Unit 8/9 ID

Truman Doctrine (1947)

Definition: U.S. policy to provide economic and military aid to nations resisting communism

Yalta Conference (1945)

Definition: WWII meeting between Churchill (UK)

Marshall Plan (1948-1952)

Definition: U.S. program providing economic aid to European countries to rebuild after WWII and prevent communism.Significance: Strengthened U.S. alliances and weakened Soviet influence in Western Europe.

NATO (1949)

Definition: North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Earl Warren (1891-1974)

Definition: Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1953-1969)

Generation Gap

Definition: Differences in values and attitudes between younger and older generations

Military-Industrial Complex (1961)

Definition: Term used by President Eisenhower to warn against excessive military spending and defense contractors' influence on government policy.Significance: Highlighted concerns about war-driven economies.

NSC-68 (1950)

Definition: National Security Council document calling for a major expansion of U.S. military forces to counter Soviet threats.Significance: Shaped Cold War policies and led to increased defense spending.

Move to Sunbelt

Definition: Post-WWII migration from the Northeast and Midwest to the South and West due to economic opportunities and warm climates.Significance: Shifted political power and spurred economic development.

Containment

Definition: U.S. strategy to prevent the spread of communism by aiding allies and resisting Soviet expansion.Significance: Key Cold War policy influencing U.S. involvement in Korea and Vietnam.

Korean War (1950-1953)

Definition: Conflict between North and South Korea

Second Red Scare

Definition: Fear of communism in the U.S. during the late 1940s and 1950s

Joseph McCarthy

Definition: U.S. Senator who led the anti-communist witch hunts in the 1950s.

ignificance: His efforts during the Second Red Scare led to the term "McCarthyism" and significant political and social fallout.

Rosenberg Cases (1951)

Definition: Trials of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee)

Definition: A committee of the U.S. House of Representatives tasked with investigating alleged communist influence in the U.S.

Significance: Led to widespread blacklisting

particularly in Hollywood.

The Great Society (1964-1965)

Definition: A set of domestic programs under President Lyndon B. Johnson aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice.Significance: Led to the creation of Medicare

Medicare & Medicaid

Definition: Government programs established to provide healthcare for the elderly (Medicare) and the poor (Medicaid).Significance: Major components of the Great Society aimed at expanding social welfare.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Definition: Landmark Supreme Court case that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional.Significance: Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and was a major step in the Civil Rights Movement.

SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference)l

Definition: Civil rights organization founded by Martin Luther King Jr.

SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee)

Definition: Civil rights organization formed by students

Malcolm X

Definition: Civil rights activist and leader in the Nation of Islam

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Definition: Landmark legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Definition: Legislation aimed at eliminating racial discrimination in voting

24th Amendment (1964)

Definition: Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that abolished poll taxes in federal elections.Significance: Removed a barrier to voting for poor African Americans

Counterculture

Definition: A movement

Beat Movement

Definition: A literary and cultural movement of the 1950s

Significance: Preceded and influenced the 1960s counterculture.

Immigration Act of 1965

Definition: Legislation that abolished the National Origins Formula

Long Hot Summers

Definition: A series of urban riots during the 1960s

War Powers Act (1973)

Definition: Legislation limiting the president's ability to send U.S. forces into combat without Congressional approval.Significance: A response to the unchecked presidential power during the Vietnam War.

Bombing of Cambodia (1970)

Definition: U.S. bombing campaign in Cambodia during the Vietnam War

Vietnam War (1955-1975)

Definition: Conflict between communist North Vietnam (supported by the USSR and China) and non-communist South Vietnam (backed by the U.S.).Significance: Ended in a U.S. defeat

American Indian Movement (AIM)

Definition: Civil rights organization founded in 1968 to address issues of Native American rights

Black Panthers (1966-1982)

Definition: Revolutionary black nationalist organization focused on self-defense and civil rights

Black Power Movement

Definition: A movement promoting racial pride

Love Canal

Definition: A neighborhood in Niagara Falls

Three Mile Island (1979)

Definition: A nuclear power plant accident in Pennsylvania that resulted in the partial meltdown of one reactor.Significance: Raised public concern about the safety of nuclear energy.

Exxon-Valdez Spill (1989)

Definition: A massive oil spill off the coast of Alaska caused by the Exxon Valdez oil tanker.Significance: Led to stricter environmental regulations and greater public awareness of environmental issues.

Silent Spring (1962)

Definition: A book by Rachel Carson that raised awareness about the dangers of pesticides and environmental degradation.Significance: Sparked the modern environmental movement and led to the banning of DDT.

Détente (1970s)

Definition: The easing of Cold War tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the 1970s.Significance: Led to arms control agreements such as SALT I and the Helsinki Accords.

My Lai Massacre (1968)

Definition: U.S. military's mass killing of over 500 unarmed South Vietnamese civilians

Silent Majority

Definition: Term used by President Nixon to refer to Americans who supported the Vietnam War and his policies

Watergate Scandal (1972-1974)

Definition: Political scandal involving a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and subsequent cover-up by the Nixon administration.Significance: Led to President Nixon's resignation and increased skepticism about government integrity.

EPA (Environmental Protection Agency

1970)

Clean Air and Water Acts (1970s)

Definition: Legislation aimed at reducing air and water pollution in the U.S.Significance: Strengthened environmental protections and led to significant improvements in air and water quality.

Sputnik (1957)

Definition: The first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union

GI Bill (1944)

Definition: Legislation that provided veterans with benefits such as low-cost housing

Levittown (1947)

Definition: One of the first large suburban communities built using mass production techniques for affordable housing.Significance: Symbolized post-WWII suburbanization and the American Dream.

Beatniks (1950s)

Definition: Members of the Beat Generation

Reaganomics (1980s)

Definition: Economic policies implemented by President Ronald Reagan