APUSH Period 8

Employment Act

1946: Legislation aimed at achieving full employment in the United States.

Atomic Energy Act

1946: Legislation establishing the Atomic Energy Commission to oversee nuclear development.

President’s commission on Civil Rights

1946: Establishment of a commission to advocate for civil rights in the US.

Philippines get independence

1946: The Philippines gain independence from the United States.

Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech

1946: Winston Churchill's speech warning of Soviet expansionism and the division of Europe.

The Marshall Plan

1947: US economic aid to help rebuild Europe after World War II.

Taft–Hartley Act

1947: Legislation restricting the power of labor unions and requiring union leaders to sign anti-communist oaths.

Truman Doctrine

1947: President Truman's policy of providing financial aid to countries fighting against communism.

Federal Employee Loyalty Program

1947: Program requiring federal employees to undergo loyalty investigations to ensure they were not affiliated with communism.

National Security Act

1947: Legislation restructuring the US military and intelligence agencies, leading to the creation of the CIA.

Jackie Robinson breaks color barrier

1947: Jackie Robinson becomes the first African American to play in Major League Baseball.

Election of 1948: Truman defeats Dewey and Thurman

1948: Harry S. Truman wins a surprising victory against Thomas E. Dewey and Strom Thurmond in the presidential election.

Truman desegregates armed forces

1948: President Truman issues an executive order to end racial segregation in the US military.

Berlin Blockade - Berlin Airlift

1948: Soviet blockade of West Berlin is countered by a massive airlift of supplies by the US and allies.

Alger Hiss Case

1948: Alger Hiss, a former State Department official, is convicted of perjury for lying about being a Soviet spy.

Nuremberg trials

1948: International trials held to prosecute major Nazi war criminals for crimes committed during World War II.

NATO formed

1949: North Atlantic Treaty Organization established as a mutual defense alliance against the Soviet Union.

Communistic Victory in China

1949: Communist forces led by Mao Zedong defeat the Nationalist government, establishing the People's Republic of China.

Russia’s 1st A-Bomb

1949: The Soviet Union successfully tests its first atomic bomb.

Department of Defense created

1949: Establishment of the US Department of Defense to oversee the military.

West and East Germany created

1949: Germany is divided into two separate states, West Germany and East Germany, following World War II.

Fair Deal

1949: President Truman's proposed domestic program aimed at extending the New Deal, including measures for healthcare, education, civil rights, and economic reform.

Korean War begins

1950: Conflict erupts on the Korean Peninsula as North Korean forces invade South Korea, leading to US intervention.

McCarren Internal Security Act

1950: Legislation aimed at combating perceived communist subversion in the United States by requiring registration of communist organizations and individuals.

McCarthyism

1950: Era of anti-communist hysteria and political persecution led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, characterized by unfounded accusations and blacklisting.

National Security Council Memo 68

1950: Policy document advocating for massive defense spending and intervention to contain communist expansion, particularly in Korea.

22nd Amendment

1951: Amendment to the US Constitution limiting the president to two terms in office.

Denis vs. United States

1951: Supreme Court case upholding the constitutionality of the Smith Act, which made it illegal to advocate the violent overthrow of the government.

US–Japanese Treaty

1951: Treaty between the United States and Japan, establishing American military bases in Japan.

ANZUS

1951: Security alliance between Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

MacArthur fired by Truman

1951: President Truman relieves General Douglas MacArthur of his command during the Korean War due to disagreements over military strategy.

Election of 1952: Eisenhower defeats Stevenson

1952: Dwight D. Eisenhower wins the presidential election, defeating Adlai Stevenson.

Rosenbergs executed

1953: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are executed for espionage, accused of passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union.

Terminate reservations for Native Americans

1953: US government terminates federal recognition of certain Native American tribes, leading to loss of land and rights.

Armistice in Korea

1953: Ceasefire agreement signed, ending active fighting in the Korean War and establishing the 38th parallel as the border between North and South Korea.

