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Worksheets1950s in the U.S.
Total questions: 89
Worksheet time: 4hrs 27mins
When soldiers returned home from World War II, what helped them get lower mortgage rates and paid for their continued education?
The Consitution
Veteran's Fund
G.I. Bill of Rights
Military Service Reimbursement Bill
These "super" structures connected multiple states across the country. Built during the Cold War in case of a nuclear attack
Transcontinental Railroad
Amtrak Rail System
Federal Highway System
Old Town Road
This item became popular after WWII. 30 years go in the 1920s Americans had problems with this product due to the "buy now, pay never" attitude. After WWII Americans learned how to use it properly (buy now, pay later; points, cashback, penalties, etc.)
Ledger
Credit Cards
Labor Unions
Rosie the Riveter
This planned communities sprang up after WWII. They were usually located outside major market cities; families would commute to work with their new luxury cars and homes were "cookie cutter" and affordable
Suburbs
Inner City
Ultraburbs
Shopping Malls
Extended educational, housing, and employment benefits to veterans; Which of the following is being described?
Civil Rights legislation
19th Amendment
G.I. Bill
Prohibition
The main style of music in the 1950's was
jazz
hip-hop
country
rock n roll
Examine the cartoon. What aspect of American society in the 1950s was the cartoonist making?
high culture
stay-at-home moms
suburban conformity
planned obsolescence
Singer from Memphis, Tennessee whose music awoke of generation of young people to the sounds of rock n' roll
Elvis Presley
Little Richard
Bill Haley and the Comets
James Dean
After the war, the ___?___ replaced radio and movies as the main entertainment for American families.
television
YouTube
internet
community swimming pool
Suburbia as the "American Dream" represented
conformity.
stability.
happiness.
All of the above
The fear of communism spreading:
Red Scare
Containment
Nativism
Democratic Whiplash
Although he won many military achievements, Truman fired this general during the Korean War:
Patton
MacArthur
Eisenhower
Stalin
In 1957, the USSR successfully launched this satellite into space:
Hubble Telescope
Gemini 2
Apollo 11
Sputnik
Which married couple was accused, tried, and executed for selling nuclear secrets to the USSR?
Fred and Wilma Flintstone
George and Jane Jetson
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt
Due to the growth and success of the American economy in the 1950’s, Americans engaged in the buying of many goods to show their “success”. This is known as
consumerism
containment
socialism
exploitation
Which of the following did the G.I. Bill of Rights NOT do?
Granted franchises to WWII veterans
Paid part of veteran’s tuitions to college
Offered low interest loans to veterans
Guaranteed a year’s worth of unemployment benefits to veterans
Which of the following was NOT an effect of the Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956?
It encouraged people to join the military.
It authorized the building of 41,000 miles of expressways.
It encouraged long-haul trucking and reduced the commercial use of railroads.
It helped the economic growth of towns along the new highways.
When the North Korean Communist army crossed the 38th Parallel and invaded non-Communist South Korea, what began?
Vietnam War
WWII
Korean War
D Day Invasion
Read the quote.
“On Sunday, June 25th, Communist forces attacked the Republic of Korea.
This attack has made it clear, beyond all doubt, that the international Communist movement is willing to use armed invasion to conquer independent nations. An act of aggression such as this creates a very real danger to the security of all free nations.”
… excerpt from President Harry S. Truman’s speech regarding Korea (July 19, 1950)
What conclusions can you draw about the United States' involvement in the Korean War?
The United States became involved in the Korean War to gain more allies for future world wars.
The United States became involved in the Korean War to protect their trade routes to China.
The United States became involved in the Korean War to prevent the spread of communism around the world.
The United States became involved in the Korean War to stop Emperor Hirohito from conquering Korea.
Which senator proposed that citizens turn in their neighbor if they suspected the neighbor was a communist?
Dwight Eisenhower
Joseph McCarthy
Harry S. Truman
Richard Nixon
Read the passage.
