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International Business Machines
Computer manufacturer which revolutionized the world by introducing transistors, became a titan of information systems
The Feminine Mystique
1963 book by Betty Friedan which encouraged women to move beyond suburban housewifery, inspired 2nd Wave Feminism
Rock ‘n’ Roll
Fusion genre of blues and country which became popular in the 1950s, attacked by traditionalists for supposedly degrading the morals of teenagers
Elvis Presley
White rock ‘n’ roll musician who captivated teenage audiences with his guitar playing, singing, and hip-powered dance moves
Marilyn Monroe
Actress who was known for her attractive body, became Playboy’s first centerfold/covergirl in 1953
Playboy
Pornographic magazine ran by Hugh Hefner which began circulation in 1953, represented the sexualization of society and increasing opulence
Checkers Speech
Richard Nixon’s 1952 speech denying his supposed accepting of illegal campaign donations, except for his beloved family Cocker Spaniel dog, 1st major TV campaign speech
1952 Election
Republican war hero Dwight Eisenhower defeats Democrat Adlai Stevenson, 442-89, GOP gains a narrow congressional majority, “Ike” won every state north of the Mason-Dixie Line
Adlai Stevenson
Governor (D-Il) who was the Democratic nominee in 1952, failed to garner much support, also lost in landslide fashion in 1956
Sweatt v. Painter
1950 Supreme Court case which ruled that segregated professional schools did not meet the “equal” portion of Plessy V. Ferguson’s “separate but equal” test, lobbied for by NAACP
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Boycott by black people of the Montgomery, Alabama bus system stemming from Rosa Parks’ arrest, lasted for 13 months, led to rise of MLK and the decision to ban segregated bussing
To Secure These Rights
1946 report commissioned by Harry Truman in 1946 in response to the lynchings of Black veterans, led to the 1948 desegregation of the military and federal civil service
Brown v. Board of Education
1954 Supreme Court case which ruled that separate was inherently unequal, and therefore unconstitutional, banned segregation in public schools, overturned Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson
1896 Supreme Court case which ruled that separate but equal public accommodations did not violate the 14th Amendment, overturned in 1954 by Brown v. Board of Education
Earl Warren
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who turned against traditionalist values in favor of racial equality and social change, opposed by conservatives and Southern Democrats, hated by Dwight Eisenhower
Declaration of Constitutional Principles
1956 statement signed by Southern Democrat senators and representatives which pledged signatories support to oppose all desegregation efforts
Greensboro Sit In
Protest on 2/1/1960 in which 4 black students in NC demanded service at an all-white Woolworth’s, 85 students did the same the next day and at week’s end, 1k blacks had demanded service
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
Black student organization founded in 1960 which organized protests to demand better treatment of African-Americans, led by Ella Baker
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Association of black churches founded in 1957 by MLK which sought to use churches to gain Civil Rights
Operation Wetback
Government program to deport illegal Mexican immigrants based on Mexican government fears that it undermined the Bracero program, deported 1 million illegals in 1954
Federal Highway Act
1956 law authorizing $27 billion for the construction of interstate highways, drove suburbanization, allowed military vehicles to mobilize in case of a Soviet attack
John Foster Dulles
Secretary of State under Eisenhower who wanted to repeal containment in favor of an aggressive “policy of boldness”
Policy of Boldness
John Dulles’ foreign policy idea which boosted the importance of the Strategic Air Command by giving planes nuclear bombs to retaliate against a communist attack
Hungarian Uprising
Series of demonstrations against Soviet rule in Hungary, violently suppressed by Khruschev’s USSR, revealed limits of US influence in the USSR
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
1954 engagement between French troops and Minh’s nationalists in Northwestern Vietnam, ended French rule of Indochina, led to a conference to split Vietnam at the 17th parallel which established a Western-backed South Vietnam led by Ngo Dinh Diem
Suez Crisis
Crisis caused by the Egyptian president’s nationalization of the Suez Canal which led to a joint invasion of Egypt by France, UK, and Israel, US refused to help, proved the importance of oil in geopolitics
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
Coalition of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, and Iran formed in 1960 to use oil as political leverage to increase political power over the Western world
1956 Election
