8.9 to 8.14

Lyndon Johnson

36th U.S. President who launched the 'Great Society' to eliminate poverty and racial injustice.

Great Society

A set of domestic programs by Johnson aimed at ending poverty, improving education, healthcare, and urban areas.

The Other America

A book by Michael Harrington that exposed poverty in the U.S., influencing LBJ’s War on Poverty.

Michael Harrington

Author and activist who wrote 'The Other America', which helped inspire Johnson's anti-poverty programs.

War on Poverty

A series of initiatives to reduce poverty, including Head Start, Job Corps, and food stamps.

Barry Goldwater

Conservative senator and 1964 Republican presidential nominee who opposed Johnson’s liberal programs.

National Foundation on Arts and Humanities

Created to fund cultural and artistic development in the U.S.

Medicare

Federal health insurance for people 65 and older, part of Johnson’s Great Society.

Medicaid

Health insurance for low-income individuals and families, also part of the Great Society.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act

Gave federal funding to public schools, especially those in low-income areas.

Department of Transportation (DOT)

Created in 1966 to oversee federal transportation programs.

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Oversees federal housing programs and urban development.

Ralph Nader

Consumer advocate who pushed for safer products, especially cars.

Unsafe at Any Speed

Nader’s book exposing dangers in car design, which led to automobile safety reforms.

Rachel Carson

Environmentalist whose work helped launch the environmental movement.

Silent Spring

Carson’s 1962 book warning of the dangers of pesticides like DDT.

Beautify America

First Lady Lady Bird Johnson’s campaign to improve public spaces with trees, flowers, and clean-up programs.

Immigration Act of 1965

Ended quotas based on national origins; allowed more immigrants from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

James Meredith

First African American student admitted to the University of Mississippi; needed federal protection.

George Wallace

Governor of Alabama; pro-segregationist who famously said 'Segregation now, segregation forever.'

Martin Luther King Jr.

Civil rights leader who advocated nonviolence; led the Montgomery Bus Boycott and March on Washington.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

MLK’s written defense of civil disobedience against unjust laws.

“I Have a Dream” speech

MLK’s famous 1963 speech promoting racial harmony and equality.

Civil Rights Act (1964)

Banned segregation in public places and discrimination in employment based on race, religion, sex, or origin.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Enforces laws against workplace discrimination.

24th Amendment

Abolished poll taxes in federal elections.

March to Montgomery

Also known as 'Bloody Sunday'; march for voting rights met with violence in Selma, AL.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Outlawed literacy tests and ensured federal oversight of voter registration in some states.

Black Muslim

Term often used for members of the Nation of Islam, advocating black nationalism and self-reliance.

Malcolm X

Nation of Islam leader who later embraced more global human rights ideas; assassinated in 1965.

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

Youth-led civil rights group that later embraced Black Power.

Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)

Civil rights organization that used nonviolent protests; involved in Freedom Rides.

Stokely Carmichael

Leader of SNCC who popularized the phrase 'Black Power.'

Black Panthers

Militant group that advocated self-defense, community programs, and ending police brutality.

Watts

Neighborhood in LA where a major race riot broke out in 1965 due to police brutality and economic frustration.

Race riots

Violent outbreaks in cities during the 1960s due to racial tensions and inequality.

Kerner Commission

Government investigation that concluded racism was the root cause of urban riots.

De facto segregation

Segregation by unwritten customs or social norms, not by law.

Women’s movement

Social movement seeking equal rights and opportunities for women.

Betty Friedan

Author of 'The Feminine Mystique'; co-founder of NOW.

The Feminine Mystique

Book that challenged traditional roles of women and inspired the women’s rights movement.

National Organization for Women (NOW)

Leading feminist organization fighting for gender equality.

Equal Pay Act of 1963

Law requiring equal pay for equal work regardless of gender.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

(Also relevant here) Prohibited discrimination based on sex as well as race.

Title IX

Banned sex discrimination in federally funded education programs, including sports.

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

Proposed amendment to guarantee equal rights regardless of sex; not ratified.

Cesar Chavez

Labor leader who organized farm workers for better pay and conditions.

United Farm Workers Association

Union founded by Chavez to improve working conditions for farm laborers.

Hispanic Americans

Fought for civil rights, representation, and labor reforms.