“After World War II, the U.S. and its allies formed an organization to assist each other. The countries supported the other members in diplomatic negotiations and military action. Their purpose was to ensure the security of member countries from outside threats.”
What is the name of this organization?
Allied Powers (AP)
United Nations (UN)
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Read the passage.
“During Harry Truman’s presidency, food and supplies were dropped to the people of Berlin, Germany. They were experiencing starvation because of blocks set up by the Soviet Union.”
What was the "drop" called?
VJ Day
Berlin Wall
Communist Containment Policy
Berlin Airlift
Which statement describes communism?
a political system in which every person in society gets a vote
a political and economic system in which the government owns and distributes wealth and resources
a political system in which people are forced to live in communities
an economic system in which the government takes everyone's money and invests it in the national stock market
How was the Cold War different from previous wars involving the United States?
Previous wars were fought between the United States and European countries, and the Cold War was fought between the United States and the Soviet Union.
The Cold War refers to the political and economic tension between the United States and the Soviet Union-not an actual war.
The Cold War was fought in the cold climate region of the Soviet Union, whereas previous wars were fought in warmer climate regions.
The Cold War battles were fought with more modern weaponry since it took place in the 1960s.
What were the defining characteristics of the Cold War?
Prohibition, Flappers, Jazz
Arms Race, Space Race, Red Scare
Holocaust, Nazi Germany, Pearl Harbor
Poverty, Unemployment, Dust Bowl
What happened as a result of the launch of Sputnik in 1957?
It started the space race.
U.S. began to invest more money into math & science education.
The U.S. started NASA.
All of the above
What foreign policy guided American presidents during the Cold War to stop the spread of communism?
Open Door Policy
Dollar Diplomacy
Big Stick Policy
Containment
When was the Korean War fought?
1945-1948
1945-1950
1941-1945
1950-1953
What parallel line divides North and South Korea?
17th
48th
15th
38th
How did the Korean War end?
In a stalemate- with a ceasefire
With the Russians driving out the American troops
In a win for the Chinese & South Koreans
With Nationalist retreat to the Sea of Japan
By pouring hundreds of thousands of troops into the northern part of the Korean peninsula, what country added to the bitter fighting in Korea?
The Soviet Union
China
Japan
Mongolia
Who was the US President at the start of the Korean War?
Franklin Roosevelt
John F. Kennedy
Harry Truman
Dwight Eisenhower
North Korea was given weapons and airplanes from ________________, which has a _________________ government.
________________ sent North Korea troops and military support, which has a _________________ government.
China/communist
South Korea was given weapons by ________________ which has a _________________ government.
What is the "Domino Theory"?
If one country falls to capitalism the rest will follow
If one country falls to communism the rest will follow
If one country falls to democracy the rest will follow
If one country falls to rock 'n' roll the rest will follow
After World War II, the US was locked in a space race with
China
England
Germany
the Soviet Union
Which country was first to launch a satellite in space and have a man in orbit?
China
Soviet Union
Germany
United States
The Space Race was considered important because...
it showed the world which country had the best science, technology, and economic system.
the Soviet Union was much more advanced in science and technology.
the United States is the largest country in the world.
we had an opportunity to win many medals.
What year did the Space Race begin?
2000
1969
1957
1952
In 1958, President Eisenhower created ________, a federal agency dedicated to space exploration.
IAU
FBI
NASA
CIA
Who was the first American to orbit Earth in Friendship 7?
John Glenn
Alan Shepard
Neil Armstrong
Yuri Gagarin
Who was the first man to walk on the moon's surface on July 20, 1969?
John Glenn
Alan Shepard
Neil Armstrong
Yuri Gagarin
Who became the first person to journey into outer space traveling aboard Vostok 1 in April of 1961?
John Glenn
Alan Shepard
Neil Armstrong
Yuri Gagarin
Who became the first American astronaut to journey into outer space traveling aboard Freedom 7 in May of 1961?
