American History: 2nd Semester Exam Review Flashcards

These flashcards cover vocabulary related to the Late Cold War, the Vietnam War, social movements of the 1960s, environmentalism, the end of the Cold War, and modern American history post-9/11.

Sputnik

The first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union, which triggered the Space Race during the Cold War.

National Defense Education Act

Locally enacted legislation passed in response to the Sputnik launch to bolster science, math, and foreign language education in the U.S.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

A failed 1961 attempt by U.S.-backed Cuban exiles to invade Cuba and overthrow Fidel Castro.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 1962 confrontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over the presence of nuclear missiles in Cuba.

Warren Commission

The official government investigation that concluded Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Lee Harvey Oswald

The individual identified as the assassin of President John F. Kennedy.

Jack Ruby

The Dallas nightclub owner who shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald while he was in police custody.

C.I.A.

The Central Intelligence Agency, which conducted covert operations such as Operation Ajax during the Cold War.

Operation Ajax

A covert operation by the C.I.A. to overthrow the democratically elected leader of Iran in 1953.

Blowback

The unintended, often negative, consequences of secret intelligence or military operations.

Ngo Dinh Diem

The anti-communist leader of South Vietnam who was supported by the United States before being assassinated in 1963.

Ho Chi Minh

The communist leader of North Vietnam who sought to unify the country.

Vietcong

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

Ho Chi Minh Trail

A network of supply routes through Laos and Cambodia used by North Vietnam to send troops and supplies to the Vietcong in the south.

Elephant v. Tiger

Ho Chi Minh's military strategy stating that if the North Vietnamese (Tiger) kept moving and bleeding the U.S. (Elephant), the U.S. would eventually leave.

Gulf of Tonkin Incident

The 1964 event involving reported attacks on U.S. destroyers that led to major U.S. military escalation in Vietnam.

Operation Rolling Thunder

The first sustained U.S. bombing campaign against North Vietnam.

Conscription

The compulsory enlistment of people into military service, commonly known as the draft.

Beat Movement

A 1950s cultural movement that rejected mainstream conformity and influenced the later counterculture.

Hippie Movement

A 1960s counterculture movement characterized by a rejection of conventional social norms and support for peace and love.

Tet Offensive

A massive 1968 surprise attack by the Vietcong and North Vietnamese that turned U.S. public opinion against the war.

Vietnamization

President Nixon's policy of gradually withdrawing U.S. troops and replacing them with South Vietnamese forces.

Kent State Protest

A 1970 anti-war demonstration where National Guard troops fired into a crowd, killing four students.

War Powers Resolution

A 1973 law intended to limit the President's power to deploy U.S. military forces without Congressional approval.

My Lai Massacre

A 1968 incident where U.S. troops murdered hundreds of unarmed South Vietnamese civilians.

Silent Spring

A landmark book by Rachel Carson that warned against the environmental dangers of pesticides like DDT.

Rachel Carson

The marine biologist and author of Silent Spring who is credited with launching the modern environmental movement.

EPA

The Environmental Protection Agency, a federal body created to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment.

Cuyahoga River Fire

A 1969 event where a heavily polluted river in Ohio caught fire, drawing national attention to environmental issues.

Watergate Scandal

A political scandal involving a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and a subsequent cover-up by the Nixon administration.

Berlin Wall

A physical barrier built by East Germany to separate East Berlin from West Berlin and prevent citizens from fleeing to the West.

SDI

Strategic Defense Initiative, also known as Star Wars; Reagan's proposed space-based missile defense system.

National Security Directive 75

A shift in Cold War policy under the Reagan administration that aimed to actively roll back Soviet influence.

9/11 Attacks

A series of coordinated terrorist attacks by Al Qaeda on September 11, 2001, targeting the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Department of Homeland Security

A cabinet-level department created after 9/11 to coordinate national efforts against terrorism.

PATRIOT Act

Legislation passed after 9/11 that expanded the government's authority to monitor communications and conduct surveillance to prevent terrorism.

Operation Enduring Freedom

The U.S.-led military mission in Afghanistan launched in 2001 to remove the Taliban and destroy Al Qaeda.

Taliban

The fundamentalist Islamic group that controlled Afghanistan and provided a safe haven for Al Qaeda before the 2001 U.S. invasion.

2003 Iraq War

A U.S.-led invasion of Iraq intended to remove Saddam Hussein from power and eliminate suspected weapons of mass destruction.

Saddam Hussein

The dictator of Iraq who was deposed during the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

Al Qaeda

The international terrorist network responsible for several attacks including 9/11, led by Osama bin Laden.

Abu Ghraib

A prison in Iraq where U.S. military personnel were found to have committed human rights violations against detainees.