US History 2 Finals Review: Cold War and Civil Rights

Harry S. Truman

Containment - kicked off Cold War policies like the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan to stop communism from spreading. He was president during the Berlin Airlift and the Korean War, and he pushed for containment of the Soviet Union's influence around the world.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Brinkmanship - Expanded Cold War efforts through covert CIA operations and alliances like NATO. He believed in 'massive retaliation' with nukes. His time also saw the start of the Space Race.

Joseph McCarthy

U.S. senator who led a witch hunt for communists in the government during the early Cold War. His aggressive accusations without proof caused panic and ruined careers, creating a period of fear known as McCarthyism, which reflected Cold War tensions at home.

John F. Kennedy

Flexible Response - Faced Cold War flashpoints like the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis. He worked to contain communism while avoiding nuclear war and supported the Space Race to show U.S. technological superiority over the USSR.

Lyndon B. Johnson

Escalated U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, believing in the domino theory—that if Vietnam fell to communism, others would follow. At home, he pushed for civil rights and Great Society programs, but the war overshadowed much of his presidency.

Great Society

Program that ultimately ended up failing because much of the money that LBJ planned to use for it was instead spent on the Vietnam War.

Richard Nixon

Detente - shifted Cold War strategy with détente, trying to ease tensions with China and the Soviet Union. He visited both countries, opened diplomatic ties with China, and signed nuclear arms control treaties with the USSR. He also oversaw the gradual withdrawal from Vietnam (Vietnamization).

General MacArthur

Led U.N. forces during the Korean War. He wanted to push into China, but Truman fired him for going against orders. His firing highlighted the tension between military and civilian control during Cold War conflicts.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Most well-known leader of the Civil Rights Movement. He believed in nonviolence and civil disobedience to fight segregation and discrimination. He led major events like the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington, where he gave his famous 'I Have a Dream' speech.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Key legislation pushed forward by MLK's leadership to combat segregation and discrimination.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Key legislation pushed forward by MLK's leadership to ensure voting rights for all citizens.

Malcolm X

Powerful Black leader in the 1960s who preached Black pride, self-defense, and separation from white society early in his career. He was part of the Nation of Islam but later changed his views after a pilgrimage to Mecca.

Gerald Ford

Detente - continued Nixon's policy of détente with the Soviet Union and signed the Helsinki Accords, which aimed to improve East-West relations.

Jimmy Carter

Human Rights Foreign Policy - Focused on human rights, which sometimes clashed with Cold War politics. He faced a major setback when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979—he responded by boycotting the 1980 Olympics and ramping up support for anti-Soviet fighters, ending détente.

Human Rights Foreign Policy

Policy that emphasized human rights in foreign relations, sometimes clashing with Cold War politics.

Ronald Reagan

“Peace through Strength” - Took a hardline stance against the USSR, calling it the 'evil empire' and increasing defense spending. He supported anti-communist groups worldwide and pushed the Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars program).

Strategic Defense Initiative

A program initiated by Reagan aimed at developing a missile defense system to protect the U.S. from nuclear attacks.

Emmett Till

A 14-year-old Black boy from Chicago who was brutally murdered in Mississippi in 1955 after being accused of whistling at a white woman. His mother had an open-casket funeral to show the world what had been done to him.

Civil Rights Movement

A movement sparked by the exposure of extreme racism and violence in the South, highlighted by shocking photos.

Ngo Diem

The anti-communist leader of South Vietnam, supported by the U.S. as a Cold War ally, known for corruption and oppression.

Ho Chi Minh

The leader of communist North Vietnam who fought against French and American forces to unite Vietnam under communism.

Mikhail Gorbachev

The Soviet leader in the 1980s who made deals with Reagan to cut nuclear weapons and withdrew troops from Afghanistan.

Containment

A policy influenced by the Domino Theory, advocating for addressing Communism early to prevent its spread to neighboring countries.

Satellite Nations

Countries that are officially independent but heavily influenced or controlled by another nation, particularly Russia.

NATO

Formed in 1949 as a military alliance to protect member countries from Soviet attacks. Founding members include the US, Great Britain, Canada, and France.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance created in 1955 between the USSR and Eastern European countries, serving as a response to NATO.

McCarthyism

A wave of anti-communist fear in the U.S. during the early 1950s, led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, creating paranoia and ruining lives.

Blacklist

A list of people, particularly in Hollywood, accused of being communist or having communist ties, leading to job loss without real evidence.

HUAC (House Un-American Activites Committee)

Committee which investigated suspected communists in entertainment and government, fueling Cold War suspicion.

Marshall Plan

A program that provided billions of dollars in aid to rebuild Western Europe after WWII to prevent the spread of communism.

