Untitled Flashcards Set

Second Red Scare

A period of intense fear of communist influence in the U.S. during the late 1940s to 1950s, leading to government investigations and accusations.

Loyalty Review Board

Established by President Truman in 1947 to investigate government employees and dismiss those suspected of disloyalty.

HUAC

House Un-American Activities Committee, a congressional committee that investigated suspected communist influence in the U.S.

Alger Hiss

A former U.S. government official accused of being a Soviet spy in the late 1940s; convicted of perjury in 1950.

Julius & Ethel Rosenberg

American citizens executed in 1953 for allegedly passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union.

Joseph McCarthy/McCarthyism

Led aggressive accusations of communist infiltration in the U.S. government, creating an era of paranoia.

Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (GI Bill)

Provided benefits like education, housing loans, and unemployment aid to returning WWII veterans.

Baby Boom

A sharp increase in birth rates in the U.S. between 1946 and 1964, following WWII.

Levittown/suburbs

Mass-produced, affordable suburban housing developments that symbolized postwar American homeownership.

Sun Belt

Southern and western regions of the U.S. that experienced rapid population and economic growth after WWII.

Taft-Hartley Act of 1947

A law that restricted the power of labor unions and allowed states to pass 'right to work' laws.

Dixiecrats

A group of Southern Democrats who opposed civil rights and supported segregationist policies.

Truman's 'Fair Deal'

President Truman’s domestic policy aimed at expanding social programs, civil rights, and economic opportunities.

Interstate Highway System

A nationwide highway network created in the 1950s under President Eisenhower to improve transportation.

Kennedy’s 'New Frontier'

JFK’s policy agenda focused on social reforms, economic growth, space exploration, and civil rights.

Kennedy Assassination

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963.

Warren Commission Report

Official government investigation into JFK’s assassination, concluding that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.

Television

Became a dominant form of entertainment and news in the 1950s, shaping American culture and politics.

Rock-and-roll music

A genre blending rhythm & blues and country music, popularized among youth in the 1950s.

Elvis Presley

The 'King of Rock and Roll,' a cultural icon who revolutionized American music and youth culture.

The Affluent Society

A 1958 book by economist John Kenneth Galbraith analyzing the postwar economic boom and consumer culture.

Beatniks

A countercultural group in the 1950s that rejected materialism and traditional values.

Allen Ginsberg/'Howl'

Ginsberg was a leading Beat poet; Howl was his famous poem criticizing American conformity.

'Silent Generation'

The generation born during the Great Depression and WWII (1928-1945), known for their conformity.