History Discussion Points
Please answer the questions provided and label them. Please reference P. Scott Corbett US History via OpenStax
1. Outline the causes of the Great Depression and compare and contrast how Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt responded to this crisis. Include in your answer a discussion of legislation passed by each as well as an analysis of public perceptions of both presidents.
2. Discuss U.S. involvement in World War Two. Why did the U.S. wait so long to enter the war and what role did the U.S. ultimately play? What impact did the war have on the home front? Make sure you discuss the economy, civil liberties, race relations, and women.
3. Discuss the origins of the Cold War and the new American foreign policy that emerged at the end of World War Two. Could the Cold War have been avoided? Why or why not?
4. Why and how did the U.S. get involved in Vietnam and Korea? Discuss the similarities and differences in these two wars. What impact did each have on the home front?
5. Discuss the civil rights movement from the end of World War Two to 1968. Outline the major events, legislation, and court decisions as well as key leaders and organizations that helped define the movement.
6. During the 1960s a number of young people voiced dissatisfaction with the status quo in the United States. Discuss how anti-war protests, feminism, the counter culture, Red Power, Chicano, and gay rights movements were each manifestations of this discontent. To what extent was each successful?
7. To many Americans, the administrations of Johnson and Nixon represented betrayal and disillusionment. How were both the elections of 1976 and 1980 a response to continued disillusionment? Include a discussion of what both Carter and Reagan represented and conclude with a discussion of the significance of the Conservative Revolution.
