AP US History Period 8

cold war

political, economic, and military conflict, short of direct war on battlefield, between u.s. and soviet union (1945-1991)

potsdam conference

meeting between truman and stalin in germany; agreed to free elections in eastern europe, stalin withdrawal from northern iran, and creation of 4 allied occupation zones in germany (july 1945)

containment

belief that soviet union desired spread of communism in world; to prevent spread u.s. diplomat george kennan advised strict policy of containing communism where it existed and preventing spread

iron curtain

term coined by churchill that described ideological and political divide between communist soviet union and non-communist western world

totalitarianism

type of government that puts state first, with all other parts of life designed to support and sustain government first and foremost

truman doctrine

u.s. pledge to contain expansion of communism around world; based on idea of containment; cornerstone of u.s. foreign policy throughout cold war

marshall plan

post wwii european economic aid package developed by secretary of state george marshall; helped rebuild western europe and served american political and economic interests in the process

imperial presidency

growth of presidential powers during cold war, especially w/ respect to war-making powers and conduct of national security

national security council (nsc)

council created by national security act (1947) to advise president on military and foreign affairs; consists of national security adviser and secretaries of state, defense, army, navy, and air force

central intelligence agency (cia)

intelligence organization established by national security act (1947); part of executive branch and responsible for gathering and conducting espionage in foreign nations; originally created to counter soviet spying operations

berlin airlift

mass-scale transport of food and supplies to west berlin by u.s. and british government air forces during soviet blockade of berlin (1948-1949)

north atlantic treaty organization (nato)

cold war military alliance intended to enhance collective security of u.s. and western europe

warsaw pact

russian military alliance with seven satellite nations in response to u.s. marshall plan and nato

nsc-68

national security council document that advocated intensification of policy of containment at home and abroad (april 1950)

korean war

conflict fought between northern communist, democratic ppl’s republic of korea and united nations-backed southern republic of korea (1950-1953)

house un-american activities committee (huac)

u.s. house of reps committee established to investigate domestic communism (1938); post wwii, huac conducted highly publicized investigations of communist influence in government and entertainment industry

smith act

law signed by franklin roosevelt prohibiting teaching or advocacy of destruction of u.s. government (1940)

second red scare

fear of communist influence infiltrating u.s. and threatening national security; creation of government-controlled programs and entities i.e. the house un-american activities committee and federal employee loyalty program (1940s - 50s)

federal employee loyalty program

program established by president truman to investigate federal employees suspected of disloyalty and communist ties (1947)

dennis v. united states

supreme court decision upholding conviction of communist leaders on the grounds they posed a ‘clear and present danger’ despite absence of any evidence of immediate uprising or plot (1951)

mccarran internal security act

republican-supported legislation proposed by senator pat mccarran, requiring communist organizations to register w/ federal government, establishing detention camps for radicals, and denying passports to u.s. citizens with communist affiliations; vetoed by president but overrode by congress and made into law (1950)

mccarthyism

harassment and persecution of suspected political radicals

yates v. united states

supreme court ruling establishing that the justice department couldn’t prosecute someone for merely advocating abstract doctrine favoring violent overthrow of government; seen as severe blow to enforcement of smith act (1957)

servicemen’s readjustment act (gi bill)

act that offered educational opportunities and financial aid to veterans as they readjusted to civilian life; helped millions of veterans build new lives after war (1944)

taft-hartley act

law curtailing unions’ ability to organize; prevented unions from barring employment to non-union members and authorized federal government to halt strike for 80 days if interfering with national interest (1947)

dixiecrats

southern democrats who created a segregationist political party (1948) as a response to federal extensions of civil rights; advocated for state’s right to legislate segregation; ran strom thurmond in an unsuccessful bid for presidency against truman (1948)

baby boom

sharp population increase as a result of end of wwii; increased economic prosperity, improvements in healthcare, and trend toward earlier marriage ages (1946-1964)

federal housing administration

agency created by franklin roosevelt to devise housing construction standards and provide long-term mortgages to qualified buyers at low interest rates (1934)

levittown

suburban subdivision built in long island, new york, in response to postwar housing shortage; subsequently built in pa and nj (1950s)

