Directions

Welcome to the interactive viewing guide for The Century: America's Time - Starting Over (1976-1980). This unit explores the period following the trauma of Vietnam and Watergate, starting with the hopeful Bicentennial celebration and concluding with the disillusionment of the Iran Hostage Crisis.

Instructions:

Complete the Identity Panel above to unlock the assignment modules.
Watch the documentary via the link in the sidebar.
Navigate through the three thematic parts and answer the 15 multiple-choice questions.
The Date field will autopopulate only when you click the FINISHED button.

Part I: A Nation Reborn (1976-1977)

1. The year 1976 marked what massive national celebration that helped restore a sense of unity after the turmoil of the 60s and early 70s?

The Centennial The Bicentennial The Millennium Celebration The Peace Jubilee

2. Jimmy Carter won the 1976 election primarily because he was seen as a(n) _______ who was untainted by Washington scandals.

Career politician Military general Washington outsider Intelligence officer

3. What was the central focus of Jimmy Carter's foreign policy, differing from the "realpolitik" of the Nixon era?

Economic domination Human Rights Nuclear build-up Colonial expansion

4. In a symbolic gesture of conservation, President Carter famously wore a _______ during his televised energy addresses to the nation.

Military uniform Cardigan sweater Tuxedo Construction helmet

5. What controversial treaty did Carter sign in 1977, agreeing to return control of a strategic waterway to its host nation by the year 2000?

The Suez Accord The Panama Canal Treaties The Bering Strait Pact The St. Lawrence Seaway Treaty

Part II: Cultural Shifts & Successes (1978-1979)

6. Which musical genre and club culture dominated the late 70s, epitomizing the era's focus on escapism and self-indulgence?

Grunge Jazz Fusion Disco Folk Rock

7. In 1978, Carter brokered a historic peace agreement between Israel and Egypt. What was it called?

The Oslo Accords The Camp David Accords The Geneva Convention The Cairo Peace Treaty

8. What 1979 nuclear accident in Pennsylvania caused a national panic and halted the growth of nuclear power in the US for decades?

Chernobyl Three Mile Island Yucca Mountain Oak Ridge

9. What was the popular nickname for the 1970s, describing the shift away from social activism toward personal fulfillment?

The Silent Generation The Me Decade The Greatest Generation The Lost Decade

10. In his 1979 "Crisis of Confidence" speech, Carter diagnosed a fundamental threat to American democracy as being _______.

Foreign invasion Economic greed A spiritual and moral crisis Technological failure

Part III: The End of an Era (1979-1980)

11. The 1979 revolution in which country saw the overthrow of the pro-Western Shah and the rise of Ayatollah Khomeini?

Iraq Iran Afghanistan Saudi Arabia

12. For how many days were American embassy workers held hostage in Tehran, a crisis that defined the end of the Carter presidency?

52 days 100 days 444 days 365 days

13. In late 1979, the Soviet Union invaded which country, prompting Carter to boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow?

Poland Vietnam Afghanistan Turkey

14. What 1980 Olympic event provided a rare moment of national pride, as a young US amateur team defeated the world-champion Soviet squad?

The Golden Goal The Miracle on Ice The Ice Uprising The Lake Placid Legend

15. The 1980 election resulted in a landslide victory for which candidate, who promised to restore American strength and optimism?

George H.W. Bush Gerald Ford Ronald Reagan Ted Kennedy