Elaina Evert: US History 2: Unit 4

How was the Vietnam conflict an episode of the Cold War?

The Vietnam Conflict was a proxy conflict within the Cold War. The conflict was a war that showed the United States involvement with containing communism.

What is the chronology of U.S. involvement in Vietnam from 1955 to 1975, starting from 1954.

The French lose a definitive battle in Dien Bien Phu, so the U.S. has to decide whether to leave and let the communists take over, or try to stop the spread of Communism.

U.S. Vietnam involvement in 1957?

North and South Vietnam arranged a unification for Vietnam in 1956, however South Vietnam refused to have the election, so North Vietnam invades the south to unify the two governments.

U.S. involvement in 1961-1963?

Under the Kennedy Administration, U.S. military personnel in South Vietnam rose from 800 to 16,700.

U.S. involvement in 1963?

The Johnson Administration takes over, and the U.S military continues to help the South.

What was the Gulf of Tonkin incident?

When North Vietnam attacked U.S. ships for sailing to close to North Vietnam waters.

U.S. involvement in 1964?

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was when congress authorized the Johnson Administration to wage war, which begins American troop presence in Vietnam.

U.S. involvement in 1968?

The Tet Offensive was when North Vietnamese attacks showed that the U.S. did not have military control of the conflict (so the war wouldn’t end anytime soon).

U.S. involvement in 1969-1970?

President Nixon secretly bombed Cambodia in an attempt to obliterate trails and block supply lines to North Vietnam.

U.S. involvement in 1975?

The remaining U.S. personnel evacuated from Vietnam and communism takes over the country as it becomes unified.

What factors led much of the American public to become disillusioned (disappointed) with American participation in the conflict?

The length of the war (it was numbing to hear death reports and no progress), the death toll (people believed there were to many deaths and that it wasn’t worth it), the visual impact of television coverage (seeing all the negative reports), and the credibility gap (what the government said vs. did and deceiving the public).

What are some impediments (obstacles) to the development of Civil Rights from 1879 to 1940?

Economic limitation of minorities postbellum period, Jim Crow Customs (like poll taxes), Black Codes (laws for black people), and Plessy vs. Ferguson in 1896, which said that segregation was okay if there were equal facilities for both whites and blacks.

What were some reasons for the development of Civil Rights from 1878 to 1940?

The Great Migration (AA moved from the South to the North/West which caused them to make more money and form communities), the NAACP in 1909 (provided free lawyers and rose awareness about being black), and mainstreaming of minority culture (breaks down stereotypes and black people emerge into more important roles).

What are some major laws related to civil rights since 1940?

Executive Order 88o2, Supreme Court ruling on Brown vs. Board of Education, and the Eisenhower desegregation.

What was the Executive Order 88o2?

It was issued by FDR in 1941, and created a committee on Fair Employment Practices (more hiring in hobs that were discriminatory to desegregate)

What was Brown vs. Board of Education?

A court case that declared racial segregation in schools unconstitutional and that separated schools are unequal, destroying the idea of “separate but equal,” leading to more equality.

When was Brown vs. Board of Education?

In 1954.

What did Eisenhower do in 1957?

He had Federal troops escort African American students into Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas (example of desegregation).

What were some events related to civil rights since 1940?

Amendment XXIV and the Voting Rights Act.

What was Amendment XXIV?

It eliminated poll taxes for voting since it was a constitutional right.

When was Amendment XXIV?

In 1964.

What did the Voting Rights Act (VRA) do?

It ended literacy tests that block someone from voting.

When was the Voting Rights Act?

In 1965.

Who took the initiative in pushing for those laws and acts?

Minority communities, organizations, and civil rights advocates,

Who took the initiative in pushing the Executive Order 88o2?

Civil Rights advocates planned to March Washington D.C. since FDR wasn’t doing enough regarding Civil Rights.

What was the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee?

They were involved with college students and “freedom rides” to desegregate.

What is affirmative action?

A government plan that begun in the 1960s, to ensure that minorities have access to jobs, and higher education.

Who was Emmett Till?

An African American boy who was killed based off his race in 1955, and motivated the Civil Rights Movement further.

What was the New Frontier (1960s)?

Candidate Kennedy’s pledge to improve economy, healthcare, education, and civil rights. Eventually, the economy grew (mostly in corporate profits), and congress blocked healthcare and education reform.

What was the Great Society?

Takes over after Kennedy’s death, and it was President Johnson’s continuation of the liberal reform plan, resulting on Medicare, Medicaid, civil rights laws, and more money for education.

What was the Watts Riots?

The event occured in Los Angeles, California, and resulted in four days of fires, rioting, and looting. This was a reaction to discrimination, and economic hardship in an era of protest.

When was the Watts Riot?

In August 1965.

What was Watergate?

When White House Special Investigate Unit burglarized Democratic National Committee headquarters, President Nixon attempted to cover-up the incident and later resigned in August of 1974 (only president to ever resign).

When was Watergate?

In May/June 1972.

What is the Iran-Contra scandal?

When the Reagan Administration used money from sales of weapons to Iran to aid Nicaraguan contras illegally.

When was the Iran-Contra Scandal?

In 1986-1987.

What happened at the end of the Cold War?

Mikhail Gorbachev became a communist part leader in the USSR (1985) and the Fall of Eastern European communists regimes and Berlin Wall (people abandoning communism).

What was the desert storm?

A response to the August 1990 invasion of Kuwait by Iraq, after economic sanctions provided ineffective, the U.S. attacked with U.N. support, thus liberating Kuwait by March 1991.

Who was Barack Obama?

Barack Obama was the first black person to become president ( he served from 2009 to 2017), and he broke a racial barrier in politics.