sun bell

southern and western part of the u.s. to which millions of americans moved after wwii; migrants were drawn by region’s climate and jobs in defense, petroleum, and chemical industries

beats

small group of young poets, writers, intellectuals, musicians, and artists who challenged mainstream american politics and culture (1950s)

to secure these rights

report issued by president truman’s committee on civil rights (1947) advocating for extension of racial equality; among recs was the desegregation of military, instituted by executive order (1948)

brown v. board of education of topeka, kansas

landmark supreme court case overturning ‘separate but equal’ principle established by plessy v. ferguson applied to public schools (1954)

montgomery bus boycott

13-month beginning w/ arrest of rosa parks for refusing to give up her seat to a white man; successful protest catapulted mlkj, a local pastor, into international prominence as a civil rights leader

southern christian leadership conference (sclc)

organization founded by mlkj and other black ministers to encourage nonviolent protests against racial segregation in the south (1957)

little rock nine

nine students who became the first african americans to attend central high school in little rock, arkansas; federal troops required to overcome resistance of white officials and violence of white protestors (1957)

white citizens’ council (wcc)

organization created in protest following brown v. board decision; consisted of businessmen and professionals who intimidated black community through threatening jobs, denying bank loans, and rejecting rock ‘n’ music

student nonviolent coordinating committee (sncc)

civil rights organization growing out of sit-ins (1960); took direct action and organized politically

great migration

large black population movement to sun belt (1940-1960)

mccarran-walter immigration act

legislation making it possible for japanese non-citizens to become u.s. citizens; act maintained race-based system of discriminatory national-origin quotas

new look

foreign policy strategy implemented by president dwight eisenhower that emphasized development and deployment of nuclear weapons in an effort to cut military spending

mutually assured destruction (mad)

defense strategy build around threat of massive nuclear retaliatory strike; adoption of doctrine of mad contributed to escalation of arms race during cold war

kitchen debate

impromptu debate between eisenhower and stalin successor khrushchev at american national exhibition in moscow in front of american kitchen display abt merits of capitalism and communism

bandung conference

conference of 29 asian and african nations held in indonesia; declared neutrality in cold war struggle between u.s. and soviet union and condemned colonialism (1955)

eisenhower doctrine

doctrine guiding u.s. intervention in the middle east; congress granted president dwight eisenhower power to send military forces into middle east to combat communist aggression (1957); eisenhower sent u.s. marines into lebanon under doctrine (1958)

modern republicanism

political approach of president dwight eisenhower that tried to fit traditional republican party ideals of individualism and fiscal restraint within broad framework of new deal

national interstate and defense highway act

act that provided funds for construction of 42,500 miles of roads throughout u.s. (1956)

national defense education act

cold war era act in response to soviet launch of sputnik, providing aid for instruction in science, math, and foreign language, and grants and fellowships for university students

sputnik

first artificial satellite, launched by soviet union (1957)

bureau of indian affairs (bia)

responsible for management of american indian lands and implementation of federal policy toward american indian nations (est. 1824)

operation wetback

forced deportation of 250k to 1.3 mil undocumented mexican immigrants during eisenhower administration

bay of pigs invasion

unsuccessful attempt under kennedy administration to overthrow castro regime in cuba (1961)

berlin wall

physical and ideological barrier between east and west berlin; designed to prevent soviet controlled east berliners from fleeing to west (1961-89)

vietcong

popular name for national liberation front (nfl) in south vietnam; waged military insurgency against u.s. backed president ngo dinh diem and received support from leader of north vietnam ho chi minh (1959)

domino theory

prevalent belief during cold war that if one country fell under communist influence, surrounding countries would fall

gulf of tonkin resolution

congressional resolution giving president johnson wide discretion in use of u.s. forces in vietnam; followed reported attacks by north vietnamese gunboats on two american destroyers (1964)

escalation

johnson administration policy of continuously increasing numbers of ground troops in vietnam and bombing campaigns

vietnam war

conflict between communist nationalist government in north vietnam backed by soviet union and china v. united nations and u.s. backed south vietnam government; seen as part of a series of proxy wars resulting from cold war tensions between u.s. and soviet union (1954-75)

