AP Unit 8 (1945-1980)

2025
Answer the following questions to the best of your ability. The QUALITY, not QUANTITY, of your answers
are the key to success in this review. You may use either complete sentences or bullet points of information, or a
combination of both.

For extra credit, you can create a notecard to use on the test. The notecard can be no larger than 3x5 inches-- but
you can write on the front and the back. All notes must be written by hand, by you.

1 How does America’s role in the world change in the years after WWII? Consider the UN, NATO, the
Marshall Plan, and the Truman Doctrine. Which best exemplifies the change in America’s role in the
world? Please explain.

After WWII, America’s role changed from an isolationist one to a leader on the global stage. Instead of
only caring about itself and its own economy, now the US was in a position to interfere in other nations’
affairs to bring peace to the world. NATO is the organization that best exemplifies the change in
America’s role in the world because it shows that America was willing to protect other nations instead of
like before WWII.

2 Why does the USA have another Red Scare in the years after WWII, and how did it impact America?

The US had another Red Scare after WWII due to the start of the Cold War with the Soviet Union and
the rising tensions with the USSR. This made the Americans scared and fearful of foreigners and
communists who may be trying to steal secrets from the US and send it to the Soviets, and as a result,
foreigners started to face a lot of oppression and persecution from American citizens.

3 What was the Baby Boom, and how does it affect America?

The Baby Boom was a period after WWII when many soldiers (at the same time) settled down in the US
to have a family, resulting in a huge increase in the birth of babies. This led to economic growth in
America and many social and cultural changes.

4 How does the way Americans live change between 1945-1980? Where are people moving to and from?
What is happening with American families? List and explain at least three changes.

●​ Many people moved from urban centers to suburban areas and to the South and West (known as
the Sun Belt). Thanks to much financial support and economic opportunities in the suburban
areas, many families moved there.
●​ Consumerism increased dramatically as many people began to indulge in automobiles and
clothing. Television became more prevalent as many people had more time and money to watch.
●​ The nuclear family became a more prominent feature of many places, although feminism and
changes in the family structure began to happen.

5 How does the Cold War between the US & USSR affect America between 1945-1980? List and explain
at least 3 key ways.
 ●​ The Cold War sparked the Red Scare, when people began to suspect others of being communists
which led to crackdowns. Government power also received an expansion due to this effect.
●​ The Cold War started a massive arms race, which caused the US to dedicate a lot of its money to
military spending and caused the rise of a military-industrial complex.
●​ The culture of the US shifted to nationalism and anti-communism as propaganda spread to
promote freedom and democracy.

6 How does life change for American women between 1945-1980? Identify and explain at least two ways.

●​ Instead of being simply in the kitchen and taking care of domestic tasks, WWII allowed more
women to enter the workforce and become more prevalent.
●​ The women’s rights movement also sprang up around this time to promote feminism and
advocate for gender equality, changing women’s lives from the traditional role to more radical
ones.

7 How do the New Frontier and Great Society impact America? Give three specific examples and briefly
explain their impact on America.

The New Frontier program, led by John F. Kennedy, and the Great Society program, led by Lyndon B.
Johnson, aimed to eliminate poverty, expand social programs, and improve the lives of the American
public. For example, both programs led to civil rights legislation and the improvement of the standing of
African Americans in US society. Social welfare programs were expanded, leading to the overall
improvement of the poverty situation and improved the quality of life for many people. The US space
program was a major focus of both programs that led to the Apollo 11 landing and the advancement of
US technology.

8 How does the USA become involved in the conflict in Vietnam, and what impact does the war in
Vietnam have on the USA?

The US was in the Cold War with the USSR and wanted to stop the spread of communism (Vietnam was
a key country in this effort), so after incidents like the Gulf of Tonkin happened, Johnson’s advisors
wanted Johnson to send troops to Vietnam. Johnson did so and also sent bombing campaigns as well.
This war strained the US economy and the loss of US life on Vietnam soil, as well as led to a period of
isolationism.

9 What was the “Counterculture” and how does it impact America? Identify and explain two examples.

●​ The Counterculture was a movement that challenged existing American values in the 1960s, like
those of materialism and the value of the Vietnam War.
●​ The Counterculture’s influence could be seen in the Vietnam War protests, which shifted public
opinion to anti-war and poured ice on the Vietnam War efforts.
●​ This movement helped to fuel the Civil Rights Movement as tons of young people were inspired
to go join these protests.

10 What key events in the fight for African American Civil Rights happened between 1945-1980? List and
explain at least three key events and their impact.
 ●​ Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision was a key event in the fight for African
American Civil Rights. This case made segregation in schools illegal and helped to fuel future
protests like the Little Rock 9.
●​ The March on Washington was another event where tons of people marched on Washington to
show their support for civil rights legislation and MLK made his “I Have a Dream” speech. This
march added to the motivation to pass equal rights legislation.
●​ The Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act was the culmination of the efforts of the Civil Rights
Movement and finally gave African Americans equal rights in citizenship and in voting.

11 How does the Civil Rights movement expand in the 1960s & 1970s? Identify and explain how at least 3
groups expand the fight for civil rights.

●​ The Civil Rights movement expanded rapidly in the 1960s and 1970s, thanks to the help of the
counterculture movement and the organizations pushing for equality.
●​ For example, the NACCP continued their work to push for equal rights by defending black
people in the courts.
●​ The SCLC, led by Dr. King, led protests and campaigns for equal rights.
●​ The Black Power Movement inspired many young people to advocate and demand their rights
and was a source of pride and determination.

12 How do concerns about the environment lead to new laws and actions in the USA? Identify and explain
at least two laws or actions.

●​ The concerns about the environment drove the US government (and especially the EPA) to
protect natural resources and reduce pollution. One act that was passed is the Clean Air Act,
which set air quality standards and reduced air pollution.
●​ Another act is the Clean Water Act, which set water quality standards and established NPDES to
reduce water pollution.

13 How does changing technology impact American life between 1960-1980? Identify and explain at least
three ways technology impacted Americans.

●​ Changing technology changed how people interacted with each other, or how they worked. The
rise of television, for example, made access to entertainment a lot easier and was present in many
homes, influencing pop culture and advertising.
●​ Household appliances made cleaning up in the kitchen or performing domestic tasks a lot easier,
giving women and household workers more time for leisure.
●​ The introduction of PCs allowed many businesses to streamline their processes and many people
at home began online gaming.

14 How does the Cold War change and evolve between 1960-1980? Identify at least three new
developments and explain their impact.

●​ The Cold War somewhat de-escalated after the Cuban Missile Crisis, as a period of detente
became prevalent with the USSR. Negotiations and control treaties with the Soviet Union were
able to be passed.
 ●​ The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 marked the end of detente and heightened tensions
with the US, as the US raced to build stronger arms.
●​ The Vietnam War also changed the way the Cold War ran as it showed both sides the dangers of
directly fighting each other and changed US public opinion to anti-war.

15 What was “Watergate”, and how does it impact the USA?

Watergate was a major scandal where it was discovered that the Democratic Party’s headquarters were
wiretapped. 5 burglars attempted to burgle and intercept messages in the DNC but were caught. Nixon
tried to cover up this scandal but was ultimately exposed and forced to resign. This impacted the US by
demonstrating the amount of corruption present in the government and the way Nixon abused his
presidential power. This case forever serves as a reminder to future presidents to not overuse their power.