Unit 8 APUSH

Committee on Civil Rights

Established by Truman to aid Justice Department and end segregation in schools. This was a revolutionary move for the time as Truman was the first modern president to do such a thing and bypass Southern Democrats.

National Association for the Advancement of Colored Persons (NAACP)

They were an influential group in the Civil Rights movement who worked to overturn Plessy v Ferguson and eventually won several cases in the late 40s regarding desegregation in higher education.

Brown v Board of Education of Topeka

NAACP lawyer Thurgood Marshall won this landmark case against segregation in schools. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Earl Warren ruled that “separate facilities are inherently unequal” and therefore unconstitutional, and that segregation in schools must end with “all deliberate speed”.

Thurgood Marshall

NAACP lawyer and activist who won Brown v Board of Ed.

Earl Warren

Chief Justice of Supreme Court who ruled in favor of Brown V Board of Ed.

“Southern Manifesto”

An example of southern resistance where 101 members of Congress signed this and condemned the Supreme Court for a “clear abuse of judicial power”.

Little Rock

Arkansas Gov Orval Faubus prevented 9 Black students from attending integrated school until Eisenhower intervened with Federal troops despite not supporting desegregation himself.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

After Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat for a White man on a public city bus, she spurred a mass boycott by African Americans of city buses to inflict economic damage to the city. This led to the Supreme Court ultimately ruling that segregation rules were unconstitutional.

Rosa Parks

Refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery city public bus to a white man and was arrested. She became a national figure for the Civil Rights movement.

Martin Luther King Jr.

He was a leader of the nonviolent Civil Rights movement and created the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). He was crucial to the movement overall as both a minister and leader.

Nonviolent Civil Rights Movement

Protesting discrimination and civil rights using nonviolent means. Examples include marches, boycotts, and sit-ins.

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

An organization of ministers from the South with an aim to get Black churches involved in the Civil Rights movement. It was created by MLK.

Sit-in Movement

In 1960, college students started this method of nonviolent protest in Greensboro, NC to protest segregated lunch counters like Woolworth’s by sitting in restricted areas and getting deliberately arrested. This led to the formation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

Civil Rights Organization of primarily college students who promoted voting rights and an end to segregation. Leader John Lewis got his start with them.

Civil Rights Commission

Eisenhower signed civil rights laws in ‘57 and ‘60 that were modest but created this and enhanced Justice Department powers to protect the civil rights of Black Americans. Despite this, Southern officials were still able to obstruct AA from voting

Letter from Birmingham Jail

After his unjust imprisonment for apparent illegal marching, MLK wrote a letter from his cell advocating for nonviolent protest and against violent Black nationalism and “do-nothingism” of others. His letter moved Kennedy to pass a tougher civil rights bill.

March on Washington (1963)

King led a mass demonstration and nonviolent march on Washington DC to appeal for the end of racial injustice, jobs, and civil rights. He delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech here.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Passed by Southern president Johnson and made segregation illegal in all public spaces. It also laid the groundwork for the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission.

Equal Opportunity Employment Commission

Ended discrimination in employment based on sex, religion, race, or national origin.

24th amendment

Ratified in 1964, abolished poll taxes which had discouraged poor people from voting.

March on Montgomery

The first resulted in Bloody Sunday, where many nonviolent marchers were injured by police, one being John Lewis of the SNCC. National outrage erupted and prompted Johnson to send federal troops to protect marchers on their second attempt. This resulted in the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Prohibited literacy tests and provided for federal registrars where AA had been unable to vote since Reconstruction. This drastically changed the South.

Black Muslim

A cultural identity based on Africa and Islam which advocated for separatism and Black nationalism. Malcolm X was a prominent leader.

Malcolm X

Prominent member of the Black Muslim movement who preached violent self defense and denounced King and nonviolent protest as being subservient to White Americans. He was assassinated in 1965 by Black opponents.

Black Panthers

A group of Black, young militants who pushed for revolutionary socialism and self rule for Black Americans. Influenced by Malcolm X

Stokely Carmichael

Member of the SNCC who repudiated nonviolence and advocated instead for “Black power” and separatism and was influenced by Malcolm X.

