APUSH - Period 8

Important Vocab for Period 8

Cold War

The decades-long ideological struggle between the U.S. and the Soviet Union

Containment

The U.S. policy of preventing the further spread of communism

Truman Doctrine

A policy of providing U.S. aid to nations threatened by communism

McCarthyism

Period of communist witch hunts by Joseph McCarthy

Baby Boom

Massive population surge after WWI

Feminine Mystique

Betty Friedan's book that helped launch modern feminism

Brown v. Board of Education

The landmark Supreme Court case that ruled segregated schools unconstitutional

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

A student-led civil rights organization focused on nonviolent protest

Cuban Missile Crisis

13-day nuclear standoff between US and Soviets over Cuba

Great Society

Johnson’s domestic programs set on eliminating social injustice & poverty

Tet Offensive

Surprise North Vietnam attack on holiday embarrassing America, turns public against war

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

A resolution giving the president authority to use force in Vietnam

Watergate

The political scandal that led to President Nixon's resignation

Camp David Accords

A peace agreement between Israel and Egypt mediated by President Carter

Iranian Hostage Crisis

The 444-day standoff where Americans were held captive in Iran