Period 8 Vocab

Alger Hiss

high-ranking US State Department official accused in 1948 of spying for the Soviet Union, whose 1950 conviction for perjury intensified the Second Red Scare. His case boosted Richard Nixon’s political career and, alongside the Rosenberg trials, fueled public fear that communists had infiltrated the highest levels of American government.

Central Intelligence Agency CIA

is a U.S. civilian foreign intelligence service established by the National Security Act of 1947 to gather, analyze, and coordinate intelligence abroad to advance national security.

Cold War

War between U.S. and Soviets (Capitalism v Communism)

Containment

a United States foreign policy adopted in the late 1940s, primarily under President Harry Truman, to stop the spread of communism and Soviet influence by providing economic, military, and diplomatic aid to vulnerable nations.

Douglas MacArthur

(1880–1964) was a prominent U.S. Army General who commanded Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific during WWII, famously overseeing the Philippines' defense, liberation, and Japan's postwar occupation. He was later fired by President Truman for insubordination during the Korean War (1950–1951).

Fair Deal

President Harry Truman’s ambitious post-WWII domestic agenda (1945–1953) aimed at extending New Deal liberalism. It sought economic expansion, social welfare, and civil rights through universal health insurance, a higher minimum wage, public housing, and fair employment practices, though it faced intense opposition from a conservative coalition in Congress.

GI Bill

(Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944) was a 1944 law providing World War II veterans with funds for college education, unemployment insurance, and low-interest housing/business loans. It fueled a post-war economic boom, created a massive middle class, and stimulated suburban growth, while highlighting racial disparities in benefits.

HUAC

US House of Representatives committee established in 1938 to investigate alleged disloyalty, subversive activities, and communist influence in American society. Prominent during the Cold War’s Second Red Scare (1940s–1950s), it targeted government officials, labor unions, and the entertainment industry (Hollywood).

Rosenbergs

American citizens convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage for passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union. Executed in 1953, they became iconic figures of the Second Red Scare, representing Cold War paranoia, the fear of domestic communist subversion, and high-profile government prosecution of suspected spies.

Marshall Plan

European Recovery Program, was a U.S.-led initiative providing over billion in economic aid to rebuild Western Europe after WWII. Proposed by Secretary of State George Marshall, it aimed to stabilize economies, prevent the spread of communism, and boost American exports.

McCarthyism

refers to the intense, paranoid anti-communist fear in the U.S. sparked by Senator Joseph McCarthy's unsubstantiated allegations of treason, which aimed to root out suspected communists in government, Hollywood, and academia.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

is a mutual defense alliance between the US, Canada, and Western European nations designed to counter Soviet expansion during the Cold War. It marked a shift in U.S. foreign policy toward long-term alliances and collective security (Article 5

NSC-68

top-secret National Security Council report during the Truman administration that redefined Cold War strategy by calling for a massive, proactive, and militarized approach to "containment". It urged a massive U.S. military build-up, shifting from passive containment to an active, global struggle to stop communist expansion, prompting a fourfold increase in defense spending.

Truman Doctrine

Established in 1947 by President Harry S. Truman, the Truman Doctrine was a foundational Cold War foreign policy pledging American military and economic aid to any nation threatened by communism or Soviet expansion. It aimed at containment, notably aiding Greece and Turkey, and marked a shift from isolationism to active global involvement.

United Nations

an international organization founded in 1945, immediately following World War II, to promote international peace, security, and cooperation. Replacing the ineffective League of Nations, it was designed to prevent future global conflicts through diplomacy, featuring a Security Council with five permanent members (US, UK, France, China, USSR).

Warsaw Pact

a Soviet-led mutual defense treaty and military alliance formed by the Soviet Union and seven Eastern European communist satellite states. Created in response to West Germany joining NATO, it solidified the Eastern Bloc's military control and deepened the Cold War division of Europe

Yalta Conference

a pivotal World War II meeting between the "Big Three" leaders—FDR (US), Winston Churchill (UK), and Joseph Stalin (USSR)—to plan the post-war reorganization of Europe and Asia. Key agreements included dividing Germany into occupation zones, establishing the United Nations, and securing Soviet entry into the war against Japan.

Army-Mcarthy hearings

televised US Senate hearings investigating conflicting accusations between Senator Joseph McCarthy and the US Army, ultimately marking the decline of McCarthyism.

