Review Questions for Wyoming History Final Exam, May 7, 2008
The exam will consist of three parts:
1. essay question (you may choose one of three or four questions to answer)
2. brief identifications (you may choose five names/terms to identify, indicating the significance to Wyoming history (Look to the lecture outlines--list of significant names and events--for possibilities for the short ID portion of the exam).
3. a question on the book (What You See in Clear Water...)
PART I: Essay Question.
1. The passage of the severance tax on minerals had a substantial influence over how Wyoming state government coped with the boom period of the 1970s and early 1980s. What sorts of problems did Wyoming communities face during this period? Provide at least two examples of communities that suffered from “impact” during this period and describe how each tried to alleviate the problems.
2. What is a severance tax? On what products are the taxes applied? What distinguishes severance taxes from royalty payments for minerals?
3. What influence did the Vietnam War have on Wyomingites? What affects did it have among Wyoming political leaders and political parties?
4. The state of Wyoming pioneered legislature requiring access to public buildings for people having disabilities. How was this effort accomplished? Be sure to identify the main people who were involved in passage of these laws.
5. What was the “Gillette syndrome”? How did the town of Gillette respond to the publicity coming from the nickname? How did other towns respond to similar issues of impact? What role did state government play in trying to alleviate problems of impact?
6. CBS’ “60 Minutes” sent an investigative crew to Rock Springs in the late 1970s to gather information about crime and corruption. What were the main accusations made in the two-part televised reports about the town? What influence, if any, did the program have on how Rock Springs and Wyoming responded to the problems highlighted in the report?
7. Boom times were beneficial to some people in Wyoming, but not everyone profited from boom conditions. Identify the various types of people who benefited from the booms and explain the ways in which they were benefited. Also, identify the various types of people who did not benefit from the booms and explain why this was the case.
8. What influence did Olaus and Mardie Murie have on the national environmental movement? Identify specific examples.
9. Wyoming experienced an economic “boom” from the early 1970s until the early 1980s. This was followed by “Wyoming’s Second Great Depression.”
What factors caused the economic boom of the 1970s and what industries profited from it? What factors caused the economic bust a few years later and what industries suffered?
10. With specific reference to Jeffrey City, how were some Wyoming communities affected by the “boom” in the 1970s? What actions, if any, did the state government take to mitigate the “impact” problems during this period?
With specific reference to Jeffrey City, how were some Wyoming communities affected by this “bust”? What actions, if any, did the state government take to alleviate the problems?
11. National events as well as local economics impacted Wyoming during the decade of the 1960s. Identify and describe at least three issues that characterized Wyoming politics during the decade. Identify at least three Wyoming political figures during the decade, indicate their positions on the important issues you identified, and describe how each influenced Wyoming history as a result of their service during the period.
12. What was “Project Wagonwheel”? Who were the major participants in the controversy? What sides of the issue did each represent? What was the final result?
13. The coal slurry pipeline issue and the discovery of the black-footed ferret in Wyoming illustrate two aspects of “environmentalism” during the last quarter of the 20th century. In what ways, if any, did these two issues involve state politics? In what ways do they illustrate the role of “environmentalism” in late 20th century Wyoming?
14. The Wyoming political scene from 1954-1960 was rocked by two tragic events, the suicide of Senator Lester Hunt and the untimely death of Senator-Elect Keith Thomson. Describe what impact, if any, these events had on Wyoming politics, both at the time and over the next several decades.
15. List FIVE (5) of the “keywords” for the “organizing concepts” used in this class and provide a brief phrase as to what concept the keyword represents and an example from Wyoming history.
16. After the boom days ended about 1983, Wyoming government officials attempted several strategies to alleviate the impact of the bust and try to diversify the economy. Who were the officials, what proposals did they make, and how successful were they in diversifying the economy?
PART II: You will have a question relating to the book by Goeffrey O’Gara, What You See in Clear Water, and you will be asked to answer the question with a well-organized essay.
PART III: Short Identifications
You will asked to select FOUR names/terms from a list of seven. You will write a paragraph identifying the name/term and provide additional information about the significance of the name/term to Wyoming history.
These MAY INCLUDE: Project Wagon Wheel, the severance tax, the “yellow stripes” controversy, wolf reintroduction, black-footed ferrets, “fast-draw defense,” coal slurry pipeline, crime and corruption in Rock Springs, Wilderness Act, “Gillette syndrome,” removal of architectural barriers, coal-bed methane, trona.
Names MAY INCLUDE: Keith Thomson, Milward Simpson, Stan Hathaway, Ed Herschler, Gale McGee, Olaus and Margaret Murie, Helen Bardo, Teno Roncalio, Gerry Spence, Ed Cantrell, Tom Stroock, Al Simpson, Mike Sullivan, Thyra Thomson, J. David Love, Jim Geringer, Dave Freudenthal.