NA Senior High School

I.          Postwar America

Text 910-917 (first paragraph)

How much of the prosperity of this time period is an illusion conjured by a semi-permanent war economy?  Explain your response.

II.        The Cold War Begins

Text 921 (bottom of 2^nd column - 923 (3^rd paragraph), 926-928 (top paragraph, second column), 941; Spirit II 433-435 (Freeman), 435-437 (Stettinius)

Could rancor between the United States and the Soviet Union that developed in the waning days of WWII and the postwar period been avoided?  If so, how?  If not, why not?

III.       Stalemate in Korea

Text 937-939, 948-950 (top sentence)

Is the Korean War a win, loss, or tie for the United States?  Support your position.

IV.       Seeing Red

Text 950-951 (top four lines, 2^nd column), 957-958; Spirit II 465-466 (McCarthy), 466-468 (Smith)

Is the comparison of the McCarthy Communist Hearings to Salem Witch
Trials a fair one?  Why or why not?

V.        Stirrings of Desegregation

Text 951-953 (all), 954-955, 956-957 (first paragraph)

What factors existed at this time period that allowed resistance to segregation to take root?  Why did it not occur to this extent before now?

VI.       Foreign Affairs of the Eisenhower Years

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            Text 958- 964; Spirit 463-464 (Eisenhower)

MODERATION

What foreign policy philosophy dominates the Eisenhower years?  Is it effective?  Explain.

VII.     The 50’s come to a close

Text 964-966 (1^st column); Spirit II 492-494 (Eisenhower)

In what ways is the Election of 1960 a “passing of the torch”?

VIII.    JFK’s New Frontier

Text 972-974, 979-982 (top paragraph)

How much progress was Kennedy able to make in his domestic initiatives during his short presidency? 

IX.       Nadir of Relations: Cuban Missile Crisis and Kennedy’s Cold War

Text 976-979; Spirit II 496-497 (Kennedy), 498 (Khruschev), 499 (Kennedy), 499-500 (Izvestia)

Assess Kennedy’s handling of the two Cuban crises of his administration. 

X.        LBJ’s Great Society

Text 982-988 (top); Spirit II 501-502 (Harrington), 503-504 (Johnson), 504-505 (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Is Johnson’s concept of a “Great Society” a fulfillment of American ideals of fairness, equality, and compassion; or is it a betrayal of American principles of individualism, limited government, and economic liberty?

XI.       The Quagmire of Vietnam

Spirit II 526-527 (Johnson), 529-532 (McNamara), 532-533 (MyLai), 534-535 (Soldiers), 536 (Mauldin Cartoon)

Is US action in Vietnam justified?  Why or why not?

XII.     Lessons from Southeast Asia

Spirit II 547-549 (Nixon), 549-551 (St. Louis Dispatch), 555-556 (Nixon),

557-558 (Des Moines Register)

What factors support the assertion that the United States "lost" in Vietnam?  What might the United States have done differently to "win" the Vietnam War?

XIII.    Nixonian Foreign Policy

Text 1002-1007, 1012-1013 (first paragraph)

MODERATION

Is foreign policy under Richard Nixon a success or failure?  Provide specific examples.

XIV.    America under Nixon’s Adminstration

Text 1007-1011 (first column), 1013-1014

What positive lessons are there for the United States to learn from the Watergate Scandal? 

XV.     Our First Unelected President

            Text 1016, 1021, 1024

            Is Ford to be lauded or vilified for pardoning Nixon?

XVI.    Nice Guys Finish Last – the Carter Years

            Text 1024-1028

            MODERATION

What problems dominated the Carter years that conspired to have him confined to a single-term presidency?

XVII.  “Morning In America”

Text 1031-1036 (first paragraph), 1041-1042; Spirit II: 578-579 (supply-side economics), 582-583 (New York Times)

What themes resonate in Reagan’s rhetoric?  What is attractive about the theory of supply-side economics?  What is unattractive about it?