Directions

Welcome to the interactive viewing guide for The Century: America's Time - Approaching the Apocalypse (1971-1975). This unit covers the dark heart of the 1970s: the constitutional crisis of Watergate, the economic shock of the Oil Embargo, and the final, somber end to the Vietnam War.

Instructions:

Complete the Identity Panel above to unlock the navigation.
Watch the documentary via the link in the sidebar.
Answer the 15 multiple-choice questions spread across three sections.
The Date field will autopopulate when you click the final button.

Part I: Watergate & The Fall of Nixon

1. In 1972, five men were arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters. What was the name of this office and apartment complex?

The Watergate The Pentagon The Smithsonian The Lincoln Center

2. What was the name of the top-secret Department of Defense study on the history of US involvement in Vietnam that was leaked in 1971, deepening public distrust?

The CIA Files The Pentagon Papers The Tonkin Records The White House Logs

3. During the Senate hearings, it was revealed that Richard Nixon had secretly installed what in the Oval Office, providing the "smoking gun" evidence against him?

A hidden camera system A direct line to the Soviets A voice-activated recording/taping system An illegal wiretapping station

4. On August 9, 1974, facing certain impeachment and conviction, Richard Nixon became the first President in US history to:

Declare martial law Dissolve Congress Flee the country Resign from office

5. Who became President after Nixon's departure and famously told the nation, "Our long national nightmare is over"?

Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan Spiro Agnew

Part II: Chaos & The Oil Crisis

6. Why did OPEC announce an oil embargo against the United States in 1973, leading to massive gas shortages and long lines at pumps?

Because of a global shortage of crude oil In retaliation for US support of Israel in the Yom Kippur War To protest the environmental movement in America Because the US refused to pay higher taxes on oil

7. What term was coined in the 1970s to describe the unusual economic combination of stagnant growth and high inflation?

Hyper-deflation Stagflation The Great Depression 2.0 Supply-side Panic

8. To conserve energy during the fuel crisis, the federal government mandated that the national speed limit be reduced to:

45 mph 55 mph 65 mph 70 mph

9. Which American industry, based in Detroit, began a steep decline as consumers switched to more fuel-efficient Japanese imports?

The Steel Industry The Automobile Industry The Coal Industry The Textile Industry

10. The 1970s saw a massive shift in manufacturing jobs from the decaying industrial North (the Rust Belt) to the South and West, known as the:

Cotton Belt Sun Belt Bible Belt Wheat Belt

Part III: The End of Vietnam & A Changing World

11. In April 1975, the world watched as North Vietnamese forces captured which city, forcing a chaotic evacuation of the American embassy?

Hanoi Saigon Da Nang Hue

12. What was the term for the period of "thawing" or relaxed tensions between the US and the Soviet Union during the early 1970s?

Glasnost Perestroika Détente Brinkmanship

13. In 1972, Nixon and Brezhnev signed which historic treaty, the first significant agreement to limit the number of strategic nuclear missiles?

The INF Treaty The SALT I Treaty The START Accord The Camp David Peace Pact

14. Despite his political scandals, Nixon created which federal agency in 1970 to regulate pollution and protect the environment?

The FDA The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) The OSHA The FCC

15. By 1975, as the US approached its Bicentennial, the national mood was characterized by what, in contrast to the optimism of the 1950s?

Renewed imperial ambition Deep cynicism and a sense of "limits" A total rejection of technology A return to strict religious tradition