AP US History - Identification Term Flashcards

Truman Doctrine

Introduced in 1947 to commit the U.S. to defending countries against communist insurrections, specifically targeting Greece and Turkey. Viewed by communist countries as an open declaration of the Cold War.

Marshall Plan

1948 aid package to help stabilize Western Europe and prevent the spread of communism. Refused by the Soviet Union due to democratic/capitalistic requirements.

space race

Began in 1957 with the Soviet launch of Sputnik. Led to American fear of espionage, the creation of NASA in 1958, and the National Defense Education Act (NDEA).

OPEC

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries created in 1960. Their 1973 oil embargo against the U.S. led to quadrupled gas prices and stagflation.

John Lewis

Major Civil Rights activist and "Big Six" member. Coordinated the 1963 March on Washington and led the 1965 Selma march known as "Bloody Sunday."

Thurgood Marshall

Civil rights lawyer and the first Black U.S. Supreme Court Justice (1967-1991). Founded the LDF to dismantle segregation.

The Feminine Mystique

1963 book by Betty Friedan that sparked second-wave feminism. Challenged the idea that "feminine" women only wanted domestic roles.

Gloria Steinem

Feminist activist and journalist who co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus in 1971 and launched Ms. magazine.

Nixon Doctrine

Stated the U.S. would honor defense commitments but expected allies to fight their own future wars without American troops; part of "Vietnamization."

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Act intended to end discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin. Created the EEOC to prevent employment discrimination.

Civil Rights Act of 1965

Also known as the Voting Rights Act; removed barriers to Black enfranchisement like poll taxes and literacy tests.

Civil Rights Act of 1968

Also known as the Fair Housing Act; prohibited discrimination in housing based on race, religion, national origin, or sex.

Watergate

1972 scandal involving a break-in at the DNC offices. Led to Nixon's resignation in 1974 after charges of obstruction of justice and abuse of power.

Griswold v. Connecticut

1965 case ruling that banning contraceptives violated marital privacy. Established the privacy precedent used later in Roe v. Wade.

Miranda v. Arizona

1966 case requiring police to inform suspects of their 5th Amendment rights before questioning to prevent coercion.

Students for a Democratic Society

National student activist organization and part of the New Left movement; published their views in the 1962 Port Huron Statement.

Black Panthers

Created in 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale; advocated for Black Nationalism, socialism, and armed self-defense against police brutality. Also operated community social programs like free breakfasts for children.

Beat movement

1950s literary movement (Beatniks) that rejected materialism and societal norms in favor of drug experimentation and sexual liberation. Key works include Ginsberg’s "Howl" and Kerouac’s "On the Road."

The Affluent Society

1958 book by John Kenneth Galbraith criticizing the wealth gap and how big business/advertising manipulated Americans into prioritizing private "wants" over public needs like education.

Rachel Carson

Conservationist whose 1962 book "Silent Spring" exposed the dangers of pesticides, leading to the ban of DDT and the eventual creation of the EPA.

Bakke v. University of California

1978 Supreme Court case ruling that while race could be a factor in college admissions (affirmative action), the use of specific racial quotas was unconstitutional.

Phyllis Schlafly

Leading conservative activist who campaigned against feminism, abortion, and the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).

OPEC oil embargo

1973 retaliation by Arab oil-producing nations against U.S. support of Israel in the Yom Kippur War. Caused a 300% increase in oil prices and the "first oil shock."

1970s inflation

A decade characterized by an average 6.8% inflation rate, triggered by increased money supplies, the Vietnam War, and oil embargos.

Iranian hostage crisis

52 Americans held for 444 days (1979–1981) after the U.S.-backed Shah was overthrown. The crisis severely damaged Jimmy Carter’s presidency and led to his 1980 election loss.

Camp David Accords

1978 peace framework between Egypt (Anwar Sadat) and Israel (Menachem Begin) mediated by Jimmy Carter.

Medicare and Medicaid

1965 Great Society programs under LBJ; Medicare provided health care for those 65+, while Medicaid provided it for low-income individuals.

The Long Telegram

1946 paper by George Kennan that established the U.S. policy of "containment" to prevent Soviet expansion during the Cold War.

NATO

1949 mutual defense pact between Western nations; Article 5 states that an attack on one member is an attack on all.

Warsaw Pact

1955 mutual defense alliance between the Soviet Union and Eastern European nations, created as a direct reaction to NATO.

NSC 68

1950 National Security Council paper that called for a massive militarization of the U.S., including an increased military budget, the hydrogen bomb, and a shift from containment to "rolling back" the Soviet Union.

Pentagon Papers

A leaked Department of Defense study (1971) revealing that the LBJ administration had lied to Congress and the public about the Vietnam War. Led to the SCOTUS ruling in New York Times v. United States.

Roe v. Wade

1973 SCOTUS case that established a constitutional "right to privacy" regarding abortion via the 14th Amendment. It used a trimester framework until it was overturned by Dobbs v. Jackson in 2022.

Title IX

1972 education amendment that prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or education program receiving federal funding; significantly expanded opportunities for women in sports.

SALT I and SALT II

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (1969/1979) between the U.S. and USSR to limit anti-ballistic and strategic missiles. Represented a period of "détente" before being replaced by START in 1991.

NDEA (National Defense Education Act)

1959 law passed in response to the Sputnik launch; provided federal funding to schools to improve math, science, and foreign language programs.

SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee)

Civil rights group formed by students after the Greensboro sit-ins; focused on nonviolent protest, voter registration in the Deep South, and Freedom Summer.

SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference)

Civil rights organization led by Martin Luther King Jr. that used nonviolent direct action and church networks to fight segregation (e.g., Birmingham and Selma campaigns).

Brown v. Board of Education

1954 landmark case that ruled "separate but equal" in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson. Thurgood Marshall served as the lead counsel.

U-2 Incident

1960 event where a U.S. spy plane piloted by Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the USSR. Exposed U.S. espionage and ruined the Paris peace summit between Eisenhower and Khrushchev.