Comprehensive US History Review: Cold War, Vietnam, Civil Rights, and Modern Politics

Cuban Missile Crisis

Cuba installing missiles from Soviets, JFK issues naval quarantine around Cuba, barely avoided nuclear war, we removed missiles from Turkey in exchange for Soviets removing missiles from Cuba.

Berlin Wall

Built by Soviets to stop people from fleeing communist East Berlin for free West Berlin.

Bay of Pigs

CIA attempt to arm/train Cuban rebels to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro, complete failure, huge embarrassment for JFK.

Flexible Response

JFK's plan to build up conventional military forces allowing the US to fight limited wars around the world of any size or type.

Alliance for Progress

JFK's plan to provide money to Latin America to better improve relations, did not work.

Peace Corps

Organization started by JFK to send volunteers to help developing nations and create a positive US image in those countries.

Geneva Accords

Ended France's involvement in Vietnam, divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel, communist North and free South.

Robert McNamara

Secretary of Defense, agreed with strategy of Americanization.

Americanization

US forces more active in actually fighting the war not just training Vietnamese soldiers.

William Westmoreland

Commander of US forces in Vietnam, wanted Americanization and more troops.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Passed after the Gulf of Tonkin incident, gave the President the power to commit troops to foreign involvements instead of needed Congressional approval.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

Trail through Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, allowed North Vietnam to get supplies to the Vietcong in the South.

Vietcong

Resistance fighters in South Vietnam that support Ho Chi Minh (leader of North Vietnam) and want all Vietnam to be communist.

Operation Rolling Thunder

Sustained bombing of North Vietnam by Johnson, goal was to bomb communist into submission, ineffective.

Napalm

Explosive gasoline based bomb that set surrounding area on fire, very hard to put out.

Agent Orange

Chemical agent used to kill foliage (trees/jungle plants) in Vietnam, later linked to causing cancer.

Selective Service and 'Working Class' War

Selective Service criticized, most men drafted from poor/working class/minority backgrounds, wealthy families sent their kids to college as a way to avoid the draft.

Doves

Americans against the war in Vietnam.

Hawks

Supporters of the war in Vietnam.

26th Amendment

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 in response to the war, if old enough to be drafted should be able to vote.

Tet Offensive

Major Vietcong offensive during the Tet celebration in 1968, coordinated attack across South Vietnam, turned many Americans against the war by showing them an enemy that was not going to give up.

Robert Kennedy

JFK's brother, Democrat presidential candidate, assassinated in 1968.

Eugene McCarthy

The other Democrat presidential candidate running on an anti-war platform.

1968 Democratic Convention

Held in Chicago, very chaotic, violence among the delegates, violence outside due to clash between anti-war protests and police, showed Democrat Party falling apart.

Clark Clifford

New Secretary of Defense after McNamara resigns, thought war was unwinnable.

Credibility Gap

Big difference between official government reports of success in Vietnam and what people saw on TV ('living room' war), caused people to doubt the government.

Kent State

Students were killed at this university when National Guardsmen opened fire on anti-war protestors, many people turned against war.

Vietnamization

Nixon's plan to end the war by gradually bringing our troops home and turning the fighting over to the South Vietnamese army, weakened any chance the South had to win - couldn't do it without us.

War Powers Act

Passed by Congress, revoked the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, put war powers back under the control of Congress, President needs Congressional approval to send troops into any military action.

Pentagon Papers

Classified document leaked by Daniel Ellsberg that showed the government purposefully lied about the war.

Silent Majority

Term by Nixon for group of Americans that he believed still supported the war.

My Lai

Vietnamese village where 500 Vietnamese civilians were killed by US troops, government unsuccessfully tried to keep it quiet, public found out, many Americans turned against the war and the troops.

Cambodia

Neighboring country of Vietnam, part of Ho Chi Minh trail passed through it, Nixon bombed Cambodia to try and cut off supplies down the trail, did not work.

Khmer Rouge

Group led by Pol Pot that gained power in Cambodia, committed genocide against anyone they believed had association with the West.

Nixon's Christmas bombings

Major bombing of North Vietnam in December of 1972, part of Nixon's plan to force North Vietnam negotiate a peace treaty.

Roy Benavidez

Vietnam War hero, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, Hispanic.

Counterculture

Hippie culture in the 1960s, rebelled against conservativism and conformity, known for communes/drug abuse/increased crime/long hair/free love.

1960s Music

Rock-n-roll and war protest songs, British invasion (Beatles), songs about counterculture/rejection of societal norms.

Generation Gap

Major differences between older and younger people, traditionalists vs. hippies.

Andy Warhol

1960s artist, mocked consumerism (Campbell's soup can), rejected traditional art.

Gloria Steinem

Famous feminist, founder of MS magazine.

Phyllis Schlafly

Conservative woman, spoke out against feminism as destroying the family, stressed conservative values.

Feminism

Belief that men and women should be socially/politically/economically equal, held protests, lobbied Congress.

Betty Freidan

Feminist, established National Organization for Women (NOW), wrote The Feminine Mystique.

Title IX

Provision of the Civil Rights Act 1964, secured equal opportunities for men and women in education, led to massive women's athletics.

