History final

Cold War

A period of tension and competition between the United States and Soviet Union after WWII without direct military conflict.

Yalta Conference

Meeting between Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin to discuss post-WWII plans and the future of Europe.

Potsdam Conference

Meeting after WWII where tensions between the United States and Soviet Union increased.

United Nations

International organization created after WWII to promote peace and cooperation.

Containment

U.S. policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy of providing aid to countries resisting communism.

Marshall Plan

Economic aid program to rebuild Europe after WWII and prevent the spread of communism.

NATO

Military alliance between the United States, Canada, and Western European nations.

Berlin Airlift

U.S. operation that supplied West Berlin after the Soviet Union blocked access to the city.

Korean War

War between communist North Korea and democratic South Korea; demonstrated the policy of containment.

MacArthur

U.S. general during the Korean War who was fired by Truman for challenging civilian control of the military.

Civilian Control of the Military

The principle that elected civilian leaders have authority over the military.

Democracy vs. Communism

Major ideological conflict that drove the Cold War.

Nuclear Competition

Arms race between the United States and Soviet Union to build and maintain nuclear weapons.

Growth of American Global Leadership

The expansion of U.S. influence in world affairs after WWII.

GI Bill

Law that provided veterans with education, housing, and other benefits after WWII.

Suburbanization

Growth of residential communities outside cities after WWII.

Baby Boom

Large increase in births between 1946 and 1964.

Interstate Highway System

National network of highways built under Eisenhower that improved transportation and commerce.

Sputnik

First artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.

Space Race

Competition between the United States and Soviet Union for achievements in space exploration.

National Defense Education Act

Law that increased funding for science, math, and foreign language education after Sputnik.

Brown v. Board of Education

Supreme Court case that declared school segregation unconstitutional.

Little Rock Nine

Nine African American students who integrated Central High School in Arkansas.

Growth and Prosperity

Economic expansion and rising standards of living during the 1950s.

Prosperity and Conformity

Economic success and acceptance of traditional social norms during the 1950s.

Federal vs. State Authority

Ongoing debate over the balance of power between national and state governments.

Cold War Competition Beyond the Battlefield

Competition in science, technology, education, and space exploration.

Civil Rights Movement

Movement seeking equal rights and an end to racial discrimination.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Civil rights leader who promoted nonviolent protest and civil disobedience.

Civil Disobedience

Peacefully breaking unjust laws to bring about social change.

Greensboro Sit-Ins

Nonviolent protests against segregated lunch counters in North Carolina.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Law that prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Law that protected voting rights and banned literacy tests.

Black Power

Movement emphasizing racial pride, self-determination, and empowerment.

Black Panthers

Organization that advocated African American self-defense and community programs.

Vietnam War

Conflict in Southeast Asia where the U.S. fought to prevent the spread of communism.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Congressional resolution that gave the president broad authority to expand U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

Draft

System requiring eligible men to serve in the military.

Kent State

Site where National Guard troops killed four student protesters in 1970.

Expanding Rights

The extension of freedoms and protections to more groups of Americans.

Protest as a Tool for Change

Use of demonstrations, marches, boycotts, and civil disobedience to achieve reform.

Growing Distrust of Government

Declining public confidence in government during and after Vietnam.

Détente

Relaxation of Cold War tensions between the United States and Soviet Union.

SALT I

Arms control agreement limiting certain nuclear weapons.

Opening China

Nixon's effort to improve relations with communist China in 1972.

Camp David Accords

Peace agreement between Egypt and Israel brokered by President Carter.

Watergate

Political scandal involving a break-in and cover-up connected to Nixon's administration.

Nixon Resignation

Nixon's decision to leave office in 1974 because of the Watergate scandal.

Ford Pardon

President Ford's pardon of Nixon for crimes related to Watergate.

Energy Crisis

Oil shortages and rising fuel prices during the 1970s.

Stagflation

Economic condition involving high inflation and high unemployment at the same time.

Iran Hostage Crisis

Event in which American hostages were held in Iran from 1979 to 1981.

Cesar Chavez

Labor leader who fought for the rights of farm workers.

United Farm Workers

Union that used strikes and boycotts to improve conditions for farm workers.

American Indian Movement (AIM)

Organization that advocated for Native American rights and sovereignty.

Occupation of Alcatraz

Native American protest that drew attention to tribal rights and broken treaties.

Tribal Sovereignty

The right of Native American tribes to govern themselves.

Public Trust and Government

The relationship between citizens' confidence and government actions.

Economic Challenges

Problems such as inflation, unemployment, and energy shortages.

Expanding Definitions of Civil Rights

The extension of rights movements to women, Latinos, Native Americans, and others.

Ronald Reagan

President associated with conservative policies and a stronger stance against the Soviet Union.

Reaganomics

Economic policy focused on tax cuts, deregulation, and supply-side economics.

Supply-Side Economics

The idea that lower taxes and fewer regulations encourage economic growth.

Conservative Movement

Political movement favoring limited government, lower taxes, traditional values, and a strong military.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

Proposed missile defense system designed to protect the U.S. from nuclear attack.

Iran-Contra Affair

Scandal involving secret arms sales to Iran and funding of Contra rebels.

AIDS Crisis

Major public health crisis during the 1980s and 1990s.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Last leader of the Soviet Union whose reforms helped end the Cold War.

Role of Government in the Economy

Debate over how much government should regulate and influence the economy.

Renewed Cold War Tensions

Increased conflict between the U.S. and USSR during the early Reagan years.

Conservative Resurgence

Revival of conservative political influence during the 1980s.

Fall of the Berlin Wall

1989 event symbolizing the end of Cold War divisions in Europe.

Collapse of the Soviet Union

1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union, ending the Cold War.

Gulf War

1991 war in which a U.S.-led coalition forced Iraq out of Kuwait.

Globalization

Increasing economic, political, and cultural connections among countries.

NAFTA

Trade agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Internet Revolution

Rapid growth of computers and internet technology during the 1990s.

Columbine

1999 school shooting that increased national concern about school violence.

America as Sole Superpower

The United States' position as the world's dominant power after the Cold War.

Economic Globalization

Increasing international trade and economic interdependence.

Technology and Communication

The impact of computers, cell phones, and the internet on society.

9/11

Terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on September 11, 2001.

War on Terror

U.S. campaign against terrorism launched after 9/11.

Afghanistan

Country invaded by the United States in 2001 to target Al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban.

Iraq War

U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 based on claims of weapons of mass destruction.

Patriot Act

Law that expanded government surveillance powers after 9/11.

Department of Homeland Security

Federal agency created after 9/11 to coordinate national security efforts.

Great Recession

Major economic downturn beginning in 2008 caused largely by the housing market collapse.

Security vs. Liberty

The debate over balancing national security with individual freedoms.

American Foreign Policy After the Cold War

Shift from containing communism to combating terrorism and regional threats.

Government Responses to Crisis

Actions taken by government during emergencies such as 9/11 and the Great Recession.

Equal Rights Movement

Movement seeking equal legal, political, and economic opportunities for women.

Gender Equality

The belief that people should have equal rights and opportunities regardless of gender.

Boycott

A protest strategy involving refusal to buy products or use services to create change.

Nonviolent Resistance

A method of protest that avoids violence while challenging injustice.

Arms Race

Competition between the United States and Soviet Union to develop stronger weapons.

Information Age

The modern era characterized by widespread use of computers and the internet.

Continuity and Change

Analysis of what changed and what stayed the same in the United States from 1945 to 2008.

Foreign Policy

Actions and strategies used by the United States in dealing with other countries.