Vietnam War, Environmental Movement, and Domestic Policy

Flashcards for vocabulary terms from the lecture notes.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

1964 Congressional measure giving LBJ broad military powers in Vietnam after alleged attacks on U.S. ships.

Ho Chi Minh

Communist leader of North Vietnam.

Hawks

Supported the Vietnam War.

Doves

Opposed the Vietnam War.

Tet Offensive

1968 surprise attack by the Viet Cong; shifted public opinion against the war.

SDS (Students for a Democratic Society)

Major student activist group opposing the war and advocating for social justice.

Port Huron Statement

1962 SDS manifesto promoting participatory democracy and criticizing Cold War foreign policy.

Kent State

1970 shooting of anti-war protesters by National Guard troops; 4 students killed.

My Lai Massacre

1968 mass killing of Vietnamese civilians by U.S. troops; increased anti-war sentiment.

Pentagon Papers

Secret government documents leaked in 1971, showing deception in Vietnam policy.

Vietnamization

Nixon's policy to gradually withdraw U.S. troops and transfer combat roles to South Vietnam.

Peace with Honor

Nixon's promise to end the Vietnam War with dignity.

Fall of Saigon

1975 capture of South Vietnam's capital by North Vietnam; marked the end of the war.

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

1962 book exposing dangers of pesticides; helped launch environmentalism.

Earth Day

First celebrated in 1970 to raise awareness of environmental issues.

EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)

Created in 1970 to enforce environmental regulations.

3 Mile Island

1979 nuclear accident in Pennsylvania; intensified fears about nuclear energy.

George Wallace

Segregationist Alabama governor; ran for president in 1968, appealing to disaffected whites.

New Left

Progressive movement of the 1960s-70s, focused on civil rights, peace, and social reform.

Silent Majority

Term used by Nixon to describe Americans who supported traditional values and the Vietnam War but weren't vocal.

Watergate

1972 break-in at DNC headquarters; led to Nixon’s resignation in 1974.

U.S. vs. Nixon

1974 Supreme Court case forcing Nixon to release White House tapes, confirming his involvement in the Watergate cover-up.

Nixon’s Visit to China

1972 trip that opened diplomatic relations with Communist China.

SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks)

U.S.-Soviet agreements to limit nuclear weapons.

Détente

Easing of Cold War tensions during the 1970s through diplomacy.

OPEC

Oil cartel of mostly Middle Eastern nations; used oil as a political tool.

Six Day War/Yom Kippur War

Middle East conflicts involving Israel and Arab nations; led to U.S. support for Israel and Arab oil embargo.

Oil Embargo

1973 response by OPEC to U.S. support for Israel; caused fuel shortages and economic crisis.

Camp David Accords

1978 peace agreement between Egypt and Israel brokered by President Carter.

Iran Hostage Crisis

1979 seizure of U.S. embassy in Tehran; 52 Americans held for 444 days.

Panama Canal Treaty

Agreement to return control of the Panama Canal to Panama by 1999.

Stagflation

1970s economic condition of high inflation and stagnant growth.

Supply Side Economics

Theory that lowering taxes and reducing regulation boosts economic growth.

Reaganomics

Reagan’s economic policy emphasizing tax cuts, deregulation, and military spending.