Garcia

Founded the American GI Forum, promoted equal treatment for Latinos.

Dolores Huerta

Helped Cesar Chavez establish the United Farm Workers, worked to improve Hispanic communities.

5th Amendment Rights

Protects against self-incrimination on the witness stand, property rights, and eminent domain.

Love Canal

Community in New York built on buried toxic waste, residents harmed, government forced to relocate them and clean up the toxic waste.

Earth Day

April 22, day to recognize the environment and the impact we have on it.

Three Mile Island

Island in Pennsylvania, nuclear power plant had a meltdown, nuclear radiation contained, worst nuclear disaster in US history.

Environmental Protection Agency

Monitors pollution, creates laws to protect the environment, controversial due to differing opinions on property rights.

Rachel Carson

Warned public of toxic DDT in pest control with book Silent Spring.

Détente

Nixon's foreign policy aimed at reducing tension/improving relations between the US/China and the US/Soviet Union.

Realpolitik

Nixon's foreign policy along with détente, said that a nation should be more concerned with another country's power rather than its morals.

Executive Privilege

Said the President has the authority to withhold certain information from the public for national security reasons.

Watergate Scandal

Break in at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters, burglars connected to Nixon, Nixon involved in the cover-up.

Richard Nixon

Only President to ever resign, good at foreign policy, paranoia leads to Watergate scandal.

Stagflation

High inflation and high unemployment.

China

Nixon first president to ever visit the People's Republic of China, first US president to recognize a communist government.

New Federalism

Nixon's attempt to give more power back to the states by eliminating some federal programs.

Southern Strategy

Nixon's plan to win the Southern states to the Republican Party by ending forced integration busing.

OPEC

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, raised the price of oil on the US because we supported Israel in the Yom Kippur War.

Whip Inflation Now (WIN)

Ford's program to fight inflation by emphasizing conservation, did not work.

Gerald Ford

First president to be neither elected vice president or president, became president when Nixon resigned.

Helsinki Accords

Agreement to protect human rights, signed by NATO and WARSAW pact nations.

Jimmy Carter

President after Ford, biggest success was Camp David Accords, did not get along well with Congress.

Shah of Iran

Forced to abdicate power, came to US for cancer treatment, US embassy in Tehran stormed by Iranian student protesters.

Camp David Accords

Peace agreement between Egypt and Israel, Egypt formally recognized Israel.

Anwar Sadat

Egyptian leader that signed the Camp David accords, assassinated for it when he returned to Egypt.

Iran Hostage Crisis

US embassy workers held hostage in Iran for 444 days, Carter unsuccessful in freeing them.

1980s Olympic Games

US boycotted the games in Moscow in an act of protest against the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan.

Sunbelt

People migrating to Southern states for jobs, gave the South more political power.

Conservative Movement

People that disliked large government programs/spending, wanted smaller government/less regulations.

Supply-Side Economics (Reaganomics)

Reagan's theory of tax cuts and deregulation to stimulate economy, followed policy of deficit spending.

Moral Majority

Conservative Christian group, founded by Jerry Falwell, goal to get Christians politically active.

Roe v. Wade

Supreme Court case that legalized abortion, controversial then and now.

A Nation at Risk

1980's report, looked at standardized test scores, said American students falling behind other countries.

Crack

Cheap form of cocaine, became an epidemic, decimated inner-city neighborhoods.

AIDS

Critical health issue during the 1980s, doctors didn't know about the disease.

Brady Bill

Gun control law, prohibited criminals from buying guns.

Oklahoma City Bombing

Committed by Timothy McVeigh, blew up Alfred P. Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City.

Columbine Shooting

First major mass school shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado.

Challenger Explosion

Space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after takeoff, all 7 astronauts died.

Contract for America

Plan drafted by Republican Newt Gingrich that outlined conservative goals.

Internet

Connects computers around the world, revolutionized ability to easily get information.

Sandra Day O'Connor

First woman on the Supreme Court, appointed by Reagan.

Marines in Lebanon

Sent by Reagan, massive attack with car bomb killed over 200, US withdrew.

Iran-Contra Affair

Reagan's government secretly sold weapons to Iran to get money to fund Contras in Nicaragua.

Bosnia

Civil war in Yugoslavia resulting in the creation of 5 new countries, ethnic cleansing in Bosnia.

Somalia

Civil war resulting in massive famine, US and UN tried to relieve suffering.

Apartheid

System of segregation in South Africa, US instituted sanctions to force its end.

Nelson Mandela

First elected black president of South Africa, major player in ending Apartheid.

Al Qaeda

Islamic terrorist group, wanted to destroy the West and rid Middle East of any western influence.

Bill Clinton

Democrat President, a moderate.

Family Medical Leave Act

Guaranteed 12 weeks if needed for emergency/baby/etc.

Hillary Clinton

Bill's wife, pushed for universal healthcare in the US, failed.

Impeachment

Clinton impeached for perjury (lying under oath) and obstruction of justice, not removed from office.

Biotechnology

Technology that uses living organisms or biological systems.

George H.W. Bush

Republican President after Clinton, involved in Persian Gulf War, criticized for being more concerned with foreign affairs than domestic issues, lost popularity when he raised taxes after saying he wouldn't.