History 111: US History since 1865
Professor Catapano
Fall 2005

Final Exam


Due on Friday, December 23, by 5:00pm.  Submit as a Word document atttachment by email.  Please be sure your name is at the top and you write "Final Exam" in the subject line.  Please email to pcatapano@citytech.cuny.edu

Instructions: Choose two of the following four questions. Write 2 double-spaced pages answering each of the two chosen questions (4-5pages total). Use examples from materials you read and viewed to support your argument. Try to use 2-3 brief examples to support each point you make.

The essay should be completely your own work.  You can make reference to the textbook or other source material linked to the course webpage.  This is NOT a research essay.  Do not use any other sources.  The policy for plagiarism is the same as your essay.  If you use any unautorized work or submit any work that is not your own you will automatically receive a grade of 0 for this exam.  Do not use footnotes but include the author and title of the book or article if you quote from or refer to any of the approved sources.

1. What is "containment"?  How did the US attempt to contain the growth of Communism?  Please give specific details of strategies and policies enacted during the Cold War.

2. How do you account for the prosperity of America during the late 1940s and 1950s? How was this prosperity similar to and different from that of the 1920s?

3. How do you account for the rise of the civil rights movement?  What were the various strategies used by supporters and opponents of desegregation? How did "black power" challenge the movement?

4. How the United States become involved in the war in Vietnam?  Who was the "enemy" the US hoped to defeat?  Why did protests against the war begin to increase?  What were some of the arguments of the anti-war movement?