20th Century America: Explore Major Social, Political, and Economic Developments

Question 1

Which literary movement of the 20th century is known for breaking away from traditional writing styles and using stream-of-consciousness techniques?

Accepted Answer

Modernism

Answer

Naturalism

Answer

Realism

Answer

Romanticism

Question 2

Which literary movement of the 20th century broke away from traditional writing styles and structures?

Accepted Answer

Modernism

Answer

Romanticism

Answer

Realism

Question 3

Which of the following was a direct consequence of the Great Depression in the United States?

Accepted Answer

Widespread unemployment and poverty

Answer

Increased consumer spending

Answer

Growth in the manufacturing sector

Answer

Increased government regulation of the economy

Question 4

The trigger event of the Great Depression was the:

Accepted Answer

Stock market crash of 1929

Answer

Outbreak of World War I

Answer

Adoption of the 18th Amendment

Answer

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Question 5

The Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during World War II was:

Accepted Answer

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Answer

Douglas MacArthur

Answer

Bernard Montgomery

Answer

George Patton

Question 6

The landmark Supreme Court case that outlawed school segregation was:

Accepted Answer

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

Answer

Plessy v. Ferguson

Answer

Miranda v. Arizona

Answer

Roe v. Wade

Question 7

The economic recovery program introduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt was known as the:

Accepted Answer

New Deal

Answer

Marshall Plan

Answer

War on Poverty

Answer

Great Society

Question 8

Women's right to vote was guaranteed by the:

Accepted Answer

19th Amendment

Answer

21st Amendment

Answer

13th Amendment

Answer

17th Amendment

Question 9

The first African American to serve on the Supreme Court was:

Accepted Answer

Thurgood Marshall

Answer

Rosa Parks

Answer

Martin Luther King Jr.

Answer

Jackie Robinson

Question 10

The United States' entry into World War II was prompted by the:

Accepted Answer

Attack on Pearl Harbor

Answer

Sinking of the Lusitania

Answer

Battle of Britain

Answer

Invasion of Poland

Question 11

The Montgomery Bus Boycott protested against:

Accepted Answer

Racial segregation

Answer

Voter suppression

Answer

Limited education opportunities

Answer

Low wages

Question 12

President Ronald Reagan is credited with:

Accepted Answer

Ending the Cold War

Answer

Establishing the Environmental Protection Agency

Answer

Signing the Voting Rights Act

Answer

Initiating the War on Poverty

Question 13

The primary motivation behind the space race was:

Accepted Answer

Technological supremacy and national prestige

Answer

Scientific advancement

Answer

Exploration of the cosmos

Answer

Military advantage

Question 14

Identify a primary factor contributing to the economic collapse of the Great Depression:

Accepted Answer

Overproduction and unchecked speculation

Answer

Hostilities of international conflicts

Answer

Devastating natural disasters

Answer

Rapid technological advancements

Question 15

Who held the presidency of the United States throughout World War II?

Accepted Answer

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Answer

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Answer

Harry S. Truman

Answer

Woodrow Wilson

Question 16

State the central objective of the Civil Rights Movement:

Accepted Answer

To dismantle racial segregation and discrimination practices

Answer

To annex Canada into the United States

Answer

To establish a socialist economic system

Answer

To promote equitable distribution of wealth

Question 17

Identify the federal agency established to provide employment opportunities and economic relief during the Great Depression:

Accepted Answer

Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Answer

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Answer

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Answer

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

Question 18

Explain the primary purpose of the Marshall Plan:

Accepted Answer

To provide financial aid for the economic recovery of Western Europe after World War II

Answer

To establish a military alliance between the US and the Soviet Union

Answer

To support the Soviet Union in the Cold War

Answer

To end the Vietnam War

Question 19

Who was the first African American to serve as a Supreme Court Justice?

Accepted Answer

Thurgood Marshall

Answer

Jackie Robinson

Answer

Rosa Parks

Answer

Martin Luther King Jr.

Question 20

State the primary objective of the Bay of Pigs invasion:

Accepted Answer

To overthrow the Cuban government led by Fidel Castro

Answer

To provide support to the Soviet Union during the Cold War

Answer

To rescue American hostages held captive in Cuba

Answer

To establish a U.S. military base in Cuba

Question 21

Identify the significant cultural movement that emerged during the 1960s:

Accepted Answer

The counterculture movement

Answer

The Beat Generation

Answer

The Roaring Twenties

Answer

The Harlem Renaissance

Question 22

Who was the first woman to run for President of the United States?

Accepted Answer

Shirley Chisholm

Answer

Eleanor Roosevelt

Answer

Margaret Thatcher

Answer

Hillary Clinton

Question 23

Which event signaled the onset of the Great Depression?

Accepted Answer

The stock market crash of October 1929

Answer

The ratification of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Answer

The assassination of President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Answer

The outbreak of World War II

Question 24

Who was the President of the United States during the duration of World War II?

Accepted Answer

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Answer

Herbert Hoover

Answer

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Question 25

What was a primary catalyst behind the Civil Rights Movement?

Accepted Answer

Widespread discrimination and segregation against African Americans

Answer

The aftermath of the Vietnam War

Answer

The escalating tensions of the Cold War

Question 26

What was the landmark Supreme Court ruling that declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional?

