2017 AP US History Unit TestThe 1950s and 1960s: Cold War, Civil Rights, and Domestic Issues

Instructions and Special NoteThere may be some overlap on historical material from your previous test because of the overlap of key issues from the late 1940s. As this is a take home test, this should present no problem.

Questions 1-4 Relate to the passage below “In my opinion the State Department, which is one of the most important government departments, is thoroughly infested with Communists.…I have in my hand 57 cases of individuals who would appear to be either card carrying members or certainly loyal to the Communist Party, but who nevertheless are still helping to shape our foreign policy. One thing to remember in discussing the Communists in our Government is that we are not dealing with spies who…steal blueprints of a new weapon. We are dealing with a far more sinister type of activity because it permits the enemy to guide and shape our policy…and will end only when the whole sorry mess of twisted, warped thinkers are swept from the national scene.”

Senator Joseph McCarthy, The Congressional Record, 1950

1. During the early 1950s, which of the following resulted from the sentiments expressed in the excerpt above? a. Public debates over the proper balance between liberty and order b. Attempts to rein in the power of the executive branchc. Widespread concern about the military–industrial complexd. Strong domestic opposition to the Korean War

2. Which of the following historical developments between World War I and World War II would the author of the passage most likely support?

a. The Great Migration b. The free speech movementc. Restrictive immigration quotas d. The growth of the American labor movement

3. A historian studying the socio-political impact of the McCarthy era could best compare it to which of the following

a. The Citizen Genet Affair of the 1790sb. The Palmer Raids of the 1920sc. The ruling in the Schechter v. U.S. case in the 1930sd. The Internment of Japanese-Americans in the 1940s

4. The highpoint of McCarthyism ended as a result ofa. The Alger Hiss Case b. The Sacco and Vanzetti Trialc. The Army-McCarthy Hearing d. The arrest of Whittaker Chambers

Questions 5-7 Relates to the Passage“We regard the decision of the Supreme Court in the school cases as clear abuse of judicial power.…This unwarranted exercise of power by the court, contrary to the Constitution is creating chaos and confusion in the states principally affected. It is destroying the amicable relations between the white and Negro races that have been created through ninety years of patient effort by the good people of both races. It has planted hatred and suspicion where there has been heretofore friendship and understanding. Without regard to the consent of the governed, outside agitators are threatening immediate and revolutionary changes in our public school systems. If done, this is certain to destroy the system of public education in some of the states.”

The Southern Declaration on Integration, March 11, 1956

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5. The author of the quote above most directly attacksa. decision-makers in each of the three branches of government.b. desegregation of the U.S. military.c. the doctrine of states’ rights.d. the efficacy of using federal power to achieve social goals.

6. Which landmark development largely ended the possibility of support for the author’s goals outlined in the quote above?

a. The 15th Amendment b. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 c. The New Deal d. Post-September 11, 2001, civil rights debates

7. The argument in the passage above is most clearly a demand for the reinstatement of which prior historical development?

a. The Harlem Renaissance movement b. Restrictive immigration quotasc. Plessey v. Ferguson d. Prohibition

Questions 8-14 Relate to the Image Below

8. During the 1950s, which group most directly challenged the portrayal of American life depicted in the illustration above?

a. Private-sector businesses b. Political conservativesc. “Sun Belt” migrants d. Artists and intellectuals

9. Which novelist would have been most synonymous with the criticisms above during the 1950sa. Jack Kerouac b. Sinclair Lewisc. Helen Gurley Brown d. Hugh Hefner

10. A similar movement of social criticism occurred in the 1920s. Which of the following writers would have made a good synthesis point?

a. Jack Kerouac b. Sinclair Lewisc. Alan Ginsberg d. John Steinbeck

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11. In the image above the dream of American home ownership and middle class status is being advertized. Which of the following would have played little role in the explosion of home ownership in the 1950s?

a. The Serviceman's Readjustment Actb. The Federal Housing Administrationc. The development of Levittown housingd. The ruling in the Shelley v. Kraemer (1946)

12. By 1980, how had the traditional family illustrated above changed?a. Many more women worked outside the home.b. Parents initiated a sexual revolution thereby liberalizing U.S culture.c. Fundamentalist Christian political influence on society had almost completely waned.d. Middle-class prosperity had expanded as a result of real wage growth.

