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The Civil War was both the catalyst and the mechanism for the most significant change American have witnessed. Over the nearly 250-year history of slavery in the United States, African-Americans experienced profound changes. The Emancipation Proclamation freed only the slaves living in the Southern states and territories that were still rebelling against the United States. Substantive changes to the lives of African-American former slaves took hundreds of years beyond the official decree. The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed in 1866, with the states following in 1868. The significance of this amendment was that it overruled the Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857) decision that asserted black Americans were not actually citizens of the United States. Prejudice and discrimination still exist despite the several laws enacted to assure equality for all people regardless of race.

Theme 8 -- Identify two problems faced by the United States during the Cold War and for each: Explain how the problem led to conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union; Describe one action taken by the United Sates in response to the problem; Evaluate the extent to which the action taken was successful in solving the problem.

After World War II, Germany was divided into four occupation zones, each of which was to be occupied by the United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and, France. Berlin was also divided into four zones of occupation. The Russians wanted a neutral, disarmed Germany and huge reparations for the war in the form of industrial equipment, money, and other resources. The United States was convinced that Western European recovery was conditioned by a strengthened, reunified Germany. The Americans halted the shipment of reparations to the Soviets from the U.S. zone in May of 1946. When the British, American, and French zones combined their zones in December, the Soviets perceived this as a hostile action. The Russians continued to issue demands for a say in the German economic future, until negotiations broke down completely in June 22, 1948. Two days later, in response, the Soviets blocked the railroad lines and roads into West Berlin. The Americans were extremely angry and it seemed that diplomacy between the two countries was over. The West Berliners were hostages in the situation, and the Russians looked like bullies as the West Berliners increasingly feared they would not have food, water, or medical aid. Two days after the Soviet blockade, the U.S. began a massive, successful, and extraordinary