Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy (1947) by Harry S. Truman to support countries resisting communism; marked the start of containment. U.S. intervention to provide economic and military aid to nations threatened by communist expansionism, shifting U.S. foreign policy from isolationism to global intervention.

Containment

U.S. strategy to stop the spread of communism by limiting it to where it already existed. Enacted by the Truman Doctrine.

Berlin Blockade

Soviet attempt to cut off West Berlin; led to the Berlin Airlift where the U.S. delivered supplies by air.

Marshall Plan

U.S. financial aid program to rebuild Western Europe and prevent the spread of communism. Proposed by Secretary of State George Marshall

Iron Curtain

Term by Winston Churchill describing the division between communist Eastern Europe and democratic Western Europe.

M.A.D (Mutually Assured Destruction)

Idea that nuclear war would destroy both the U.S. and Soviet Union, preventing direct conflict.

McCarthyism

Anti-communist movement led by Joseph McCarthy involving accusations and investigations, often without evidence. McCarthy claimed in 1950 to have a list of communist agents in the State Department, launching his rise. Gave rise to the second Red Scare and the Lavender scare.

Proxy Wars

Indirect conflicts where the U.S. and USSR supported opposing sides (e.g., Korea, Vietnam).

Space Race

Competition between the U.S. and USSR to achieve space exploration milestones.

Second Red Scare

Period of fear of communism in the U.S. (late 1940s–1950s) leading to blacklists and loyalty programs. Ruined many lives

March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

Massive protest in Washington, D.C. advocating for civil rights and economic equality; featured Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Caused by systemic racial discrimination, the need for voting rights, and economic inequality. successful in pressuring the administration of John F. Kennedy to initiate a strong federal civil rights bill in Congress

Selma Campaign

Civil rights protests from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama focused on voting rights; led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Emmett Till

Black teenager murdered in 1955; his death and open-casket funeral shocked the nation and energized the civil rights movement.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

Boycott of segregated buses sparked by Rosa Parks; led to desegregation of public transportation.

Freedom Rides

Activists rode interstate buses into the South to challenge segregation; faced violence but pushed federal enforcement of desegregation.

Black Panther Party

Militant civil rights group advocating for Black empowerment, self-defense, and community programs. Militant political party dedicated to political injustice, police burtality.

Brown v. Board of Education

Landmark decision declaring school segregation unconstitutional, overturning “separate but equal.”

Warren Court

Supreme Court under Earl Warren known for expanding civil rights, civil liberties, and judicial power. Dedicated to social justice.

Watts Rebellion

Violent uprising in Los Angeles fueled by racial tensions, police brutality, and economic inequality. began when a white California Highway Patrol officer stopped Marquette Frye, a Black motorist, on suspicion of drunken driving. A scuffle ensued as onlookers—including Frye’s mother and brother—were confronted by police.

Executive Order 9981

Issued by Harry S. Truman; desegregated the armed forces (military)

NAACP

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; worked through courts to fight segregation and discrimination.

Great Society

Domestic programs by Lyndon B. Johnson to reduce poverty and racial injustice; included healthcare, education, war on poverty, and civil rights reforms.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Gave President Lyndon B. Johnson broad power to escalate U.S. involvement in Vietnam without a formal war declaration. Congress approved.

Medicare

Government healthcare program (1965) providing insurance for Americans age 65 and older. Funded through social security

Medicaid

Government healthcare program (1965) providing medical assistance to low-income individuals and families. Funded through tax payer money.

War on Poverty

Series of Great Society programs aimed at reducing poverty through education, job training, and social services.

search and Destroy

U.S. military strategy in Vietnam focused on finding enemy forces, attacking them, and then withdrawing.

Domino Theory

Belief that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow.

Vietnamization

Policy by Richard Nixon to gradually withdraw U.S. troops and transfer fighting responsibility to South Vietnam.

New Deal

Programs by Franklin D. Roosevelt to combat the Great Depression through relief, recovery, and reform.

Tet Offensive

Major surprise attack by North Vietnamese forces; weakened U.S. public support for the war. North Vietnam was now winning

Paris Peace Accords

Agreement between the U.S., North Vietnam, and South Vietnam; ended U.S. involvement and led to troop withdrawal.

Fall of Saigon

North Vietnam captured South Vietnam’s capital; unified Vietnam under communism and marked the end of the war.

Kent State shootings

National Guard troops shot and killed 4 student protesters in Ohio during Vietnam War protests → intensified anti-war sentiment and distrust of government. Nixon was president.

Détente

Policy of easing Cold War tensions between China, U.S. and Soviet Union in the 1970s; associated with Richard Nixon and arms control agreements like SALT I.

Watergate scandal

Break-in at Democratic headquarters and cover-up by Nixon’s administration by paying the CIA to stop the FBI investigation → led to loss of public trust and Nixon’s resignation (1974).

New Federalism

Policy by Richard Nixon to shift power from the federal government to the states through revenue sharing.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Created in 1970 to regulate pollution and protect the environment; reflects growing environmental movement.

Stagflation

Economic condition of high inflation + high unemployment + slow growth in the 1970s; challenged traditional economic policies. Economic status of 1970s, low economic growth, growing inflation.

War Powers Act

Limited the president’s ability to send troops into combat without Congressional approval; response to Vietnam War overreach.

Realpolitik

Foreign policy based on practical goals rather than ideology; used by Richard Nixon. Grounded and realistic. (e.g., opening relations with China).

Silent Majority

Term used by Richard Nixon to describe Americans who supported the Vietnam War but were not publicly protesting.

Southern Strategy

Republican political strategy to gain support in the South by appealing to white voters’ opposition to civil rights reforms.