American Indian Movement (AIM)

Activist group advocating Native American rights and sovereignty.

Indian Self-Determination Act of 1975

Gave tribes more control over their own affairs and federal programs.

Asian Americans

Sought redress for internment, equality in education and representation.

Gay rights movement

Advocated for LGBTQ+ rights, gaining momentum after events like the Stonewall Riots.

Warren Court

Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren; known for expanding civil liberties.

Mapp v. Ohio

Ruled that illegally obtained evidence cannot be used in court (exclusionary rule).

Gideon v. Wainwright

Guaranteed right to a lawyer, even if the defendant can’t afford one.

Escobedo v. Illinois

Ruled that suspects have the right to a lawyer during police questioning.

Miranda v. Arizona

Established Miranda rights (right to remain silent, right to an attorney).

Reapportionment

Redrawing legislative districts to reflect population changes.

Baker v. Carr

A Supreme Court case that said federal courts can rule on how states draw their voting districts.

One man, one vote

Principle that legislative districts must have equal populations.

Yates v. United States

Protected radical speech unless it posed a 'clear and present danger.'

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)

Student activist group advocating participatory democracy.

New Left

A youth-led political movement in the 1960s that wanted social change, civil rights, and an end to the Vietnam War. They believed in equality, peace, and more say for people in politics.

Free Speech Movement

1964 protest at UC Berkeley demanding freedom of expression on campus.

Democratic Convention (1968)

Chaotic event marked by protests against the Vietnam War.

Yippies

Youth International Party; used humor and theatrics in radical protests.

Weather Underground

Radical offshoot of SDS that used violent tactics to protest U.S. policies.

Counterculture

Rejected mainstream values; emphasized peace, love, communal living, and anti-materialism.

Folk music

music Genre linked to protest and social movements (e.g., Bob Dylan, Joan Baez).

Rock music

Became a voice of youth rebellion; artists like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin.

Woodstock

1969 music festival symbolizing peace, love, and counterculture ideals.

Alfred Kinsey

Sex researcher whose reports challenged traditional views on sexuality.

Sexual revolution

Movement rejecting traditional sexual norms; promoted open discussion of sex.

Rachel Carson

(Repeated from earlier) Author of 'Silent Spring'; sparked modern environmentalism.

Silent Spring

Book warning about environmental damage from pesticides.

Paul Ehrlich

Author of 'The Population Bomb' warning of overpopulation and resource depletion.

The Population Bomb

Ehrlich’s book warning about overpopulation and its environmental consequences.

Three Mile Island

1979 nuclear accident in Pennsylvania that heightened fears of nuclear energy.

Earth Day

First celebrated in 1970 to raise awareness of environmental issues.

“Earthrise”

Famous photo from Apollo 8 that inspired global environmental awareness.

Wilderness Act

1964 law preserving millions of acres of wild federal land.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Created in 1970 to enforce environmental laws and protect public health.

Clean Air Act

Regulated air emissions from industries and vehicles.

Clean Water Act

Law aimed at reducing water pollution in lakes, rivers, and streams.

Superfund Act

1980 law for cleaning up toxic waste sites.

Endangered Species Act

Law protecting species at risk of extinction.

Emissions

Pollutants released into the air by vehicles, factories, etc.

Greenhouse gases

Gases that trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere (e.g., CO₂, methane).

Climate change

Long-term shifts in weather patterns largely due to greenhouse gas emissions.

Antinuclear movement

Protest movement opposing nuclear weapons and energy.

Richard Nixon

37th President; ended U.S. involvement in Vietnam, resigned due to Watergate scandal.

Silent majority

Nixon’s term for Americans who supported traditional values and were not vocal protestors.

Southern strategy

Nixon’s plan to gain political support from Southern whites by appealing to conservative values.

Watergate

Scandal involving a break-in at the DNC and Nixon’s cover-up; led to his resignation.

“Plumbers”

Nixon’s secret operatives who stopped leaks and sabotaged opponents.

Impeachment

Formal process to remove a president; Nixon resigned before this could occur.

Gerald Ford

Who is the president after Nixon’s resignation; and pardoned Nixon.

Jimmy Carter

39th President; struggled with economic issues and the Iran hostage crisis.

Imperial presidency

a term to describe a situcation where the president has too much power, acting like a king by bypassing Congress and making decisions without proper checks and balances.