Deck 29: Affluence and Anxiety, 1945-1960

Question 1

Who invented the concept of the mass construction of suburban homes?

A) William Levitt
B) Thurgood Marshall
C) Joseph McCarthy
D) Norman Vincent Peale
E) Reginald Rose

Answer 1

William Levitt

Question 2

What group was rigidly excluded from all three Levittowns?

A) the middle class
B) the working class
C) African Americans
D) Protestants
E) Catholics

Answer 2

African Americans

Question 3

The most significant social trend in postwar America was________ .

A) the decline of the nuclear family
B) the decrease in the birthrate
C) a decline in family size
D) the emergence of the drug culture
E) the flight to the suburbs

Answer 3

the flight to the suburbs

Question 4

The term "baby boom" refers to a significant increase in________ .

A) the infant survival rate in America
B) the American birthrate
C) the amount of money spent on babies
D) the popularity of adopting children
E) C-section deliveries

Question 5

By 1960, America's gross national product was________ the 1940 GNP.

A) less than half of
B) about 10 percent less than
C) about the same as
D) about 50 percent higher than
E) more than double

Question 6

Which section of the nation benefited the most from the economic boom of the 1950s?

A) the Hawaiian Islands
B) the Great Lakes region
C) the Midwest
D) the Sunbelt states
E) New England

Question 7

Which was critical to life in the suburbs?

A) jobs close to the home sites
B) efficient public transportation
C) the automobile
D) American school systems
E) air conditioning

Question 8

What was Dr. Benjamin Spock's 1946 bestselling book about?

A) infant and child care
B) public education
C) Cold War politics
D) dating and marriage
E) space travel

Question 9

What was the dominant social theme of 1950s America?

A) individualism
B) free love
C) philanthropy
D) consumerism
E) political activism

Question 10

An immediate problem for rapidly growing suburban communities was providing adequate

A) water supplies
B) schools
C) waste disposal
D) law enforcement
E) mass transit

Question 11

What kind of programming became popular after television stations abandoned live dramatic programs?

A) documentaries
B) cooking shows
C) quiz shows
D) talk shows
E) reality television

Question 12

The "beats" were________ .

A) jazz musicians who experimented with folk music
B) a light rock group popular on 50s-era TV variety shows
C) writers and poets who rebelled against materialistic 1950s values
D) a motorcycle gang whose members included Jack Kerouac and James Dean
E) a group of talented screenplay writers in the early days of television

Question 13

What artistic movement is associated with the "beats"?

A) abstract expressionism
B) postmodernism
C) cubism
D) realism
E) pointillism

Question 14

The first president to attempt seriously to alter the historic pattern of racial discrimination in the United States was________ .

A) Harry Truman
B) Franklin D. Roosevelt
C) Theodore Roosevelt
D) John F. Kennedy
E) Herbert Hoover

Question 15

By 1960, the most racially integrated institution in American society was________ .

A) the public high school system
B) the private university system
C) corporate America
D) the armed forces
E) the Protestant churches

Question 16

What was the first focus of NAACP efforts to end segregation practices?

A) kindergartens
B) elementary schools
C) middle schools
D) high schools
E) universities

Question 17

In Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the Supreme Court ruled that school segregation -----------

A) was acceptable as long as the schools were actually equal
B) could not be banned as long as local voters supported it
C) violated the Fourteenth Amendment by creating feelings of inferiority and inequality
D) was necessary in order to foster a strong sense of racial identity among students
E) was protected by the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution

Question 18

By 1960, what percentage of black children in the Deep South were attending schools with whites?

A) less than 1 percent
B) 10 percent
C) 25 percent
D) 45 percent
E) more than 50 percent

Question 19

Who were the Little Rock Nine?

A) black war heroes from Little Rock, Arkansas
B) black students at a recently desegregated high school in Little Rock, Arkansas
C) a group of black political activists from Little Rock, Arkansas
D) nine black men who were murdered by white supremacists in Little Rock, Arkansas
E) nine white police officers accused of brutality against black citizens in Little Rock

Question 20

Who inspired the Montgomery bus boycott?

A) Martin Luther King, Jr.
B) Ella Baker
C) Rosa Parks
D) Thurgood Marshall
E) Orval Faubus

Question 21

Who led the Montgomery bus boycott?

A) Martin Luther King, Jr.
B) Ella Baker
C) Rosa Parks
D) Thurgood Marshall
E) Bayard Rustin

Question 22

Martin Luther King, Jr. founded the________ to obtain civil rights for African Americans.

