HIST 1302- Unit 4 Exam Study Guide- 1960s to Present

Miranda v Arizona 1966

Miranda rights are read to people before arrest, right to remain silent…

Women's wages

The earnings gap between men and women only slightly improved between 1960 and 1990

John F. Kennedy

Democratic Pres. from 1961-1963 who dealt with the Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis and started the Peace Corps. He was assassinated in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963

Roy Benavidez

received the congressional medal of honor and the Distinguished Service Cross for his involvement in the Vietnam War

Lyndon B. Johnson

Democratic President from 1963-1969 who started a "War on Poverty" and "Great Society" by starting programs such as medicaid, foodstamps, etc. Believed that the entire country must help against poverty.

Domino theory

foreign policy used for Vietnam with the idea that if we did not contain Communism in Vietnam, then neighboring countries would soon follow and fall to communism

Tet offensive

a surprise offensive attack by North Vietnam that reached as far a Saigon. This proved we were losing and should get out of the war.

Vietcong

South Vietnamese Communists

Credibility gap

due to the T.V. war, more Americans believed LBJ was lying about our success in the Vietnam War

26th Amendment

lowered the voting age to 18 due to protests of the Vietnam War and the draft being imposed

Counterculture

questions traditions and experiment with new ways of living

Silent Majority

term coined by Nixon referring to those who did not join in the large demonstrations against the Vietnam War or join the counterculture. Nixon believed that most Americans were in support of the war.

Kent/Jackson State Massacres

College students were killed by National Gaurdsmen during peaceful protests because Nixon sent troops to Cambodia

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Congress gave the president (Lyndon B. Johnson) the power to intervene in Indochina without a formal declaration of war

Vietnamization

President Richard Nixon's idea to train South Vietman troops to fight instead of using Americans.

Ho Chi Minh

Leader of Communist North Vietnam, originally trained by USA to fight Japanese during WWII, turns on us when we take South's side

Economic Opportunity Act

created programs such as Job Corps and Head Start

Medicare/Medicaid Act

provided medical coverage for the elderly and disabled

JFK's "We choose to go to the moon" speech

purpose was to win public support for surpassing the Soviet Union in the space race

Phyllis Schafly

opposed the feminist movement and the ERA saying it harmed women who preferred a traditional lifestyle. Became a leader for the conservative movement

Ronald Reagan

conservative, republican president from 1981-1989. Was given credit for ending the Cold war and increasing the national debt

Sandra Day O'Connor

First woman appointed to the US supreme court

Bill Clinton

Democratic President From 1993-2001 presidency is clouded by Lewinsky scandal and impeachment trial

Bill Gates

American Entrepreneur who developed the software Microsoft which is running on most computers today

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Coutries(OPEC)-oil embargo

Arab nations stop selling US oil causing a gas shortage

Camp David accords

President Carter negotiated peace between Israel(Jews) and Egypt(muslims); This was the first peace agreement between Israel and an Arab Nation

Iran hostage crisis

US helps ousted Shah (ruler) of Iran get medical attention. Rebels hated US for helping him and supporting Israel. Rebels take US hostages. They are released as soon as Carter left office and Reagan is inaugurated.

Stagflation

high unemployment and high inflation. Solved by lowering taxes and relaxing federal regulations so that producers would create a larger supply of goods

Environmental Protection Act

illustrated the federal government's commitment to protecting natural areas and their resources for the public good

Endangered Species Act

allows the fish and wildlife service to list and protect plants and animals in danger of extinction

Tinker V. Des Moines

supreme court case that protected students' 1st amendment rights by them being allowed to wear arm bands to protest the Vietnam war

Richard Nixon

Republican President from 1969-1974. eased cold war tensions by expanding relations with Communist nations and passage of S.A.L.T.

Resigns from office due to Watergate scandal

President Nixon's Visit to China in 1972

Reduced tensions between the US and Communist China

"Contract with America"

a policy platform done by conservative Republicans in the 1990's during Clinton's presidency

Reaganomics

The theory that broad tax cuts and financial deregulation would promote economic expansion

North American Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA)

phased out tariffs between the US, Canada and Mexico to encourage trade; similar to GATT

GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade)

international agreement first signed in 1947 aimed at lowering trade barriers

Persian Gulf War

The US becomes involved because we saw the invasion of Kuwait as a threat to our national interests.

Balkan crisis

NATO and US stop genocide (ethnic cleansing) in Bosnia and Kosovo by the Serbs in the 1990's

Moral Majority and NRA

Conservative Christians and gun owners representing a resurgence (revival) of conservatism in America

Watergate Scandal

President Nixon is impeached; shows that even the president is bound by the rules of the Constitution

Roe vs. Wade (1973)

legalized abortion; continued controversy after the Supreme Court's decision showed that the religious right was a significant new political force; overturned by Hobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in 2022.

Ross Perot

Ran an independent presidential campaign in the election of 1992; He sharply criticized the Bush administration, making it harder for President Bush to be reelected.

September 11 Attacks

President Bush declared a Global War on Terror, creates department of Homeland Security, sponsored the USA PATRIOT Act.

Globalization

multi-national corporations like Coca Cola are doing business all over the world.

Sonia Sotomayor

first Hispanic Justice on the Supreme Court

Hurricane Katrina

brought highest storm surge and waves ever recorded to hit North America. It greatly exceeded the engineering design of the New Orleans levees (embankment designed to keep a river from flooding)

Iran Contra Affair

Officials sold weapons to Iran to free hostages; the proceeds helped to supply Contras in Nicaragua, despite a Congressional ban.

Rachel Carson

United States biologist remembered for her opposition to the use of pesticides that were hazardous to wildlife (1907-1964)

War Powers Act of 1973

In 1973, Congress passed this law which requires that soldiers sent into military action overseas by the President be brought back within sixty days unless Congress approves the action.

Pentagon Papers

A 7,000-page top-secret United States government report on the history of the internal planning and policy-making process within the government itself concerning the Vietnam War.

Beatniks/Beat Generation

A group of rebellious writers and intellectuals led by Jack Kerouac (On the Road in which the characters travel for the joy of traveling) and poet Allen Ginsberg ("Howl" about the evils of modern society). This group advocated spontaneity, use of drugs, and rebellion against societal standards. This group became the models for the youth rebellion of the sixties.

Brandenburg Gate Speech

Made by Ronald Reagan on June 12, 1987, this speech was about the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War. It contained the famous line "Tear down this wall."

Greatest Generation (1901-1927)

Came of age during the Great Depression and fought in World War II. Known for sacrifice, patriotism, and helping build modern American institutions.

Silent Generation (1928-1945)

Grew up in wartime and postwar America; valued stability, conformity, and hard work. Often avoided public protest but quietly supported change.

Baby Boomers (1946-1964)

Born during post-WWII prosperity; came of age amid civil rights, Vietnam, and cultural upheaval. Known for optimism, activism, and consumer influence.

Generation X (1965-1980)

Raised amid economic uncertainty and rising divorce rates. Independent, pragmatic, and shaped by the Cold War, MTV, and early digital tech.

Millennials (1981-1996)

Came of age after 9/11; defined by digital technology, the Great Recession, and delayed adulthood. Collaborative, diverse, and socially conscious.

Generation Z (1997-2012)

Digital natives shaped by school shootings, climate change, and COVID-19. Entrepreneurial, inclusive, and deeply engaged with social issues.

Generation Alpha (2013-2025)

Born into AI, apps, and smart devices. Still emerging, but expected to be highly connected, tech-driven, and globally aware.

March for Our Lives

Student-led protest on March 24, 2018, against gun violence and for gun control legislation in the United States.