Questions 13- 16 Relate to the Passage Below“The successful launching of the Soviet satellite is an overwhelmingly important event—against our side….Within the past thirty days we have been treated to as skillfully executed an example of psychological or political warfare orchestration as I have ever seen.…The first note was the arrival of the Soviet jet airliner….The second was the announcement of the successful testing of their ICBM. The third was the earth satellite. The fourth was the announcement of the setting off of a hydrogen bomb. The fifth will be another bigger and better earth satellite….You will notice the skillful alteration of war and peace—coexistence and atomic blackmail. You will also notice that all these items convey…Soviet success. The U.S. has either failed or not yet succeeded.”

Charles D. Jackson, “The Sputnik Crisis: The Beep Heard ’Round the World,” 1957

15. Which challenge faced by the United States in the 1950s and 1960s best exemplified the concerns articulated in the quote above?

a. The end of détente with the Sovietsb. The U.S. struggle for global leadershipc. The rise of a U.S. military–industrial complexd. The process of decolonization and shifting alliances

16. The Cold War challenges and technological deficits enumerated in the quote above most closely parallel U.S. unpreparedness in the early stages of which previous war?

a. The Spanish-American War b. World War Ic. World War II d. The Korean War

Questions 17- Relate to the Passage Below"We come then to the question presented: Does segregation of children in public schools solely on the basis of race, even though the physical facilities and other “tangible” factors may be equal, deprive the children of the minority group of equal educational opportunities? We believe that it does.

In finding that a segregated law school for Negros could not provide them equal educational opportunities this court relied in large part on "those qualities which are incapable of objective measurement but which make for greatness in a law school. Such considerations apply with added for to children in grade and high schools. To separate them from others of similar age and qualifications solely because of their race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone….

… We conclude that, in the field of public education, the doctrine of “separate but equal” has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. Therefore, we hold that the plaintiffs and others similarly situated for whom the actions have been brought are, by reason of the segregation complained of, deprived of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment."

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Chief Justice Earl Warren, Brown v. Board of Education 1954

17. The Brown decision was controversial for several reasons but which of the following is most evident in this selection?

a. Most of the all black schools were not physically equal.b. The decision was based upon tangible, or physical factorsc. The Court condemned segregated schools only in the Southd. The Court used psychological factors to support their case

18. Which previous Supreme Court legalizing segregation was overturned?a. Buck v. Bell 1927 b. Lochner v New York 1905c. Plessey v. Ferguson (1898) d. Morgan v. Virginia 1946

19. Which of the following best describes the initial reaction to the Brown ruling in 1954?a. Southern leaders supported the decision but voters did not.b. President Eisenhower provided active support for the decision.c. Resistance was widespread and initially few schools integrated.d. It was implemented with little resistance in most major cities.

Questions 20- 15 Relate to the Passage Below"The petitioners contend among other things that the state laws requiring or permitting use of the Regents' prayer must be struck down as a violation of the Establishment Clause because that prayer was composed by governmental officials as a part of a governmental program to further religious beliefs. For this reason, petitioners argue, the State's use of the Regents' prayer in its public school system breaches the constitutional wall of separation between Church and State. We agree with that contention since we think that the constitutional prohibition against laws respecting an establishment of religion must at least mean that in this country it is no part of the business of government to compose official prayers for any group of the American people to recite as a part of a religious program carried on by government.

It is a matter of history that this very practice of establishing governmentally composed prayers for religious services was one of the reasons which caused many of our early colonists to leave England and seek religious freedom in America. The Book of Common Prayer, which was created under governmental direction and which was approved by Acts of Parliament in 1548 and 1549, set out in minute detail the accepted form and content of prayer and other religious ceremonies to be used in the established, tax-supported Church of England."

Justice Hugo Black, 1962

20. Which of the following constitutional debates represents the historical context of the above passage?a. The Interstate Commerce Clause b. The Establishment Clausec. The Elastic Clause d. The Due Process Clause

21. The ruling being explained by Justice Hugo Black above would most reflect which of the following Supreme Court cases:

a. Engel v Vitale b. Roe v. Wade c. Miranda v Arizona d. Gideon v. Wainwright

22. The beliefs written above would have also best reflected the ideas of which colonial American leader?a. Thomas Jefferson b. George Washingtonc. John Winthrop d. William Penn