Race Riots

Many race riots occurred, one famous one being the 6 day race riot that killed 34 in Watts, a Black neighborhood in LA, following the arrest of a Black motorist by White police.

Kerner Commission

Created to investigate the cause of the riots after they continued to worsen, and concluded that America was becoming “two societies, one black, one white—separate and unequal”.

Freedom Summer

Black voter registration drives, helped by CORE

Children’s Crusade

To capture nation attention, in 1963, protest coordinators used children to protest alongside of adults. They were bitten by dogs and sprayed with fire hoses, although the world and country took notice and this helped the movement.

Congress on Racial Equality (CORE)

Big organization for Civil rights, helped with freedom rides, freedom summer, and the march on Washington

Whose assassination helped to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

JFK

Civil Rights Act of 1968

Spurred primarily by MLK’s death, ended red lining and discrimination in housing.

Declaration of Constitutional Principles

Southern States signed this in 1965 and vowed never to submit and follow civil rights legislation

War on Poverty

Declaration made by Johnson in response to national attentions being drawing to poverty in America by The other American book by Michael Harrington

Michael Harrington

Author of The Other America book on poverty

The Other America

Book by Michael Harrington on poverty that brought national attention to poverty and spurred Johnson’s “unconditional war on poverty”.

Barry Goldwater

A staunch Arizonan conservative nominated by the Republicans to run again Johnson in the election of 1964. Johnson won in a landslide.

Lyndon B Johnson

A skilled politician who began as a Roosevelt Democrat during the Great Depression. He was JFK’s VP and took over the presidency after his assassination. He sought to expand New Deal reforms with his “Great Society” plan.

“Great Society”

Johnson’s social reforms plan. It focused on fighting poverty, bettering education, and providing health care or insurance to the needy. He also had legislation based on immigration, the arts, and affordable housing.

Poverty Great Society legislation

• Food Stamp Act: food for those with low income

• Medicaid: funding for care of poor and disabled

• Medicare: health insurance for 65 and older

• Economic Opportunity Act: Created VISTA

Education Great Society legislation

• Elementary and Secondary Education Act: federal funds to poor districts

• Higher Education Act: federal scholarships for post secondary education

• Child Nutrition Act: added breakfast to the school lunch program

• Head start program

Regulation of the Automobile Industry

Congress and Johnson passed many more regulatory measures regarding this industry after pressure from Ralph Nader’s book Unsafe at Any Speed came out in 1965.

He passed the Highway Safety Act

Johnson’s Environmental Reform

Due to pressure from Rachel Carson’s exposé of pesticides, Silent Spring, they passed regulations for clean air and water. Additionally, Lady Bird Johnson helped improve the environment with her Beautify America Campaign

Immigration Act of 1965

Ended the ethnic quota laws of immigration of the 1920’s. Led to a sharp increase in immigration and opened America to all parts of the world.

Third World

A term used for developing countries that formed after the decolonization following WWII. They were often politically and economically unstable and were made to be pawns of the Cold War.

Iran

In 1953, Eisenhower overthrew their government using the CIA and methods of covert action. The Shah was brought back into power which through oil, economically aided the US

Covert Action

A method of interventionism used by the US during Eisenhower’s presidency that was less objectionable to voters and more cost effective. Examples include Iran and Guatemala.

Suez Crisis

Arab nationalists seized the Suez Canal during Eisenhower’s presidency, causing Britain, France and other countries to attack Egypt to regain control. Eisenhower was kept in the dark and sponsored a UN resolution condemning the invasion of Egypt.

Eisenhower Doctrine

In 1957 the US pledged economic and military aid to any Middle Eastern country threatened by communism.

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, and Iran formed this to coordinate oil policies and expand political power. This was done during Eisenhower’s final year as president.

Yom Kippur War

Egypt and Syria attacked Israel and the US and Nixon came to Israel’s aid. This turned the tide of the war and Israel won, although after this, OPEC placed and oil embargo in the US as punishment and hurt the US economy severely

Camp David Accords

One of the biggest achievements of Carter’s presidency, where he helped Egypt and Israel to negotiate a peace settlement at Camp David.

