Post-World War II American History

This set of flashcards covers significant historical terms and legislation related to post-World War II America, including major events, policies, and key figures.

GI Bill

Legislation that provided benefits for returning World War II veterans, including education, housing, and unemployment compensation.

Economic Boom

A period of significant economic growth characterized by increased production and consumption.

Bretton Woods Agreement

A 1944 agreement that established a system of monetary management and created the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank.

Employment Act of 1946

Legislation aimed at promoting maximum employment, production, and purchasing power.

Truman Doctrine

A policy established in 1947 to counter Soviet geopolitical expansion during the Cold War, primarily through military and economic assistance to countries resisting communism.

Containment

A foreign policy strategy aimed at preventing the spread of communism beyond its existing borders.

Iron Curtain

A term coined by Winston Churchill to describe the division between the democratic nations of the West and the communist nations of the East.

Marshall Plan

An American initiative enacted in 1948 to provide economic assistance to Western Europe after World War II.

Berlin Airlift

The operation in 1948-1949 that supplied food and fuel to citizens of West Berlin when the Soviets blocked all ground routes into the city.

NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance formed in 1949 between North America and Western European countries.

NSC-68

A key National Security Council report in 1950 that outlined a strategy for combating the Soviet threat during the Cold War.

Hollywood Ten

A group of ten Hollywood screenwriters and directors who refused to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and were subsequently blacklisted.

Smith Act of 1940

A law that made it a criminal offense to advocate the violent overthrow of the government.

McCarthyism

The practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence, particularly associated with Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Dixiecrats

A short-lived political party in the United States that emerged in 1948 to protest the civil rights platform of the Democratic Party.

Fair Deal

A set of proposals put forth by President Harry S. Truman aimed at addressing social issues and improving the economy.

Second Red Scare

A period of intense fear of communism in the United States during the late 1940s and 1950s.

HUAC

The House Un-American Activities Committee, a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives responsible for investigating alleged disloyalty and subversive activities.

Rosenbergs

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, American citizens who were executed in 1953 for espionage for allegedly passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union.