Post-War America

Name:

Date:

Instructions: The late 1940s and 1950s brought prosperity and change. How much do you remember about post-war American life?

1.
What legislation gave returning WWII veterans benefits for education, housing, and more?
A
The Soldiers' Relief Act
B
The Veterans Act
C
The Military Benefits Act
D
The GI Bill
2.
What 1947 plan provided over $13 billion in economic aid to rebuild Western Europe?
A
The Lend-Lease Act
B
The Truman Doctrine
C
The Atlantic Alliance
D
The Marshall Plan
3.
What historic event occurred on May 8, 1945, celebrating the end of the war in Europe?
A
Armistice Day
B
D-Day
C
V-J Day
D
V-E Day
4.
What city saw massive celebrations in Times Square when Japan surrendered in August 1945?
A
Chicago
B
Washington, D.C.
C
Los Angeles
D
New York City
5.
Which iconic photograph shows a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square on V-J Day?
A
The Victory Kiss
B
Sailor's Embrace
C
V-J Day in Times Square
D
The Kiss
6.
What 1947 event saw Jackie Robinson break Major League Baseball's color barrier?
A
He joined the New York Yankees
B
He joined the Brooklyn Dodgers
C
He joined the New York Giants
D
He joined the Boston Red Sox
7.
What was the massive migration of Americans from cities to newly built communities outside them called?
A
Urban renewal
B
White flight
C
Suburban sprawl
D
The Great Migration
8.
Which appliance became a symbol of postwar American prosperity and was found in most homes by the mid-1950s?
A
The microwave oven
B
The air conditioner
C
The dishwasher
D
The television
9.
What international organization was founded in 1945 to promote peace and cooperation among nations?
A
NATO
B
The European Union
C
The World Bank
D
The United Nations
10.
What trials held after WWII prosecuted major war criminals for crimes against humanity?
A
The Hague Trials
B
The Geneva Hearings
C
The Nuremberg Trials
D
The Berlin Tribunals
11.
What new type of restaurant catered to car-driving Americans in the late 1940s and 1950s?
A
Cafeterias
B
Drive-ins
C
Diners
D
Fast food chains
12.
What airlift in 1948-1949 supplied West Berlin when the Soviets blocked ground access?
A
The Allied Supply Run
B
The Berlin Airlift
C
Operation Freedom
D
Operation Vittles
13.
Which 1954 Supreme Court case declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional?
A
Loving v. Virginia
B
Plessy v. Ferguson
C
Brown v. Board of Education
D
Cooper v. Aaron
14.
What 1955 event in Montgomery, Alabama sparked the civil rights movement when Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat?
A
The Montgomery Sit-In
B
The Montgomery March
C
The Montgomery Freedom Ride
D
The Montgomery Bus Boycott
15.
What military alliance was formed in 1949 between the U.S. and Western European nations?
A
The UN Security Council
B
SEATO
C
NATO
D
The Warsaw Pact

Answer Key

Question 1

D. The GI Bill

Question 2

D. The Marshall Plan

Question 3

D. V-E Day

Question 4

D. New York City

Question 5

C. V-J Day in Times Square

Question 6

B. He joined the Brooklyn Dodgers

Question 7

C. Suburban sprawl

Question 8

D. The television

Question 9

D. The United Nations

Question 10

C. The Nuremberg Trials

Question 11

B. Drive-ins

Question 12

B. The Berlin Airlift

Question 13

C. Brown v. Board of Education

Question 14

D. The Montgomery Bus Boycott

Question 15

C. NATO

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