U.S. History Vocabulary Review: Major Events and Concepts

Flashcards covering major terms and definitions related to U.S. history events and concepts, focusing on the Vietnam War, Civil Rights Movement, and other significant historical developments.

Domino Theory

The Cold War theory that if one country fell to communism, neighboring nations would follow like falling dominoes.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Congressional resolution passed in 1964 allowing President Johnson broad authority to escalate military involvement in Vietnam after alleged attacks on U.S. ships.

Credibility Gap

The discrepancy between what the Johnson administration told the American public about Vietnam and the much bleaker reality of the war.

Hawks

Those who advocated for aggressive military action and escalation in Vietnam.

Doves

Those who opposed the Vietnam War and advocated for de-escalation or withdrawal.

Tet Offensive

Massive surprise attack by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces in January 1968, which shattered American confidence in achieving victory.

Vietnamization

Nixon's policy of gradually withdrawing American troops while training South Vietnamese forces to take over the fighting.

Nixon Doctrine

Foreign policy stating that Asian allies would be provided with military and economic assistance but would need to provide their own troops for defense.

Sexual Revolution

Social movement challenging traditional codes of behavior related to sexuality and relationships.

Kent State Incident

May 4, 1970 incident where Ohio National Guard troops fired on student protesters, killing four.

My Lai

1968 massacre of hundreds of unarmed Vietnamese civilians by U.S. Army soldiers.

War Powers Act

1973 law requiring presidents to consult Congress before sending troops into combat.

New Left

Radical student-led political movement of the 1960s focused on civil rights and social justice.

Weather Underground

Radical leftist organization that employed violent tactics to oppose the Vietnam War.

Counterculture

Youth movement of the 1960s that rejected mainstream values in favor of alternative lifestyles.

Woodstock

Massive music festival held in 1969 that became an iconic symbol of the counterculture movement.

Jackie Robinson

First African American to play Major League Baseball in the modern era, breaking the color barrier in 1947.

Brown v. Board of Education

1954 Supreme Court decision ruling racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Little Rock Nine

Nine African American students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

1955-56 mass protest against segregated buses sparked by Rosa Parks' arrest.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement advocating nonviolent resistance.

Greensboro Sit-ins

1960 protests where African American students sat at segregated lunch counters demanding service.

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

Civil rights organization founded by King to coordinate nonviolent protests.

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

Youth-led civil rights organization that organized sit-ins and voter registration efforts.

Sweatt v. Painter

1950 Supreme Court ruling that separate law schools for blacks and whites were inherently unequal.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail

King's 1963 letter defending nonviolent resistance while imprisoned.

March on Washington (1963)

Massive civil rights demonstration where King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Landmark legislation prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, sex, or national origin.

24th Amendment

Constitutional amendment prohibiting poll taxes in federal elections.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Legislation prohibiting racial discrimination in voting.

Malcolm X

African American Muslim minister and advocate for black rights who criticized nonviolent approaches.

Black Panthers

Revolutionary Black nationalist organization advocating armed self-defense.

Betty Friedan

Author of "The Feminine Mystique" and co-founder of the National Organization for Women.

National Organization for Women (NOW)

Women's rights organization founded to combat sex discrimination.

Title IX

Education amendment prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded educational programs.

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

Proposed amendment stating that rights cannot be denied on the basis of sex.

Cesar Chavez

Labor leader who co-founded the United Farm Workers union.

Dolores Huerta

Co-founder of the United Farm Workers union and advocate for farmworkers' rights.

Hernandez v. Texas

1954 Supreme Court case ruling that Mexican Americans had equal protection under the 14th Amendment.

American Indian Movement

Advocacy group founded to address poverty, discrimination, and treaty rights for Native Americans.

Gay Rights Movement

Social movement advocating for equal rights and acceptance for LGBTQ+ people.

Mapp v. Ohio

1961 Supreme Court case establishing that illegally obtained evidence is inadmissible in state courts.

Gideon v. Wainwright

1963 case establishing the right to counsel in state criminal proceedings.

Miranda v. Arizona

1966 ruling requiring police to inform suspects of their rights before questioning.

Engel v. Vitale

1962 case prohibiting official school prayer in public schools.

Yoder v. Wisconsin

1972 case ruling that Amish families could exempt their children from compulsory education past 8th grade.

Tinker v. Des Moines

1969 case upholding students' First Amendment rights to wear black armbands in protest.

Silent Spring

1962 book by Rachel Carson exposing dangers of pesticides, launching the modern environmental movement.

Earth Day

Annual environmental awareness event first held on April 22, 1970.

Watergate Scandal

Political scandal stemming from a break-in that led to Nixon's resignation.

Roe v. Wade

1973 Supreme Court decision establishing constitutional right to abortion.