Key Terms and Concepts from U.S. History

Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA)

New Deal law that paid farmers to reduce crop production to raise prices.

Axis Powers

WWII alliance: Germany, Italy, Japan. Aggressive, expansionist regimes.

Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)

Civil rights group advocating nonviolent protest; active during WWII and the Civil Rights Movement.

Fat Man

Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.

FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)

Insures bank deposits; created in 1933 to restore trust in banks.

FDR's "Three R's"

Relief, Recovery, and Reform—goals of the New Deal.

FHA (Federal Housing Administration)

Provided mortgage insurance to help people buy homes.

Fireside Chats

FDR's radio broadcasts to reassure the American public.

Hydrogen Bomb

Post-WWII nuclear weapon; much stronger than atomic bombs.

J. Robert Oppenheimer

Lead scientist of the Manhattan Project, which developed the atomic bomb.

Lend-Lease Act (1941)

Allowed the U.S. to lend arms to allies like Britain and the USSR before entering the war.

Little Boy

Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.

Okinawa

Brutal battle in the Pacific; paved the way for an invasion of Japan.

Operation Downfall

Planned U.S. invasion of Japan; never happened due to the atomic bombs.

Pearl Harbor

Surprise Japanese attack on Dec. 7, 1941; brought the U.S. into WWII.

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

Created to regulate the stock market and prevent fraud.

"Shoot on Sight"

FDR's order to the Navy to attack Axis submarines in U.S. waters.

Social Security Act (1935)

Provided retirement pensions and unemployment insurance.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

Built dams in the South for electricity and jobs.

The Atlantic Charter

Agreement between FDR and Churchill on post-war goals.

The Brain Trust

FDR's group of advisors who helped create New Deal policies.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend"

Idea that the U.S. allied with the USSR during WWII to defeat Nazi Germany.

The GI Bill of Rights

Provided education and housing benefits to WWII veterans.

The Manhattan Project

Secret U.S. project that developed atomic bombs during WWII.

Wagner Act

Protected workers' rights to unionize and bargain collectively.

WPA (Works Progress Administration)

New Deal program providing jobs in public works and the arts.