Period 8 Vocab

Cold War

A geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union from the late 1940s to early 1990s, marked by ideological conflict, arms races, and proxy wars.

Yalta Conference

A 1945 meeting between Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin to discuss postwar plans for Germany and the establishment of the United Nations.

Harry Truman

33rd U.S. President; led the country through the end of WWII and the start of the Cold War, known for the Truman Doctrine and containment policy.

Containment

U.S. foreign policy strategy to stop the spread of communism by providing aid to threatened nations.

Iron Curtain

A term coined by Winston Churchill to describe the division between communist Eastern Europe and the capitalist West.

Truman Doctrine

A 1947 policy pledging U.S. support to countries resisting communism, first applied to Greece and Turkey.

Marshall Plan

U.S. program of economic aid to rebuild European economies after WWII to prevent the spread of communism.

Berlin Airlift

U.S. and British operation that flew food and supplies into West Berlin after the Soviet blockade from 1948 to 1949.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

A 1949 military alliance of Western nations formed to counter Soviet power in Europe.

GI Bill of Rights

Provided WWII veterans with benefits including college tuition, low-interest home loans, and unemployment insurance.

22nd Amendment

Limits the U.S. president to two terms in office.

Korean War

1950–1953 conflict between communist North Korea and South Korea, resulting in an armistice at the 38th parallel.

Douglas MacArthur

U.S. general in charge of UN forces during the Korean War; fired by Truman for insubordination.

HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee)

Congressional committee that investigated suspected communist activity in the U.S., particularly in Hollywood.

The Rosenbergs

American civilians executed in 1953 for allegedly passing atomic secrets to the Soviets.

Joseph McCarthy / McCarthyism

Senator who led anti-communist investigations; McCarthyism refers to the practice of making unsubstantiated accusations.

Dwight Eisenhower

34th President of the U.S.; promoted Moderate Republicanism and warned of the 'military-industrial complex.'

Baby Boom

A significant increase in U.S. births from 1946–1964, due to post-WWII prosperity.

Sputnik

The first artificial satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, which initiated U.S. fears of falling behind technologically.

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)

Created in 1958 to coordinate the U.S. space program and respond to Soviet space advances.

Federal Highway Act of 1956

Eisenhower-era legislation that funded the construction of a national interstate highway system.

Levittown

One of the first mass-produced suburban developments, symbolizing postwar suburban expansion.

Suburbs

Residential areas outside urban centers that grew rapidly during the postwar era.

Beat Generation (Beatniks)

A group of 1950s writers and artists who rejected mainstream values and embraced nonconformity.

Elvis Presley

Iconic rock and roll musician of the 1950s, representing youth culture and rebellion.

Brown v. Board of Education

Landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision declaring segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Earl Warren

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court during major civil rights cases, including Brown v. Board.

Thurgood Marshall

NAACP lawyer who argued Brown v. Board, later becoming the first African American Supreme Court justice.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

A year-long protest against segregated seating on city buses in Montgomery, Alabama.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Civil rights leader known for nonviolent protest and leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Jackie Robinson

First African American to play in Major League Baseball in 1947, symbolizing integration.

Massive Retaliation

Eisenhower’s Cold War strategy relying on the threat of nuclear force to deter aggression.

Suez Crisis

1956 international crisis when Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal, resulting in a failed military response by Britain, France, and Israel.

Fidel Castro

Communist revolutionary who overthrew the Cuban government in 1959 and allied Cuba with the Soviet Union.

Cuban Missile Crisis

1962 confrontation between the U.S. and USSR over Soviet missiles in Cuba, narrowly avoiding nuclear conflict.

Lyndon Johnson

36th U.S. President known for the Great Society and escalation of the Vietnam War.

War on Poverty

Johnson's set of programs to reduce poverty in America through job training and education.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Legislation outlawing segregation in public places and banning employment discrimination.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Law that prohibited discriminatory practices blocking African Americans from voting.

Affirmative Action

Policies aimed at improving opportunities for historically marginalized groups.

Malcolm X

Civil rights activist advocating for Black empowerment and critical of nonviolent protest strategies.

Tet Offensive

A massive 1968 surprise attack by the Viet Cong that shifted U.S. public opinion against the Vietnam War.

Richard Nixon

37th U.S. President known for Vietnamization and the Watergate scandal.

Silent Majority

Term used by Nixon to describe Americans who supported his policies without public protests.