US HISTORY SG

Economic Growth of the 1950s

The U.S. experienced a period of economic growth that surpassed the prosperity of the 1920s, driven by government spending, the post-war boom, and suburban expansion.

DDT

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, a chemical pesticide developed to protect crops and humans from insect-borne diseases, notably used during WWII.

Apollo Program

A NASA program established to land astronauts on the moon, culminating in the successful lunar landing on July 20, 1969.

Poverty in America in 1950s

Despite economic expansion, over 30 million people lived under the poverty line in 1960, with significant minorities facing persistent poverty.

Civil Rights Movement

A movement during the 1950s and 1960s fighting for racial equality and justice, highlighted by events such as the Brown v. Board of Education ruling.

Massive Retaliation

A military doctrine announced by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles in 1954, stating that the U.S. would respond to communist aggression with nuclear force.

The Great Society

A set of domestic programs launched by President Lyndon B. Johnson aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice in America.

Freedom Rides

An organized series of bus trips through the South in 1961 aimed at challenging segregation in public transportation.

Legislation on Prohibiting Segregation

Key legal achievements during the Civil Rights Movement included the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965, aimed at dismantling racial segregation.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 1962 confrontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over Soviet ballistic missiles deployed in Cuba, bringing both nations close to nuclear conflict.

U.S. Support of Diem

The U.S. supported South Vietnamese leader Ngo Dinh Diem post-1954, ultimately backing his regime against communist opposition.

Attrition Strategy

A military strategy used during the Vietnam War aimed at wearing down the enemy, which ultimately failed due to North Vietnamese resilience.

Youth Counterculture

A societal movement in the 1960s characterized by the rejection of traditional norms, particularly among youth who embraced alternative lifestyles.

American Indian Activism

The organized movement in the 1960s for Native American rights and autonomy in response to past federal policies of termination.

Gay Liberation Movement

A social movement emerging in the late 1960s advocating for the rights and acceptance of LGBTQ individuals, notably marked by the Stonewall Riot.

The Feminine Mystique

A landmark book by Betty Friedan (1963) that critiqued the limitations placed on women in society, igniting the modern feminist movement.

Pentagon Papers

A classified study of the Vietnam War leaked to the press in 1971, revealing government deception about U.S. involvement.

Nixon's U.S. Foreign Policy

Nixon's approach that shifted towards a multipolar world, seeking to engage with China and the Soviet Union through détente.

United States v. Richard M. Nixon

The Supreme Court case that ruled Nixon had to release tapes related to the Watergate scandal, leading to his eventual resignation.

Carter's Foreign Policy

Carter emphasized human rights in foreign policy, achieved the Camp David Accords, and pursued improved relations with China and the Soviet Union.

Supply-Side Economics

An economic theory promoted by Ronald Reagan that suggested reducing taxes would stimulate investment and economic growth.

The Reagan Doctrine

A foreign policy aimed at resisting communism by supporting anti-communist governments and movements around the world.

Weakening of the Soviet Union

The collapse of the Soviet Empire accelerated by Gorbachev's policies of glasnost and perestroika, culminating in the dissolution of the USSR.

The Gulf War 1991

A conflict triggered by Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, leading to a U.S.-led coalition drive to expel Iraqi forces and restore Kuwaiti sovereignty.