MTTC History Flashcards

Which of the following best explains why the United States adopted the policy of containment during the Cold War?

Answer: To stop the spread of communism beyond countries already under Soviet influence

Containment, articulated by diplomat George Kennan, aimed to prevent communism from spreading to new countries rather than rolling it back where it existed.

The Protestant Reformation was most directly sparked by Martin Luther's objection to:

Answer: The sale of indulgences by the Catholic Church

Luther's 95 Theses (1517) primarily attacked the sale of indulgences, by which the Church claimed to reduce the punishment for sins in exchange for money.

The Three-Fifths Compromise in the U.S. Constitution (1787) determined that enslaved people would be counted as what fraction for purposes of congressional representation and taxation?

Answer: Three-fifths

The Three-Fifths Compromise counted three out of every five enslaved persons for apportioning representation and direct taxes, boosting Southern political power.

The Berlin Airlift (1948–1949) was a Western response to:

Answer: The Soviet blockade of ground access to West Berlin

When the Soviet Union blockaded all ground routes to West Berlin, the U.S. and Britain airlifted supplies into the city for nearly a year until the blockade was lifted.

Which of the following accurately describes the significance of the Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)?

Answer: A small Greek force delayed the Persian army, becoming a symbol of resistance against overwhelming odds

The 300 Spartans and their allies held the pass at Thermopylae against the Persian army for three days, buying time for the Greek city-states and becoming a legendary symbol of courage.

The term 'Reconstruction' (1865–1877) refers to the period following the Civil War during which the federal government primarily sought to:

Answer: Reintegrate former Confederate states into the Union and address the status of freedpeople

Reconstruction involved reintegrating Southern states into the Union, defining the rights of formerly enslaved people, and debating the conditions for Southern readmission.

The apartheid system in South Africa, dismantled in the early 1990s, was a policy of:

Answer: State-enforced racial segregation and white minority rule

Apartheid was a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination enforced by the National Party government from 1948 until the early 1990s.