Questions 23-24 Relate to the Document Below"We are people of this generation, bred in at least modest comfort, housed now in universities, looking uncomfortably to the world we inherit. When we were kids the United States was the wealthiest and strongest country in the world; the only one with the atom bomb, the least scarred by modern war, an initiator of the United Nations that we thought would distribute Western influence throughout the world. Freedom and equality for each individual, government of, by, and for the people--these American values we found good, principles by which we

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could live as men. Many of us began maturing in complacency. As we grew, however, our comfort was penetrated by events too troubling to dismiss. First, the permeating and victimizing fact of human degradation, symbolized by the Southern struggle against racial bigotry, compelled most of us from silence to activism. Second, the enclosing fact of the Cold War, symbolized by the presence of the Bomb, brought awareness that we ourselves, and our friends, and millions of abstract "others" we knew more directly because of our common peril, might die at any time. We might deliberately ignore, or avoid, or fail to feel all other human problems, but not these two, for these were too immediate and crushing in their impact, too challenging in the demand that we as individuals take the responsibility for encounter and resolution."

Students for a Democratic Society, Port Huron Manifesto, 1962

23. The author of the quote above most likely a. condemned violent protests.b. was satisfied with the social programs of the Great Society.c. supported conservative tax policies and economic deregulation.d. assailed liberals for doing too little for racial injustice.

24. Which of the following groups would least likely support the ideas behind the Port Huron Statementa. Young people in major Northeastern citiesb. Members of the John Birch Societyc. College students at UC Berkeleyd. Members of SNCC and CORE

Questions 26- 27 Relate to the Passage BelowThis government, as promised, has maintained the closest surveillance of the Soviet military buildup on the island of Cuba. Within the past week unmistakable evidence has established the fact that a series of offensive missile sites are now in preparation on that imprisoned island. The purpose of these bases can be none other than to provide a nuclear strike capability against the western hemisphere…..Neither the United States, nor any other nation of the world community of can tolerate deliberate deception and threats on the part of any nation, large or small. Nuclear weapons are so destructive and missiles so swift that any substantial increase in their presence may well regard a threat to peace."                         John F. Kennedy televised address, October 1962

26. The historical context of the document above represents which of the following    a. The Cuban Missile Crisis        b. The Bay of Pigs Invasion    c. The U-2 Incident            d. The building of the Berlin Wall

27. Which statement best explains Kennedy's use of the phrase "imprisoned island" to describe Cuba    a. The Soviet Union had invaded Cuba and placed missiles there.    b. The U.S. refused to recognize the legitimacy of the Castro regime    c. The U.S. demanded the right to maintain U.S. Marines at Guantanamo Bay    d. The Cubans had enacted a trade embargo against the U.S.

Questions 28 - 29 Refer to the Image Below

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28. The historical context of the image above relates to which of the following?a. The fact that Truman easily defeated Thomas Dewey in the 1948 election.b. The fact that Truman rallied after the departure of southern Democrats over the civil rights issue.c. The fact that Truman's civil rights platform was maintained with the help of Majority leader Deweyd. The fact that Dewey was able to win the popular but not electoral vote in 1948

29. The events leading up to the 1948 most resemble which of the following elections?a. 1860 b. 1824 c. 1840 d. 1868

Questions 30 – 32 Relate to the Passage Below"For many years the United States in company with its allies has sought to lessen or even to eliminate this threat from the life of man so that he can go about his peaceful business without fear. Many proposals to this end have been put up to the Soviet Union. The President's open-skies proposal of 1955 was followed in 1957 by the offer of an exchange of ground observers between agreed military in the U.S., the U.S.S.R., and other nations that might wish to participate. For several years we have been seeking the mutual abolition of the restrictions on travel imposed by the Soviet Union and those which the United States felt obliged to institute on a reciprocal basis. More recently at the Geneva disarmament conference the United States has proposed far-reaching new measure of controlled disarmament. It is possible that the Soviet leaders have a different version and that, however unjustifiably, they fear attack from the West. But this is hard to reconcile with their continual rejection or our repeated proposal for effective measures against surprise attack and for effective inspection of disarmament measures……In accordance with the National Security Act of 1947, the President has put into effect since the beginning of his administration directives to gather by every possible means the information required to protect the United States and the free world against surprise attack and to enable them to make effective preparations for their defense. Under these directives programs have been developed and put into operation which have included extensive aerial surveillance by unarmed civilian aircraft, normally of a peripheral character but on occasion by penetration. Specific missions of these unarmed civilian aircraft have not been subject to Presidential authorization. The fact that such surveillance was taking place has apparently not been a secret to the Soviet leadership, and the question indeed arises as to why at this particular juncture they should seek to exploit the present incident as a propaganda battle in the cold war."

