United States History II - Final Exam Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering the Great Depression, New Deal, World War II, the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Vietnam War based on the final exam review guide.

Hoover's Philosophy (Rugged Individualism)

The belief that government should not directly aid citizens; instead, relief should come from private charities and local government, as government handouts would weaken the national character and create dependency.

FDR's Philosophy

The belief that the federal government has a responsibility to provide a 'safety net' for citizens through active intervention, forming the foundation for the foundation of the New Deal.

SSA (Social Security Act)

A 1935 New Deal law that created unemployment insurance, old-age pensions, and aid to dependent children; it is considered the cornerstone of the American welfare state.

FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)

Created by the Banking Act of 1933 to insure bank deposits up to a certain amount to restore public confidence in the banking system.

WPA (Works Progress Administration)

A New Deal agency created in 1935 that employed millions of Americans in public works projects including construction of buildings, roads, bridges, and arts/literacy programs.

AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Act)

A New Deal program that paid farmers to reduce crop production to raise prices; it was later declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Court Packing Plan

FDR's controversial 1937 proposal to add up to 6 new justices to the Supreme Court after it struck down several New Deal programs; the plan was rejected by Congress.

Nuremberg Trials

International military tribunals held (1945-1946) to prosecute Nazi leaders for war crimes, establishing the principle that 'following orders' is not a defense.

Cash and Carry Plan

A 1939 revision of U.S. neutrality that allowed warring nations to purchase U.S. arms if they paid cash and transported the goods on their own ships.

Lend-Lease Act

A 1941 law allowing the U.S. to lend or lease war materials to any nation deemed vital to U.S. security, effectively making the U.S. the 'arsenal of democracy.'

Executive Order 9066

FDR's 1942 order authorizing the forced removal and internment of approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans from the West Coast into inland camps.

Korematsu v. United States

A 1944 Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of Japanese American internment, ruling it was justified by 'military necessity.'

Appeasement

The policy of giving concessions to an aggressor to avoid war, notably practiced by Britain and France regarding Hitler at the Munich Agreement in 1938.

Blitzkrieg

Meaning 'lightning war,' this was Germany's military tactic of rapid, overwhelming attacks combining tanks, motorized infantry, and air support.

Containment

The Cold War policy of preventing the spread of Soviet communism beyond its existing borders, as articulated by diplomat George Kennan.

Truman Doctrine

A 1947 policy declaring the U.S. would provide political, military, and economic support to any country threatened by communism, first applied to Greece and Turkey.

Marshall Plan

A 1948 U.S. program providing $13$ billion in economic aid to rebuild Western European economies to prevent the spread of communism.

Berlin Airlift

A 1948-1949 operation where the U.S. and Allies airlifted supplies to West Berlin for 11 months after the Soviet Union blockaded the city.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

A 1949 military alliance of Western nations pledging mutual defense against Soviet aggression.

Warsaw Pact

A 1955 Soviet-led military alliance of Eastern Bloc communist nations as a counterpart to NATO.

McCarthyism

The practice of making unsubstantiated accusations of communist subversion, named after Senator Joseph McCarthy.

HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee)

A Congressional committee that investigated communist infiltration of U.S. institutions, famously targeting the Hollywood film industry.

GI Bill (Servicemen's Readjustment Act)

A 1944 act providing WWII veterans with education benefits, low-interest home loans, and unemployment insurance.

Baby Boom

The dramatic increase in U.S. birth rates from 1946-1964 as returning WWII veterans started families.

Sputnik

The world's first artificial satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, which triggered the Space Race and the creation of NASA.

NASA / NDEA

NASA (1958) was created for space exploration, and NDEA (1958) provided funding for science, math, and foreign language education to compete with the Soviets.

Levittown

Mass-produced planned suburban communities built for returning veterans, symbolizing postwar suburban expansion.

Military-Industrial Complex

A term from Eisenhower's 1961 farewell address warning of the dangerous influence of the defense industry and military establishment on government policy.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

A 1961 failed CIA-trained invasion of Cuba by exiles intended to overthrow Fidel Castro; it resulted in public embarrassment for Kennedy.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 13-day standoff in October 1962 over Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba; it ended when the Soviets removed the missiles in exchange for a U.S. pledge not to invade Cuba.

Great Society

LBJ's sweeping domestic program (1964-1968) that included Medicare, Medicaid, the Civil Rights Act, and the Voting Rights Act.

Medicare / Medicaid

Medicare (1965) provides health insurance for Americans aged 65 and older, while Medicaid (1965) provides healthcare for low-income Americans.

Brown v. Board of Education

A 1954 Supreme Court ruling that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

Little Rock Nine

Nine Black students who enrolled at Little Rock Central High School in 1957; Eisenhower sent federal troops to protect them and enforce integration.

Freedom Riders

Integrated groups of activists who rode interstate buses into the Deep South in 1961 to challenge segregation in bus terminals.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

A federal law that banned discrimination in public accommodations, employment, and federally funded programs on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Banned discriminatory voting practices such as literacy tests and provided federal oversight of elections in states with a history of discrimination.

Black Power

A late 1960s movement advocating for Black self-determination, racial pride, and community control, associated with SNCC and the Black Panthers.

Immigration Act of 1965

Eliminated the national-origins quota system and opened immigration to Asia, Latin America, and Africa, changing U.S. demographics.

Silent Spring

Rachel Carson's 1962 book that exposed the dangers of pesticides (DDT) and sparked the modern environmental movement.

Domino Theory

The Cold War belief that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow, used to justify U.S. intervention in Vietnam.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

A 1964 Congressional resolution that authorized the president to use military force in Southeast Asia without a formal declaration of war.

Vietcong

Communist guerrilla fighters in South Vietnam who used jungle warfare and hit-and-run tactics against U.S. and South Vietnamese forces.

Tet Offensive

A massive 1968 surprise attack by North Vietnam and the Vietcong; though militarily repulsed, it turned U.S. public opinion against the war.

My Lai Massacre

The 1968 massacre of approximately 500 unarmed South Vietnamese civilians by U.S. soldiers, which shocked the American public when exposed.

Détente

Nixon's policy of reducing Cold War tensions through diplomacy, highlighted by opening relations with China and SALT I with the USSR.

War Powers Act

A 1973 law requiring the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing troops and limiting deployment to 60 days without approval.

26th Amendment

Ratified in 1971, it lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, driven by the argument that those old enough to be drafted should be able to vote.