8b

American Indian Movement (AIM)

A Native American advocacy group founded in 1968 to address issues such as poverty, discrimination, and the preservation of indigenous culture and land rights.

Medicare & Medicaid

U.S. government programs created in 1965 to provide health insurance; Medicare for seniors and some disabled individuals, and Medicaid for low-income individuals and families.

Tet Offensive

A series of surprise attacks by North Vietnamese forces during the Vietnamese New Year (Tet) in 1968, which significantly shifted public opinion on the Vietnam War.

Cesar Chavez & United Farm Workers

Cesar Chavez co-founded the United Farm Workers union in the 1960s, fighting for better wages and working conditions for farm laborers, primarily in California.

Head Start

A federal program established in 1965 aimed at providing early childhood education, health, and nutrition services to low-income children.

Silent Majority

A term popularized by President Richard Nixon to refer to Americans who did not protest or publicly oppose government policies, particularly during the Vietnam War era.

Stonewall Riot

A series of spontaneous demonstrations by members of the LGBTQ+ community in New York City in 1969, considered a pivotal event in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.

Immigration Reform Act 1965

A law that abolished the national origins quota system for immigration and established a new policy based on reuniting families and attracting skilled labor to the U.S.

Vietnamization

A policy introduced by President Nixon in 1969 aimed at reducing American involvement in the Vietnam War by transferring combat responsibilities to the South Vietnamese military.

Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique

A 1963 book by Betty Friedan that challenged the traditional roles of women in society and sparked the second wave of feminism in the U.S.

Miranda v. Arizona

A landmark 1966 Supreme Court decision requiring police to inform suspects of their rights to remain silent and to have an attorney during interrogations (Miranda rights).

SALT II

A 1979 arms control agreement between the U.S. and the Soviet Union aimed at limiting nuclear weapons, though it was never ratified by the U.S. Senate due to tensions over the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

National Organization of Women (NOW)

A feminist organization founded in 1966 to advocate for gender equality, including issues such as reproductive rights, workplace discrimination, and equal pay.

Engel v. Vitale

A 1962 Supreme Court case that ruled it unconstitutional for public schools to require students to recite a state-sponsored prayer, citing the First Amendment's Establishment Clause.

OPEC

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, a group of oil-producing nations that coordinates policies on the production and pricing of oil.

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

A proposed constitutional amendment that sought to ensure equal rights under the law, regardless of sex. It was passed by Congress in 1972 but failed to gain ratification from enough states.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

A 1964 congressional resolution that authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to take military action in Vietnam after alleged attacks on U.S. naval vessels by North Vietnam.

Camp David Accords

A 1978 peace agreement brokered by U.S. President Jimmy Carter between Egypt and Israel, leading to the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab nation.

Warren Court

The period of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1953 to 1969 when Earl Warren served as Chief Justice, known for its progressive rulings on civil rights, civil liberties, and judicial activism.

Great Society

A series of domestic programs initiated by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960s aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice, including Medicare, Medicaid, and civil rights legislation.

Iranian Hostage Crisis

A diplomatic crisis in 1979 when 52 American diplomats and citizens were held hostage by Iranian militants who had stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

Three Mile Island

A 1979 nuclear accident at a power plant in Pennsylvania that resulted in the partial meltdown of a reactor, raising public concerns about nuclear safety.

Silent Spring

A 1962 book by Rachel Carson that warned about the dangers of pesticides, particularly DDT, to the environment, helping to launch the modern environmental movement.

Phyllis Schlafly

A conservative activist who campaigned against the Equal Rights Amendment, arguing it would disadvantage women by eliminating legal protections.

War Powers Act

A 1973 U.S. law that limits the president's ability to commit U.S. forces to armed conflict without congressional approval, aiming to curb executive power.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

A U.S. federal agency established in 1970 to protect human health and the environment by regulating pollutants and enforcing environmental laws.

Watergate

A political scandal in the 1970s involving the Nixon administration’s cover-up of a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, leading to Nixon's resignation in 1974.

Nixon Doctrine

A foreign policy articulated by President Richard Nixon in 1969 stating that the U.S. would support allies with military and economic assistance but would not commit large numbers of American troops to conflicts.

Roe v. Wade

A landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide, establishing that a woman’s right to choose an abortion falls within the constitutional right to privacy.

Moscow Olympics

The 1980 Summer Olympic Games, held in Moscow, were marked by a U.S.-led boycott in protest of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan.

SALT I

A 1972 arms control agreement between the U.S. and the Soviet Union that aimed to limit the number of nuclear weapons and stabilize the nuclear arms race.