Topic 16 & 17 JFK/LBJ/Vietnam War Flashcards

A comprehensive vocabulary set covering the administrations of JFK and LBJ, as well as the key terms, tactics, and social impact of the Vietnam War.

New Frontier

JFK’s domestic policy focusing on economic growth, education, and civil rights.

Peace Corps

A volunteer program initiated under JFK to help developing nations.

Alliance for Progress

An aid program for Latin America established during the Kennedy administration.

Berlin Wall

Built in 1961, it divided East Berlin (Communist) and West Berlin (Democratic).

Great Society

LBJ’s domestic programs aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice.

War on Poverty

Social programs created by LBJ to assist the poor.

Project Head Start

An early childhood education program for low-income families.

VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America)

A program that sent volunteers to poor communities in cities and rural regions to assist with education, job training, and community development.

Medicare & Medicaid

Healthcare programs established under LBJ for the elderly and low-income individuals.

Geneva Accords

A 1954 agreement that split Vietnam into North and South.

Vietcong

Communist fighters from South Vietnam who supported North Vietnam and used guerrilla warfare.

Guerrilla warfare

A combat style relying on surprise attacks, ambushes, and hit-and-run tactics instead of traditional battles.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964)

Legislation that gave LBJ broad military powers.

Operation Rolling Thunder

A massive and sustained aerial bombing campaign by the United States against North Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

A secret supply route used by North Vietnam to send troops, weapons, and supplies to the Vietcong in South Vietnam.

Domino Theory

The idea that if one country fell to Communism, the surrounding countries would also fall.

Search and Destroy Missions

U.S. tactics where soldiers looked for enemy fighters in villages or jungles and destroyed supplies, tunnels, or villages if Vietcong were found.

Napalm & Agent Orange

Chemical weapons used by the U.S. during the Vietnam War.

Tet Offensive (1968)

A North Vietnamese surprise attack that turned U.S. public opinion against the war.

Hawks vs. Doves

The division between those who were pro-war (Hawks) and those who were anti-war (Doves).

Silent Majority

President Nixon’s term for his appeal to mainstream Americans.

Credibility Gap

The distrust in government reporting caused by the impact of television coverage on the Vietnam War.

Pentagon Papers

Documents leaked by Daniel Ellsberg that revealed government deception regarding the war.

Conscientious objectors

Individuals who refused to fight in the Vietnam War because of their moral, religious, or personal beliefs against violence.

Draft

A system used by the U.S. government to force men into military service.

Generation Gap

The cultural and political differences between young people, who often opposed the war, and older generations.

Kent State Shootings (1970)

An event where the National Guard killed student protesters.

Woodstock

A 1969 festival that symbolized the counterculture movement.