All SAT II US History Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #51 : U.S. Intellectual And Cultural History
In the late nineteenth century, William Randolph Hearst's newspaper, New York Journal, and Joseph Pulitzer's New York World were involved in a competition for the highest readership. In order to increase their circulation, both newspapers sensationalized the news. This sensationalizing of the news became known as what?
New York Fare
Risqué Reportage
Coarse Journalism
Yellow Journalism
Bawdy Journalism
Yellow Journalism
Yellow Journalism is a term still used today to condemn reporting that is seen as unprofessional or unprincipled.
Example Question #8 : U.S. Intellectual And Cultural History From 1899 To The Present
Who was the American author, known for his novels The Grapes of Wrath (1939) and East of Eden (1952) among other works, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962?
John Steinbeck
Herman Melville
Arthur Miller
Henry Miller
Ernest Hemingway
John Steinbeck
John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. (February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962. He is also known for his novella, Of Mice and Men.
Example Question #9 : U.S. Intellectual And Cultural History From 1899 To The Present
Who was the author of the muckraking book The History of the Standard Oil Company?
William Randolph Hearst
Upton Sinclair
Ida Tarbell
Harriet Beecher Stowe
John D. Rockefeller
Ida Tarbell
The History of the Standard Oil Company was written by Ida Tarbell in 1904. The Standard Oil Company was owned by John D. Rockefeller (at the time the richest man in the United States). The book exposes much of the improper practices in the company and paved the way for a wave of other “muckraking” books that would contribute to the anti-trust movement in America in the early twentieth century. The term muckraking refers to a type of progressive journalist who performs investigative work for the sake of promoting change.
Example Question #1 : Facts And Details In U.S. Intellectual And Cultural History From 1899 To The Present
Who made the first controlled and sustained flight in a heavier-than-air aircraft?
The Wright Brothers
Ernest Archdeacon
Amelia Earhart
Charles Lindbergh
Manfred von Richthofen
The Wright Brothers
On December 17th, 1903, the Wright Brothers made such a flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, ushering in the age of modern aviation.
Example Question #1 : Facts And Details In U.S. Intellectual And Cultural History From 1899 To The Present
On July 20th, 1969, who became the first person to set foot on the moon?
Frank F. Borman, Jr.
James A. Lovell, Jr.
Neil Armstrong
Chuck Yeager
Edwin Aldrin, Jr.
Neil Armstrong
American astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon.
Example Question #3 : Facts And Details In U.S. Intellectual And Cultural History From 1899 To The Present
Malcolm X is most closely identified with the organization known as __________.
the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
the Nation of Islam
the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
the Universal Negro Improvement Association
the Nation of Islam
Formerly known as Malcolm Little, a former street hustler and ex-convict, Malcolm X gained notoriety in the 1950s as the leading speaker for the Nation of Islam. The Nation was a religious movement begun in the 1920s as a spin on traditional Islam, but with a distinct black nationalist message and a theology that considered all white people to be the children of Satan.
Malcolm X's spiritual change lifted him out of poverty and prison, but also made him a leading voice for black separatism. In 1965, Malcolm X began having issues with the Nation's leader, Elijah Muhammad, both because of Malcolm's controversial statements and because of Muhammad's philandering. Malcolm X converted to traditional Sunni Islam in late 1964, and was assasinated by disgruntled Nation members on February 21, 1965.
Example Question #4 : Facts And Details In U.S. Intellectual And Cultural History From 1899 To The Present
The counterculture of the 1960s was exemplified by all but which of the following?
Opposition to the Vietnam War
Development of new popular musical styles
Support of the women's rights movement
More adventurous approaches to drugs
A deep respect of authority figures
A deep respect of authority figures
The counterculture of the 1960s developed as the post-World War II Baby Boom generation grew into their teens and twenties. A wide majority of this generation began defining themselves in opposition to their parents' generation. In particular, the burgeoning music scenes and "hippie culture" in metropolitan areas of the U.S. made acceptance of drugs and recreational sex more common. Politically, the counter culture moved increasingly to the left, with an anti-authoritarian streak and opposition to the Vietnam War, standing beside support of African-American Rights, Women's Rights, and the nascent Gay Rights Movements.
Example Question #5 : Facts And Details In U.S. Intellectual And Cultural History From 1899 To The Present
What is the name of the first satellite launched by the United States during the Space Age?
Intrepid I
Explorer I
Augusta I
Voyager I
Sputnik I
Explorer I
The first satellite launched by the United States during the Space Age was named Explorer I. Explorer I was launched in January of 1958, a few months after the launch of Sputnik 1 and 2 by the Soviet Union. The launch of Explorer I marked the beginning of the Cold War era Space Race between the U.S.S.R and the United States.
Example Question #2 : Facts And Details In U.S. Intellectual And Cultural History From 1899 To The Present
Who developed the first reliable polio vaccine in 1955?
Thomas Edison
Jonas Salk
Karl Slotta
Orange Judd
Ferid Murad
Jonas Salk
Jonas Salk was the first scientist to develop a reliable vaccine for polio. Prior to Salk’s breakthrough in 1955 polio was generally considered one of the most terrifying public health problems in the post-war United States. Epidemics frequently broke out during the summer, and the disease heavily affected young children. In 1952, the worst epidemic on record, more than three thousand people died, and tens of thousands were left with debilitating illnesses. Salk forsook personal profit and refused to patent his idea—in his time he was hailed as a national hero, but is largely forgotten today.
Example Question #10 : Facts And Details In U.S. Intellectual And Cultural History From 1899 To The Present
What was the name given to the investigative journalists of the early 1900s who advocated change and reform?
Muckrakers
Crusaders
Busybodies
Charlatans
Yellow Journalists
Muckrakers
These early investigative journalists were called muckrakers.
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