The midterm exam will
consist of twenty five to thirty multiple choice/fill
in
the blank questions (25% of test grade), five short answer questions
(25%),
and one long essay (50%). Be prepared to answer questions on any
of the material covered in class: handouts; your primary text;
secondary texts;
the photocopied course pack; as well as lecture content and film
clips.
ESSAY QUESTION
You will receive
one of three questions below on the essay section. You will not
know
which of the three will be on the exam, so study for all of
them.
Some pointers: answer the question as directly and clearly as
possible.
Be sure to address all the components of the question. Remember
to
integrate the relevant reading and lecture material to support your
argument.
Always avoid vague generalizations. Refer to specific events,
policies,
groups, ideas, and individuals in your answer.
1. Analyze how
consumerism changed American society in the 1920s. Discuss the
various changes and give specific examples of how these changes
transformed society. In particular, address advertising, mass
media, and entertainment.
2. Some historians
argue that no event in the twentieth century had a more powerful impact
on American life than did the Great Depression. Write an essay
describing
the underlying causes of the Depression. Then discuss how
President
Franklin Roosevelt attempted to deal with this enormous crisis.
To
what degree did Roosevelt’s policies succeed?
3. In the aftermath
of World War I and in the 1920s, many Americans thought Europe was not
worth saving. Isolationism remained strong in America through the
1930s as well. Yet in 1941 the United States was again aiding its
allies and would eventual go to war against the Axis powers.
Trace
the means by which this transformation occurred.
TERMS, NAMES,
IDEAS
If you are
familiar with the terms and names below, it should help you
considerably
on all three sections of the exam. Remember, it is best
to
know the “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” and “why” of these. The
“why” or the significance of any term or name is most important.
Return
to “Normalcy”
Teapot Dome
Calvin Coolidge
Bruce Barton
The “Lost
Generation”
H. L. Mencken
The KKK
The Scopes
Trial
Aimee Semple McPherson
“Black Tuesday”
Hoovervilles
“Okies”
Bonus Marchers
(B.E.F.)
Election of
1932
“Fireside
Chats”
NRA
TVA
WPA
Eleanor Roosevelt
Huey P. Long
Father Charles
Coughlin
Social Security
Act
CIO
“Court-packing”
Fascism
America First
Committee
Appeasement
Battle of
Midway
“Code Talkers”
Tuskegee Airmen
Japanese-American
“Relocation”
A. Philip
Randolph
D-Day
Manhattan
Project
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