New Jersey City University

HIST 152 -2 1865: American History since 1865

Adjunct Professor Yeurys Pujols, AA BA MA
Office: K-building Room K511
Office hours: Saturdays 12pm to 2pm (by appointment)
Email: YPUJOLS@NJCU.EDU
Spring 2015

Due date: 9/08/15

Exam: 1 (9/29/15)
Chapter 15: Reconstruction: High Hopes and Shattered Dreams, 1865-1877
1. What did Presidents Lincoln and Johnson seek to accomplish through their
Reconstruction policies? How did white southerners respond to the
Reconstruction efforts of Lincoln and Johnson? What does this suggest about
the expectations of white southerners?
2. Why did congressional Republicans take control over Reconstruction
policy? What did they seek to accomplish? How successful were they?
3. How did the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments change the nature of
the federal Union?
4. How did the freed people respond to freedom? What seemed to have been
the leading objectives among freed people as they explored their new
opportunities?
5. How did southern white respond to the end of slavery?
6. What major groups made up the Republican Party in the South during
Reconstruction? Compare their reasons for being Republicans, their relative
size, and their objectives?
7. What were the most lasting results of the Republican state
administrations?
8. What major factors brought about the end of Reconstruction? Evaluate
their relative significance.
9. Many historians began to re-evaluate their interpretations of
Reconstruction during the 1950s and 1960s. Why do you suppose this
happened?
Due date: 9/15/15
Exam: 1 (9/29/15)
Chapter 16: The Nation Industrializes: 1865-1900
1. What factors encouraged economic growth and industrial development
after the Civil War?
2. What was the significance of the railroad and steel industries in the new
industrial economy that emerged after the Civil War?

3. How did investment bankers such as J.P. Morgan contribute to the new
industrial economy?
4. How and why did companies expand their operations and control within an
industry?
5. In what ways was the economy of the South distinctive?
6. What were the causes and outcomes of the Indian wars of the late
nineteenth century? Could they have been avoided?
7. What were the major ways in which the West was incorporated into the
national economy?
8. What were the major changes in the U.S. economy from the Civil War to
World War I?
Due date: 9/22/15
Exam: 1 (9/29/15)
Chapter 17: Life in the New Urban Society, 1865-1902
1. What were the key factors in the transformation of American cities in the
late nineteenth century?
2. What important new social patterns emerged in urban areas in the late
nineteenth century?
3. What new social patterns appeared in the South after the end of
Reconstruction?
4. How did southern racial relations develop after the end of Reconstruction?
5. How did the expectations of European immigrants differ from their actual
experiences?
6. Compare the experiences of Chinese Americans, American Indians, and
Mexican Americans, and African Americans in the urban society.
7. How did industrialization change the lives of those who came to work in
the new industries?
8. How did various labor organizations define their membership and
purpose? Does this help to explain their successes and shortcomings?
Due date: 9/29/15
Exam: 2 (10/20/15)
Chapter 18: Politics and Foreign Relations in a Rapidly Changing Nation,
1865-1902
1. What was the significance of political parties in the late nineteenth
century?
2. Compare the presidencies of Grant through Cleveland. Which do you think
was more successful? Why?

3. What were the major goals of the various reform groups? Why were some
more successful than others?
4. What groups and which issues led to the formation of the Populist Party?
5. What were the issues in the 1896 presidential election, and what were the
short-term and long-term results?
6. How did American policymakers define the role of the United States in
North America during the period from 1865 to 1889?
7. How and why did some Americans attitudes about the U.S. role in world
affairs begin to change between 1889 and 1897?
8. What events led the United States into war with Spain?
9. What new attitudes about Americas role in world affairs appeared in the
debate over the acquisition of new possessions?
Due date: 10/06/15
Exam: 2 (10/20/15)
Chapter 19: The Progressive Era, 1900-1917
1. What important changes transformed American politics in the early
twentieth century?
2. What did women and African Americans seek to accomplish by creating
new organizations devoted to political change?
3. What did the muckrakers and new professional groups contribute to
reform?
4. What were the characteristics of the reforms of city and state
government?
5. What did Theodore Roosevelt mean by a Square Deal? How do his
accomplishments exemplify this description? Do any of his actions not fit this
model?
6. How did the role of the federal government in the economy and the power
of the presidency change as a consequence of Theodore Roosevelts
activities in office?
7. What were Theodore Roosevelts objectives for the United States in world
affairs? What did he do to realize those objectives? How did Roosevelt
reshape Americas foreign policy?
8. What choices confronted American voters in the presidential election of
1912? What were the short-term and long-term outcomes of the election?
9. How did the Wilson administration change the role of the federal
government in the economy?

