Key Terms from American History Lectures

These flashcards cover key terms and events mentioned in the lecture notes related to American history, particularly focused on civil rights, the Vietnam War, and major political figures.

26th Amendment

Ratified in July 1971, it lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.

17th Parallel

Approximate line of latitude serving as the military demarcation line between North and South Vietnam.

Bay of Pigs

U.S.-supported invasion of Cuba in April 1961, intended to overthrow Fidel Castro.

Cuban Missile Crisis

Confrontation in October 1962 due to Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba.

Dien Bien Phu

French fortress in Vietnam that surrendered in 1954, leading to French withdrawal from Indochina.

Domino Theory

Eisenhower's idea that the fall of one country to Communism would lead to others falling as well.

Fidel Castro

Communist leader of Cuba who took power in 1959 after ousting the U.S.-backed dictator.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

1964 Congressional authorization for President Johnson to use military force in Vietnam.

Henry Kissinger

Advisor to Presidents Nixon and Ford, key in Vietnam settlement and diplomatic relations with China.

Ho Chi Minh

Communist leader of North Vietnam who fought against French and American forces.

Kent State Massacre

1970 event where National Guardsmen killed four students protesting the Vietnam War.

My Lai Massacre

Mass killing of South Vietnamese civilians by U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War.

Ngo Dinh Diem

American ally in South Vietnam whose regime was overthrown in a coup in 1963.

Nikita Khrushchev

Soviet leader from 1954-1964 known for aggressive expansion of Communism.

Pentagon Papers

A classified report revealing U.S. deception in the Vietnam War, leaked in 1971.

Tet Offensive

January 1968 surprise attacks by Communists on South Vietnamese cities, shifting U.S. public perception.

Vietnamization

Nixon's policy of reducing American troop presence by empowering South Vietnamese forces.

Bayard Rustin

Civil rights leader and organizer of the March on Washington.

Betty Friedan

Author of The Feminine Mystique, sparking the women's movement in the 1960s.

Black Power

Political movement advocating for African American rights and empowerment in the 1960s.

Brown v. Board of Education

1954 Supreme Court ruling that declared segregated schools unconstitutional.

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

Proposed amendment aimed to eliminate gender discrimination in 1971.

Fair Deal

Truman's extension of the New Deal, aimed at improving social welfare.

Fannie Lou Hamer

Civil rights activist renowned for advocating voting rights for African Americans.

Federal Highway Act (1956)

Law enabling the construction of over 40,000 miles of highways in the U.S.

Freedom rides

Protests intended to desegregate bus stations in the South during the civil rights movement.

Hubert Humphrey

Liberal senator and vice president who struggled to unite the Democratic Party.

John Kennedy

Youngest U.S. president who served from 1961 until his assassination in 1963.

John Lewis

Civil rights leader known for his role in the Freedom Rides and the Selma marches.

Lyndon Johnson

President from 1963-1969 known for his Great Society reforms and Vietnam War policies.

Malcolm X

Black leader advocating for self-defense and questioning nonviolent protests.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Prominent civil rights leader known for his nonviolent protests and speeches.

Richard Nixon

President from 1969-1974 whose term ended with the Watergate scandal and resignation.

Robert Kennedy

Attorney General under JFK who became an advocate for civil rights reforms.

Rosa Parks

Activist whose arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Sit-ins

Nonviolent protests where African Americans occupied 'whites only' lunch counters.

Shirley Chisholm

First African American woman elected to Congress and 1972 presidential candidate.

Strom Thurmond

Governor of South Carolina, headed the Dixiecrat party, anti- civil rights.

Taft-Hartley Act (1946)

Anti-labor law that limited union power enacted over Truman's veto.

Thomas Dewey

Republican candidate defeated twice for president due to overconfidence.