Eisenhower defeats Adlai Stevenson again, 457-73, though lost the House and Congress for teh 1st time since Zachary Taylor in 1848
Jimmy Hoffa
Corrupt, Mafia-tied Teamsters boss who was convicted of Jury Tampering, disappeared in 1976, his leadership caused Teamsters to be expelled from the AFL-CIO
Landrum-Griffin Act
1959 law holding labor leaders accountable for union bullying tactics and financial misconduct, expanded anti-labor provisions of the Taft-Hartley Act
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Scientific agency created in 1957 to develop nuclear missiles and spacecrafts, had early failures but eventually launched satellites into space
Sputnik
Soviet satellites that were launched in October/November 1957, marked first humans and dogs in space, demonstrated Russian space race superiority, caused space budget to be doubled
National Defense Education Act
1958 law promoting research and teaching in science, engineering, and languages in response to the Sputnik launches
Vanguard
American missile that blew up on national television seconds into a test in 1957
Fulgencio Batista
“Dictator” of Cuba who had close relations with the USA, overthrown by Castro in 1959
Fidel Castro
Brutal communist dictator who violently overthrew Batista’s Cuban government in 1959, stole American-owned property to give to Cubans, criticized American “imperialism” and hated America, caused Cuba to become USSR’s puppet state in the Western Hemisphere
Kitchen Debate
1959 exchange between Khrushchev and Nixon where the two argued about the capitalist and communist economies and how each was meritorious, helped Nixon win GOP nomination
Military-Industrial Complex
Term used for the connection between elected officials, arms manufacturers, and the military which causes increased defense spending, criticized in Eisenhower’s farewell address
Abstract Expressionism
Experimental art style made by flinging paint across canvases, forced viewers to interpret the painting’s meaning, made famous by Jackson Pollock and William de Kooning
International Style
Architectural style popular during the 1950s which consisted of massive steel and glass skyscrapers, examples include UN Headquarters and Seagram Building in NYC
Beat Generation
Authors who opposed mainstream American culture in favor of nonconformist lifestyles
Southern Renaissance
Literary outpouring by the South which departed from “Lost Cause” literature and criticized racism, slavery, and conservatism
New Frontier
JFK’s domestic policy which sought to improve healthcare, education, and youth involvement
Peace Corps
Federal agency established in 1961 to send American volunteers to 3rd world nations to improve their society and systems, represented left-wing value imperialism
Apollo
Space program designed to put a man on the moon, consisted of 17 missions, put a man on the moon with its 11th mission on 7/20/1969, cost $24 billion
Berlin Wall
Concrete wall constructed to separate the Western and Soviet sides of Berlin, built on Khrushchev’s orders, became the divider of capitalism and communism
European Economic Community
Free trade zone in Western Europe including Italy, France, West Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg, laid foundations for EU, created by Treaty of Rome
Treaty of Rome
Economic agreement in Europe signed in 1957 which created the EEC free trade zone
Trade Expansion Act
1962 law authorizing 50% tariff decreases to promote trade with EEC countries
Flexible Response
JFK and McNamara’s foreign policy which authorized different levels of military force for different levels of crisis, allowed for progressive escalation of force
Alliance For Progress
1961 relief program for South America intended to curb communist influence, failed as monetary handouts failed to solve severe social problems
Bay of Pigs Invasion
1961 attempt to overthrow Castro’s government by sending armed Cuban exiles to Cuba, failed and was a PR disaster for the administration
Cuban Missile Crisis
Standoff between USA and USSR in 10/1962 when Khrushchev installed nuclear missiles in Cuba, ended and was a major foreign policy victory for JFK
Freedom Riders
Interracial organization which rode buses into the Deep South to protest against racism, highly successful for public opinion of civil rights
Voter Education Project
Effort by SNCC and RFK to encourage voter registration among southern blacks to increase black political representation
James Meredith
Black Air Force veteran who was violently prevented from enrolling at Ole Miss in 1962, escorted by 400 marshals and 3k troops to sign up for classes
March on Washington
1963 civil rights demonstration in Washington, DC which involved a nonviolent protest of 200k people, concluded with MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial
Lee Harvey Oswald
Alleged assassin of JFK, ex-marine and communist sympathizer who was killed by Jack Ruby on 11/24/1963, believed by some to be the fall guy for the CIA or Mafia
Jack Ruby
Strip club owner with Mafia ties who shot Lee Harvey Oswald during a transfer on 11/24/2963
