HST203 - Final Exam
Essay Exam Option

You may use a single 4" x 8" index card, to jot down important events, names, dates, places, etc. to use while writing your essay. You must turn this card in, along with your essay on exam day to receive credit. Bring at least 8 sheets of paper and a pen to class on the day of the midterm.

The following questions are actual exam questions. You will write a total of 2 essays, one from Section A and one from Section B. Only two of the three questions in Section A and three of the four questions in Section B will appear on the day of the exam. (If you prepare for at least two of the questions from each section, you will be assured that at least one of them will be on the exam.)

Your discussion should be detailed and well organized. You should take a moment to draft a brief outline of your answer. Do NOT write your essays in the first person. Regardless, be sure to answer the question.

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Section A

1. How had television affected American habits and culture by the end of the 1950's?
   
   
2. What basic similarities and differences were evident between Eisenhower's "New Look" policy and Kennedy approach to international relations? What events in each administration reflected the basic components of their policies?
   
   
3. As the Cold War deepened abroad, Americans also were consumed with concerns about national security at home. What action did Congress take to protect domestic security interests in the postwar era? What role did HUAC play in waging the domestic phase of the Cold war?

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Section B

1. The legal tactics of the NAACP as a means of change left many black leaders unsatisfied. Explain why and discussed the variety of strategies that were employed to accelerate the civil rights movement.
   
   
2. What role did the Kennedy and Johnson administrations play in responding to civil rights violations and activism in the South. What were the results?
   
   
3. Why did Lyndon Johnson embark on "a course of intentional deceit" after the first escalations in the Vietnam war? What secret operations did the Nixon administration pursue within the conduct of foreign policy?
   
   
4. Despite his diplomatic successes and the fulfillment of a significant part of his domestic agenda, Richard Nixon resigned from office in 1974 in the midst of scandal. What "dirty tricks" had the inner circle of the White House engaged in during the Nixon administration and what revelations about White House involvement and these activities finally ended the Nixon presidency?