A) Black Panther Party for Self-Defense
B) Fair Employment Practices Committee
C) National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
D) Southern Christian Leadership Conference
E) Urban League

Question 23

Which of the following famous men had the greatest influence on the philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr?

A) George Washington
B) Napoleon Bonaparte
C) Fidel Castro
D) Niccolo Machiavelli
E) Mahatma Gandhi

Question 24

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s philosophy advocated________ .

A) immigration to Africa rather than trying to gain rights in the United States
B) acceptance of discrimination until the courts could act properly
C) the use of violence to get the nation's attention for his cause
D) the use of violence as the only way to gain equality in U.S. society
E) nonviolent, passive resistance to unjust laws

Question 25

What organization was formed in 1960 as a result of "sit-in" demonstrations?

A) the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense
B) the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
C) the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
D) the Urban League
E) the Little Rock Nine

Question 26

The 1950s in America were characterized by________ .

A) a lower standard of living
B) migration from the suburbs to urban areas
C) unprecedented restraint on consumerism
D) a new affluence and a thriving economy
E) economic recession and inflation

Question 27

Why did some people criticize American suburban life?

A) They accused suburban families of snobbery, since only the wealthy could live there.
B) They thought the houses were built with substandard materials and craftsmanship.
C) They disliked the conformity and uniformity of suburban life.
D) They were afraid that a mass exodus to the suburbs would harm city economies.
E) They worried about the pollution generated by suburban automobile commuters.

Question 28

Which of the following was an important stimulus to American economic growth in the late 1940s and early 1950s?

A) direct government aid to industrial development
B) the surplus of consumer goods left over from World War II
C) heavy government spending during the Cold War
D) the American public's debt that remained from overspending in previous decades
E) huge exports to foreign countries in Europe and Asia

Question 29

The economic abundance of the 1950s________ .

A) benefited all geographic regions of the country equally
B) virtually erased unemployment in the United States
C) did not benefit the steel industry and agriculture as much as other industries
D) had very little effect on the American public outside of the upper class
E) led to a surprising racial equality

Question 30

A change in labor practice that came about in the postwar era was that most people________ .

A) started getting less than two weeks of vacation each year
B) began working less than 40 hours each week
C) began working on Saturdays until noon
D) started working on Sundays after noon
E) sent their teenagers to work for more disposable income

Question 31

The new American suburbs of the 1950s________ .

A) were too expensive for most young couples
B) allowed only upper-class inhabitants
C) were mainly inhabited by working-class families
D) showed a surprising occupational diversity among inhabitants
E) were typically open to all races and religions

Question 32

How did the drive-in culture of the 1950s change the way America shopped?

A) People shopped less often because traffic became a problem.
B) Consumers began driving across state lines to avoid sales taxes.
C) Consumers began buying products in bulk.
D) Delivery services replaced shopping excursions.
E) Shopping centers and malls were built all over the country.

Question 33

What was a drawback of suburban life for the family?

A) Many families were torn apart by pressure to conform to suburban expectations.
B) Many young families had to share their homes with extended family members.
C) Many parents were too focused on earning money to make time for family bonding.
D) Many people had only infrequent contact with extended family members.
E) Many children received little attention from their hardworking parents.

Question 34

People's attitude toward organized religion in the 1950s was________ .

A) incredibly positive, and religious affiliation boomed
B) negative, and churches lost large numbers of members
C) that it was not as important in their lives as in the lives of previous generations
D) that it was the only way to deal with the emotional stress of the Cold War
E) that it was something they simply did not have time for as life became more hectic

Question 35

Why did the government increase federal funding for science education in 1957?

A) The country was starting to favor science over religion.
B) The country became more interested in electronic gadgets.
C) It was responding to the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik.
D) It was responding to critics of "progressive" education.
E) It was responding to working-class criticisms of public education.

Question 36

In the 1950s, Americans experienced a contradiction in________ .

A) their apparent obsession with technology but reluctance to embrace television
B) their growing commitment to organized religion while they had less time for church activities
C) moving to the suburbs yet longing for the excitement and opportunities found in cities
D) saying they feared the onset of another Great Depression but refusing to spend the money needed to bolster the economy
E) denouncing the Soviet Union for human rights violations while discriminating against African Americans

Question 37

The Truman administration failed to pass any civil rights legislation because________ .

A) Truman himself secretly worked to defeat its passage
B) most people said the civil rights movement was a communist plot
C) black voters had traditionally backed the Republican Party
D) southern politicians managed to block the legislation
E) controversial social change during the Cold War could be divisive and dangerous

Question 38

During the Truman administration,________ .

