterm Maker.

Customize in Midterm Maker

Name: Date: Period:

Directions: Read each question carefully and choose the best answer. Answer the written response in complete sentences.

Covers: World War II · Cold War & Civil Rights · Modern America (1970s–2010s)

Part 1: Multiple Choice

What was the U.S. strategy of "island hopping" in the Pacific?
1. A. Defending only Hawaii and the Philippines
2. B. Invading every Japanese-held island in order
3. C. Blockading Japan without landing troops
4. D. Capturing selected islands to move closer to Japan while bypassing others
What was the Manhattan Project?
1. A. A plan to rebuild Europe after the war
2. B. A New York City housing program for veterans
3. C. A code-breaking operation against Japan
4. D. A secret U.S. program to build an atomic bomb
What was D-Day (June 6, 1944)?
1. A. The German invasion of the Soviet Union
2. B. The Allied invasion of Normandy, France
3. C. The bombing of Hiroshima
4. D. The Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri
What did the Lend-Lease Act of 1941 allow the United States to do?
1. A. Draft men into the military for the first time
2. B. Sell weapons only to nations that paid in cash
3. C. Declare war on Germany
4. D. Lend or lease war supplies to nations fighting the Axis
What did Executive Order 9066 (1942) lead to?
1. A. The forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans on the West Coast
2. B. The rationing of gasoline and sugar
3. C. The desegregation of the U.S. armed forces
4. D. The creation of the atomic bomb program
What was the goal of the U.S. Cold War policy of containment?
1. A. Withdrawing from all foreign alliances
2. B. Stopping the spread of communism to new countries
3. C. Destroying the Soviet Union through invasion
4. D. Sharing nuclear weapons with the Soviet Union
What event sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955?
1. A. Rosa Parks's arrest for refusing to give up her bus seat
2. B. The integration of Central High School in Little Rock
3. C. The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
4. D. The passage of the Voting Rights Act
What did the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964) give President Lyndon Johnson?
1. A. Power to end the military draft
2. B. A formal declaration of war against North Vietnam
3. C. Funding for the Great Society programs
4. D. Broad authority to use military force in Vietnam without a declaration of war
What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 do?
1. A. Granted citizenship to formerly enslaved people
2. B. Outlawed segregation in public places and banned job discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin
3. C. Created the Department of Education
4. D. Ended poll taxes in all elections
How did the United States respond to the Soviet blockade of West Berlin in 1948?
1. A. It agreed to give West Berlin to the Soviets
2. B. It built the Berlin Wall
3. C. It invaded East Germany with ground troops
4. D. It flew food and supplies into the city in the Berlin Airlift
After the September 11, 2001 attacks, where did the United States first launch a military campaign?
1. A. Iraq
2. B. Kuwait
3. C. Iran
4. D. Afghanistan
What did the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which took effect in 1994, do?
1. A. Closed the U.S.–Mexico border to trade
2. B. Reduced trade barriers among the U.S., Canada, and Mexico
3. C. Created a single currency for North America
4. D. Formed a military alliance against the Soviet Union
What did the Camp David Accords of 1978 achieve?
1. A. The release of American hostages in Iran
2. B. A nuclear arms treaty with the Soviet Union
3. C. An end to the Vietnam War
4. D. A peace framework between Egypt and Israel, brokered by President Carter
What was the most significant result of the Watergate scandal?
1. A. President Nixon was removed from office by the Senate
2. B. The Twenty-Second Amendment was passed
3. C. Congress abolished the CIA
4. D. President Nixon resigned in 1974
Supply-side economics, central to President Reagan's policies, held that
1. A. raising taxes would encourage businesses to hire
2. B. tariffs should be raised on all imports
3. C. government should own major industries
4. D. cutting taxes would encourage investment and economic growth

Part 2: Written Response

How did World War II change the home front in the United States? Discuss changes for women, minorities, and the economy.

Answer Key — U.S. History: 1877–Present (Grades 10–11) Midterm — Semester 2, Form A

D — Capturing selected islands to move closer to Japan while bypassing others It saved time and lives by skipping heavily defended islands.
D — A secret U.S. program to build an atomic bomb Scientists at sites like Los Alamos developed the first atomic weapons.
B — The Allied invasion of Normandy, France D-Day opened a western front that helped defeat Germany.
D — Lend or lease war supplies to nations fighting the Axis Lend-Lease aided Britain and later the Soviet Union before the U.S. entered combat.
A — The forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans on the West Coast About 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were sent to camps.
B — Stopping the spread of communism to new countries Containment guided U.S. policy from the Truman Doctrine onward.
A — Rosa Parks's arrest for refusing to give up her bus seat The boycott lasted over a year and ended bus segregation in Montgomery.
D — Broad authority to use military force in Vietnam without a declaration of war Johnson used it to greatly expand U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
B — Outlawed segregation in public places and banned job discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin It outlawed segregation in public accommodations and job discrimination.
D — It flew food and supplies into the city in the Berlin Airlift Allied planes supplied West Berlin for about eleven months until the blockade ended.
D — Afghanistan The U.S. targeted al-Qaeda and the Taliban government that sheltered it.
B — Reduced trade barriers among the U.S., Canada, and Mexico NAFTA phased out most tariffs among the three countries.
D — A peace framework between Egypt and Israel, brokered by President Carter Egypt and Israel signed a formal peace treaty in 1979.
D — President Nixon resigned in 1974 Nixon became the first president to resign, facing likely impeachment.
D — cutting taxes would encourage investment and economic growth Supporters argued lower taxes would spur growth that benefits the whole economy.

Written Response — Look-Fors

Rosie the Riveter and women's work; Japanese American incarceration; African American service and Double V; war production ending the Depression; rationing.

U.S. History: 1877–Present (Grades 10–11) Midterm — Semester 2, Form A

Part 1: Multiple Choice

Part 2: Written Response

Written Response — Look-Fors

More U.S. History: 1877–Present midterms