Notes

I am attaching the study guide for the final exam. There are three parts to the test. We will do the first two parts on Thursday Dec 14 and the third part on Tuesday December 19.



The first part are identifications.
I will choose 15 terms and you will write on 10 of them. They are worth three points each. You should tell me who or what it is, when it was important, and why it was important in one or two sentences.



Latasha Harlins

MTV

Iran Hostage Crisis

Michael Dukakis

Abu Ghraib

Evelyn Hooker

Arlene Francis

Lee Harvey Oswald

Fred Hampton

Anita Bryant

O.J Simpson

The Dixie Chicks

Parents’ Music Resource Center

Stagflation

“Compassionate Conservatism”

Reaganomics

Linda Tripp

Saturday Night Massacre

The Power of the Positive Woman

Iran-Contra Scandal

The Trump Effect

The Feminine Mystique

Barry Goldwater

Oklahoma City Federal Building Bombing

“Boys Beware”

Trayvon Martin

Lois Gibbs

ACT UP

Lt. William Calley

Daryl Gatess



The second part are short essays. I will choose six questions and you answer 4 of them. They are worth 10 points each. Each response should be a paragraph that fully answers the question. I want a full explanation of your response. If you bring someone or something up, make sure you define it for me. Assume the reader does not know anything about it.



1. Describe the atmosphere and events that precipitated the Los Angeles Riots of 1992? Do
you think we have adequately addressed those issues?

2. Explain the confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas, the allegations from Anita Hill,
and why they were so impactful in American society.

3. Who was Emmett Till and how did his death influence the Civil Rights movement in the
1950s? Is his story relevant today?

4. What was Phyllis Schlafly’s position on women’s rights? Why did she hold those
positions? What effect did Schlafly and her allies have on American society and politics?

5. What is the War on Terror and do you think it was an appropriate response to the attacks
of September 11?

6. What was different about Rock ‘n Roll in the 1950s and why was it so challenging for
many Americans?

7. Explain what happened at Love Canal. What steps were taken to address the toxic waste
at the site and do you think the response was adequate?

8. What was revolutionary about the sitcoms of the 1970s? Did they have an effect beyond
mere entertainment?

9. What lessons can you draw from the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal? Do you think it was
appropriate for Congress to impeach the president?

10. What tactics did Senator Joseph McCarthy use to investigate communism in the federal
government? What do you think his motivations were and are there any lessons for today
that are relevant?

11. Hurricane Katrina was a major U.S. disaster, but it was made worse by poor leadership at
the local, state, and federal levels. Should the federal government have taken a larger role
in coordinating the response? Why or why not?



The third part is the long essay. I will choose one of those questions for the test. It is worth 30 points. I am expecting a standard history essay of at least five paragraphs with an introduction and a conclusion. You should have a strong thesis that you support with evidence. You don't need to cite from sources. This is just what you remember from class.


1. What is the biggest change to affect the United States in the years after World War II?
You can choose a political, social, or cultural trend, but be sure to fully chart how it
changed and what effect it had on the country.

2. Some believe the election of Donald Trump was an aberration in American politics,
something that is completely different from anything that came before and probably
different from anything we will see again. Others believe that we can trace the roots of
his rise to power much farther back in American politics, especially in the rise of the
conservatism since the 1960s. Which camp do you fall in? Why? Or maybe you believe
the explanation is more complicated?