AP US History Notes: Period 8 (1945-1980)

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from the AP US History notes on Period 8, focusing on events from 1945 to 1980.

Cold War

An escalating struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union from 1945 to 1991.

Vietnam War

Also known as the Second Indochina War, it began in 1955 and ended on April 30, 1975.

Brown v. Board of Education

A landmark Supreme Court case that declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Great Society

A series of domestic programs launched by President Lyndon B. Johnson aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

A military alliance formed by Western nations in 1949 to counter Soviet expansion.

Iron Curtain

A metaphor for the boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II until the end of the Cold War.

McCarthyism

A campaign against alleged communists in the US government and other institutions in the early 1950s, characterized by extreme measures and unfounded accusations.

Berlin Airlift

A major crisis in 1948-1949 where the US airlifted supplies to West Berlin during a Soviet blockade.

Vietnamization

A policy during the Vietnam War that aimed to reduce American involvement by training South Vietnamese forces.

Kent State shootings

A 1970 incident where four protesters were shot by National Guardsmen during a rally against the Vietnam War.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 1962 confrontation between the U.S. and the USSR regarding Soviet missiles in Cuba, considered the Cold War's peak moment.

Domino Theory

The belief that the spread of communism in one country would lead to the spread in neighboring countries.

Lyndon B. Johnson

The 36th President of the United States who escalated the Vietnam War and promoted civil rights legislation.

Richard Nixon

The 37th President, known for his role in the Watergate scandal and for ending American involvement in Vietnam.

Détente

A policy aimed at easing tensions between the US and the USSR during the Cold War.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

A congressional resolution passed in 1964 allowing President Johnson to use military force in Vietnam.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

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

Rosa Parks

Civil rights activist known for refusing to give up her bus seat, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Martin Luther King Jr.

A leader in the Civil Rights Movement known for advocating non-violent resistance to racism.

Freedom Riders

Civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated southern United States in 1961.

Malcolm X

Civil rights leader who advocated for black self-determination and armed self-defense.

The Vietnam War

A conflict in which the United States fought in Vietnam to prevent the spread of communism.

Watergate Scandal

A major political scandal involving a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and subsequent cover-up by the Nixon administration.

Sputnik

The first artificial satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, marking the start of the space race.

Korean War

A conflict between North and South Korea (1950-1953) where the US supported South Korea.

Marshall Plan

An American initiative passed in 1948 to provide aid to Western Europe for postwar recovery.

Department of Defense

The federal department responsible for coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government related directly to national security and the military.

Massive Retaliation

A military doctrine whereby a state commits to retaliate in much greater force in response to an attack.

U-2 Incident

A 1960 episode where a U.S. spy plane was shot down over Soviet airspace, causing diplomatic tensions.

George Marshall

Former U.S. Army Chief of Staff who became Secretary of State and proposed the Marshall Plan.

Earl Warren

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court known for liberal rulings during his tenure from 1953 to 1969.

Thurgood Marshall

The first African-American Supreme Court Justice, known for his work in civil rights law.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States.

Little Rock Nine

A group of nine African American students who enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957.

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

Federal agency established in 1973 to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations.

National Security Act of 1947

A law that reorganized the U.S. armed forces and established the Department of Defense.

Berlin Wall

A concrete barrier that divided East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989.

Henry Kissinger

U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor known for his role in U.S.-China relations.

Kerner Commission

A national advisory commission established by President Johnson to study the causes of the 1967 race riots.

Beatniks

A social and artistic movement in the 1950s that criticized the materialism of society and promoted spontaneity.

Tet Offensive

A major offensive by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces occurring in January 1968 during the Vietnam War.

Operation Rolling Thunder

A massive bombing campaign against North Vietnam conducted by the U.S. Air Force from 1965 to 1968.

Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I)

A treaty between the US and USSR agreed in 1972 to limit nuclear arms.

Suez Canal Crisis

A diplomatic and military confrontation in 1956 triggered by the nationalization of the Suez Canal by Egypt.

Anwar Sadat

President of Egypt who signed the Camp David Accords with Israel in 1978.

Camp David Accords

A peace agreement between Israel and Egypt mediated by President Carter in 1978.

OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries)

An organization of oil-producing countries that regulates oil production and prices.

Leonid Brezhnev

Leader of the Soviet Union from 1964 to 1982 known for his conservative leadership and stagnation.

Ayatollah Khomeini

Iranian religious leader who led the 1979 Iranian Revolution and established an Islamic Republic.