Accepted Answer

Brown v. Board of Education

Answer

Roe v. Wade

Answer

Plessy v. Ferguson

Question 27

Which technological advancement had a profound impact on the 20th century?

Accepted Answer

The development of the computer

Answer

The Wright brothers' first successful airplane flight

Answer

The widespread adoption of the telephone

Answer

The invention of the automobile

Question 28

How did the Cold War impact American society?

Accepted Answer

It led to increased military spending and heightened fear of communist influence

Answer

It fostered international cooperation and peace

Answer

It had minimal impact on American society

Question 29

Which cultural movement celebrated African American artistic achievements in the 1920s and 1930s?

Accepted Answer

The Harlem Renaissance

Answer

The Lost Generation

Answer

The Beat Generation

Question 30

What was the primary goal of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal?

Accepted Answer

To provide relief, recovery, and reform during the Great Depression

Answer

To prepare the United States for entry into World War II

Answer

To promote racial equality

Question 31

Which event directly led to the United States entering World War II?

Accepted Answer

The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan

Answer

The German invasion of Poland in 1939

Answer

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914

Answer

The outbreak of the Korean War in 1950

Question 32

What distinguished the Vietnam War from previous military conflicts involving the United States?

Accepted Answer

It was the first major war in which the United States did not achieve its military objectives

Answer

It led to significant economic growth in Southeast Asia

Answer

It marked the end of the Cold War

Question 33

Which of the following was a primary cause of the Great Depression?

Accepted Answer

Overproduction and speculation

Answer

High inflation

Answer

Foreign wars

Question 34

Who served as the President of the United States during the majority of World War II?

Accepted Answer

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Answer

Herbert Hoover

Answer

Harry Truman

Question 35

Which Supreme Court case played a pivotal role in desegregating public schools?

Accepted Answer

Brown v. Board of Education

Answer

Rosa Parks' bus boycott

Answer

March on Washington

Answer

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

Question 36

What was the central aim of the New Deal?

Accepted Answer

Economic recovery and social reform

Answer

Expansion of government power

Answer

Military build-up

Answer

Isolationism

Question 37

Which technological innovation of the 20th century revolutionized the field of electronics?

Accepted Answer

Transistor

Answer

Steam engine

Answer

Automobile

Answer

Printing press

Question 38

Who was the first African American to be appointed as a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court?

Accepted Answer

Thurgood Marshall

Answer

Rosa Parks

Answer

Martin Luther King Jr.

Answer

Jackie Robinson

Question 39

Which concept characterized the Cold War era?

Accepted Answer

Mutual deterrence

Answer

Direct military confrontations

Answer

Global economic cooperation

Answer

Peaceful coexistence

Question 40

What was the primary purpose of the Manhattan Project?

Accepted Answer

Development of atomic bombs

Answer

Exploration of space

Answer

Construction of the Hoover Dam

Answer

Creation of the internet

Question 41

Which social phenomenon was prevalent in the United States during the 1950s?

Accepted Answer

Conformity and consumerism

Answer

Increased racial equality

Answer

Economic depression

Answer

Radical activism

Question 42

What was the critical significance of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Accepted Answer

It brought the world to the brink of nuclear war

Answer

It led to the invasion of Cuba by the United States

Answer

It ended the Cold War

Answer

It had no significant impact on world events

Question 43

What was the primary economic factor that led to the Great Depression in the United States?

Accepted Answer

The collapse of the stock market in 1929

Answer

The rise of fascism in Europe

Answer

The outbreak of World War II

Answer

The Dust Bowl

Question 44

Which of the following was a pivotal battle in World War II that marked a significant turning point for the Allies?

Accepted Answer

The Battle of Stalingrad

Answer

The invasion of Normandy

Answer

The dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan

Answer

The Battle of Britain

Question 45

Who was the leader of the Soviet Union during the Cold War from 1924 until his death in 1953?

Accepted Answer

Joseph Stalin

Answer

Nikita Khrushchev

Answer

Leonid Brezhnev

Answer

Mikhail Gorbachev

Question 46

What was the primary goal of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States?

Accepted Answer

To end racial segregation and discrimination

Answer

To gain independence from the United States

Answer

To establish a socialist society

Answer

To promote economic equality

Question 47

Who was the president of the United States who escalated the involvement of American troops in the Vietnam War?

Accepted Answer

Lyndon B. Johnson

Answer

John F. Kennedy

Answer

Richard Nixon

Question 48

What was the primary objective of the United States' policy of containment during the Cold War?

Accepted Answer

To prevent the spread of communism

Answer

To promote democracy and human rights

Answer

To negotiate a peaceful settlement

Answer

To maintain a balance of power

Question 49

Which of the following was a major social and cultural movement in the United States in the 1960s that emphasized nonconformity and individualism?

Accepted Answer

The counterculture movement

Answer

The civil rights movement

Answer

The environmental movement

Answer

The women's liberation movement

Question 50

What was the main purpose of establishing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970?

Accepted Answer

To protect the environment and human health

Answer

To study environmental issues

Answer

To promote economic development

Answer

To regulate businesses