Spring 2016

HIST 1302

Dr. Brenda Melendy

US since 1877
FINAL STUDY GUIDE

General Instructions:
The final exam is scheduled for Tuesday, May 10, 2016, from 10:40 am to 1:10 pm. The location will be
announced later, and signs will be posted on the third floor of Rhode Hall listing where each 1302 section
has its exam. We are 1302-500 and 1302-501.
The exam will count for 100 points. There will be three parts on the final. Blue Books will be provided.
Identifications (10 points each):
Identify and explain the historical significance of the following terms. Your answer should be in the form
of a paragraph composed of complete sentences. Note that there are two parts to the answer. First,
identify the term or concept, and second, explain why it is important to US history. I will narrow the list
to 9 or 10 on the exam, and you must write on FIVE (5).
Tet Offensive
Iran-Contra
Birmingham
Hiroshima

War on Poverty
Medicare
Juanita Craft
G.I. Forum

HUAC
MAD
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Brown v. Board of Education

Japanese internment
Gulf War
Reaganomics
Hostage Crisis

Song Lyric (10 points):

Each chapter in the Pete Seeger book carries the title of one of Seegers songs. A youtube video of
performances of each of those songs has been posted in the Course Content page of our course
Blackboard. Familiarize yourself with those songs and their meaning and significance. At the final, you
will receive the lyrics from ONE of the songs and be asked to write a brief analysis of it.
Essay (40 points):
In an essay composed of paragraphs and complete sentences, answer one of the essay questions given
below. Your essay should include a thesis statement or argument which is supported by evidence from the
course materials. A well-crafted essay will include examples from the readings and from lectures and
films seen in class. The essay is your opportunity to show what you know about the topic. Writing an
outline before you begin writing the essay will help you present your knowledge in an organized fashion.
TWO of these questions will appear on the exam; you must select ONE.
1.
In the post-World War II era, the United States only goes to war to pursue its own economic
imperialist interests. Using specific examples from the course materials, evaluate to what extent the US
political and military missions during the wars in Vietnam and in the Persian Gulf support this claim.
2.
How can song be an agent of change? Discuss the ways in which Pete Seeger and his songs
promoted social justice in 20th-century America.
3.
The Reagan Revolution aimed at overturning the progressive domestic agenda embodied in the
Great Society. Using examples from the course materials, please discuss the validity of this statement.
Your response should briefly outline significant characteristics of Great Society programs, and determine
in what ways, if any, the Reagan Revolution attacked those characteristics.
4.
The Civil Rights Movement triggered fundamental social change in Cold War America that
reached far beyond its original scope. Do you agree or disagree? Your response should evaluate the
nature of social change in Cold War America and include evidence supporting your position.