Contesting Futures: America in the 1960s – Study Flashcards

These flashcards cover key people, events, laws, and movements from the 1960s as outlined in the lecture notes, helping students prepare for exams on topics ranging from Kennedy’s presidency to the civil-rights, antiwar, and feminist movements.

What phrase did John F. Kennedy use to summarize his domestic vision when entering the White House?

The “New Frontier.”

Which 1960 event highlighted the importance of television in politics and boosted Kennedy’s popularity?

The first televised presidential debate against Richard Nixon.

Why did radio listeners think Nixon won the 1960 debate while TV viewers chose Kennedy?

Kennedy’s telegenic appearance contrasted with Nixon’s on-screen demeanor.

What Cold War–era volunteer agency, created in 1961, sent young Americans abroad on humanitarian missions?

The Peace Corps.

Which Kennedy program sought to spur economic growth and social stability in Latin America to counter communism?

The Alliance for Progress.

What CIA-backed invasion of Cuba in April 1961 ended in disaster for Kennedy?

The Bay of Pigs invasion.

What triggered the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis?

U.S. spy planes photographed Soviet ballistic-missile sites in Cuba.

How was the Cuban Missile Crisis resolved publicly on October 26–27, 1962?

Soviets removed missiles; Kennedy pledged not to invade Cuba.

What secret concession did Kennedy make to end the missile crisis?

He quietly agreed to remove U.S. missiles from Turkey.

Who was accused of assassinating President Kennedy on November 22, 1963?

Lee Harvey Oswald.

What commission investigated Kennedy’s assassination and concluded Oswald acted alone?

The Warren Commission.

What was Lyndon Johnson’s broad domestic agenda called?

The Great Society.

Which 1965 law gave federal grants and low-interest loans to college students?

The Higher Education Act.

Name two major health-care programs created by the 1965 Social Security Act amendments.

Medicare and Medicaid.

What 1964 act funded programs such as Job Corps and Head Start to combat poverty?

The Economic Opportunity Act (EOA).

Which landmark civil-rights law, passed in 1964, banned discrimination in public accommodations and employment?

The Civil Rights Act of 1964.

What 1965 event, nicknamed “Bloody Sunday,” exposed violence against Black voters?

The Selma-to-Montgomery march attacked on the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Which legislation outlawed literacy tests and empowered federal oversight of elections?

The Voting Rights Act of 1965.

What 1964 constitutional amendment abolished the poll tax in federal elections?

The Twenty-Fourth Amendment.

How did the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964) change presidential war powers?

It authorized Johnson to use military force in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war.

What large-scale 1968 North Vietnamese offensive challenged U.S. claims of imminent victory?

The Tet Offensive.

Which organizations coordinated the 1961 Freedom Rides to test desegregation on interstate travel?

CORE and SNCC.

What famous 1963 gathering featured Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech?

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

In which 1963 document did MLK defend civil disobedience from his jail cell?

“Letter from a Birmingham Jail.”

What civil-rights group, led by MLK, organized nonviolent protests across the South?

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).

What was the immediate national reaction to MLK’s assassination in April 1968?

Urban riots and unrest erupted in many U.S. cities.

What slogan promoted racial pride, self-reliance, and sometimes separatism among African Americans?

Black Power.

Who popularized the term “Black Power” while chairing SNCC?

Stokely Carmichael (later Kwame Ture).

Which civil-rights leader advocated “by any means necessary” and was assassinated in 1965?

Malcolm X.

Which labor activist co-founded the United Farm Workers and led a grape boycott?

Cesar Chavez (with Dolores Huerta).

What 1960 New Left student organization issued the Port Huron Statement?

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

Which 1963 bestseller by Betty Friedan criticized domestic expectations placed on women?

The Feminine Mystique.

What 1960 FDA approval revolutionized women’s control over reproduction?

The birth control pill.

Which organization, founded in 1966, pursued full equality for women and championed the ERA?

The National Organization for Women (NOW).

What was Johnson’s primary rationale for expanding U.S. involvement in Vietnam despite domestic reform goals?

Preserving U.S. credibility and containment of communism.