Truman Doctrine

Announced in 1947, it stated that the U.S. would help any country threatened by communism, starting with aid to Greece and Turkey.

Berlin Blockade

In 1948, Stalin blocked all land access to West Berlin, attempting to force the Allies out of the city, marking a major Cold War conflict.

Berlin Airlift

The U.S. and its allies flew in supplies to West Berlin nonstop for almost a year in response to the Berlin Blockade.

Berlin Wall

Built in 1961 to physically divide East and West Berlin, symbolizing the divide between democracy and communism.

Korean War

Started in 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea, involving major players like the USSR, China, the U.S., and the United Nations.

Eisenhower Doctrine

Announced in 1957, said the U.S. would help any Middle Eastern country resisting communism.

Bay of Pigs

In 1961, the U.S. tried to overthrow Fidel Castro in Cuba using Cuban exiles trained by the CIA.

Cuban Missile Crisis

In 1962, the U.S. discovered Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles off the coast of Florida.

Limited Test Ban Treaty

Signed in 1963 by the U.S., USSR, and UK, this treaty banned nuclear tests in the atmosphere, outer space, and underwater (but not underground).

Hungarian Revolt of 1956

Hungarians rose up against Soviet control, demanding more freedom and independence.

Role of the CIA in the Cold War

The CIA was super active during the Cold War, often working behind the scenes.

Cold War

Fought because the U.S. and the Soviet Union had totally different beliefs: the U.S. wanted to spread democracy and capitalism, while the USSR wanted to spread communism.

Proxy Wars

The Cold War wasn't a direct war between the U.S. and the USSR, but it was fought through _____ wars (like Korea and Vietnam).

Escalation of Tensions

Happened because of events like the Berlin Blockade, the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the nuclear arms race.

Symbols of Cold War Tensions

The Berlin Wall (division of East and West), nuclear weapons (arms race), space race milestones like Sputnik and the moon landing, and proxy wars in Korea and Vietnam.

US Policy Regarding Communism

The U.S. followed a policy of containment—trying to stop communism from spreading rather than trying to destroy it where it already existed.

SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference)

Founded by MLK Jr. and other leaders in 1957, used nonviolent protest to fight for civil rights.

Birmingham Movement

The SCLC organized major campaigns like the Birmingham movement and the March on Washington.

March on Washington

Organized by the SCLC, happened in 1963. Advocated for civil and economic rights for African Americans. Contributed to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Desegregation

Integration of institutions previously split into blacks and whites.

Voting Rights

The right for African Americans to participate in the selection of government officials.

De Jure Segregation

This is segregation that's enforced by law, like Jim Crow laws in the South. It legally separated people by race in public spaces, schools, transportation, etc., and was the main target of the Civil Rights Movement.

De Facto Segregation

This is segregation that happens by custom or practice, not law. For example, housing patterns, income inequality, and school zoning led to continued racial separation in the North, even after laws were changed.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

After Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white person in 1955, African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama, boycotted the city buses for over a year. Led by MLK Jr., the boycott ended when the Supreme Court ruled bus segregation unconstitutional.

The Black Panthers

Founded in 1966, this party was a militant group that pushed for Black empowerment, self-defense, and community support. They weren't part of the nonviolent approach and are known for standing up to police brutality and starting free programs like school breakfasts.

Freedom Summer

In 1964, civil rights groups organized a campaign to register Black voters in Mississippi, where voter suppression was extreme. It was met with violence, including the murder of three activists, but it brought national attention to the issue of voting rights in the South.

Selma Campaign

This was a 1965 protest movement in Alabama aimed at securing voting rights. It included marches from Selma to Montgomery, most famously 'Bloody Sunday,' when peaceful marchers were attacked by police. The violence shocked the nation and helped lead to the Voting Rights Act.

Children's March/Birmingham protest

In 1963, thousands of Black students in Birmingham, Alabama, marched to protest segregation. Police used fire hoses and dogs on the kids, and the brutal images were shown on TV across the country. The event gained huge public support for civil rights and pushed JFK to back new laws.

Roe v Wade

This 1973 Supreme Court case ruled that women have a constitutional right to choose an abortion during the first trimester. It was a major victory for the women's rights movement and has remained a controversial topic ever since.

Brown v Board of Education

In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. It overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and declared that 'separate but equal' was not actually equal. This was a major win for the Civil Rights Movement and started school desegregation.

United Farm Workers and the grape boycott

Led by César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, fought for better pay and working conditions for Latino farmworkers. Their national grape boycott in the late 1960s and early '70s got millions of Americans to stop buying grapes, eventually forcing growers to negotiate.