Statement by Secretary of State Herter, May 9, 1960.

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30. The situation above would most likely relate to which of the following events?a. The Second Berlin Crisis b. The Bay of Pigs Invasionc. The Cuban Missile Crisis d. The U-2 Incident

31. By using a reference to the National Security Act of 1947, the author is most likely referring to a directive to what department?

a. The Federal Bureau of Investigation b. The Atomic Energy Commissionc. The Central Intelligence Agency d. The National Aeronautic and Space Administration

32. The reference to the "open skies" proposal relates to the Cold War ideas of which U.S. President?a. Harry S. Truman b. Dwight Eisenhower c. John F. Kennedy d. Lyndon B Johnson

Questions 33- 35 Relate to the Passage Below "For my part, I cannot over-emphasize the strength of my conviction that some such method must be attempted before action such as you contemplate should be undertaken. If unfortunately, the situation can finally be resolved only by drastic means, there should be no grounds for belief anywhere that corrective measures were undertaken merely to protect national or individual investors, or the legal rights of a sovereign nation were ruthlessly flouted. A conference, at the very least, should have a great education effort throughout the world. Public opinion here, and I am convinced, in most of the world, would be outraged should there be a failure to make such efforts. Moreover, initial military successes might be easy, but the eventual price might become far too heavy.

I have given you my own personal conviction, as well as that of my associates, as to the unwisdom [sic]even of contemplating the use of military force at this moment. Assuming, however, that the whole situation continued to deteriorate to the point where such action would seem the only recourse, there are certain political facts to remember. As you realize, employment of United States forces is possible only through positive action on the part of the Congress, which is now adjourned but can be reconvened on my call for special reasons."

Dwight Eisenhower the British P.M. Anthony Eden, August 1956

33. What is the historical context of the above document?a. The Overthrown of Iranian Prime Minister Mossadeghb. The signing of the secretive Sykes-Pichot Agreementc. The Egyptian nationalization of the Suez Canald. British recognition of Israel

34. What action is Eisenhower advising Eden and Britain to avoid due to world opinion?a. The development of British atomic weaponsb. The military seizure of the Suez Canalc. Selling weapons to Israel's enemy Egyptd. British withdrawal from NATO

35. The major concern involving a potential war in the Middle East most hinged arounda. The availability of oil resourcesb. Britain’s line of communication to Indiac. French control of Senegald. The fears over spreading terrorism

Questions 36 – Relate to the Passage Below“"Now the American city has been transformed. The poor still inhabit the miserable housing in the central area, but they are increasingly isolated from contact with, or sight of, anybody else. Middle-class women coming in from Suburbia on a rare trip may catch the merest glimpse of other America on the way to an evening at the theater, but the children are segregated in suburban schools. The business or professional man may drive along the fringes of slums in a car or bus, but it is not an important experience to him. The failure, the unskilled, the disabled, the aged, and the minorities are right there, across the tracks, where they have always been. But hardly anyone else is. In short, the very development of the American city has removed poverty from the living, emotional experience of millions upon millions of middle-class Americans. Living out in the suburbs, it is easy to assume that ours is,

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indeed, an affluent society. This new segregation of poverty is compounded by a well-meaning ignorance. A good many concerned and sympathetic Americans are aware that there is much discussion of urban renewal. Suddenly, driving through the city, they notice that a familiar slum has been torn down and that there are towering, modern buildings where once there had been tenements and hovels. There is a warm feeling of satisfaction, of pride in the ways thing are working out: the poor, it is obvious, are being taken care of."

