Unit 12 Review

John F. Kennedy

Democratic president elected in 1961 whose presidency was marked by the Cuban missile crisis and some Civil Rights progress; assassinated in 1963

Fidel Castro

Communist leader of the Cuban Revolution; took power of Cuba in 1959

Bay of Pigs

1961; Failed invasion of Cuba that humiliated the U.S. on the world stage

Cuban Missile Crisis

1962; escalation of arms race that eventually leads to Cuban and Turkish missiles being installed; near-apocalypse scenario

Sit-ins

1960; type of protest that originated from Greensboro, NC where students would sit in segregated, white-only areas of cafés and lunch counters

SNCC

(abbr.) Committee that was taken in a more radical direction by Stokely Carmichael in 1966, leading to more divisions within the Civil Rights movement

James Meredith

1962; first African-American student admitted to the University of Mississippi, with help from the U.S. government, and in spite of the Ole Miss riot

Birmingham Campaign

1963; series of protests against segregation organized with the assistance of King and the SCLC, including the Children's Crusade

Freedom Rides

1961; series of rides sponsored by CORE and the SNCC that carried civil rights activists into the Deep South in mixed-race groups, therefore protesting the segregation laws there

March on Washington

1963; Demonstration for Civil Rights where King gives his "I Have a Dream" speech

Lyndon B. Johnson

Democratic president elected in 1963 whose presidency was marked by civil rights legislation and escalation of involvement in the Vietnam War

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Legislation passed under the Johnson presidency that eliminated poll taxes

"Bloody Sunday"

1965; planned march in Selma, AL turned bloody after police attacks; leads to national outrage and further demonstrations

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Legislation passed under the Johnson presidency that eliminated literacy tests

The Great Society

Reform programs created under Johnson's domestic policy that aimed to end poverty and discrimination, and provide education and job opportunities

War on Poverty

Great Society Programs created under the Economic Opportunities Act (1964), including VISTA, the Neighborhood Youth Corps, Head Start, and Neighborhood Legal Services

Vietnam

Country in Southeast Asia that faced a civil war with significant U.S. involvement for roughly two decades, with escalation in 1965

Ho Chi Minh

Vietnamese leader who defeated French forces at Dien Bien Phu and later led North Vietnam to victory during the Vietnam War

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

(1964); legislation created by Congress that allowed Johnson to increase involvement in Vietnam significantly without legally declaring war; never repealed

Counterculture

1960s social movement that advocated for an alternative lifestyle and against traditional American values

the New Left

1962; political movement formed by the Port Huron statement that advocated for racial justice, anti-war policies, and disarmament

Malcolm X

Civil Rights figure who had a large influence on the Black Power movement; initially joined the Nation of Islam, but was suspended and later assassinated by its members in 1965

Black Power Movement

Movement that advocated for a more immediate response to white supremacy and the severance of dependency of blacks on whites

Red Power Movement

Movement influenced by the Black Power movement that advocated for the rights of Indian-Americans, including to their own land and education

Chicano Movement

Movement influenced by the Black Power movement that aimed to combat discrimination and the creation of a new cultural identity for Mexican-Americans

Cesar Chavez

leader of the Union Farm Workers (UFW) who advocated for better rights for farm workers through the organization of protests and boycotts

Women's Movement

Social movement ("second wave of feminism") that advocated for women's rights, focusing on equal opportunities in education and employment, as well as criticism of social norms

The Feminine Mystique

1963; Book written by Betty Friedan that led to the rise of second-wave feminism in the U.S.

NOW

(abbr.) Feminist organization that aimed to achieve equal rights of women

Rachel Carson

Author whose book "Silent Spring" (1962) brought attention to the dangers of pesticide and chemical use, which would later influence legislation under Nixon

Altamont

1969; concert that featured the Rolling Stones, but also lead to fighting and one death; signaled the dark side of '60s youth culture

"credibility gap"

the growing distrust between the U.S. government and the people that resulted from officials stating misleading statistics regarding the status of the Vietnam War

Tet Offensive

1968; attack during the Vietnam War that was the political turning point and severely damaged American public opinion regarding the war

My Lai

1969; massacre committed by U.S. troops that was displayed to the American public by reporter Seymour Hersh

Hubert Humphrey

Vice president under Lyndon B. Johnson who was the Democratic nominee for the election of 1968; lost

Richard Nixon

Republican president elected in 1968 whose presidency was marked by foreign policy and scandal

Vietnamization

Nixon's process of gradually withdrawing U.S. troops in place of South Vietnamese troops during the Vietnam War

Kent State

1970; Ohio university where a deadly Vietnam War protest took place; four students killed

Kerner Commission

1967; created by Johnson to investigate the causes of urban riots; found the cause to be black poverty

Richard Daley

Mayor of Chicago who directed the National Guard to fight against protesters near the Democratic National Convention in 1968

détente

Policy that signaled the easing of Cold War tensions during the Nixon presidency

OPEC

(abbr.) Organization of countries that put an embargo on oil to the U.S. in 1973, in response to U.S. involvement in Middle East affairs

Pentagon Papers

A report commissioned by the Defense Department that detailed how several presidents repeatedly deceived the public on the status of the Vietnam War; eventually leaked

War Powers Resolution

1973; Resolution passed in response to Nixon's secret invasion of Cambodia during the Vietnam War; attempted to limit the amount of power the president had on deploying troops

Watergate

1972; Scandal where five men attempted to bug the DNC building; ruins Nixon's reputation and American trust in government

Sun Belt

U.S. region of southeastern and southwestern states such as California that had relaxed regulations, low tax rates, and anti-union laws, leading to increased industrial investment and economic growth

Rust Belt

U.S. region of Midwestern and northeastern states such as Michigan that saw a massive loss of industrial jobs and factories as they moved to other locations

Roe v. Wade

1973; Supreme Court case that legalized abortion up until the third trimester

Stonewall

1969; uprising in New York where gay bar patrons fought for their rights against a police raid

ERA

(abbr.) Amendment that would have granted equal rights to all regardless of sex; does not pass

Phyllis Schlafly

Activist who campaigned against the ERA and successfully prevented it from passing

Jimmy Carter

Democratic president elected in 1976 whose presidency was marked by a struggling economy and foreign policy successes and failures

Camp David Accords

1978; agreement met between the PM of Israel and the President of Egypt (brokered through Carter) that stated that Egypt recognized Israel and that Israel would give self-government to Palestine

Iranian Hostage Crisis

1979; Iranians seize the U.S. embassy in Tehran and hold 52 Americans hostage; leads to Carter becoming even more unpopular