Postwar America and Key Events (1946-2008)

This set of flashcards covers key terms, events, and concepts related to American history from 1946 to 2008, focusing on postwar changes, civil rights, the Cold War, and significant political events.

GI Bill\n\n

Legislation that provided long-term, low-interest mortgages and bonuses to veterans buying homes.\n\n

Servicemen’s Readjustment Act 1944\n\n

Also known as the GI Bill, it helped veterans transition back to civilian life.\n\n

Divorce Rates\n\n

Increased during the postwar period due to social changes.\n\n

Labor Strikes\n\n

A series of protests caused by loss of real wage earnings.\n\n

Taft-Hartley Act\n\n

Legislation aimed at reducing the power of labor unions.\n\n

Baby Boom\n\n

The significant increase in birth rates post World War II.\n\n

William Levitt\n\n

Developed efficient methods for mass-producing suburban homes.\n\n

Jackie Robinson\n\n

The first African American professional baseball player.\n\n

Dwight D. Eisenhower\n\n

The 34th President of the United States, he promoted leadership and morality.\n\n

Checkers Speech\n\n

Nixon's televised speech that defended his campaign finances.\n\n

Fiscal Conservative\n\n

Eisenhower’s approach to cutting the budget and taxes.\n\n

Television and the Golden Age\n\n

A period marked by the rise of TV ownership and programming.\n\n

Game Shows\n\n

Popular television programs that became a significant part of American culture.\n\n

Youth Culture\n\n

A societal shift where youth became significant consumers of entertainment.\n\n

Rock 'n' Roll\n\n

Music genre that rose in popularity during the 1950s.\n\n

Jonas Salk\n\n

He developed the polio vaccine which was released in 1955.\n\n

Federal Highway Act 1956\n\n

Legislation that funded the creation of 40,000 miles of highway.\n\n

Election of 1960\n\n

Election where Kennedy defeated Nixon, showcasing the influence of television.\n\n

Brown v. Board of Education\n\n

Supreme Court case that ruled segregation in public schools unconstitutional.\n\n

Montgomery Bus Boycott\n\n

A protest against racial segregation led by Martin Luther King Jr.\n\n

Little Rock Nine\n\n

Group of African American students who integrated Little Rock Central High School.\n\n

Freedom Riders\n\n

Activists who rode buses to challenge segregation in the South.\n\n

Civil Rights Act of 1964\n\n

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

LBJ\n\n

Lyndon B. Johnson, who focused on civil rights and the Great Society.\n\n

Vietnam War\n\n

Conflict involving US intervention to stop the spread of communism in Vietnam.\n\n

Kent State Confrontation\n\n

Protests against the Vietnam War that resulted in the shooting of students by National Guardsmen.\n\n

My Lai Massacre\n\n

U.S. troops killed hundreds of unarmed Vietnamese civilians.\n\n

Nixon Doctrine\n\n

Policy that shifted responsibility for the Vietnam War to South Vietnamese forces.\n\n

Watergate Scandal\n\n

Political scandal involving a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters.\n\n

Reaganomics\n\n

Economic policies under Reagan that emphasized tax cuts and reduced government spending.\n\n

Iran-Contra Affair\n\n

Scandal involving secret U.S. arms sales to Iran, with proceeds funding Nicaraguan rebels.\n\n

Camp David Accords\n\n

Peace treaty between Israel and Egypt brokered by Jimmy Carter.\n\n

NAFTA\n\n

North American Free Trade Agreement, promoting free trade between Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.\n\n

Internet Growth\n\n

Significant increase in internet access and usage in the late 1990s.\n\n

Impeachment of Bill Clinton\n\n

House filed articles of impeachment against Clinton over perjury and obstruction of justice.\n\n

September 11, 2001\n\n

Terrorist attacks led by al-Qaeda targeting U.S. landmarks.\n\n

War on Terror\n\n

Ongoing military campaign launched in response to the September 11 attacks.\n\n

Hurricane Katrina\n\n

Disastrous hurricane that struck New Orleans in 2005, revealing federal inadequacies.\n\n

Barack Obama\n\n

First African American president, elected in 2008.\n\n

Civil Rights Movement\n\n

Struggle for social justice and equality for African Americans during the 1950s and 1960s.\n\n

Peaceful Coexistence\n\n

Policy promoted by Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev during the Cold War.\n\n

Domino Theory\n\n

The belief that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow.\n\n

Sputnik\n\n

First artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.\n\n

Korean War\n\n

Conflict between North and South Korea, involving U.S. intervention.\n\n

Brinkmanship\n\n

The practice of pushing dangerous events to the brink of active conflict.\n\n

U-2 Incident\n\n

A U.S. spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union, straining U.S.-Soviet relations.\n\n

Berlin Wall\n\n

Wall dividing East and West Berlin, a symbol of the Cold War.\n\n

Cuban Missile Crisis\n\n

A 13-day confrontation between the U.S. and the USSR over Soviet missiles in Cuba.\n\n

Tet Offensive\n\n

Major attack by North Vietnamese forces in 1968 that shifted perception of the Vietnam War.\n\n

Great Society\n\n

LBJ's set of domestic programs aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice.\n\n

Civil Rights Act\n\n

Landmark civil rights legislation passed in 1964.\n\n

Malcolm X\n\n

Civil rights leader who advocated for black empowerment and self-defense.\n\n

Black Panthers\n\n

Militant group promoting black power and community programs.\n\n

NOW\n\n

National Organization for Women, aiming for gender equality.\n\n

ERA\n\n

Equal Rights Amendment aimed at ensuring equal rights for women.\n\n

Phyllis Schlafly\n\n

Anti-feminist activist against the ERA.\n\n

Counter Culture\n\n

Social movement in the 1960s advocating alternative lifestyles.\n\n

Iron Curtain\n\n

Term used to describe the division between communist and non-communist countries in Europe.\n\n

Containment\n\n

U.S. policy to prevent the spread of communism.\n\n

Marshall Plan\n\n

U.S. initiative to aid Western Europe in economic recovery post WWII.\n\n

NATO\n\n

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance for collective defense.\n\n

McCarthyism\n\n

The practice of making unfair allegations and accusations of disloyalty.\n\n

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)\n\n

Committee investigating alleged disloyalty and subversive activities.\n\n

Mao Tse-tung\n\n

Leader of the Chinese Communist Party during the Chinese Revolution.\n\n

Indochina\n\n

Region in Southeast Asia; its revolution against colonial powers involved U.S. interests.\n\n

Lyndon B. Johnson's domestic policies\n\n

Focused on civil rights, poverty alleviation, and social welfare programs.\n\n

American exceptionalism\n\n

The belief that the United States is inherently different from other nations.\n\n

NSA\n\n

National Security Agency, responsible for global monitoring and intelligence.\n\n

Fill in the blank: The first African American baseball player in Major League Baseball is __________.\n\n

Jackie Robinson\n\n

Fill in the blank: The 34th President of the United States is __________.\n\n

Dwight D. Eisenhower\n\n

Fill in the blank: The Supreme Court case ruling segregation in schools unconstitutional is __________.\n\n

Brown v. Board of Education\n\n

Fill in the blank: The U.S. military campaign launched after the September 11 attacks is known as the __________.\n\n

War on Terror\n\n

Fill in the blank: The significant increase in birth rates post World War II is called the __________.\n\n

Baby Boom\n\n