WWII to Globalization Review Topics

Taft-Hartley Act of 1947

Restricted labor union activities; banned closed shops, allowed right-to-work laws, and required anti-communist oaths from union leaders. Truman administration.

Federal Highway Act of 1956

Funded the creation of the interstate highway system; improved transportation, accelerated growth between cities and suburbs.

On the Road

A 1957 novel by Jack Kerouac that symbolized the Beat Generation’s rejection of mainstream American values and conformity.

Bay of Pigs

A failed 1961 U.S.-backed invasion of Cuba by anti-Castro exiles; it embarrassed the Kennedy administration and strengthened Castro’s regime.

Good Neighbor Policy

FDR’s approach to Latin America focused on non-intervention and mutual respect, aiming to improve diplomatic and economic relations.

Neutrality Acts

1930s laws designed to keep the U.S. out of foreign conflicts by restricting arms sales, loans, and travel to nations at war.

Turning point in Pacific and Europe

Pacific: Battle of Midway (1942), which stopped Japanese expansion.

Europe: Battle of Stalingrad (1942–43), which began Germany’s retreat on the Eastern Front.

Yalta Conference

A 1945 meeting of FDR, Churchill, and Stalin to plan postwar Europe; agreed on Germany’s division, Soviet entry into the Pacific war, and free elections in Eastern Europe.

Guatemala and the United Fruit Company

In 1954, the CIA helped overthrow President Árbenz after he nationalized U.S.-owned land; an example of Cold War intervention to protect American business interests.

Ronald Reagan and economics

Known as Reaganomics; emphasized tax cuts, deregulation, and reduced government spending to spur growth, but also increased deficits and inequality.

Freedom Riders

Interracial group that challenged segregation in the south. Rode interstate buses into the segregated South to challenge the non-enforcement of Supreme Court decisions against segregation in interstate travel.

Space Race

Cold War competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union to dominate space exploration; spurred by the 1957 launch of Sputnik and led to the U.S. landing on the Moon in 1969.

Iran-Contra Affair

1980s political scandal where the Reagan administration secretly sold arms to Iran and used the profits to fund Contra rebels in Nicaragua, violating congressional bans.

Pentagon Papers

Classified government documents leaked in 1971 that revealed the U.S. had misled the public about the Vietnam War; increased public distrust of government.

Nixon’s strategy to end Vietnam War

Called “Vietnamization” — gradually withdrew U.S. troops while increasing South Vietnamese responsibility, combined with bombing campaigns and peace negotiations.

Truman Doctrine

1947 U.S. policy to contain communism by providing military and economic aid to countries resisting Soviet influence, starting with Greece and Turkey.

Greensboro sit-ins

1960 nonviolent protest by four Black college students at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter in North Carolina; sparked a wave of sit-ins across the South.

Berlin Airlift

1948–49 U.S. and British operation that flew food and supplies into West Berlin after the Soviet Union blockaded the city in an early Cold War crisis.

Miranda v. Arizona

Supreme Court case that ruled suspects must be informed of their rights before police questioning, including the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney.

Gideon v. Wainwright

Supreme Court case that guaranteed the right to legal counsel for all defendants in criminal cases, even if they can’t afford one.

Containment vs Brinkmanship

containment refers to the US strategy of preventing the spread of communism, while brinkmanship involved escalating threats to the brink of conflict to gain an advantage. 

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Military alliance formed in 1949 between the U.S., Canada, and Western European nations to defend against the Soviet Union.

Warsaw Pact

Military alliance formed in 1955 between the Soviet Union and Eastern European nations in response to NATO.

Beginning of the Korean War

In 1950, North Korea (backed by USSR/China) invaded South Korea. The U.S. and UN forces stepped in to help the South.

Harry Truman vs. Douglas MacArthur

Truman fired General MacArthur in 1951 for publicly criticizing his policy of limited war in Korea, showing civilian control of the military.

The Rosenbergs

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed in 1953 for allegedly passing atomic secrets to the Soviets — a major Cold War spy case.

Alger Hiss

State Department official accused of spying for the Soviets; convicted of perjury in 1950. His case increased fear of communist infiltration.

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

U.S. spy agency created in 1947 to gather intelligence and carry out secret operations during the Cold War.

Truman’s policy toward Soviet Union

Firm stance — focused on containing communism through aid, alliances, and resisting Soviet expansion (Truman Doctrine & Marshall Plan).

Truman and the Berlin Blockade

When the Soviets blocked access to West Berlin in 1948, Truman responded with the Berlin Airlift to supply the city — a major Cold War victory.

“Dixiecrats”

conservative southern Democrats who objected to President Truman's strong push for civil-rights legislation.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

Congressional committee that investigated suspected communists, especially in Hollywood and government, during the Red Scare.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy to stop the spread of communism by giving military and economic aid to countries like Greece and Turkey.

The Feminine Mystique

1963 book by Betty Friedan that challenged traditional roles of women and sparked the modern feminist movement.

Fidel Castro

Leader of the Cuban Revolution; became the communist dictator of Cuba in 1959, leading to tense U.S.–Cuba relations.

Ho Chi Minh

Communist leader of North Vietnam who fought against the French, then the U.S., for Vietnamese independence and unification.

Ngo Dinh Diem

Anti-communist leader of South Vietnam; supported by the U.S. but unpopular in Vietnam. Assassinated in 1963.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

1955–56 protest against bus segregation in Alabama, sparked by Rosa Parks; led by Martin Luther King Jr. and showed the power of nonviolent protest.

JFK’s New Frontier

Kennedy’s domestic program focused on civil rights, education, space, and helping the poor.

Peace Corps

Program started by JFK to send American volunteers to help developing nations with education, health, and farming.

Cuban missile crisis

Vietcong

March on Washington

Where Martin Luther King Jr gave his “I have a dream” speech.