American History Final

Gulf of Tonkin

1964 incident in which North Vietnamese patrol boats allegedly attacked U.S. ships; led Congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, greatly expanding President Lyndon B. Johnson’s power in Vietnam.

Containment

Cold War policy aimed at stopping the spread of communism around the world. (1947)

George F. Kennan

American diplomat who created the idea of containment in his “Long Telegram” and “X Article.”

Truman Doctrine

1947 policy promising U.S. aid to countries resisting communism, especially Greece and Turkey.

Berlin Airlift

1948–1949 U.S.-led operation supplying West Berlin with food and fuel after the Soviet blockade.

Douglas MacArthur

U.S. general during World War II and the Korean War; pushed aggressive action in Korea and was fired by Truman.

Brown v. Board of Education

1954 Supreme Court case declaring school segregation unconstitutional and overturning “separate but equal.”

Levittown

Mass-produced suburban housing development symbolizing postwar suburban growth and middle-class expansion.

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

Civil rights organization led by Martin Luther King Jr. that promoted nonviolent protest.

Tet Offensive

Major 1968 surprise attack by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces that weakened American confidence in the Vietnam War.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

1955–1956 boycott protesting bus segregation after Rosa Parks’ arrest; launched MLK Jr. to national prominence.

Interstate Highway Act of 1956

Law creating the interstate highway system under Eisenhower.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Federal law banning discriminatory voting practices like literacy tests.

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)

Major New Left student organization that criticized inequality and the Vietnam War.

Baby Boom

Massive increase in birth rates after World War II from 1946–1964.

Marshall Plan

U.S. economic aid program helping rebuild Western Europe after World War II to resist communism. (1948)

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

1949 military alliance between the U.S., Canada, and Western European nations against Soviet expansion.

Alger Hiss

Former State Department official accused of spying for the Soviet Union during the Red Scare.

NSC-68

1950 government report urging a major military buildup to fight communism globally.

National Security Act of 1947

Law creating the Department of Defense, CIA, and National Security Council.

Counterculture

Youth movement of the 1960s rejecting traditional social norms and supporting peace, freedom, and experimentation.

Jonas Salk

Scientist who developed the first successful polio vaccine. (1955)

The Other America

1962 book by Michael Harrington exposing hidden poverty in America and influencing Great Society programs.

Joseph McCarthy

Senator who led anti-communist investigations during the Red Scare.

Haight-Ashbury

San Francisco neighborhood associated with hippies and the counterculture movement.

Elvis Presley

Rock-and-roll star who symbolized the rise of youth culture in the 1950s.

Black Power

Movement emphasizing Black pride, self-determination, and sometimes separation from white institutions.

Phyllis Schlafly

Conservative activist who opposed the Equal Rights Amendment.

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

Student-led civil rights group known for sit-ins and voter registration drives.

Great Society

Lyndon B. Johnson’s domestic reform program aimed at ending poverty and racial injustice. (1964-1968)

Betty Friedan

Feminist author of The Feminine Mystique who challenged traditional gender roles. (1963)

Medicare/Medicaid

Great Society healthcare programs providing insurance for the elderly and low-income Americans (July 1965).

Immigration Act of 1965

Law ending national-origin quotas and increasing immigration from Asia and Latin America.

Freedom Rides

Civil rights protests challenging segregation on interstate buses in the South. (1961)

Sit-ins

Nonviolent protests in which demonstrators occupied segregated spaces and refused to leave.

Vietnamization

Richard Nixon’s policy of gradually withdrawing U.S. troops while training South Vietnamese forces. (1969)

Watergate

Political scandal involving Nixon administration abuses of power and cover-ups that led to Nixon’s resignation. (1972-1974)

Stagflation

Economic condition combining inflation with slow economic growth and unemployment during the 1970s.

GI Bill

Law providing veterans with education, loans, and housing benefits after World War II. (1944)

Sunbelt

Rapidly growing southern and western states benefiting from defense spending, air conditioning, and migration.

Roe v. Wade

1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion nationwide.

Malcolm X

Black nationalist leader who promoted self-defense and Black pride.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Civil rights leader who promoted nonviolent protest and racial equality.

National Organization for Women (NOW)

Feminist organization founded in 1966 to fight gender discrimination.

“Evil Empire” speech

1983 speech in which Ronald Reagan described the Soviet Union as an “evil empire.”

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Landmark law banning segregation and discrimination based on race, sex, religion, or national origin.

Television

Mass media technology that transformed politics, advertising, entertainment, and coverage of Vietnam and civil rights protests.

Energy Crisis

1970s fuel shortages and rising oil prices that hurt the U.S. economy.

OPEC

Group of oil-producing nations that raised oil prices and imposed embargoes in the 1970s.

Ronald Reagan

Conservative president who promoted tax cuts, deregulation, and a strong anti-communist foreign policy.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Soviet leader who introduced reforms like glasnost and perestroika, helping end the Cold War.