U.S. History Civil Rights: Presidents, Legislation, and Key events (1945-2008)

Presidents serving from 1945-2008

The presidents of the United States from 1945 to 2008 include Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.

Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era, breaking the color barrier in 1947.

McCarthyism

McCarthyism refers to the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper evidence, particularly during the early Cold War period in the United States.

Reasons for involvement in Vietnam

The U.S. became involved in Vietnam primarily to prevent the spread of communism, support the South Vietnamese government, and fulfill commitments to allies.

Berlin Airlift

The Berlin Airlift was a military operation in 1948-1949 where the Allies supplied West Berlin by air after the Soviet Union blocked ground access.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 aimed to eliminate barriers to voting for African Americans, particularly in the Southern United States.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights leader known for his nonviolent activism and his role in advancing civil rights using civil disobedience.

Malcolm X

Malcolm X was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist who advocated for the rights of blacks and was a prominent figure in the civil rights movement.

Domino Theory

The Domino Theory was a foreign policy theory that suggested if one country in a region fell to communism, neighboring countries would also fall, like a row of dominos.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was a 1964 congressional resolution that authorized military action in Vietnam following alleged attacks on U.S. naval vessels.

Vietnamization

Vietnamization was a U.S. policy aimed at reducing American involvement in the Vietnam War by transferring responsibility to South Vietnamese forces.

Cesar Chavez

Cesar Chavez was an American labor leader and civil rights activist who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association and advocated for the rights of farm workers.

Plessy v. Ferguson

Plessy v. Ferguson was a landmark 1896 Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

26th Amendment

The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1971, lowered the voting age to 18 years.

Sweatt v. Painter

Sweatt v. Painter was a 1950 Supreme Court case that ruled that separate law schools for blacks and whites were inherently unequal.

National Organization of Women

The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization founded in 1966 to advocate for women's rights and equality.

Warsaw Pact

The Warsaw Pact was a military alliance of communist nations in Eastern Europe, established in 1955 in response to NATO.

Strategic Defense Initiative

The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was a proposed missile defense system intended to protect the United States from nuclear missile attacks, announced by President Reagan in 1983.

John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin

John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, and Buzz Aldrin were American astronauts; Armstrong and Aldrin were the first humans to walk on the moon in 1969, while Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth.

Bay of Pigs invasion

The Bay of Pigs invasion was a failed military invasion of Cuba in 1961 by Cuban exiles supported by the U.S. government.

Affirmative Action

Affirmative Action refers to policies that aim to increase opportunities for historically underrepresented groups in education and employment.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a landmark piece of legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Cuban Missile Crisis

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day confrontation in 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union over Soviet ballistic missiles deployed in Cuba.

LBJ's Great Society

LBJ's Great Society was a set of domestic programs launched by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960s aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice.

Little Rock Nine

The Little Rock Nine were a group of nine African American students who enrolled at Little Rock Central High School in 1957, facing significant opposition and requiring federal intervention.

Title IX

Title IX is a federal law enacted in 1972 that prohibits gender discrimination in federally funded education programs and activities.

Containment

Containment was a U.S. foreign policy strategy aimed at preventing the spread of communism during the Cold War.

Iron Curtain

The Iron Curtain was a term used to describe the division between the Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe and the Western democracies during the Cold War.

Watergate Scandal

The Watergate Scandal was a political scandal in the 1970s involving a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and the subsequent cover-up by the Nixon administration.

Detente

Detente was a period of relaxed tensions and improved relations between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, particularly in the 1970s.

War Powers Act of 1973

The War Powers Act of 1973 is a federal law that limits the President's ability to engage U.S. forces in hostilities without congressional approval.

Camp David Accords

The Camp David Accords were agreements reached in 1978 between Israel and Egypt, facilitated by U.S. President Jimmy Carter, leading to a peace treaty.

Reaganomics

Reaganomics refers to the economic policies promoted by U.S. President Ronald Reagan, characterized by tax cuts, deregulation, and a focus on supply-side economics.

US involvement in Gulf War

The U.S. involvement in the Gulf War (1990-1991) was a response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, leading to a coalition military operation to liberate Kuwait.

NAFTA

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is a trade agreement between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico that aimed to eliminate trade barriers.

2000 election

The 2000 U.S. presidential election was one of the closest in history, ultimately decided by a Supreme Court ruling that effectively awarded Florida's electoral votes to George W. Bush.

Iranian Hostage Crisis

The Iranian Hostage Crisis was a diplomatic crisis in which 52 American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 444 days from 1979 to 1981.

September 11, 2001

September 11, 2001, refers to the terrorist attacks in the United States where four commercial airplanes were hijacked, leading to significant loss of life and the initiation of the War on Terror.

Tinker v. Des Moines

Tinker v. Des Moines was a landmark Supreme Court case in 1969 that upheld students' rights to free speech in public schools.

Environmental Protection Agency

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a U.S. federal agency established in 1970 to protect human health and the environment by enforcing regulations.

Endangered Species Act

The Endangered Species Act is a U.S. law enacted in 1973 aimed at protecting threatened and endangered species and their habitats.

Sandra Day O'Connor

Sandra Day O'Connor was the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, serving from 1981 to 2006.

Bill Clinton Impeachment

Bill Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives in 1998 on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice but was acquitted by the Senate.

Patriot Act of 2001

The Patriot Act is a law enacted in response to the September 11 attacks that expanded the government's surveillance and investigative powers.

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina was a devastating hurricane that struck the Gulf Coast of the United States in August 2005, causing widespread destruction and loss of life.

Sonia Sotomayor

Sonia Sotomayor is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, nominated by President Barack Obama in 2009, and the first Latina to serve on the Court.