my lai massacre

unprovoked u.s. massacre of nearly 500 elderly, women, and children in south vietnam area of my lai during vietnam war (march 16, 1968)

tet offensive

offensive mounted by vietcong and north vietnamese forces against population centers in south vietnam; offensive turned back, but its ferocity shocked many americans and increased public opposition to war (january 31, 1968)

vietnamization

president richard nixon’s strategy of turning greater responsibility of vietnam war to south vietnamese army

kent state massacre

killing of 4 students and wounding of 9 others during kent state campus protest about u.s. invasion of cambodia as part of vietnam war; sparked further anti-war sentiment and massive protests (1970)

pentagon papers

classified report on u.s. involvement in vietnam leaked to press; confirmed kennedy and johnson administrations’ misleading of public on origins and nature of vietnam war

war powers act

act that required president to consult with congress within 48 hours of deploying military forces and to obtain declaration of war from congress if troops remained on foreign soil beyond 60 days

freedom rides

integrated bus rides through south organized by CORE to test compliance w/ supreme court rulings on segregation (1961)

march on washington for jobs and freedom

rally by civil rights organizations in washington d.c. that brought increased national attention to the movement (august 28, 1963)

civil rights act (1964)

wide-ranging civil rights act that, among other things, prohibited discrimination in public accommodations and employment and increased federal enforcement of school desegregation

freedom summer

civil rights project in mississippi launched by sncc, core, sclc, and the naacp; some 800 volunteers (mainly white university students) worked on voter registration drives and in freedom schools to improve black rural education (1964)

mississippi freedom democratic party (mfdp)

political party formed to challenge all-white state democratic party for seats at democratic presidential convention (1964) and run candidates for public office; unsuccessful, but led to subsequent reform of democratic party (1968)

voting rights act

act that eliminated many obstacles to african american voting in south; resulted in dramatic increases in black participation electorally (1965)

black panther party

organization founded by huey p. newton and bobby seale to advance black power movement in black communities (1966)

affirmative action

programs meant to overcome historical patterns of discrimination against minorities and women in education and employment; established guidelines for hiring and college admissions; government sought equal opportunities for minorities and women

school busing

mandatory nationwide initiative to integrate schools, began (1971) to comply w/ supreme court decision brown v. board (1954)

new frontier

john f. kennedy’s domestic agenda; promised to battle ‘tyranny, poverty, disease, and war’; lacking majorities in congress, achieved relatively modest results

great society

president lyndon johnson’s vision of economic, social, and cultural progress in the u.s.; size and scope of johnson’s great society programs were rivaled only by roosevelt’s new deal

students for a democratic society (sds)

student activist organization that advocated formation of a ‘new left’ that would overturn social and political status quo (early 1960s)

port huron statement

students for a democratic society manifesto condemning liberal politics, cold war foreign policy, racism, and research-oriented universities; called for adoption of ‘participatory democracy’ (1962)

free speech movement (fsm)

movement protesting policies instituted by university of california at berkeley that restricted free speech; students at berkeley conducted sit-ins and held rallies against policies (1964)

counterculture

young cultural rebels who rejected conventional moral and sexual values and used drugs to reach higher consciousness (1960s)

commission on the status of women

commission appointed by kennedy (1961); 1963 report, titled american women, found employment discrimination against women and recommended legislation requiring equal pay for equal work

national organization for women (now)

feminist organization formed by betty friedan, gloria steinem, and activists (1966)

equal rights amendment (era)

proposed amendment mandating equal rights by u.s. under basis of sex; not adopted

roe v. wade

supreme court decision that affirmed woman’s right to abortion (1973)

la raza unida (the united race)

chicano political party advocating job opportunities, bilingual education, and cultural studies programs for chicanos (1969)

american indian movement (aim)

american indian group promoting ‘red power’ and condemning u.s. for continued mistreatment of american indians (1968)

stonewall riots

uprising after new york city police raided stonewall inn, gathering place for gay men, and tried to arrest patrons (1969); helped inspire gay liberation movement (1970s)

young americans for freedom (yaf)

group of young conservatives from college campuses formed in sharon, connecticut; favored free market principles, states’ rights, and anticommunism (1960)