period 8b vocab

Domino Theory

The idea that if one country in a region fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow suit.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

1964 legislation that granted President Johnson the authority to use military force in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war.

Credibility Gap

The difference between what the U.S. government stated about the Vietnam War and what the public observed, resulting in a loss of trust.

Hawks

Individuals who supported the Vietnam War and advocated for military force against communism.

Doves

Individuals who opposed the Vietnam War and favored peaceful negotiations.

Offensive

A military campaign or attack, notably the Tet Offensive during the Vietnam War.

Vietnamization

Nixon’s strategy for gradually withdrawing U.S. troops from Vietnam and shifting responsibility to South Vietnamese forces.

Nixon Doctrine

The principle that the U.S. would provide military aid to allies but would not commit combat troops.

Kent State Incident

The 1970 shooting of four students by the National Guard during a protest against the Vietnam War.

My Lai

A massacre during the Vietnam War where U.S. soldiers killed many unarmed South Vietnamese civilians.

War Powers Act

A 1973 law that restricted the president’s ability to engage U.S. forces in combat without congressional consent.

New Left

A 1960s political movement focused on civil rights, anti-war activism, and social justice.

Weather Underground

A radical left-wing group known for protests and bombings against government policies in the 1960s and 1970s.

Counterculture

A cultural movement in the 1960s that opposed traditional values, especially regarding politics and the Vietnam War.

Woodstock

A renowned music festival in 1969 that symbolized the counterculture movement.

Sexual Revolution

A period marked by changing sexual attitudes and greater freedom, including marriage and LGBTQ+ rights.

Jackie Robinson

The first African American to play Major League Baseball, breaking the color barrier in 1947.

Brown v. Board of Education

The 1954 Supreme Court decision that deemed racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Little Rock Nine

A group of African American students who integrated Central High School in 1957.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

A 1955-1956 protest against segregation on public buses by African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama.

Martin Luther King Jr.

A civil rights leader known for promoting nonviolent protests to end segregation.

Greensboro Sit-ins

A series of peaceful protests initiated by African American students at lunch counters in 1960.

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

A civil rights organization established by Martin Luther King Jr. that focused on nonviolent protest.

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

A youth-led civil rights organization that organized sit-ins and freedom rides.

Sweatt v. Painter

A Supreme Court case that ruled against the 'separate but equal' doctrine in law schools.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail

A letter by Martin Luther King Jr. responding to criticism of nonviolent protests.

March on Washington (1963)

A major civil rights protest where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the 'I Have a Dream' speech.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Legislation that prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, or national origin.

24th Amendment

A 1964 amendment that eliminated the poll tax as a voting requirement.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Legislation aimed at abolishing racial discrimination in voting.

Malcolm X

A civil rights leader advocating for Black empowerment and self-defense, often more radical than MLK.

Black Panthers

A revolutionary socialist organization focused on self-defense and rights of African Americans.

Betty Friedan

A feminist writer whose book The Feminine Mystique initiated the second-wave feminist movement.

National Organization for Women (NOW)

An organization founded in 1966 to promote gender equality in the workplace and education.

Title IX

A 1972 law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education.

Equal Rights Amendment

A proposed amendment to guarantee equal rights regardless of sex.

Cesar Chavez

A labor leader and civil rights activist who co-founded the United Farm Workers union.

Dolores Huerta

A labor leader and civil rights activist who co-founded the United Farm Workers with Cesar Chavez.

Hernandez v. Texas (1954)

A Supreme Court case that granted equal protection to Mexican Americans under the 14th Amendment.

American Indian Movement

A group formed in the late 1960s to advocate for Native American rights.

Gay Rights Movement

A movement seeking equal rights and social acceptance for LGBTQ+ individuals.

Mapp v. Ohio

A 1961 Supreme Court ruling that excluded illegally obtained evidence from state courts.

Gideon v. Wainwright

A 1963 Supreme Court ruling that assured the right to legal counsel for defendants unable to afford an attorney.

Miranda v. Arizona

A 1966 Supreme Court ruling requiring police to inform suspects of their rights before interrogation.

Engel v. Vitale

A 1962 Supreme Court ruling declaring state-sponsored prayer in public schools unconstitutional.

Yoder v. Wisconsin

A 1972 Supreme Court ruling that exempted Amish children from compulsory schooling beyond 8th grade for religious reasons.

Tinker v. Des Moines

A 1969 Supreme Court decision affirming students' rights to peaceful protest in schools.

Silent Spring

A 1962 book by Rachel Carson highlighting pesticide dangers and sparking the environmental movement.

Earth Day

The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, aimed at promoting environmental awareness.

Watergate Scandal

A political scandal in the 1970s involving a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters.

Roe v. Wade

A 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide, affirming women's constitutional rights.