US History: Isolationism to the Cold War

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to U.S. history from isolationism to the Cold War.

Age of Isolationism

A term used to describe a period in US history that is misleading as the US was active in arms reduction negotiations and involved in Latin America.

Good Neighbor Policy

A policy that aimed for better relations with Latin America, where the US intervened for various reasons.

Neutrality Acts

Series of laws enacted by the US to avoid involvement in foreign wars, which ultimately did not keep the US out of conflict.

Cash and Carry

A policy allowing the US to sell arms to countries involved in the war, while still claiming neutrality.

Lend Lease Act

A program under which the US supplied its Allies with food, oil, and military equipment during World War II.

Coral Sea

A significant battle in the Pacific theater of World War II that marked the first air-sea battle in history.

Bataan Death March

The forced march of American and Filipino prisoners of war by Japanese soldiers after their capture in the Philippines.

Atomic Bomb

An explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions; used by the US on Japan in 1945.

Truman Doctrine

A US policy established in 1947 aimed at containing communism by providing support to countries resisting Soviet influence.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization; a military alliance formed in 1949 among Western nations to counter Soviet expansion.

HUAC

House Un-American Activities Committee; a congressional committee that investigated accusations of communist influence in the US.

Containment

US foreign policy strategy aimed at preventing the expansion of communism beyond its existing borders.

Iron Curtain

A term coined by Winston Churchill to describe the division between Western powers and the Eastern Soviet bloc after WWII.

Soviet Union

A socialist state in Eurasia that was a major player in the Cold War against the US and its allies.

Serviceman's Readjustment Act (GI Bill)

Legislation passed in 1944 that provided various benefits to returning World War II veterans.

Civil Rights Movement

A significant movement during the 1950s and 1960s aimed at ending racial discrimination and promoting equality.

Korean War

A conflict between North and South Korea from 1950 to 1953, during which the US led UN forces to support South Korea.