U.S. History: 1877–Present (Grades 10–11) Midterm — Units 3–4

Part 1: Multiple Choice

1. What was the Harlem Renaissance?
   1. A. A movement to restore old buildings in Harlem
   2. B. A government program to build housing in Harlem
   3. C. A political party founded in the 1920s
   4. D. A flowering of African American art, music, and literature centered in New York City
2. In the 1920s stock market, what did "buying on margin" mean?
   1. A. Buying stock only from companies with high profits
   2. B. Buying stock by paying a small part up front and borrowing the rest
   3. C. Selling stock before its price fell
   4. D. Buying government bonds instead of stocks
3. The 1925 Scopes Trial centered on a conflict over
   1. A. women's right to vote
   2. B. immigration quotas
   3. C. teaching evolution in public schools
   4. D. the sale of alcohol
4. Which was an unintended result of Prohibition in the 1920s?
   1. A. A large increase in federal tax revenue from alcohol
   2. B. The complete end of drinking in the United States
   3. C. The growth of organized crime through illegal alcohol sales
   4. D. The closing of every nightclub in American cities
5. What did the Social Security Act of 1935 provide?
   1. A. Old-age pensions and unemployment insurance
   2. B. Insurance for bank deposits
   3. C. Jobs building dams in the Tennessee Valley
   4. D. Loans to large corporations
6. Why was the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) created in 1933?
   1. A. To pay farmers to grow fewer crops
   2. B. To regulate the sale of stocks
   3. C. To build public works projects
   4. D. To insure bank deposits and restore confidence in banks
7. What was the Great Migration?
   1. A. The movement of African Americans from the rural South to cities in the North and West
   2. B. The movement of farmers from the Plains to California during the Dust Bowl
   3. C. The movement of Americans from cities to suburbs
   4. D. The arrival of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe
8. During the Great Depression, what were "Hoovervilles"?
   1. A. Shantytowns of homeless people, named to blame President Hoover
   2. B. Government housing projects built by Hoover
   3. C. Factories that Hoover reopened to create jobs
   4. D. Farms that received federal subsidies
9. What caused the Dust Bowl of the 1930s?
   1. A. Flooding of the Mississippi River
   2. B. Severe drought combined with farming practices that stripped the Plains of grass
   3. C. Volcanic eruptions in the western states
   4. D. Overuse of coal in Midwestern factories
10. What did Franklin Roosevelt's 1937 "court-packing" plan propose?
    1. A. Adding up to six new justices to the Supreme Court
    2. B. Electing Supreme Court justices by popular vote
    3. C. Abolishing the Supreme Court
    4. D. Letting Congress overrule Supreme Court decisions
11. 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
12. 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
13. 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
14. 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
15. 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
16. Why is the Battle of Midway (1942) considered a turning point in the Pacific?
    1. A. It was the first battle in which atomic weapons were used
    2. B. U.S. forces sank four Japanese aircraft carriers, stopping Japan's advance
    3. C. It was the first U.S. victory over Germany
    4. D. It ended with Japan's surrender
17. What was the immediate result of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941?
    1. A. The United States declared war on Japan
    2. B. The United States passed the Neutrality Acts
    3. C. The United States invaded Germany
    4. D. The United States signed a peace treaty with Japan
18. What was President Truman's stated main reason for using atomic bombs against Japan in 1945?
    1. A. To force the Soviet Union to declare war on Japan
    2. B. To destroy Japan's navy at Pearl Harbor
    3. C. To test the bombs before using them on Germany
    4. D. To end the war quickly without a costly invasion of Japan
19. What did the GI Bill of 1944 provide for returning veterans?
    1. A. Money for college and low-cost home loans
    2. B. Free land in western territories
    3. C. Guaranteed government jobs for life
    4. D. Exemption from paying federal taxes
20. What did the "Rosie the Riveter" image symbolize during World War II?
    1. A. Women taking industrial jobs to support the war effort
    2. B. Women serving as combat pilots overseas
    3. C. Women leading the movement for voting rights
    4. D. Women organizing protests against the war

Part 2: Written Response

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