Kennedy’s foreign policies for developing countries

Kennedy liked to develop countries, so he created the Peace Corps and the Alliance of Progress for Latin America, which promoted economic and land reform.

Jimmy Carter’s Foreign Policy

Humanitarian focused; crated the Panama Canal Treaty (1979) which began transition to full Panamanian control of the canal

Hostage Crisis (1979)

During Carter’s presidency they took in the Shah for medial treatment after his exile from Iran to the US. Iranians wanted him to stand trial in Iran, so they took hostages at the US embassy in Iran and kept them there for over a year until the end of Carter’s presidency.

History of Vietnam leading up the the war

• Formerly known as French Indochina (1887)

• France gave up control in 1941 after falling to Germany

• Japan takes over, loses in 1945 after WWII

• Ho Chi Minh, a communist leader, declares Vietnam’s independence

• France attempts to reclaim it with US support

• France leaves Vietnam in 1954

• At the Geneva Convention it was decided that Vietnam would be split into a Communist North and a Democratic South at the 17th parallel

• the south would be controlled by US backed but oppressive Ngo Dinh Dien

• Kennedy sent in 16,000 military personnel to support him

• Until he was overthrown and killed in 1963 by a US created coup by Kennedy

• In August of 1964 2 +4, two US vessels are attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin, catalyst for war

Division of Vietnam

It was divided into a Communist north and a democratic south led under Ngo Dinh Diem at the 17th parallel after France surrendered Indochina.

Eisenhower’s Domino Theory

That if southern Vietnam fell to communism, so would the rest of Southeastern Asia, putting Australia and New Zealand at risk.

John Foster Dulles

Eisenhower’s SOS that created the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, this agreed that all countries in that area would agree to aid one another if under attack.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

After the alleged attack on 2 US vessels in the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, congress gave the president the power to take “all necessary measures” to protect US interests in Vietnam.

Credibility Gap

Formed between the gov and the people, due to military leaders’ misinformation and Johnson’s reluctance to speak frankly with the public. Term coined by the media

Hawks versus Doves

The former were pro war and believed the war to be an act of Soviet aggression to take over the entirety of Southeastern Asia. The latter were anti war and believed it to be a civil war without Soviet support. They also opposed it on moral grounds.

Tet Offensive

An attack launched by the Vietcong on American bases in South Vietnam on Lunar New Year. It was unsuccessful and the Americans inflicted heavy losses on the Vietcong, however footage gained from the attack demoralized the public and media. The North Vietnamese saw this as a morale win.

Election of 1968

Johnson withdrew from reelection as he had no public support due to his involvement in Vietnam. So, RFK Jr stepped up and gained national support and did well in polls, until he was assassinated by an Arab nationalist. This led the election into a three way battle between conservatives Nixon and George Wallace, and liberal VP Hubert Humphrey. Wallace tapped into the White voters and anger with desegregation and ran as an independent. Nixon returned to politics after earlier leaving them as a more confident and positive candidate who was also a war hawk. Hubert Humphrey started off portly but then caught up, ending in a close election with Nixon winning.

Henry Kissinger

Nixons national security advisor who helped to create a pragmatic foreign policy to reduce Cold War tensions.

Vietnamization

The foreign policy and process of Nixon where he slowly withdrew US troops and sent in increased money and weapons to allow Vietnam to take over full control of the war.

Nixon Doctrine

Agreement where the US would help future Asian allies with weapons and money without the use of ground forces.

Opposition to Nixons War Policies

National outrage followed Nixons invasion of Cambodia to attack communist bases there, leading to four youths being killed in a protest by National Guard troops at a protest at Kent State University. The public was outraged again after they found about US troops’ massacre of women and children in the village of My Lai.

The Paris Accords

Armistice made in January 1973 that promised a cease fire and free elections. It was ineffective and did not end the war as it left thousands of enemy troops in South Vietnam.

War Powers Act

Created following public outrage due to Nixons invasion of Cambodia. This required the president to report military actions within 48 hours to Congress. It also required that Congress approve any military actions that lasted longer than 60 days.