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World War I and the Roaring Twenties (1914-1929) — High School U.S. History practice questions

15 multiple-choice questions and 15 flashcards on World War I and the Roaring Twenties (1914-1929), about 6% of the High School U.S. History bank. Every one carries a written rationale.

Written and maintained by Nick Burton · last updated 2026-08-22 · how we write and review questions

What this chapter covers

World War I and the Roaring Twenties (1914-1929) is one of 13 chapters in CoStudy's High School U.S. History bank, and it holds 15 of the bank's 270 multiple-choice questions — roughly 6% of the total. That proportion is not arbitrary: chapters follow the certifying body's published exam outline, and the number of questions in each is set by that domain's published weight, so the share of your practice time this chapter takes matches the share of the real exam it accounts for.

Studying by chapter is worth doing once you have a diagnostic score. A single overall percentage tells you whether you are close; it does not tell you which domain is dragging. Working a weak chapter in isolation, and re-testing it in isolation, is the fastest way to move a score that has stalled — and it is why the mock exams in CoStudy report by domain rather than as one number.

Free World War I and the Roaring Twenties (1914-1929) practice questions

7 questions drawn from this chapter, with the full rationale shown — the controlling principle behind the right answer, and why each wrong option tempts and fails.

The Articles of Confederation (1781–1788) primarily failed because:

  1. Too much central power
  2. National government too weak — could not tax, regulate interstate commerce, or enforce laws (Shays' Rebellion exposed limitations)
  3. Allowed only one state
  4. Made all states equal in population
  5. Established a king

Answer: B — National government too weak — could not tax, regulate interstate commerce, or enforce laws (Shays' Rebellion exposed limitations)

Articles created weak national government. Shays' Rebellion (1786-87) showed inability to put down domestic unrest. Constitutional Convention (1787) replaced Articles with stronger federal Constitution.

Wilson's Fourteen Points (1918) most centrally proposed:

  1. Heavy reparations imposed on the Central Powers
  2. An immediate US alliance with the Bolsheviks
  3. Open diplomacy, self-determination, and a League of Nations to prevent future wars
  4. Permanent US occupation of Germany

Answer: C — Open diplomacy, self-determination, and a League of Nations to prevent future wars

C) Wilson's vision: open peace, freedom of the seas, self-determination, and a League. A) Reparations came from the Versailles Treaty over Wilson's objections. B/D) Each contradicts the record.

President Wilson's 'Fourteen Points' (1918) proposed:

  1. Punitive reparations against Germany
  2. Isolation and disengagement from European affairs
  3. A postwar order built on self-determination, open diplomacy, freedom of the seas, and a League of Nations
  4. Immediate American colonization of the Middle East

Answer: C — A postwar order built on self-determination, open diplomacy, freedom of the seas, and a League of Nations

Wilson's Fourteen Points shaped his negotiating position at Versailles. The final treaty, dominated by Britain and France, was far more punitive than Wilson proposed.

The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s was:

  1. A movement of urban planners redesigning New York boroughs
  2. A flowering of African American literature, music, art, and cultural expression centered in Harlem
  3. A wave of European emigration to New York
  4. A religious revival among Black churches in the North

Answer: B — A flowering of African American literature, music, art, and cultural expression centered in Harlem

Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Duke Ellington, and Louis Armstrong are among its major figures. The Renaissance reshaped American arts and shaped later civil-rights consciousness.

The U.S. Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles primarily because:

  1. It abolished the U.S. Navy
  2. Isolationist opposition led by Senator Henry Cabot Lodge rejected U.S. entry into the League of Nations
  3. It required immediate American occupation of Germany
  4. It failed to impose reparations on Germany

Answer: B — Isolationist opposition led by Senator Henry Cabot Lodge rejected U.S. entry into the League of Nations

The 'Reservationists' led by Lodge wanted amendments to preserve congressional war powers; Wilson refused to compromise, and ratification failed. The U.S. never joined the League.

Marbury v. Madison (1803) established:

  1. States' rights
  2. Judicial review — Supreme Court can declare laws unconstitutional
  3. Slavery
  4. Federal supremacy
  5. Bicameral legislature

Answer: B — Judicial review — Supreme Court can declare laws unconstitutional

Chief Justice Marshall: Court has power to review acts of Congress and strike down those violating Constitution. Foundational to American constitutional system. Made Supreme Court coequal with other branches.

The Treaty of Versailles (1919):

  1. Ended the American Civil War
  2. Created NATO
  3. Was a major American legal victory
  4. Ended World War I but imposed harsh terms on Germany, contributing to later instability

Answer: D — Ended World War I but imposed harsh terms on Germany, contributing to later instability

D) Standard interpretation. A/B/C) Each is anachronistic or wrong.

World War I and the Roaring Twenties (1914-1929) flashcards

4 cards from the 15 in this chapter.

Who were the major Allied and Axis powers in WWII?

Allies: U.S., U.K., USSR, China. Axis: Germany, Italy, Japan.

What were causes of the Great Depression?

Stock speculation, bank failures, overproduction, weak agricultural sector, unequal wealth distribution, high tariffs (Smoot-Hawley), and tight monetary policy.

What was Pearl Harbor?

Japanese surprise attack on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, killing ~2,400 Americans and bringing the U.S. into WWII.

What was D-Day?

June 6, 1944 — Allied invasion of Normandy, France; turning point on the Western Front.

Practise the full chapter

These are a sample. The full World War I and the Roaring Twenties (1914-1929) chapter runs 30 items with per-chapter progress tracking, on the web and in the iOS app.

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