US History and Constitution
In the 1950s, there was a public fear of ANS: communism and nuclear warfare
Harry Truman ANS: president from 1945 to 1953
Cold War ANS: conflict between the US and USSR to spread their government around the world
Containment ANS: Truman policy to stop the spread of Communism
Truman Doctrine ANS: the US can help any country in danger of falling to communism
What is an example of the Truman Doctrine in action? ANS: Financial support of democratic elections in
Turkey and Greece
Marshall Plan ANS: US spends billions to repair war torn Europe
What did President Truman do to the military? ANS: desegregated the military
When was containment considered a failure? ANS: When China and North Korea became communist
countries
McCarthyism ANS: falsely accusing people of being communist
Who was the "leader" of McCarthyism? ANS: Senator Joseph McCarthy
How did society of the 1950s parallel society of the 1920s? ANS: New inventions (tv vs. radio), KKK,
consumer society, economic boom, cars (50s cars vs. Model T)
,What was the most popular music in the 1950s? ANS: Rock N Roll (Elvis, Buddy Holly)
GI Bill ANS: for soldiers: gave money for college, low cost loans, and allowed for housing down
payments
Baby Boom ANS: increased birth rate after WWII (1946 to 1964)
Suburbs ANS: people are moving from the city to suburbs just outside the city
What allowed for a movement from big cities to suburbs? ANS: Cars, interstate highways, the GI Bill,
cheaper housing
Levittown ANS: first suburb
How were houses prices cheaper? ANS: Ford's assembly line idea was applied to building
neighborhoods
What was the role of the women in the 1950s? ANS: housewife/motehr
The USSR tried to _____ communism while the US tried to _______ it ANS: spread; contain
Iron Curtain ANS: dividing line between communist and democratic Europe
Iron Curtain Speech ANS: Churchill's speech during the communist takeover of Europe
,What side of Germany/Berlin is democratic? What side is communist? ANS: East Germany and Berlin
are communist while West Germany and Berlin are democratic
Berlin Airlift ANS: planes were organized by the Allies to fly over and drop supplies in Berlin
NATO ANS: US, England, France, West Germany
Warsaw Pact ANS: USSR, Poland, East Germany
Dwight D. Eisenhower ANS: president from 1953-1961; well liked by both democrats and republicans
due to his military career
Which president ended the Korean War? ANS: Eisenhower
Which president created the interstate system? ANS: Eisenhower
Sputnik ANS: first man-made satellite, launched by soviets
What were the effects of Sputnik? ANS: led to an increased focus on math, science, and engineering in
the US and starts the space race
John F. Kennedy ANS: president from 1961 to 1963 during the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban
Missile Crisis; he was the youngest president elected and his presidency was cut short by his
assassination
Camelot ANS: reference to the Hollywood appearance of the Kennedys
, Bay of Pigs ANS: failed attempt by the CIA to arm Cuban rebels to overthrow Fidel Castro; JFK accepted
blame for the failure
Peace Corps ANS: Americans can volunteer to serve in poor countries and help improve them
Space Race ANS: race between Russia and the US to make advancements in space exploration
What was JFK's goal in the space race? ANS: to go to the moon
Cuban Missile Crisis ANS: US blockades Cuba after Russian missiles were seen in Cuba. Eventually, the
US pulled missiles out of Italy and Turkey. The Soviet Union agreed to pull missiles out of Cuba
U2 spy plane ANS: US spy plane that took pictures over the Soviet Union and Cuba that let the US
government spy on and learn the military capabilities of other countries
Brinkmanship ANS: being on the edge of nuclear war
Berlin Wall ANS: Stalin ordered that the Berlin Wall be built to prevent East Berlin citizens from going to
West Berlin
Was North Korea communist or democratic? Who was it backed by? ANS: communist, backed by China
and Russia
Was South Korea communist or democratic? Who was it backed by? ANS: democratic, backed by the US
38th Parallel ANS: Dividing line between North and South Korea
