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LouisianaUS History

Module 4: The Great Depression and World War II

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What caused the Great Depression, and how did it affect ordinary Americans?

Analyze the causes of the Great Depression and its effects on American society, including the stock market crash, bank failures, unemployment, the Dust Bowl, and the response of President Hoover (Louisiana Student Standards for Social Studies, US History Standard 4: Becoming a World Power through World War II).
A LEAP-level answer on the causes of the Great Depression for the Louisiana US History test: the stock market crash of 1929, overproduction and underconsumption, bank failures, the role of credit and speculation, the Dust Bowl, mass unemployment, and President Hoover's response, with worked source questions.
12 min answer →

How did the Holocaust and the atomic bomb reveal both the horror of World War II and the dawn of a new age?

Analyze the Holocaust and the decision to use the atomic bomb, including the genocide carried out by Nazi Germany, the American response, the development of the bomb, and the debate over its use (Louisiana Student Standards for Social Studies, US History Standard 4: Becoming a World Power through World War II).
A LEAP-level answer on the Holocaust and the atomic bomb for the Louisiana US History test: the Nazi genocide of six million Jews and millions of others, liberation and the response, the Manhattan Project, the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the debate over the decision to use the bomb, with worked source questions.
12 min answer →

How did Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal respond to the Great Depression, and how did it change the role of government?

Analyze the New Deal, including its relief, recovery, and reform programs, the expansion of the federal government, the debate over its constitutionality, and its lasting legacy (Louisiana Student Standards for Social Studies, US History Standard 4: Becoming a World Power through World War II).
A LEAP-level answer on the New Deal for the Louisiana US History test: the relief, recovery, and reform programs, Social Security and the major agencies, the expansion of the federal government, the Supreme Court conflict, and Huey Long's challenge in Louisiana, with worked source questions.
13 min answer →

How did the United States move from isolationism to war after the rise of aggressive dictatorships?

Analyze the causes of World War II and the American shift from isolationism to involvement, including the rise of totalitarian dictatorships, appeasement, the Neutrality Acts, Lend-Lease, and the attack on Pearl Harbor (Louisiana Student Standards for Social Studies, US History Standard 4: Becoming a World Power through World War II).
A LEAP-level answer on the road to World War II for the Louisiana US History test: the rise of totalitarian dictatorships, the failure of appeasement, American isolationism and the Neutrality Acts, the shift to aiding the Allies through Lend-Lease, and the attack on Pearl Harbor, with worked source questions.
12 min answer →

How did the United States and its allies defeat the Axis powers in World War II?

Analyze the major events and turning points of World War II and the American role in the Allied victory, including the strategy of fighting in Europe and the Pacific and the key turning-point battles (Louisiana Student Standards for Social Studies, US History Standard 4: Becoming a World Power through World War II).
A LEAP-level answer on the American role in World War II for the Louisiana US History test: the Allies and the Axis, the Europe-first strategy, turning points such as D-Day, Midway, and Stalingrad, the island-hopping campaign in the Pacific, and the path to victory in 1945, with worked source questions.
12 min answer →

How did World War II transform American society, the economy, and the lives of women and minorities at home?

Analyze the World War II home front, including economic mobilization, the role of women and minorities, rationing and war bonds, and the internment of Japanese Americans (Louisiana Student Standards for Social Studies, US History Standard 4: Becoming a World Power through World War II).
A LEAP-level answer on the World War II home front for the Louisiana US History test: the economic mobilization that ended the Depression, Rosie the Riveter and women workers, opportunities and discrimination for African Americans, rationing and war bonds, and the internment of Japanese Americans, with worked source questions.
12 min answer →