Vietnam War and Civil Rights Final Exam Study Guide

France

Colonial power in Vietnam until defeated at Dien Bien Phu in 1954.

Geneva Accords

1954 agreement dividing Vietnam at the 17th parallel, calling for elections.

Ho Chi Minh

Communist leader of North Vietnam; led Viet Minh.

Buddhism

Major religion in Vietnam; persecuted under Diem's regime.

Ngo Dinh Diem

U.S.-backed leader of South Vietnam; lost support due to corruption and oppression.

China and North Vietnam

China supported North Vietnam during the war with supplies and aid.

Dien Bien Phu

Major French defeat by Viet Minh; led to French withdrawal.

Strategic Hamlets

Diem policy to isolate peasants from Vietcong; largely unpopular.

Napalm

Flammable weapon used by U.S. forces; caused horrific civilian burns.

Johnson's Credibility Gap

Difference between what the government said and media reported.

Vietnamization

Nixon's policy to replace U.S. troops with South Vietnamese forces.

North Vietnam & Vietcong Advantages

Guerrilla tactics, home terrain, strong motivation, local support.

Agent Orange

Herbicide used to destroy jungle; caused health issues.

Tunnel Rats

U.S. soldiers who explored Vietcong tunnels; extremely dangerous.

Living Room War

First war widely broadcast on TV; increased anti-war sentiment.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

Supply route for North Vietnamese through Laos and Cambodia.

Selective Service Draft

Draft for Vietnam War; deferments caused controversy.

Tet Offensive

Surprise attack; military failure for North, but turned U.S. public opinion.

Pentagon Papers

Leaked documents showing government misled public on war progress.

1968 Election

Nixon won; LBJ did not run; marked by assassinations and protests.

My Lai Massacre

U.S. troops killed hundreds of civilians; led to outrage.

Nixon's Anti-"Big" Government Attitude

Sought to limit federal government's role.

Southern Strategy

Appealed to disaffected white southern voters through states' rights rhetoric.

Executive Privilege

Nixon's claim to withhold Watergate tapes; rejected in U.S. v. Nixon.

Ford Presidency

Took office after Nixon's resignation; faced economic woes and criticism for pardoning Nixon.

New Federalism

Nixon's policy to shift power from federal to state governments.

Blue-Collar Workers and Nixon

Appealed to them as part of the 'silent majority.'

U.S. v. Nixon

Supreme Court ruled Nixon had to hand over Watergate tapes.

Nixon's Resignation

First U.S. president to resign (1974) due to Watergate.

Rosa Parks

Refused to give up bus seat; led to Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

1955 protest against bus segregation; led by MLK.

NAACP

Civil rights organization; fought segregation through legal means.

Plessy v. Ferguson

1896 case establishing "separate but equal."

Brown v. Board of Education

1954 case overturning segregation in public schools.

Orval Faubus

Arkansas governor who resisted school integration.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Leader of nonviolent civil rights movement.

"Separate but Equal"

Legal doctrine overturned by Brown v. Board.

De Facto Segregation

Segregation by custom/practice, not law.

Norris v. Alabama

1935 ruling banning all-white juries.

CORE

Congress of Racial Equality; promoted nonviolent protest.

Alabama

1935 ruling banning all-white juries.

James Farmer

Founder of CORE.

George Houser

CORE co-founder.

Massive Resistance

Southern states' opposition to integration.

Southern Manifesto

Document opposing Brown decision.

SCLC

Southern Christian Leadership Conference, led by MLK.

Eisenhower & Civil Rights

Sent troops to enforce integration at Little Rock.

Little Rock, Arkansas

Site of school integration crisis.

Central High School

School integrated by Little Rock Nine.

Civil Rights Act of 1957

First civil rights law since Reconstruction.

Filibuster

Senate tactic to block legislation.

Cloture

Ends a filibuster in the Senate.

Sit-In Movement

Nonviolent protests against segregation at lunch counters.

SNCC

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

Robert Moses

SNCC leader who organized voter registration.

Fannie Lou Hamer

Activist for voting rights; spoke at 1964 Democratic Convention.

Freedom Riders

Rode buses to protest segregated terminals.

Bull Connor

Birmingham official who used violence against protestors.

Birmingham, AL

Site of major civil rights protests in 1963.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Outlawed segregation and employment discrimination.

March on Washington

1963 demonstration; MLK's 'I Have a Dream.'

EEOC

Enforces laws against job discrimination.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Banned literacy tests and other voting barriers.

Selma March

Protest for voting rights; met with police violence on 'Bloody Sunday.'

Katzenbach v. Morgan

Upheld Congress's authority to protect voting rights.

Racism

Prejudice based on race; core issue of the movement.

Black Power

Movement emphasizing racial pride and self-sufficiency.

Watts Riot

1965 LA riot sparked by police violence.

Kerner Commission

Investigated causes of riots; cited racism.

Stokely Carmichael

SNCC leader who popularized 'Black Power.'

Malcolm X

Advocated black nationalism; more militant tone.

Black Muslims / Nation of Islam

Group promoting black separation and self-defense.

Black Panthers

Group advocating armed self-defense and community programs.

James Earl Ray

Assassinated Martin Luther King Jr.

Civil Rights Act of 1968

Banned housing discrimination.

Ralph Abernathy

Succeeded MLK in SCLC leadership.

Chicago Movement

Focused on housing discrimination.

Race Riots

Occurred in Detroit, Harlem, Newark, LA due to racial tension.

Energy Crisis

1970s oil shortages; caused economic stagnation.

Ford's Troubles

Economic issues, loss of trust post-Watergate.

1974 Midterm Elections

Democrats gained due to Nixon/Ford unpopularity.

China Relations

Nixon normalized U.S.-China relations.

Ping Pong Diplomacy

Sports exchanges that eased U.S.-China tensions.

Afghanistan & USSR

USSR invaded Afghanistan (1979); U.S. boycotted 1980 Olympics.

Nicaragua

U.S. opposed Sandinista government.

Camp David Accords

Carter-brokered peace between Egypt and Israel.

Iran Hostage Crisis

52 Americans held for 444 days; hurt Carter's presidency.

Helsinki Accords

1975 agreements on human rights and European borders.

Divorce Rate

Rose significantly during the 1970s.

SALT I

Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty with USSR.

Mariel Boatlift

1980 migration of Cubans to U.S.

Egypt

First Arab country to recognize Israel.

Sinai Peninsula

Returned to Egypt in peace agreement.

"Me" Generation

Term for 1970s focus on self-fulfillment.

Silent Majority

Nixon's term for mainstream Americans who supported his policies.

Stagflation

High inflation and unemployment; plagued 1970s economy.

25th Amendment

Outlines presidential succession and disability procedures.

Affirmative Action

Policies to increase minority opportunities.

Gerald Ford

Became president after Nixon; pardoned Nixon.

Pardon

Ford's controversial forgiveness of Nixon.