A) voting discrimination against African Americans came to an end
B) public schools were desegregated in many states
C) an order for desegregation of the armed forces was issued
D) Congress established a permanent civil rights commission
E) the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department was weakened

Question 39

As a result of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka,________ .

A) segregation in the South ended almost immediately
B) the slow process of desegregating schools began
C) the civil rights movement ended quietly
D) African American students were fully accepted by white teachers
E) African Americans could finally be teachers in the South

Question 40

How did the Deep South respond to court-ordered desegregation?

A) by taking action to end discrimination in schools
B) with grudging acceptance of the decisions
C) with apathy and passive acceptance
D) with massive and widespread resistance
E) with violence and threats to once again secede from the Union

Question 41

President Eisenhower's approach to desegregation was to________ .

A) actively fight to stop the process
B) work behind the scenes to stop the effort
C) misunderstand the importance of the issue
D) work behind the scenes to support the movement
E) publicly support desegregation efforts across the South

Question 42

Why did Eisenhower send 1,000 paratroopers to Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957?

A) to ensure that black students could attend a desegregated school
B) to quell a violent race riot resulting from the desegregation of the military
C) to investigate a planned terrorist attack from the Soviet Union
D) to protect a top secret chemical weapon on its way to Washington, DC
E) to arrest hundreds of alleged segregationist activists and supporters

Question 43

What was the driving force for social change that gained civil rights for African Americans?

A) landmark court cases
B) presidential intervention
C) laws passed by Congress
D) the religious revival of the times
E) African American activism

Question 44

What was the initial goal of the Montgomery bus boycott?

A) to challenge the legality of segregated seating
B) to create a semi-segregated seating arrangement on a first-come, first-served basis
C) to challenge the racial discrimination in the hiring of bus drivers
D) to make the bus fares equal for white and black passengers
E) to bring more bus routes to African American neighborhoods

Question 45

The Montgomery bus boycott________ .

A) moved Martin Luther King, Jr. away from his philosophy of passive resistance
B) sparked an outburst of violence against blacks all over the South
C) led to the emergence of Martin Luther King, Jr. as a black civil rights leader
D) failed to change Montgomery's strict segregation laws
E) ended when President Eisenhower sent in troops to stop the boycott

Question 46

What event prompted a massive wave of "sit-ins" across the country?

A) African Americans went on a hunger strike after being refused service at a diner.
B) An African American soldier refused to stand and salute an abusive white officer.
C) A white restaurant owner assaulted a black customer when she asked to be served in a white area.
D) Three African American college students refused to leave a lunch counter after being denied service.
E) Three African American women refused to get off a bus after being asked to move to the back.

Question 47

What effect did memories of the Great Depression have on Americans in the 1950s?

A) Many Americans became almost desperately obsessed with gathering material goods.
B) Many Americans hoarded their money and refrained from purchasing expensive items, such as homes and cars.
C) Many Americans had to be hospitalized for overeating disorders.
D) Many Americans donated money to charities rather than engaging in consumerism.
E) Many Americans were mistrustful of banks, and this damaged the economy.

Question 48

What effect did postwar life have on women in American society?

A) Women tended to get married later, so they had more time to pursue careers outside the home.
B) Couples tended to have fewer children, so the focus of many women shifted from childrearing to professional careers.
C) Many suburban households included extended family members, so mothers had enough help to more easily pursue professional careers.
D) Many women who had joined the workforce during the war returned to the home to assume the more traditional roles of wife and mother.
E) Women were expected to maintain their wartime jobs while also meeting social expectations of the "perfect" wife and mother.

Question 49

How did political activism for African American rights change from the 1950s to the early 1960s?

A) Direct, peaceful confrontation replaced reliance on court action.
B) Reliance on court action replaced direct, peaceful confrontation.
C) Reliance on court action replaced violent means of forcing social change.
D) Violent means of forcing social change replaced direct, peaceful confrontation.
E) Direct, peaceful confrontation replaced violent means of forcing social change.

Question 50

Analyze and describe the development of the U.S. economy between 1945 and 1960.

Question 51

Describe American culture in the 1950s. Evaluate the extent to which 1950s culture was influenced by the experiences of the 1930s and 1940s.

Question 52

Describe the beginnings of the civil rights movement in the 1950s, and compare and contrast the different approaches taken by the NAACP and African American activists such as Martin Luther King, Jr.