Chapters 23-26

Taft-Hartley Act (1947)

Outlawed "closed" (all-union) shops, made unions liable for damages from disputes, and required non-communist oaths for union leaders.

Civil Rights (Executive Order 9981)

Abolished racial discrimination in the U.S. Armed Forces, leading to desegregation.

GI Bill

Provided educational and financial benefits to WWII veterans.

Emergence of the Sunbelt

South & Southwest migration due to central air conditioning.

Levittown and suburbia

Mass-produced homes in suburban communities.

Baby Boom

Surge in births post-WWII, adding 50 million to the population.

Dr

Pediatrician and author guiding child-rearing practices post-WWII.

Truman’s Loyalty Program

Required loyalty checks for federal employees to prevent communist affiliations.

The Fair Deal

Initiatives to expand social welfare, civil rights, and affordable housing.

Anti-Communist Crusade

Campaigns to raise awareness about communism domestically.

Long Telegram by George Kennan

Advocated for toughness against Soviet nationalism.

Truman Doctrine

Provided aid to countries threatened by communism.

Marshall Plan

Economic assistance to rebuild war-torn Europe and prevent communism.

National Security Act

Restructured U.S. military and intelligence agencies.

Berlin Airlift

U.S. response to Soviet influence in Germany during the Berlin Crisis.

Korean War

Conflict between North and South Korea supported by different powers.

Warren Court

Supreme Court decisions expanding liberalism and ending segregation.

Interstate Highway System

Network of highways for transportation and defense purposes.

Duck & Cover

Civil defense campaign for protection during a nuclear attack.

U-2 Incident

Spy plane incident heightening tensions during the Cold War.

Great Society & Liberalism

Government intervention to promote social welfare.

War on Poverty

Reduce poverty through programs like the Office of Economic Opportunity.

Civil Rights Act (1964)

Outlawed segregation in public spaces and employment discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, or national origin.

Job Corps (1964)

Provided vocational training and employment opportunities for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Medicaid & Medicare (1965)

Medicaid for low-income individuals and families, Medicare for elderly and disabled individuals.

Affirmative Action

Promoting equal opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups, considering factors like race in decision-making.

Thurgood Marshall

Prominent civil rights lawyer and the first African American Supreme Court Justice.

New Federalism

Offered federal "block grants" to states for spending as they saw fit, returning power and tax dollars to states and cities.

Watergate Scandal

Illegal break-in at the Democratic National Committee offices in 1972 by Nixon's reelection campaign staff.

Apollo 11 (1969)

Successfully landed the first humans on the moon, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.

Nixon Doctrine

Emphasized other countries taking more responsibility for defense, with the US providing support and assistance.

Helsinki Accords

Signed in 1975 to improve relations between East and West during the Cold War and address human rights, security, and cooperation.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964)

Authorized the US president to take "all necessary measures" to repel armed attack in Vietnam. Only two senators voted against the blank check.

Operation Rolling Thunder

A systematic bombing campaign against North Vietnam to provide a moral boost to South Vietnam forces.

Educational Deferments, the draft

College students were exempted from the war draft, leading to the burden of fighting falling on the poor.

Weapons used (napalm, Agent Orange)

US utilized napalm and Agent Orange to destroy forests and burn people's skin in Vietnam.

Tet Offensive (1968) as a turning point

Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops launched uprisings in South Vietnam, impacting American confidence.

My Lai Massacre (1968)

American troops killed 350 South Vietnamese civilians, directed by Lieutenant William Calley.

Vietnamization

Policy where American troops would be withdrawn gradually while South Vietnamese soldiers took over the fighting.

Pentagon Papers (1971)

Revealed government deception about the Vietnam War.

Paris Peace Agreement (1973)

Negotiated settlement leading to the final withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam.

Civil Rights Act (1964)

Prohibited discrimination in public places based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Stonewall Riots

Spontaneous demonstrations by LGBTQ+ community members in response to a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in NYC in June 1969.

Cesar Chavez & United Farm Workers

Advocates for Latino farmworkers' rights, improved working conditions, and better wages in agriculture.

Delano grape strikes (1965 – 1970)

Led by Filipino American farmworkers to enhance working conditions and wages in California's grape industry.

American Indian Movement (1968)

Advocated for Native American rights, including land rights and cultural preservation.

Red Power Movement

Showed a sense of pan-Indian identity among American Indians in the late 1960s.

Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962)

Raised awareness about the harmful effects of pesticides, especially DDT, on the environment and human health.

Clean Air Act (1970)

Established air quality standards, regulated emissions, and promoted cleaner technologies.

Warren Court (1953 – 1969)

A period marked by significant Supreme Court decisions like Brown v. Board of Education and Hernandez v. Texas.

Gideon v

Ensured the right to an attorney for individuals who couldn't afford one.

Loving v

Struck down state laws prohibiting interracial marriage.