modern history vocab

Watergate

A major political scandal in the 1970s involving a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and subsequent cover-up by President Nixon.

OPEC

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, formed in 1960, became influential in the 1970s by controlling oil production and prices.

Inflation

The rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services rises, eroding purchasing power.

Camp David Accords

A peace agreement reached in 1978 between Israel and Egypt, brokered by U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

Iran Hostage Crisis

A 444-day period from 1979 to 1981 where 52 American diplomats and citizens were held hostage by Iranian revolutionaries.

Terrorism

A tactic used by individuals or groups to achieve political goals through violence and fear.

Glasnost

A policy introduced by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1980s advocating for openness and transparency in government.

Apartheid

A system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa that lasted until the early 1990s.

NAFTA

The North American Free Trade Agreement, implemented in 1994, creating a trilateral trade bloc between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Election of 2000

A contentious presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore, notable for a Supreme Court decision on a Florida recount.

Al-Qaeda

A militant Islamist organization founded by Osama bin Laden in the late 1980s, known for its involvement in the September 11 attacks.

Jihad

An Islamic term often translated as "struggle" or "striving," interpreted variously as both personal spiritual struggle and armed struggle.

9-11

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, where hijackers from Al-Qaeda crashed planes into the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

PLO

The Palestine Liberation Organization, founded in 1964, aiming to establish a Palestinian state and recognized for its political efforts in the 1990s.

Globalization

The process through which businesses develop international influence or operate on an international scale.

American Indian Movement

An advocacy group founded in 1968 addressing issues related to sovereignty and social justice for Native Americans.

United Farm Workers

A labor union founded in the 1960s to represent migrant farmworkers, advocating for labor rights and better conditions.

Gray Panthers

An advocacy group established in 1970 focusing on issues affecting the elderly in America.

Wounded Knee (1973)

A 71-day standoff between the American Indian Movement and federal law enforcement that highlighted Native American rights.

DACA (2012)

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program allowing certain undocumented immigrants to receive temporary protection from deportation.