Shah of Iran returns to power in coup

1953: The US-supported coup restores Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, to power, overthrowing the democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh.

Khrushchev in control of Russia

1953: Nikita Khrushchev becomes the leader of the Soviet Union following the death of Joseph Stalin.

Army–McCarthy hearings

1954: Senate hearings investigating Senator Joseph McCarthy's allegations of communist infiltration in the US Army, ultimately leading to his downfall.

Brown vs. Board of Education

1954: Landmark Supreme Court case declaring state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional, overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine.

Geneva Conference

1954: Conference aimed at resolving conflicts in Indochina, resulting in the division of Vietnam at the 17th parallel and the promise of national elections.

Mao bombs Taiwan

1954: Chinese Communist forces bomb the island of Taiwan, escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

Montgomery bus boycott begins

1955: Civil rights protest sparked by the arrest of Rosa Parks for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama.

AFL and the CIO merge

1955: The American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) merge to form the AFL-CIO, a major labor union in the United States.

Warsaw Pact

1955: Military alliance between the Soviet Union and its Eastern European satellite states in response to the formation of NATO.

Election of 1956: Eisenhower re-elected

1956: Dwight D. Eisenhower wins a second term as president, defeating Adlai Stevenson again.

Suez Crisis

1956: Conflict over control of the Suez Canal, resulting in military intervention by Israel, France, and Britain, and subsequent diplomatic pressure from the United States and the Soviet Union.

Interstate Highway Act

1956: Legislation authorizing the construction of a vast network of interstate highways across the United States.

Hungarian Revolution

1956: Popular uprising against Soviet control in Hungary, brutally suppressed by Soviet forces.

US puts Diem in power in South Vietnam

1956: The United States supports Ngo Dinh Diem as leader of South Vietnam in an effort to prevent the spread of communism.

Election of 1956: Eisenhower defeats Stevenson again

1956: Dwight D. Eisenhower wins re-election as president, defeating Adlai Stevenson for the second time.

Eisenhower Doctrine

1957: US policy offering economic and military aid to Middle Eastern countries threatened by communism or aggression from neighboring states.

Domino Theory

1950s-1970s: Theory that if one country falls to communism, neighboring countries will also fall, like a row of dominoes.

Baby Boom peaks

1950s: Period of unusually high birth rates in the United States following World War II.

Civil Rights Act (1957)

1957: First significant civil rights legislation since Reconstruction, aimed at protecting voting rights and creating a Civil Rights Commission.

Little Rock school desegregation

1957: Integration of Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas, marked by federal intervention and the National Guard.

Russians launch Sputnik

1957: Soviet Union launches the world's first artificial satellite, sparking the space race with the United States.

1st nuclear power plant

1957: Opening of the world's first commercial nuclear power plant in Shippingport, Pennsylvania.

On the Road by Jack Kerouac

1957: Publication of Jack Kerouac's novel "On the Road," a defining work of the Beat Generation.

National Defense Education Act

1958: Federal legislation providing funding for education in areas such as math, science, and foreign languages, in response to the Soviet Union's technological advances.

NASA formed

1958: Establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to oversee US space exploration efforts.

Cuban Revolution

1959: Armed revolt led by Fidel Castro overthrowing the government of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista.

Labor Reform Act

1959: Legislation aimed at protecting the rights of workers and improving labor conditions in the United States.

Alaska and Hawaii admitted as states

1959: Alaska and Hawaii become the 49th and 50th states, respectively, in the United States.

Greensboro sit-in

1960: Nonviolent protest by African American students at a Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, sparking a wave of sit-ins across the South.

Civil Rights Act (1960)

1960: Legislation aimed at combating racial discrimination in voting and protecting the voting rights of African Americans.

Election of 1960: Kennedy defeats Nixon

1960: John F. Kennedy narrowly defeats Richard Nixon in the presidential election, becoming the youngest elected president in US history.

