Chapter 36 – The Eisenhower Era and Early Cold War

Vocabulary flashcards covering the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, key Cold War events, the space race, and 1950s American culture.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

The Republican candidate who defeated Adlai Stevenson in both the 1952 and 1956 presidential elections.

Checkers Speech

A televised apology by Richard Nixon to address accusations of tapping government funds, where he claimed the only gift he kept was his dog, Checkers.

Joseph McCarthy

A senator who started senate hearings in February, 1950, to uncover and remove communists within the United States.

McCarthyism

The practice of publicly accusing individuals of communist ties and ruining their reputations, often without evidence.

Interstate Highway Act of 1956

A massive road-building program that created $42,000\,\text{miles}$ of highways and accelerated suburbanization in America.

John Foster Dulles

The Secretary of State who, in 1954, proposed building an air fleet of superbombers to implement a policy of brinkmanship.

Brinkmanship

A foreign policy stance characterized by the willingness to go to the edge of war.

NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, an alliance formed in 1949 between the U.S., Canada, and Western European nations.

Warsaw Pact

An alliance formed in 1955 that placed eight communist countries under a single military command.

Suez Crisis

A 1956 conflict triggered when Egyptian President Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal, leading to a failed military assault by the French and British.

Eisenhower Doctrine

A 1957 policy promising U.S. military and economic aid to Middle Eastern nations threatened by communist aggression.

Sputnik I

The first space satellite, launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957.

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, organized in 1958 in response to the Soviet successes in the space race.

National Defense and Education Act (NDEA)

A 1958 law that authorized $\$887\,\text{million}$ in loans and grants to improve the teaching of sciences and languages.

Nikita Khrushchev

The person who became the leader of the Soviet Union following the death of Joseph Stalin.

U-2 Incident

The shooting down of U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers over the Soviet Union on May 1, 1960, which increased Cold War tensions.

Fidel Castro

The leader who led a 1959 coup to overthrow the American-supported government in Cuba.

Cold Warriors

A term used for politicians like John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon who believed communism was the primary threat to the United States.

Televised Debates of 1960

A turning point in the 1960 election where Kennedy's youthful and poised appearance on TV helped him win against Nixon.

Dr. Jonas Salk

The medical researcher who invented the polio vaccine in April, 1955.

Alan Freed

A DJ who was instrumental in popularizing rock ‘n’ roll music during the 1950s.