APUSH Terms list 8B

American Indian Movement (AIM)

A civil rights organization founded in 1968 that aimed to address various issues affecting Native Americans, including sovereignty, treaty rights, and social justice.

Medicare

Federal health insurance program for people aged 65 and older

Tet Offensive

A major turning point in the Vietnam War, this was a coordinated series of attacks by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces on South Vietnamese cities on January 30, 1968.

Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers

This person was a labor leader and civil rights activist who co-founded the UFW in 1962 to advocate for the rights and better working conditions of farm workers.

Head Start

A program launched in 1965 designed to promote the school readiness of children from low-income families through education, health, and nutrition services.

Silent Majority

A term popularized by President Nixon to describe a large group of people in the United States who did not publicly voice their opinions but were believed to support his policies.

Stonewall Riot

A series of spontaneous demonstrations by the LGBTQ+ community in June 1969 in response to a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in New York City, marking a pivotal moment in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.

Immigration Reform Act 1965

Legislation that abolished an earlier quota system based on national origins and aimed to attract skilled labor while reuniting immigrant families.

Vietnamization

A policy initiated by the Nixon administration aimed at reducing American involvement in the Vietnam War by transferring military responsibilities to South Vietnamese forces.

Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique

A groundbreaking book published in 1963 that challenged the traditional roles of women in society and is credited with sparking the second wave of feminism in the United States.

Miranda v. Arizona

A landmark Supreme Court case from 1966 that established the requirement for police to inform individuals of their rights to silence and legal counsel during interrogations.

SALT II

a series of negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union in the late 1970s aimed at curbing the arms race, though it was never ratified.

National Organization of Women (NOW)

Founded in 1966, this is an American feminist organization advocating for equal rights and opportunities for women in various aspects of society.

Engel v. Vitale

A landmark Supreme Court case in 1962 that ruled it unconstitutional for state officials to compose an official school prayer and encourage recitation in public schools.

OPEC

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, established in 1960, is a group of oil-producing nations that coordinate their petroleum policies to manage oil production and pricing.

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

A proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that aimed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex, first introduced in 1923 and passed by Congress in 1972 but not ratified.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

A resolution passed by Congress in 1964 giving President Johnson authorization to use military force in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war.

Camp David Accords

A peace agreement brokered by President Carter in 1978 between Egypt and Israel, leading to Egypt's recognition of Israel and the return of the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt.

Warren Court

The period during which Earl Warren served as Chief Justice of the United States (1953-1969), noted for its decisions advancing civil rights, voting rights, and the rights of the accused.

Great Society

A set of domestic programs launched by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960s aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice in the United States.

Iranian hostage crisis

A diplomatic standoff from 1979 to 1981 in which between 66 and 52 American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 444 days at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

Three Mile Island

A nuclear accident that occurred on March 28, 1979, in Pennsylvania, resulting in the partial meltdown of a reactor; it raised public concern about the safety of nuclear power.

Silent Spring

A landmark book published in 1962 by Rachel Carson that documented the detrimental effects of pesticide use on the environment, raising awareness about environmental issues.

Phyllis Schlafly

A conservative activist known for her opposition to the feminist movement and the Equal Rights Amendment, advocating for traditional gender roles.

War Powers Act

A 1973 law intended to check the president's power to commit the U.S. to armed conflict without congressional approval, requiring the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of military action.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

An agency of the U.S. federal government established in 1970 to protect human health and the environment by enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress.

Watergate

A political scandal in the 1970s involving a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and subsequent cover-up efforts by the Nixon administration, leading to Nixon's resignation.

Nixon Doctrine

A foreign policy approach articulated by President Nixon that emphasized U.S. support for allies in defending themselves, rather than direct military involvement.

Roe v. Wade

A landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that established a woman's legal right to have an abortion, ruling that state laws banning abortions were unconstitutional.

Moscow Olympics

The 1980 Summer Olympics held in Moscow, which were boycotted by several countries, including the U.S., in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

SALT I

signed in 1972 between the U.S. and the USSR, which limited the number of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapon systems.

Medicade

A government program that provides health coverage to low-income individuals and families in the United States.