end of wwii to cold war

Cold War

Conflict between the U.S. and USSR after WWII, centered around capitalism vs. communism; characterized by tension, arms race, and proxy wars.

Containment

U.S. Cold War policy to stop the spread of communism abroad through military, political, and economic means.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. promise to aid countries like Greece and Turkey to prevent the spread of communism.

Military Industrial Complex

Eisenhower’s warning about the close relationship between the military and defense industries influencing government policy

Berlin Blockade

Soviet attempt to cut off access to West Berlin in 1948; U.S. responded with the Berlin Airlift to supply the city.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization; a military alliance between the U.S. and European nations to counter Soviet power.

Korean War

War between North (communist) and South Korea (U.S.

Domino Theory

Belief that if one country fell to communism, nearby nations would follow.

Bay of Pigs

Failed U.S. -backed invasion of Cuba by exiles to overthrow Fidel Castro; major embarrassment for the Kennedy administration.

NASA

U.S. space agency created in response to Soviet achievements like Sputnik during the space race.

Space Race

Competition between the U.S. and USSR to lead in space exploration; led to increased focus on science and education in the U.S.

Cuban Missile Crisis

1962 standoff between the U.S. and USSR over Soviet missiles in Cuba; resolved peacefully with a U.S. blockade and negotiation.

Detente

Period of relaxed tensions between the U.S. and USSR/China in the 1970s.

SALT

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks; agreements to reduce and limit nuclear weapons between the U.S. and USSR.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Gave President Johnson authority to escalate U.S. involvement in Vietnam after reported attacks on U.S. ships.

Vietnamization

Nixon’s strategy to withdraw U.S. troops and transfer the war effort to South Vietnamese forces.

End of Vietnam War

U.S. troops withdrew in 1973; South Vietnam fell to communist North Vietnam in 1975.

War Powers Act (1974)

Law that limited the president’s ability to send troops without Congressional approval, in response to Vietnam.

Dien Bien Phu

Battle in which Vietnamese forces defeated the French, leading to U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

Great Migration

Movement of African Americans from the rural South to northern cities for jobs and better opportunities.

Japanese Internment

Forcible relocation of Japanese Americans during WWII due to fears after Pearl Harbor.

Korematsu v. U.S.

Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of Japanese internment during WWII.

Zoot Suit Riots

Series of violent clashes in Los Angeles between U.S. servicemen and Mexican American youth.

Bracero Program

Program that brought Mexican laborers to the U.S. during WWII to fill agricultural jobs.

Rosie the Riveter

Symbol of women working in factories during WWII, representing female empowerment.

Baby Boom

Post

Suburbs

Residential areas outside cities; grew rapidly after WWII as people sought single

Levittown

Mass

Rust Belt to Sun Belt

Migration of people from industrial North/Midwest to South and West due to jobs and warmer climate.

GI Bill

Provided education and housing benefits to WWII veterans; helped expand the middle class.

Affluent Society

Term used to describe postwar America’s consumer

2nd Red Scare

Period of intense fear of communism in the U.S. after WWII, affecting politics and society.

McCarthyism

Accusations of communist sympathies by Senator Joseph McCarthy; led to widespread fear and blacklisting.

HUAC

House Un

White Flight

Migration of white families from urban areas to suburbs, often in response to desegregation.

Consumerism

Culture focused on buying goods and services, which became dominant in postwar America.

Television Society

Rise of TV as a dominant medium that shaped national culture and promoted shared experiences.

Counterculture

Youth movement in the 1960s rejecting mainstream values; associated with hippies, peace, and social change.

Feminine Mystique

Book by Betty Friedan that challenged traditional gender roles and inspired the women’s movement.

NOW

National Organization for Women; fought for women’s rights and equality in work, education, and law.

Roe v. Wade

Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion nationwide.

ERA

Equal Rights Amendment; proposed to ban gender discrimination, but was not ratified.

Brown v. Board of Education

Supreme Court case that ended segregation in public schools.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

Year-long protest led by Rosa Parks and MLK against bus segregation in Montgomery, Alabama.

Little Rock Nine

Group of Black students who integrated Central High School in Arkansas under federal protection.

Desegregation Policies

Federal efforts to enforce school desegregation following Brown v. Board.

Freedom Riders

Civil rights activists who rode buses in the South to protest segregation in public transportation.

Black Power

Movement that emphasized racial pride, economic empowerment, and self

Civil Rights Acts/Voting Rights Acts of the 1960s

Laws that ended segregation and removed barriers to voting for African Americans.

UFW

United Farm Workers; labor union led by Cesar Chavez to improve conditions for farmworkers.

Cesar Chavez

Leader of the UFW who used nonviolent protests to fight for farmworker rights.

AIM

American Indian Movement; protested injustices against Native Americans and advocated for rights and land.

Stonewall Riots

1969 LGBTQ+ protest against police raids at a gay bar in NYC; launched modern gay rights movement.

Nixon and Watergate

Scandal involving break

SDI

Strategic Defense Initiative (“Star Wars”); Reagan's missile defense plan during the Cold War.

Reaganomics

Economic policy of tax cuts, deregulation, and reduced government spending to stimulate growth.

Moral Majority

Conservative Christian political group that supported Reagan and pushed for “family values.”

NAFTA

North American Free Trade Agreement; eliminated trade barriers between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Globalization

Growth of global economic interdependence through trade and communication.

End of Cold War

Fall of Berlin Wall and collapse of the USSR; marked the end of Cold War tensions.

Y2K

Widespread concern that computers would fail at the turn of the year 2000; few problems actually occurred.

Pearl Harbor

Japanese attack on U.S. base in Hawaii in 1941; brought U.S. into WWII.

End of WWI

Treaty of Versailles ended the war but placed harsh penalties on Germany, contributing to WWII.

Manhattan Project

Secret U.S. program to develop the atomic bomb during WWII.

Hiroshima/Nagasaki

Japanese cities where the U.S. dropped atomic bombs; led to Japan’s surrender in WWII.

VE & VJ Day

Victory in Europe (May 1945) and Victory over Japan (August 1945); ended WWII.

Atomic Bomb

Powerful nuclear weapon developed in WWII; changed warfare and international politics.

Great Society

Lyndon B. Johnson’s domestic programs focused on eliminating poverty and racial injustice.

Medicare and Medicaid

Great Society programs providing health care for the elderly and low

Mend Act

Expanded aid for medical education and health professions (part of Great Society).

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Created under the Great Society to address urban issues.

Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA)

Domestic peace corps program fighting poverty in the U.S.

Political Action Committees

Organizations that raise and spend money to influence elections and legislation.