The Cold War at Home & 1950s Society - Comprehension Check

What term is BEST defined as the practice of publicly accusing someone of subversive activities without evidence to back up the charges?

• censure

• Stalinism

• McCarthyism

• Communism

McCarthyism of the early 1950s resulted in:

• the end of the arms race

• reduced spending on national defense

• damage to the reputations of many people

• discrimination against returning veterans

What was a cause for the investigations of the House Un-American Activities Committee in the late 1940s and the investigations of a Senate committee headed by Joseph McCarthy in the early 1950s?

• the belief that there were Communist agents in the federal government

• excessive spending by the United States military

• the corruption and bribery of members of Congress

• actions of President Harry Truman that might have led to his impeachment

The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

• was formed to investigate subversive organizations

• charged the Hollywood Ten with contempt of Congress

• none of the above

• all of the above

What crime was the subject of the Julius and Ethel Rosenberg trial?

• plotting to overthrow the US government

• lying to the House of Un-American Activities Committee

• recruiting Communist sympathizers to spy for the Soviet Union

• passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union

According to many social observers, American culture in the 1950s seemed dominated by a(n)

• isolationist desire to avoid international affairs

• quest for economic political justice within the United States

• absorption with consumer goods by a growing middle class

• restless search by individuals for identity and purpose

All of the following factors promoted the growth of suburbs in the 1950s (check all that apply):

• cheaply produced mass housing

• government-backed mortgage loans

• increased automobile production

• expanded highway construction

What was the EFFECT of the following causes?

Businesses convert from the production of war materials to consumer goods

Americans buy on credit

Workers receive higher wages and better benefits

• Businesses laid off a large number of workers

• The American economy grew rapidly after World War II

• The American economy entered the Great Recession

• Businesses switched back to old technology

What message did the mass media convey to children in the 1950s?

• Going against designated gender roles is vital.

• Getting a college degree is necessary for women to be fulfilled.

• Social equality is the foundation of American values.

• Following traditional gender and American family roles is important

What ways did the GI Bill help returning soldiers from WWII? Check all that apply.

• It gave them access to low interest rates for mortgage loans

• It gave them access to a soldiers minimum wage

• it gave them access to jobs in the defense and space industries

• it gave them access to tuition stipends to help pay for college