In the 1950s, there was a public fear of ANS: communism and nuclear warfare
Harry Truman ANS: president from 1945 to 1953
Cold War ANS: conflict between the US and USSR to spread their government around the world
Containment ANS: Truman policy to stop the spread of Communism
Truman Doctrine ANS: the US can help any country in danger of falling to communism
What is an example of the Truman Doctrine in action? ANS: Financial support of democratic elections in
Turkey and Greece
Marshall Plan ANS: US spends billions to repair war torn Europe
What did President Truman do to the military? ANS: desegregated the military
When was containment considered a failure? ANS: When China and North Korea became communist
countries
McCarthyism ANS: falsely accusing people of being communist
Who was the "leader" of McCarthyism? ANS: Senator Joseph McCarthy
How did society of the 1950s parallel society of the 1920s? ANS: New inventions (tv vs. radio), KKK,
consumer society, economic boom, cars (50s cars vs. Model T)
,What was the most popular music in the 1950s? ANS: Rock N Roll (Elvis, Buddy Holly)
GI Bill ANS: for soldiers: gave money for college, low cost loans, and allowed for housing down
payments
Baby Boom ANS: increased birth rate after WWII (1946 to 1964)
Suburbs ANS: people are moving from the city to suburbs just outside the city
What allowed for a movement from big cities to suburbs? ANS: Cars, interstate highways, the GI Bill,
cheaper housing
Levittown ANS: first suburb
How were houses prices cheaper? ANS: Ford's assembly line idea was applied to building
neighborhoods
What was the role of the women in the 1950s? ANS: housewife/motehr
The USSR tried to _____ communism while the US tried to _______ it ANS: spread; contain
Iron Curtain ANS: dividing line between communist and democratic Europe
Iron Curtain Speech ANS: Churchill's speech during the communist takeover of Europe
,What side of Germany/Berlin is democratic? What side is communist? ANS: East Germany and Berlin
are communist while West Germany and Berlin are democratic
Berlin Airlift ANS: planes were organized by the Allies to fly over and drop supplies in Berlin
NATO ANS: US, England, France, West Germany
Warsaw Pact ANS: USSR, Poland, East Germany
Dwight D. Eisenhower ANS: president from 1953-1961; well liked by both democrats and republicans
due to his military career
Which president ended the Korean War? ANS: Eisenhower
Which president created the interstate system? ANS: Eisenhower
Sputnik ANS: first man-made satellite, launched by soviets
What were the effects of Sputnik? ANS: led to an increased focus on math, science, and engineering in
the US and starts the space race
John F. Kennedy ANS: president from 1961 to 1963 during the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban
Missile Crisis; he was the youngest president elected and his presidency was cut short by his
assassination
Camelot ANS: reference to the Hollywood appearance of the Kennedys
, Bay of Pigs ANS: failed attempt by the CIA to arm Cuban rebels to overthrow Fidel Castro; JFK accepted
blame for the failure
Peace Corps ANS: Americans can volunteer to serve in poor countries and help improve them
Space Race ANS: race between Russia and the US to make advancements in space exploration
What was JFK's goal in the space race? ANS: to go to the moon
Cuban Missile Crisis ANS: US blockades Cuba after Russian missiles were seen in Cuba. Eventually, the
US pulled missiles out of Italy and Turkey. The Soviet Union agreed to pull missiles out of Cuba
U2 spy plane ANS: US spy plane that took pictures over the Soviet Union and Cuba that let the US
government spy on and learn the military capabilities of other countries
Brinkmanship ANS: being on the edge of nuclear war
Berlin Wall ANS: Stalin ordered that the Berlin Wall be built to prevent East Berlin citizens from going to
West Berlin
Was North Korea communist or democratic? Who was it backed by? ANS: communist, backed by China
and Russia
Was South Korea communist or democratic? Who was it backed by? ANS: democratic, backed by the US
38th Parallel ANS: Dividing line between North and South Korea
