Untitled Flashcards Set

What is the GI Bill of Rights?

A Servicemen's Readjustment Act providing financial and educational benefits for World War II veterans.

What was one impact of the GI Bill of Rights?

It helped veterans buy homes and provided educational opportunities.

What are Levittowns?

Cheap homes built by William Levitt in NY, NJ, PA, and other places.

What was Truman's Fair Deal?

An extension of the New Deal that increased minimum wage, expanded Social Security, and constructed low-income housing.

What is the Baby Boom?

The larger than expected birthrate in the United States shortly after World War II.

What is a conglomerate?

A major corporation that owns a number of smaller companies in unrelated businesses.

What is a franchise?

A business that has bought the right to use a parent company's name and methods.

Who developed a vaccine for polio?

Dr. Jonas Salk.

What did the Interstate Highway Act lead to?

The building of the Interstate Highway System with 41,000 miles of highways.

What does consumerism refer to?

A preoccupation with the purchasing of material goods.

What is planned obsolescence?

The designing of products to wear out or become outdated quickly.

What was the first credit card?

Diner's Club Card.

What does the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) regulate?

US communications industries, including radio and television broadcasting.

What is mass media?

Means of popular communication that reach large audiences, including television, radio, and the Internet.

Who were the Beatniks?

A small group of writers and artists in the 1950s and early 1960s who were critical of American society.

What was the Beat Movement?

A social and artistic movement of the 1950s stressing unrestrained literary self-expression and nonconformity.

What are some impacts of Rock and Roll?

Rock and Roll impacted dancing, clothing fashion, and expressions of protest.

Who hosted American Bandstand?

Dick Clark.

Who were two examples of Rock and Roll singers?

Bill Haley and the Comets, and Elvis Presley.

What characterizes jazz music?

The use of improvisation.

Who are examples of jazz musicians?

Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie.

What was significant about the Kennedy vs. Nixon election in 1960?

It was the first televised debate.

Who won the 1960 presidential election?

John F. Kennedy (JFK) won by a slim margin.

At what age did JFK become the youngest elected president?

43 years old.

What was JFK's Flexible Response strategy?

A strategy to keep a range of options open for dealing with international crises.

What were the Green Berets?

Special forces that were part of Kennedy's flexible response strategy.

What was the Peace Corps?

A program sending volunteers to developing countries as part of the flexible response.

What was the Alliance for Progress?

A program that sent aid to Latin America to encourage reforms and promote capitalism.

Who was Fidel Castro?

The communist leader of Cuba who toppled Batista's government in 1959.

What led to Fidel Castro's economic dependence?

His alliance with the Soviet Union for help and economic aid.

What was the Bay of Pigs?

A failed CIA operation to overthrow Castro using Cuban exiles.

What was the Cuban Missile Crisis?

A standoff over Soviet plans to install nuclear weapons in Cuba.

What concession did the US make to end the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Dismantle missiles in Turkey and Italy.

What was the Berlin Wall?

A concrete barrier built to prevent East Germans from escaping to West Berlin.

What was the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty?

An agreement to end the testing of nuclear bombs in the atmosphere or underwater.

What was the New Frontier?

JFK's plan for medical care, urban rebuilding, education aid, and expanding the space program.

Who was the first person to travel in space?

Yuri Gagarin.

Who was the first American to orbit the earth?

John Glenn.

When was JFK assassinated?

November 22, 1963.

Where was JFK assassinated?

Dallas, Texas.

Who became president after JFK's assassination?

Lyndon B. Johnson.

Who was arrested for JFK's assassination?

Lee Harvey Oswald.

What happened to Lee Harvey Oswald?

He was shot and killed by Jack Ruby.

What did the Warren Commission decide?

That Kennedy's assassination was not due to a conspiracy.

What did the Economic Opportunity Act aim to do?

Increase employment and training.

What did the Civil Rights Act accomplish?

It prevented discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, and sex.

Who won the election of 1964?

Lyndon B. Johnson.

What was the Great Society?

A domestic program aimed at ending racial discrimination and poverty.

What is Medicare?

A federal health insurance program for those 65 years and older.

What is Medicaid?

An assistance program for healthcare for those who cannot afford it.

What did the Miranda vs. Arizona decision establish?

The accused must be notified of their rights before being questioned by police.