10. Did developments in cultural expression draw more from American

sources or European sources?
11. How did social and technological changes contribute to new patterns in
mass entertainment?
12. Was progressivism successful? How do you define success?
13. How did progressivism affect modern American politics?
Due date: 10/13/15
Exam: 2 (10/20/15)
Chapter 20: The United States in a World at War, 1913-1920
1. Before the outbreak of war in Europe, how did Wilson conceive of
Americas role in dealing with other nations? In what new directions did
Wilson steer U.S. foreign policy before the coming of war in Europe?
2. Why did Wilson proclaim American neutrality? What were the attitudes of
Americans toward this objective?
3. What forces outside the U.S. made neutrality difficult? What forces within
the United States were pushing for the nation to enter the war?
4. What steps did the federal government take to mobilize the economy and
society in support of the war? How successful were these efforts?
5. How did the war affect Americans, especially women, African Americans,
and opponents of war?
6. What role did American ships and troops play in ending the war?
7. In what ways did Wilson try to keep Americas participation in the war
separate from that of the Allies? Why?
8. Do you think Wilson was successful at the peace conference?
9. What caused the defeat of the treaty in the Senate? Who was responsible
Wilson, Lodge, or the Irreconcilables?
10. How did Americans react to the outcome of the war and the events of
1919? How did the war contribute to conflict within the nation in 1919?
11. How did the events of 19171920 affect the 1920 presidential election?
What was unusual about that contest?
Due date: 10/20/15
Exam: 3 (11/17/15)
Chapter 21: Prosperity Decade, 1920 -1928
1. What was the basis for the economic expansion of the 1920s?
2. What weaknesses existed within the economy?
3. What groups most challenged traditional social patterns during the 1920s?
Why?

4. What role did technology play in social change during the 1920s?
5. Why and how did some Americans try to restore traditional social values
during the 1920s? What were some of the results of their efforts?
6. What continuities and changes characterized racial and ethnic relations
during the 1920s?
7. Is it appropriate to describe the 1920s as the lean years for working
people?
8. How did gender roles and definitions change in the 1920s?
9. Compare the attitude of the Harding and Coolidge administrations toward
the economy with the attitude of the Roosevelt and Wilson administrations.
10. In what ways did the third-party candidacy of La Follette in 1924
resemble that of Roosevelt in 1912 and the Populists in 1892?
11. What is independent internationalism?
12. What were Hughess goals for the Washington Naval Conference? How
successful was he?
Due date: 10/27/15
Exam: 3 (11/17/15)
Chapter 22: The Great Depression and the New Deal, 1929-1939
1. What was the effect of the stock market crash on the American economy,
and what major economic weaknesses contributed to the crash and the
Great Depression?
2. How did Hoover try to deal with the Depression? How successful were his
efforts?
3. How did the New Deals First Hundred Days represent a change in the
role of the federal government?
4. What were the initial responses to New Deal measures?
5. What new reforms cam during the Second Hundred Days, and how did
they differ from those of the First Hundred Days?
6. What happened to restrict expansion of the New Deal after 1936?
7. How did Americans cope with the many challenges presented by the Great
Depression?
8. What opportunities opened for women, African Americans, Latinos, Asian
Americans, and Native Americans, and what challenges faced these groups
during the 1930s?
9. How did the Depression and New Deal affect cultural expression?
10. How did the Great Depression and New Deal affect Americans over the
long run?

