1. Which of the following best characterizes the impact of the My Lai Massacre on American public opinion?
A. It galvanized popular support for further American economic investment in Southeast Asia.
B. American aid organizations increased their efforts to help rebuild the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos.
C. Many Americans questioned the tactics of their anticommunist allies in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN).
D. There was increased pressure for the United States to step in to stop the Cambodian genocide.
E. Widespread disillusionment with American troops intensified protests against further involvement in the Vietnam War. Correct
Explanation
The My Lai Massacre, where U.S. soldiers killed hundreds of unarmed Vietnamese civilians, was a turning point in the Vietnam War. When the details became public in 1969, it profoundly shocked the American public. The atrocity fueled existing anti-war sentiments, leading to increased disillusionment with the U.S. military's conduct and the war's purpose. This event did not generate support for more investment (A) or aid to enemy trails (B). While it may have caused some to question ARVN allies (C), the primary impact was a massive loss of faith in the U.S. mission itself. Pressure regarding Cambodia (D) grew later and was related to other events, not primarily My Lai.
2. The greatest similarity between the 1920s and the 1950s is that there was
A. a sharp increase in immigration
B. an increase in tension between religion and science
C. prosperity and increasing consumption Correct
D. population migration to the Sun Belt region
E. a declining birth rate
Explanation
Both the 1920s and the 1950s were periods of significant economic prosperity in the United States. The 1920s saw a consumer boom with new appliances and automobiles, while the 1950s experienced a post-WWII economic expansion with suburbanization and increased consumer goods ownership. Immigration was restricted in the 1920s (A). Tensions between religion and science, like the Scopes Trial, were specific to the 1920s (B). Sun Belt migration was a post-WWII/1950s phenomenon (D). The birth rate declined in the 1920s but soared (the Baby Boom) in the 1950s (E).
3. Which of the following describes the United States Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)?
A. School districts must provide accommodations for English-language learners.
B. All children have the right to receive a public education.
C. It is legal to bus students from urban school districts to suburban school districts.
D. Public school systems cannot segregate schools based on race. Correct
E. Educational institutions must provide equal funding for men's and women's athletic programs.
Explanation
Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark 1954 Supreme Court case that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. The Court overturned the 'separate but equal' doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), ruling that racial segregation in public education violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The decision did not mandate accommodations for English learners (A), establish a right to public education (B), legalize busing (C - a later strategy for integration), or address funding for athletics (E).
4. Which of the following best describes President John F. Kennedy's policy toward former French Indochina?
A. To request that the French government attempt to regain authority over the region
B. To provide economic and military aid to anticommunist governments in the region Correct
C. To advocate for immediate elections on the reunification of Vietnam
D. To seek congressional authorization to send combat troops to the region
E. To wage a bombing campaign in Cambodia to lessen communist influence
Explanation
President Kennedy's policy in Southeast Asia was characterized by the Kennedy Doctrine, which aimed to contain the spread of communism. He significantly increased U.S. military and economic aid to the government of South Vietnam to combat the Viet Cong insurgency. He did not seek to return authority to France (A). While the 1954 Geneva Accords called for elections, the U.S. and South Vietnam did not support them, fearing a communist victory (C). Though he increased military advisors, he did not seek authorization for full-scale combat troop deployment (D), a step his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, would take. Bombing campaigns in Cambodia (E) occurred under President Nixon.
5. The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, also known as the GI Bill of Rights, directly contributed to all of the following developments EXCEPT:
A. increased home ownership
B. an expanded middle class
C. increased racial equality Correct
D. increased access to higher education
E. a population boom
Explanation
The GI Bill provided WWII veterans with benefits including low-cost mortgages, low-interest loans to start a business, and tuition and living expenses for university and vocational education. These benefits led to a surge in home ownership (A), helped create a larger, more prosperous middle class (B), allowed millions of veterans to attend college (D), and contributed to the post-war Baby Boom by making family life more affordable (E). However, the administration of these benefits was often discriminatory, as banks frequently denied loans to Black veterans and many universities remained segregated, meaning the bill did little to increase racial equality and often exacerbated existing disparities.