National Liberation Front

1960: Political organization formed in South Vietnam, also known as the Viet Cong, fighting against the government of South Vietnam and the United States during the Vietnam War.

Bay of Pigs

1961: Failed CIA-backed invasion of Cuba by Cuban exiles, aimed at overthrowing the government of Fidel Castro.

Trade Embargo on Cuba

1961: US imposes a trade embargo on Cuba in response to the nationalization of American-owned businesses by the Castro regime.

Alliance for Progress

1961: US program providing economic aid to Latin American countries in an effort to promote social and economic reform and prevent the spread of communism.

Berlin wall built

1961: Construction of the Berlin Wall by East Germany to prevent defection from East Berlin to West Berlin.

Peace Corps

1961: US government program sending volunteers abroad to assist with humanitarian projects and promote goodwill.

Coup regime in Vietnam

1963: Assassination of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem in a military coup supported by the United States.

Cuban Missile Crisis

1962: Confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union over the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba, bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war.

Baker vs. Carr

1962: Supreme Court case establishing the principle of "one person, one vote" and requiring state legislative districts to be apportioned based on population.

Engel v. Vitale

1962: Supreme Court case ruling that state-sponsored prayer in public schools violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)

1960: Student organization advocating for social change and protesting against racism, poverty, and the Vietnam War.

Kennedy assassinated by Oswald

1963: Assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, by Lee Harvey Oswald.

Test Ban Treaty

1963: Treaty between the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom banning the testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere, outer space, and underwater.

March on Washington

1963: Civil rights demonstration in Washington, D.C., where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan

1963: Publication of Betty Friedan's groundbreaking book "The Feminine Mystique," sparking the modern feminist movement.

24th Amendment

1964: Amendment to the US Constitution prohibiting the imposition of poll taxes as a requirement for voting in federal elections.

US enters Vietnam War

1964: Escalation of US military involvement in Vietnam following the Gulf of Tonkin incident, where North Vietnamese boats allegedly attacked American destroyers.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

1964: Congressional resolution authorizing President Lyndon B. Johnson to use military force in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war.

Gideon vs. Wainright

1963: Supreme Court case establishing the right to legal counsel for defendants in criminal cases, even if they cannot afford an attorney.

Economic Opportunity Act

1964: Legislation creating programs to fight poverty, including Job Corps, VISTA, and Community Action Programs.

Civil Rights Act (1964)

1964: Landmark legislation prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, and guaranteeing equal access to public accommodations and employment.

Great Society

1964: President Lyndon B. Johnson's domestic agenda aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice and promoting social reform and economic opportunity.

Medicare and Medicaid

1965: Federal programs providing health insurance for elderly and low-income individuals, respectively.

Higher Education Act

1965: Legislation providing federal funding for higher education, including student loans and scholarships.

Voting Rights Act

1965: Landmark legislation aimed at overcoming barriers to voting for African Americans, particularly in the South.

Department of Housing and Urban Development established

1965: Creation of a federal agency to oversee housing and urban development programs in the United States.

Department of Transportation created

1966: Establishment of a federal department responsible for overseeing transportation policies and infrastructure in the United States.

National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act

1966: Legislation requiring safety standards for motor vehicles and highway infrastructure in the United States.

Miranda vs. Arizona

1966: Supreme Court case establishing the requirement for police to inform suspects of their rights before questioning them, known as the Miranda rights.

National Organization for Women (NOW)

1966: Women's rights organization advocating for gender equality and reproductive rights.

25th Amendment

1967: Amendment to the US Constitution establishing procedures for presidential succession and disability.

Election of 1968

1968: Richard Nixon wins the presidential election, defeating Hubert Humphrey and George Wallace.

Nixon's "New Federalism"

1968: President Nixon's domestic policy aimed at transferring power from the federal government to state and local governments.

Vietnamization begins

1969: Nixon administration policy of gradually withdrawing US troops from Vietnam and transferring responsibility for fighting the war to South Vietnamese forces.