US HISTORY COLLEGE EXAM 3

Manhattan Project

A secret project that led to the development of the atomic bomb by the United States.

Isolationism

The U.S. focused mainly on its own domestic issues and avoided deep involvement in European affairs during the 1920s and 1930s.

Big Three

Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin.

World War II Employment and Migration

The war led to increased employment opportunities and significant migration, especially to the West Coast for defense jobs.

Policy of Appeasement

The policy of conceding to some of Hitler's demands to avoid conflict, exemplified by the Munich Pact.

Pearl Harbor Attack

The attack led the U.S. to declare war on Japan, marking its direct involvement in World War II.

Atlantic Charter

A joint declaration by the U.S. and Britain outlining goals for the post-war world, including self-determination and free trade.

Double V Campaign

A campaign by African Americans for victory against the Axis powers and against racism at home.

Roosevelt's Transition from Neutrality

Roosevelt initially upheld neutrality but gradually provided aid to nations fighting totalitarianism, culminating in the Lend-Lease program.

Yalta Conference Outcome

Where the Big Three planned for the post-war order and the division of Germany.

Zoot Suit Riots

Violent clashes in Los Angeles between White servicemen and Mexican American youths wearing zoot suits.

D-Day Significance

The Allied invasion of Normandy, marking a crucial turn in the war against Nazi Germany.

Conscientious Objectors Treatment

They faced public condemnation and were often assigned to noncombat roles or civilian work camps.

Japan's Role Before WWII

Japan pursued militaristic expansion in Asia, leading to conflicts like the invasion of China.

Materiel Significance

Refers to the military equipment and supplies provided by the U.S. to Allied nations under policies like Lend-Lease.

Executive Order 9066 Impact

It led to the internment of Japanese Americans, relocating them to camps in the interior of the country.

Enola Gay Significance

The B-29 bomber that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

Allies' Pacific Campaign Strategy

The Allies used an 'island hopping' strategy, bypassing some Japanese strongholds and focusing on strategic locations.

Rosie the Riveter

A symbolic figure representing women working in defense industries during the war.

Totalitarian Regimes Emergence

Economic depression and political instability led to the rise of totalitarian regimes like Fascism in Italy and Nazism in Germany.

Containment Policy

A U.S. strategy to prevent the spread of communism by restricting Soviet influence to its existing boundaries.

Containment

A U.S. strategy to prevent the spread of communism by restricting Soviet influence to its existing boundaries.

Blacklist

A list of individuals suspected of having communist affiliations, leading to employment and social persecution.

Marshall Plan

A U.S. initiative to aid in the economic recovery of European countries after World War II to prevent the spread of Soviet communism.

Sputnik

The first man-made satellite launched by the Soviet Union, sparking a space race and technological competition with the United States.

Suburbs Growth in 1950s

The suburbs saw rapid expansion, with many families moving to these areas for affordable housing and a perceived better quality of life.

Demobilization Challenges

The primary challenge was reintegrating veterans into civilian life and shrinking the size of the military.

Iron Curtain

The ideological barrier separating the Soviet bloc and the West prior to the decline of communism.

Truman Administration Focus

A key focus was guiding the nation through the transition to a peacetime economy and proposing social reforms.

Brown v. Board of Education

It declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Joseph McCarthy

A U.S. senator known for leading a campaign against alleged communists in the U.S. government and other institutions.

State's Rights

It was often cited by segregationists to justify racial segregation and oppose federal intervention in enforcing civil rights laws.

Massive Retaliation

A strategy of responding with overwhelming force, including nuclear weapons, to any Soviet aggression.

Gender Roles in 1950s

Men were generally expected to be the breadwinners, while women were expected to stay home and raise children.

Blockade of Berlin

An attempt by the Soviet Union to cut off Allied access to West Berlin, leading to the Berlin Airlift by the United States and its allies.

Levittown

One of the first mass-produced suburbs in the U.S., representing affordable housing and the growth of suburban living.

Fair Deal

An ambitious program of social legislation proposed by President Harry Truman.

Domino Theory

Suggested that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would also fall, like a row of dominos.

Cold War

A period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, characterized by espionage, propaganda, and an arms race, but without direct military confrontation.

Military-Industrial Complex

Refers to the close relationship between the government's defense arm and the defense industry that profited from military spending.

Truman Doctrine

A U.S. policy to provide economic and military aid to countries resisting Communist aggression, initially focusing on Greece and Turkey.

GI Bill

Aimed to assist returning World War II veterans by providing benefits like education and housing loans.