HIST 270: Chapter 27 Reading Guide

Ebrey, A History of China — Chapter 27: China Under Mao (1949–1976)

Note: This is a reading guide, not a study guide. It is designed to be completed while you read — directing you to specific passages, keeping you engaged, and holding you accountable as you move through the text. The goal is comprehension and evidence-gathering, not review.

Chinese history can feel unfamiliar at first. This guide will help you identify and understand the most important events and processes, so that by the time you finish the chapter, you will have a solid grasp of the material your professor wants you to know — and be well prepared for the Chapter Quiz.

Step 1: Find the sentence using the page and opening words provided. Type it verbatim into the first box.
Step 2: Answer the question in your own words. No outside research needed or permitted.
⚡ Auto-Save Enabled: Your answers are automatically saved to this browser as you type. If you close this page and return later on the same device and browser, your answers will still be here. This guide is not submitted — use it to prepare for your chapter quiz. Use Export Answers to save a backup text copy, or Print to PDF to keep a personal record.

Review Question 1

On Page 473, find the sentence beginning with the words: "Rather than a..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

How did the Chinese Communist Party consolidate its power and transform China's economy between 1949 and 1952?

Review Question 2

On Page 474, find the sentence beginning with the words: "The Communist Party..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

How did the CCP use the danwei system and the Marriage Reform Law to reshape Chinese society during the 1950s?

Review Question 3

On Page 476, find the sentence beginning with the words: "This war gave..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

What were the international and domestic consequences of China's involvement in the Korean War?

Review Question 4

On Page 476–477, find the sentence beginning with the words: "Rural cadres became..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

How did agricultural collectivization change village life and social relationships in rural China?

Review Question 5

On Page 477, find the sentence beginning with the words: "Despite the protections..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

How did Communist policies toward minority nationalities differ from the realities experienced in regions such as Tibet and Xinjiang?

Review Question 6

On Page 480, find the sentence beginning with the words: "By the end..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Why did Mao launch the Hundred Flowers Campaign, and what were the consequences of the Anti-Rightist Campaign?

Review Question 7

On Page 482, find the sentence beginning with the words: "Mao’s faulty economics..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

What was the Great Leap Forward, and why did it end in disaster?

Review Question 8

On Page 483, find the sentence beginning with the words: "These residence policies..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

How did the hukou system create a divide between urban and rural China?

Review Question 9

On Page 483, find the sentence beginning with the words: "In July 1960..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Why did China and the Soviet Union split during the early 1960s?

Review Question 10

On Page 484, find the sentence beginning with the words: "In cities large..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Why did Mao launch the Cultural Revolution, and what role did the Red Guards play in its early years?

Review Question 11

On Page 487, find the sentence beginning with the words: "High school graduates..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

How did Mao attempt to restore order after the early Cultural Revolution, and why did the Lin Biao incident shock many Chinese?

Review Question 12

On Page 488, find the sentence beginning with the words: "After a month..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

How did the events of 1976 bring an end to the Mao era and lead to the fall of the Gang of Four?