Post-WWII U.S. and Global History Vocabulary

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key people, events, and policies in U.S. and global history from 1945 to 2009.

Yalta Conference

February 1945 Allied summit that outlined postwar Europe and foreshadowed Cold War tensions.

Potsdam Conference

July–August 1945 meeting that finalized postwar plans and deepened U.S.–Soviet mistrust.

Containment

U.S. strategy, begun in 1947, aimed at preventing the spread of communism worldwide.

Truman Doctrine

1947 pledge of American aid to nations like Greece and Turkey resisting communist pressure.

Marshall Plan

1948–1952 U.S. program providing economic aid to rebuild Western Europe and curb Soviet influence.

Berlin Airlift

1948–1949 Allied operation that supplied West Berlin by air during a Soviet blockade.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

1949 military alliance for collective defense against potential Soviet aggression.

NSC-68

1950 U.S. policy paper urging massive military buildup to contain global communism.

Korean War

1950–1953 Cold War conflict in Korea that ended in a stalemate near the 38th parallel.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

Congressional body that investigated suspected communists, fueling the Second Red Scare.

Federal Employee Loyalty Program

1947 initiative allowing investigation and dismissal of government workers deemed disloyal.

Second Red Scare

Late-1940s–1950s wave of anti-communist fear leading to blacklists and loyalty oaths.

Domino Theory

Cold War belief that if one nation fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow.

GI Bill

1944 law granting veterans education, housing, and loan benefits, expanding the middle class.

Levittown

Mass-produced suburban housing development symbolizing postwar suburbanization.

Redlining

Discriminatory lending practice denying services to minority neighborhoods, enforcing segregation.

The Beats

1950s literary movement rejecting conformity and consumerism, inspiring 1960s counterculture.

Brown v. Board of Education

1954 Supreme Court decision declaring school segregation unconstitutional.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

1955–1956 protest against segregated buses that launched Martin Luther King Jr.’s leadership.

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

1957 civil-rights group led by MLK advocating nonviolent protest across the South.

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

1960 youth-led organization coordinating sit-ins and voter drives against segregation.

New Frontier

President Kennedy’s domestic agenda focusing on education, poverty, and space exploration; 1960

Bay of Pigs

1961 failed U.S.-backed invasion of Cuba aimed at overthrowing Fidel Castro.

Cuban Missile Crisis

1962 superpower standoff over Soviet missiles in Cuba that nearly led to nuclear war.

March on Washington

1963 civil-rights rally where MLK delivered the “I Have a Dream” speech.

Civil Rights Act

1964 law outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Freedom Summer

1964 campaign to register Black voters in Mississippi, met with violent resistance.

Voting Rights Act

1965 law eliminating barriers like literacy tests to Black enfranchisement.

Great Society

LBJ’s 1964–1965 domestic program that created Medicare, Medicaid, and antipoverty initiatives.

Black Panthers

1966 militant Black organization promoting self-defense and community programs.

United Farm Workers of America

Union founded by César Chávez and Dolores Huerta to secure farm labor rights.

American Indian Movement (AIM)

1968 Native American advocacy group fighting for sovereignty and treaty rights.

Mattachine Society

1950 early gay rights organization advocating for social acceptance and legal reform.

Stonewall Inn

Site of 1969 riots that sparked the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

The Feminine Mystique

1963 Betty Friedan book challenging traditional female roles, igniting second-wave feminism.

National Organization for Women (NOW)

1966 group campaigning for legal, educational, and workplace equality for women.

Roe v. Wade

1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.

Griswold v. Connecticut

1965 decision recognizing married couples’ right to contraceptives and privacy.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

1964 measure giving President Johnson broad authority to escalate the Vietnam War.

Vietnamization

Nixon’s 1969–1973 policy to shift combat duties to South Vietnamese forces and withdraw U.S. troops.

War Powers Act

1973 law requiring presidential consultation with Congress for extended troop deployments.

26th Amendment

1971 constitutional amendment lowering the voting age from 21 to 18.

Watergate

1972–1974 political scandal leading to President Nixon’s resignation and reform laws.

Bakke v. University of California

1978 ruling striking down racial quotas but upholding affirmative action in admissions.

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

Proposed constitutional amendment to guarantee gender equality; not ratified after 1972.

Iran Hostage Crisis

1979–1981 seizure of 52 Americans in Tehran that strained U.S.–Iran relations.

Reaganomics

1980s economic policy of tax cuts, deregulation, and reduced social spending.

ACT UP

1987 activist group demanding government action on the AIDS crisis.

Comprehensive Crime Control Act

1984 law overhauling federal sentencing and expanding law enforcement powers.

Iran-Contra Affair

1985–1987 scandal involving secret arms sales to Iran to fund Nicaraguan Contras.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

1990 law prohibiting disability discrimination and mandating accessibility.

Group of 8 (G8)

Forum of major industrial nations coordinating global economic and political policy.

Operation Desert Storm

1991 Gulf War campaign to expel Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

1994 accord eliminating trade barriers among the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Bush v. Gore

2000 Supreme Court decision ending Florida recount and deciding the presidency.

Patriot Act

2001 law expanding surveillance and law-enforcement powers after the 9/11 attacks.

Bush Doctrine

Post-2001 policy endorsing pre-emptive military action against perceived threats.

Great Recession

2007–2009 global economic downturn triggered by the U.S. housing and financial crisis.