Due date: 11/3/15

Exam: 3 (11/17/15)
Chapter 23: Americas Rise to World Leadership, 1929-1945
1. How were Roosevelts policies toward Latin America a continuation of
Hoovers?
2. What obstacles did Roosevelt face in trying to implement a more
interventionist foreign policy from 1933 to 1939?
3. What actions did Roosevelt take to mobilize the nation for war? How did
new wartime necessities affect the relationship between business and
government?
4. What new social and economic choices did Americans confront during the
war? How were different groups affected?
5. What factors did Roosevelt consider in shaping Americas strategy for
global conflict?
6. Why did Truman and his advisers choose to use the atomic bomb?
Due date: 11/10/15
Exam: 3 (11/17/15)
Chapter 24: Truman and Cold War America, 1945-1952
1. What were Americans' expectations for the postwar world and U.S.-Soviet
relations? How did Soviets counter those expectations?
2. How was the containment theory applied to Western Europe between 1947
and 1951? Outside Western Europe, how did the Truman Administration
promote and protect American interests?
3. As the North Koreans invaded South Korea, what choices did Truman face,
and why did he decide to refer the issue to the United Nations?
4. What were Truman and MacArthurs goals in Korea? What was the
consequence of Chinas entry into the war?
5. In what ways did Truman attempt to maintain and expand the New Deal?
How did the fear of communism strengthen conservative opposition to his
programs?
6. Why did Truman win the 1948 election?
7. What fears and events heightened societys worries about internal
subversion, and how did politicians respond to the publics concerns?
8. Why and how did Joseph McCarthy become so powerful in 1952?
9. How did suburban America reflect the social and economic expectations of
many Americans?

10. What adjustments did women and minorities have to make in postwar
America?
Due date: 11/17/15
Exam: 4 (12/15/15)
Chapter 25: Quest for Consensus, 1952-1960
1. What were the popular images of Eisenhower, and how did they compare
with reality?
2. What were the goals of conservatives and Eisenhower as they sought to
roll back the programs of the New Deal?
3. What were the weaknesses of massive retaliation, and how did
Eisenhower address them?
4. What tactics did the Eisenhower administration pursue in the Middle East
and Latin America to protect American interests?
5. What new economic factors contributed to prosperity in the 1950s?
6. What stresses and contradictions were at work beneath the placid surface
of suburbia? Who voiced criticism and how did they express it?
7. Why were rock n roll and rebellious teens seen as threats to social
norms?
8. How did African Americans attack de jure segregation in American
society during the 1950s? What role did the federal government play in
promoting civil rights?
Due date: 11/24/15
Exam: 4 (12/15/15)
Chapter 26: Great Promises, Bitter Disappointments, 1960-1968
1. How successful was the Kennedy administration in achieving its domestic
goals?
2. What form of African American activism pushed the civil rights movement
forward, and how did Kennedy respond to these efforts?
3. How did Kennedy modify the strategy and tactics of Eisenhowers foreign
policy? What actions did Kennedy take in Latin America and Vietnam to
promote American interests?
4. In what ways did the legislation associated with the Great Society differ
from New Deal programs? How did Johnsons War on Poverty and Great
Society further the civil rights movement?
5. How did new voices conflict with traditional social norms, and what
organizations and agendas arose to provide a platform for these voices?

6. How do the urban riots and the emergence of the Black Power movement
reflect a new agenda for the civil rights movement?
Due date: 12/1/15
Exam: 4 (12/15/15)
Chapter 27: American under Stress: 1967-1976
Due date:
1. How did Johnson modify Kennedys policies toward Latin America and
Southeast Asia? What considerations led Johns to escalate Americas role in
Vietnam in 1965? How did the North Vietnamese respond to the changes?
2. What were the political, social, and military outcomes of the Tet Offensive?
3. What key issues shaped the 1968 campaign? What strategy did Nixon use
to win?
4. How did Latinos and Native Americans seek to address the problems they
faced in American society? How did the federal government respond to their
efforts?
5. How did Richard Nixon plan to achieve an honorable peace in Vietnam?
How did Nixons Cold War policies differ from those favored by an earlier
administration?
6. How did Nixons policies dealing with the economy, welfare, and the
environment reflect his pragmatic approach? What did he do to increase the
base of the Republican Party? What actions led to the Watergate
investigation and Nixons resignation?
Due date: 12/8/15
Exam: 4 (12/15/15)
Chapter 28: New Economic and Political Alignments, 1976-1982
1. What new direction in foreign policy did Carter take, and how did his
policies toward Central America reflect that direction? What successes and
failures did Carter experience in dealing with the Middle East?
2. What issues and forces contributed to the emergence of the New Right?
How did the New Right shape American politics? What is Reaganomics, and
what were the consequences of Reagans economic policies?
3. What changes were taking place in the American economy during the
1970s, and what was their impact on American families and communities?
How did women, minorities, and liberals criticize Carters social policies?
4. What did the Reagan administration view as the main source of trouble in
world affairs? How did Reagan shift U.S.-Soviet policy during his second
term? What role did Gorbachev play in promoting change in the Soviet
Union?

5. What new foreign policy choices did the United States face as a result of
the collapse of the Soviet Union?
6. How did Reagans domestic policies affect expectations and outcomes for
the Bush administration?