Unit 12: A Search for Order

John F. Kennedy (JFK)

35th President of the U.S. (1961-1963) who oversaw significant events of the Cold War such as the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the initiation of the Peace Corps.

Fidel Castro

Cuban revolutionary who led the overthrow of the Batista regime in 1959 and served as Prime Minister (1959-1976) and President (1976-2008) of Cuba. He established the first communist state in the Western Hemisphere and became a central figure in the Cold War.

Bay of Pigs invasion

Apr 17, 1961. Around 1,400 Cuban exiles, trained and funded by the CIA, launched an unsuccessful invasion of Cuba aiming to overthrow Fidel Castro's government. The operation's failure was a significant embarrassment for the Kennedy administration and strengthened Castro's position.

Cuban Missile Crisis

Oct 16-28, 1962. Confrontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba. Ended in a mutual agreement between the nations to remove their missiles from third-party nations and is regarded as the closest the world has come to escalating into full-scale nuclear war. (Phew...!)

sit-ins

Began Feb 1, 1960 with the event in Greensboro at a Woolworth's lunch counter in North Carolina. The method became a popular form of nonviolent protest during the Civil Rights Movement, where Black activists would occupy segregated spaces to challenge segregation policies.

SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee)

Founded April 1960. A pivotal civil rights organization that emphasized grassroots organizing and played a significant role in major events such as sit-ins, Freedom Rides, and voter registration drives in the Southern U.S.

James Meredith

Civil rights figure who became the first Black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi on Oct 1, 1962. The event required federal intervention and marked a significant movement in the desegregation of higher education in the U.S.

Birmingham Campaign

Launched early 1963. A strategic movement led by civil rights leaders to protest segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. Gained national attention due to the violent responses from authorities and contributed to the momentum for civil rights legislation.

Altamont Free Concert

Dec. 6, 1969. Counterculture era rock concert headlined by The Rolling Stones held outside of San Francisco, referred to as "Woodstock West." Considered to be a disorganized disaster and marred by the death of 18-year-old Meredith Hunter, who was stabbed to death by a Hell's Angel security guard.

"credibility gap"

Term used to describe the American public's growing distrust of the government during the Vietnam War, highlighting a difference between the claims of official sources and the actual evidence in reality. Particularly evident after the Tet Offensive.

Tet Offensive

Jan. 30-Sep. 23, 1968. Major Vietnam War campaign in which North Vietnamese forces launched a large attack on South Vietnamese and American troops during Viet Lunar New Year (Tet). Resulted in a major defeat for communist forces, but significantly eroded public support for the war in the U.S. and a declining approval of LBJ. Considered a turning point in the war due to the large antiwar shift in public opinion.

My Lai Massacre

Mar. 16, 1968. The mass killing and rape of hundreds of innocent South Vietnamese civilians (including many children) by U.S. troops, revealed to the public by investigative reporter Seymour Hersh. Caused further antiwar sentiments among the American public.

Hubert Humphrey

A prominent liberal senator from Minnesota dedicated to the promotion of civil rights who served as LBJ's vice president from 1964-1968 (during which he became more conservative and defended U.S. involvement in Vietnam). Unsuccessfully ran for president as the Democratic nominee for the 1968 election.

Richard Nixon

Vice president under Eisenhower and the 37th President of the U.S. (1969-1974). Advocated "Vietnamization," emphasized the "credibility gap," and became the first U.S. president to resign due to his involvement in the Watergate scandal.

Vietnamization

Strategy introduced by President Nixon to end U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War by gradually withdrawing American troops and replacing them with South Vietnamese forces, passing responsibility of the war to the South Vietnamese government.

Kent State shootings

May 4, 1970. Ohio National Guard opened fire on unarmed college students who were protesting the U.S. invasion of Cambodia, killing four and wounding nine.

Kerner Commission

Est. 1967 by LBJ (officially the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders) to investigate the causes of urban race riots. Concluded in its 1968 report that racism and economic inequality were fueling civil unrest.

Richard Daley

Mayor of Chicago from 1955-1976; known for his authoritative political machine and harsh handling of the 1968 Democratic National Convention protests.

détente

A period of relaxed Cold War tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the 1970s. Marked by arms control agreements like SALT I and Nixon's visit to Moscow in 1972.

OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries)

Est. 1960. An organization of the world's leading oil producers. Gained global influence during the 1973 oil embargo when member nations cut oil exports to the U.S. and allies, triggering an energy crisis and sever inflation.

Pentagon Papers

A 7,000-page classified Department of Defense study leaked to the public in 1971 that revealed that the U.S. government had misled the public about the Vietnam's War progress and intentions.

War Powers Resolution

Passed Nov. 7, 1973. Limited the president's ability to deploy U.S. military forces without Congressional approval, requiring notification within 48 hours and withdrawal after 60 days unless authorized. Nixon vetoed it but that got rejected.

Watergate

June 17, 1972. Political scandal in which five men were arrested inside the offices of the Democratic National Committee after attempting to install bugging equipment. One of those arrested was a former CIA employee working for the Nixon administration and Nixon was accused of being responsible for the break-in (though there is no direct evidence). Led to Nixon's resignation on Aug. 9, 1974.

Sun Belt

Region in the South and Southwest U.S. that saw major population and economic growth starting in the 1970s due to its warm climate, low taxes, and rise of defense and tech industries.

Rust Belt

Region in the industrial Midwest and Northeast U.S. that suffered economic decline, factory closures, and population loss beginning in the 1970s due to deindustrialization and global competition.

Roe v. Wade

Jan. 22, 1973. Landmark Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion nationwide by ruling that the constitutional right to privacy extended to a woman's decision to have an abortion. Overturned on June 24, 2022.

Stonewall riots

Began June 28, 1969. Gay and lesbian bar patrons resisted a police raid in New York City and sparked several days of protests. Became a catalyst for the modern gay rights movement.

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

Passed by Congress in March 1972 to guarantee legal gender equality, but ultimately failed to be ratified by the required number of states by the 1982 deadline despite strong initial support.

Phyllis Schlafly

A conservative New Right activist who led the opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s, arguing it would harm traditional family roles and women's privileges.

Jimmy Carter

39th President of the U.S. (1977-1981) who focused on human rights and energy reform, but struggled with inflation and the Iranian Hostage Crisis.

Camp David Accords

Peace agreements between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli P.M. Menachem Begin under President Carter in Maryland from September 5-17, 1978. Led to Egypt's recognition of the state of Israel.

Iranian Hostage Crisis

Began Nov. 4, 1979. Iranian fundamentalists seized the American embassy in Tehran and held 53 American diplomats hostage for over a year. President Carter ordered an unsuccessful rescue mission that killed 8 American servicemen and led to Carter's plummeting popularity.