APUSH 8A all terms

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 13-day confrontation in October 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union over Soviet ballistic missiles deployed in Cuba.

Bay of Pigs

A failed invasion of Cuba in April 1961 by Cuban exiles backed by the U.S. government, in an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro.

Taft-Hartley Act

A 1947 law that restricted the activities and power of labor unions.

United Nations

An international organization founded in 1945 to promote peace, security, and cooperation among countries.

Berlin airlift

The operation in 1948-1949 in which the Allies supplied West Berlin with goods and necessities by air after the Soviet Union blocked ground access.

GI Bill

Legislation in 1944 that provided various benefits to returning World War II veterans, including education and housing assistance.

Iron Curtain

Used to describe the division between the Soviet Communist Eastern Europe and the Western democracies.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

A military alliance established in 1949 among North American and European countries to provide collective defense against aggression.

Korean War

A conflict between North Korea (Communist) and South Korea (Democratic) from 1950 to 1953, ending with an armstice.

Space Race

The competition between the United States and the Soviet Union for supremacy in space exploration during the Cold War.

Marshall Plan

A US program to provide economic aid to Western Europe after World War II. The plan was a key part of the US Cold War policy to contain the spread of communism. 

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

Created in 1938 to investigate alleged disloyalty and rebel activities on the part of private citizens, public employees and organizations suspected of having Communist ties. Citizens suspected of having ties to the communist party would be tried in a court of law.

Containment

The U.S. policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism beyond its existing borders during the Cold War.

Fair Deal

President Harry S. Truman's domestic program aimed at extending New Deal reforms and improving social welfare. These reforms helped to transform the United States from a wartime economy to a peacetime economy.

Rosenberg case

The trial and execution of a married couple, Julius and Ethel, in 1953 for allegedly spying for the Soviet Union.

Truman Doctrine

A policy introduced by President Truman in 1947 to provide economic and military aid to countries resisting communism.

Levittown

A planned community of mass-produced homes, exemplifying post-war suburban growth in America.

McCarthyism

The practice of making unfounded accusations of subversion or treason, particularly associated with Senator Joseph McCarthy's activities in the 1950s.

Federal Highway Act of 1956

Legislation that allocated funds for the construction of a national interstate highway system in the United States.

National Security Act of 1947

A major restructuring of the U.S. military and intelligence agencies following World War II, creating the National Security Council and the Central Intelligence Agency.

March on Washington, DC 1963

A large political rally aimed at advocating for civil and economic rights for African Americans.

Sweatt v. Painter (1950)

A landmark Supreme Court case that challenged the ‘separate but equal’ doctrine in education.

Nation of Islam

A religious and political movement promoting black nationalism and self-determination.

Birmingham Campaign

A nonviolent protest led by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963 to confront racial segregation in Birmingham, Alabama.

24th Amendment

Constitutional amendment that prohibited the use of poll taxes in federal elections.

Malcolm X

A prominent civil rights activist and leader known for his advocacy for the rights of African Americans.

Civil Rights Act (1964)

Landmark legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

George Wallace

Governor of Alabama known for his pro-segregation stance during the Civil Rights Movement.

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954)

Supreme Court case that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional.

Executive Order 9981

An order signed by President Truman to desegregate the armed forces.

Stokely Carmichael

Civil rights activist known for his role in the Black Power movement and leadership in SNCC.

Black Panthers

A revolutionary socialist organization founded to advocate for the rights of African Americans and fight against police brutality.

Freedom Summer

A 1964 campaign to increase voter registration among African Americans in Mississippi.

affirmative action

Policies aimed at increasing opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups in education and employment.

Selma marches

A series of marches in 1965 aimed at combating racial discrimination and advocating for voting rights.