Michael Harrington, The Other America (1962)

36. The historical context of the excerpt can best be described by which of the following statements?a. The end of World War Two resembled The Great War because there was a serious economic downturn?b. The Middle class contracted due social problems following World War IIc. Suburban expansion saw the middle class leave major urban centers isolating the poor, creating tensionsd. Suburban housing prices skyrocketed forcing millions to move to poor destitute regions

37. Which of the following policies would least have contributed to the situation described in the excerpt?a. The passage of the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT)b. The passage of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (The G.I. Bill)c. Middle class tax cuts made by the Eisenhower Administrationd. Low gas prices and easy credit for car purchases

Questions 38- 39 Relate to the Image Below

38. What best explains the advent of America’s Fast Food culture in the 1950s?a. The greater buying power the U.S. dollar against other global currenciesb. The expansion of the middle classc. The overall decline in the buying power of the lower classesd. The return of the U.S. to the gold standard in the 1950s

39. One economic reality resulting from the growth in fast food would bea. The creation of business franchising and an expansion of small businessb. The decline of both America’s “farm belt” and “rust belt”c. A dramatic decline in the cattle industryd. The rise of the baby boom generation

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The First McDonald’s 1948

Questions 40 – 43 Relate to the Passage Below"Until the latest of our world conflicts, the United States had no armaments industry. American makers of plowshares could, with time and as required, make swords as well. But now we can no longer risk emergency improvisation of national defense; we have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions. Added to this, three and a half million men and women are directly engaged in the defense establishment. We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United States corporations. This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence -- economic, political, even spiritual -- is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together. Akin to, and largely responsible for the sweeping changes in our industrial-military posture, has been the technological revolution during recent decades. In this revolution, research has become central; it also becomes more formalized, complex, and costly. A steadily increasing share is conducted for, by, or at the direction of, the Federal government. Today, the solitary inventor, tinkering in his shop, has been overshadowed by task forces of scientists in laboratories and testing fields. In the same fashion, the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research. Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity. For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers."

Dwight Eisenhower Farewell Speech January 1961

40. What is the historical context of Eisenhower’s speech?a. The intensification of the U.S. – Soviet race for the moon.b. The expansion of Cold War military spending by the Pentagonc. The growing fears over communist infiltrators in Americad. The demands of increase in technical colleges

41. What is the President’s belief about the “military-industrial complex?”a. That military expansion and funding could lead to unnecessary wars if not monitored.b. That there needed to be a constant expansion of military technology to meet a growing Soviet threatc. That the Federal government should end funding of scientific projects to save money.

d. That the expansion of military spending would one day exhaust all of our natural resources

42. Which of the policies below most directly led to the creation of the military-industrial complex?a. The creation of the United Nationsb. National Security Council Memorandum 68 (NSC-68)c. The creation of the National Security Act 1947d. The 1961 Berlin Crisis

43. Which of the following represented the first major investment of U.S. tax dollars on a military and scientific venture?

a. the creation of the telegraph system b. The Manhattan Projectc. The funding of NASA d. The creation of the Central Intelligence Agency

Questions 44 - 46 Relate to the image below

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45. The illustration above supports which of the following assertions of the Warren Commission in 1964?a. The President Kennedy and Governor Connolly were victims of an orchestrated conspiracy.b. That both men were struck by separate bullets fired by Lee Harvey Oswald.c. Both the President and Governor were struck by a single high powered round.d. Both the President and Governor were hit by a high powered round from the front and rear.

46. Detractors of the Warren Commission findings about death of John F Kennedy hinge their arguments around which fact?

a. Lee Harvey Oswald had known ties to both the Mafia and the CIAb. Lee Harvey Oswald was known to be a less that average marksman and weapon was low quality.c. There were a number of bullet holes in the Presidential Limousine indicating multiple shootersd. The lingering questions revolving around entry and exit wounds in the President’s body

Questions 47 - Relate to the Image Below

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47. The famous photo above is most synonymous witha. Mississippi Freedom Summer b. The Freedom Ridersb. The Montgomery Bus Boycott d. The Birmingham Protests

48. Which civil rights group would have been most synonymous with the image above?a. The Congress on Racial Equalityb. The Students for a Democratic Societyc. The Student Non-violent Coordinating Committeed. The Southern Christian Leadership

49. A student wishing to find the period when African-Americans first lost political rights in the South could examine the results of which Presidential Election?

a. The election of 1860 b. The Election of 1876 c. The Election of 1900 d. The Election of 1896

50. Which of the following best explains the rising level of violence in the south during the 1960s?a. The Southern states believed that desegregation was a violation of state’s rightsb. The White power structure of the South understood that a more active Black electorate threatened their hold on societyc. The Presence of the FBI reminded them of the Reconstruction Periodd. The Dixicrats saw their chances to win national support rapidly fading.

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