John Glenn
Alan Shepard
Neil Armstrong
Yuri Gagarin
On July 16, 1969, three U.S. astronauts set off on the Apollo 11 space mission to attempt the...
first lunar (moon) landing
first orbit of the Earth
first journey into outer space
Which country was the first to send a man into space?
Soviet Union
United States of America
The United States launched its own artificial satellite, _______ into space in 1958.
Explorer I
Sputnik
In 1958, President Eisenhower created ________, a federal agency dedicated to space exploration.
IAU
FBI
NASA
CIA
Which country was the first to send a man to the moon?
United States of America
Soviet Union
The ________ was designed to land humans on the Moon and bring them safely back to Earth.
Project Apollo
Project Mercury
The ________ was the first human spaceflight program of the United States to put a man into Earth orbit and return him safely.
Project Mercury
Project Apollo
Which country was the first to send an artificial satellite into the Earth's orbit?
Soviet Union
United States of America
The Soviet Union launched ________, the worlds first artificial satellite, into the Earth's orbit in 1957.
Sputnik
Explorer I
During the Apollo 11 space mission, which astronaut piloted the spacecraft and stayed in orbit around the moon?
Michael Collins
Neil Armstrong
Buzz Aldrin
What is most likely the most popular invention or development of the 1950s?
Television
Drive-ins
Mr. Potato Head
Radio
What did most television shows from the 1950s depict?
lives of the perfect family
problems with society
political disagreements of the era
fear of communism
What genre of music became incredibly popular during the 1950s (mostly among rebellious youths)?
Jazz
Country
Hip-Hop
Rock n' Roll
The car culture of the 1950's led to...
Spread of fast food chains and drive-in movies
Increased the dependence on public transportation
A decline in the number of shopping malls
Revitalized older city neighborhoods
Which of the following are associated with the Eisenhower administration?
The creation of Interstate Highways.
The policy of mutually assured destruction (MAD).
The creation of NASA.
The preference for covert operations against Communist regimes compared to conventional warfare.
What was the name of dances held usually in high school gyms during the 1950s (originally started as fund raisers during WWII)?
Sadie Hawkins Dance
Sock Hops
Mosh Pits
Dance Parties
Check the boxes of why Americans were buying more things during the 1950s.
People were getting higher paying jobs
People had saved lots of money during WWII
People were beginning to see more advertising than ever before
People did not care about going into debt
What was an effect of Rock and Roll on the United States?
It increased the importance of appearances on TV
It created an anti-Communist movement
It was widely accepted by the US population across age gaps as true music
It created a generational divide between children and their parents
The_____________Pact was an alliance between allied Soviet and Communist Countries. They would defend one another in times of war.
Versailles
United Nations
League of Nations
Warsaw
After WWII the United States and the Soviet Union were in an _____________ to see who could stockpile the most weapons and maintain a military advantage.
movement
admittance
space race
arms race
What court case made segregation of schools illegal in the 1950s?
Guzman V. School
Brown V. Board of Education
Miranda V. Arizona
Plessy V. Ferguson
What were the defining characteristics of Civil Rights?
Increased participation of minorities in the political process, Protests, Boycotts, Marches, Desegregation, Integration, Struggle for equality, due process strengthened.
Communism, containment, Arms Race/Space Race, Red Scare, McCarthyism
OPEC oil problems, conflict in the Middle East, Reaganomics, large military, Cold War ends, NAFTA
Economic instability, Unemployment, Breadlines, Poverty
Which leader of the civil rights movement used non-violent civil disobedience to oppose segregation in the south?
Dolores Huerta
Malcom X
Martin Luther King Jr.
Ceaser Chavez
What organization created by W.E.B. Dubois sought immediate equality for minorities?
WAC
HUAC
NAACP
SNCC
During which event did Eisenhower send troops to Arkansas in order to desegregate a high school?
Tuskegee Airmen
Little Rock Nine
Atomic Bombs
Flying Tigers