Effects of the Civil Rights Movement

The Civil Rights Movement led to major legal changes like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It helped end segregation, increased Black voter registration, inspired other social movements (like women's and LGBTQ+ rights), and changed how Americans thought about equality and justice.

Stonewall Riot

In 1969, LGBTQ+ people fought back against a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. The protest turned into a multi-day riot and is considered the spark that started the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

Capitol Crawl

In 1990, disability rights activists crawled up the steps of the U.S. Capitol to show how inaccessible public spaces were.

Americans with Disabilities Act

A law that banned discrimination based on disability.

SNCC

A civil rights group made up mostly of young people and college students, active in sit-ins, Freedom Rides, and voter registration drives.

Little Rock Nine

Nine Black students chosen to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957, protected by federal troops.

Sit-ins

Peaceful protests where Black students sat at 'whites-only' lunch counters and refused to leave until served.

Urban riots

Violent riots in cities like Detroit, Watts, and Newark during the 1960s, sparked by police brutality, poverty, and racism.

Feminine Mystique

A book written by Betty Friedan in 1963 that described women's feelings of unfulfillment limited to housework and motherhood.

Assassination of Dr. King

The assassination of this major civil rights leader in 1968, which led to riots in over 100 cities and marked a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement.

Civil rights leaders' tactics

A mix of nonviolent protest, legal challenges, and direct action, including peaceful marches and civil disobedience.

Brown v. Board

A major court case won by the NAACP that fought segregation through the courts.

Causes of the Civil Rights Movement

Centuries of racism, Jim Crow laws, economic inequality, and violence against Black Americans.

Impact of the Civil Rights Movement

Inspired other groups to fight for their rights, including women, Hispanic farmworkers, LGBTQ+ rights, and Native Americans.

Vietcong

Communist guerrilla fighters in South Vietnam who fought against the U.S. and South Vietnamese government.

Birmingham marches

Public protests that contributed to the momentum of the Civil Rights Movement.

Women's Liberation Movement

A movement inspired by the Civil Rights Movement that pushed for women's equality in jobs and education.

César Chávez

A leader who organized Hispanic farmworkers for fair treatment.

Organized activism

Demonstrated that collective efforts could lead to real change.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Passed by Congress in 1964 after alleged attacks on U.S. ships, this gave President Johnson the power to use military force in Vietnam without declaring war.

1968 Democratic National Convention

Held in Chicago, this convention was marked by huge protests against the Vietnam War.

Invasion of Cambodia

In 1970, President Nixon secretly expanded the Vietnam War by sending troops into Cambodia to attack Vietcong bases.

Reasons to protest the war

People protested the Vietnam War because it seemed unjust, too long, and costly in lives and money.

Credibility Gap

This term describes the growing public distrust in the U.S. government during the Vietnam War because what officials said about the war didn't match what people saw on TV or in the news.

Problems in Diem's Government

Ngo Dinh Diem, South Vietnam's leader, was corrupt, brutal, and unpopular.

War Powers Act

Passed in 1973, this law limited the president's power to send U.S. troops into combat without Congressional approval.

Vietnamization

President Nixon's strategy to end U.S. involvement in Vietnam by gradually training and equipping South Vietnamese forces to fight on their own while slowly pulling American troops out.

Dien Bien Phu

In 1954, French forces were defeated at this last French fort in Vietnam by Vietnamese nationalists led by Ho Chi Minh.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

A network of jungle paths and roads from North Vietnam through Laos and Cambodia that the Vietcong used to move troops and supplies into South Vietnam.

Geneva Accords

A 1954 agreement that temporarily split Vietnam at the 17th parallel into communist North and non-communist South.

Tet Offensive

In 1968, the Vietcong and North Vietnamese launched a massive surprise attack across South Vietnam during the Tet holiday.

Gulf of Tonkin Incident

In 1964, U.S. naval ships reported being attacked by North Vietnamese forces in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Body Count Concept

During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military used the number of enemy soldiers killed (body count) as a way to measure progress.

Watergate

A political scandal in the early 1970s where President Nixon's administration tried to cover up a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters.

Results of the Vietnam War

The war ended in 1975 with North Vietnam taking over the South.

1968 Election

Richard Nixon won the presidency in a close and chaotic election year marked by assassinations, protests, and the Vietnam War.

Kent State

In 1970, during protests against the invasion of Cambodia, National Guard troops fired on students at Kent State University, killing four.

Pentagon Papers

A secret government study leaked in 1971 that revealed the U.S. had misled the public about the Vietnam War's progress and intentions.

Viet Minh

The nationalist group that fought the French for independence before the U.S. entered the Vietnam War.