Baby Boom

a massive surge in the U.S. birth rate following World War II, driven by post-war prosperity, early marriage, and social optimism. Nearly 76 million babies were born during this period, creating a distinct youth culture, accelerating suburbanization, and placing huge demand on educational and economic systems

Beats

a 1950s literary and cultural movement that rejected 1950s conformity, materialism, and consumerism. Centered on spontaneity, nonconformity, and alternative lifestyles, they influenced the 1960s counterculture. Key figures included Jack Kerouac ("On the Road") and Allen Ginsberg ("Howl"

Brinkmanship

a Cold War foreign policy, notably used by U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles during the 1950s, of pushing dangerous situations to the very edge ("brink") of nuclear war to force an opponent to back down. It relied on threats and "massive retaliation" to achieve diplomatic gains without initiating direct conflict.

Brown v Board

a landmark Supreme Court case that ruled racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, unanimously overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine from Plessy v. Ferguson. Led by Chief Justice Earl Warren, the Court declared segregation in education inherently unequal, violating the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause.

Federal Highway Act of 1956

signed by President Eisenhower, authorized $25 billion to construct 41,000 miles of interstate highways, the largest public works project in U.S. history. It facilitated suburbanization, stimulated economic growth, and strengthened national defense during the Cold War.

Fidel Castro

was a Cuban revolutionary who overthrew the U.S.-backed Batista dictatorship in 1959, establishing a communist state. As a key Cold War figure, his alliance with the Soviet Union led to the 1961 Bay of Pigs failure and the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, causing decades of hostile U.S. relations and trade embargoes.

Ho Chi Minh

the communist leader of North Vietnam who led the struggle for Vietnamese independence against French colonial rule and later the United States. As a key nationalist and communist figure, he founded the Viet Minh, defeated the French at Dien Bien Phu (1954), and led North Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

ICBM

a guided, land-based missile with a minimum range of 5,500 km (roughly 3,400 miles) designed for nuclear weapon delivery. Developed during the Cold War, they allow nations to launch nuclear strikes across continents, serving as a primary instrument of nuclear deterrence and prompting the arms race.

John Foster Dulles

was Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Secretary of State (1953–1959) and a pivotal Cold War figure who shifted U.S. policy from containment to active liberation of communist nations. He is defined by his aggressive anti-communist stance, advocating "brinksmanship" and "massive retaliation" to deter Soviet aggression through nuclear superiority.

Levittowns

the post-WWII suburban developments created by William Levitt on Long Island, NY, and elsewhere, utilizing mass-production techniques to build affordable, "cookie-cutter" houses. As a symbol of the 1950s American Dream and suburbanization, it housed returning veterans and their families, often enforcing racial exclusion.

MLK JR

was a Baptist minister and the most prominent leader of the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 60s. He advocated for nonviolent resistance and peaceful mass demonstrations to end racial segregation, leading initiatives like the Montgomery Bus Boycott, founding the SCLC, and delivering the "I Have a Dream" speech.

Rosa Parks

African American civil rights activist whose Dec. 1, 1955, refusal to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus sparked the year-long Montgomery Bus Boycott. Known as the "mother of the civil rights movement," her actions triggered the legal challenge resulting in a 1956 Supreme Court ruling that declared segregated public transportation unconstitutional.

Sputnik

the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth, shocking the U.S. and triggering the Cold War "Space Race". This achievement sparked panic over Soviet technological superiority, leading to increased U.S. government spending on science education, the creation of NASA (1958), and the National Defense Education Act

U-2 Crisis

a major Cold War diplomatic crisis where a U.S. U-2 spy plane, piloted by Francis Gary Powers, was shot down over Soviet airspace on May 1, 1960

Affirmative Action

policies and practices, arising from the 1960s Civil Rights movement, designed to increase opportunities for underrepresented minorities and women in education and employment

Bay Of Pigs

a failed, CIA-backed military invasion of Cuba by exiles intended to overthrow communist leader Fidel Castro. Authorized by President Kennedy but planned under Eisenhower, the failed attack was a major Cold War embarrassment, strengthening Castro's rule and pushing Cuba closer to the Soviet Union

Black Power

a radical sociopolitical movement emphasizing racial pride, economic self-sufficiency, and self-determination for African Americans. Emerging from frustration with the slow pace of integration, it shifted focus from nonviolent protest to creating independent Black institutions, advocating for self-defense, and fostering a distinct cultural identity.

Cuban Missile Crisis

a 13-day standoff between the US and USSR over Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. It is the closest the world came to nuclear war. President Kennedy imposed a naval "quarantine" (blockade), resulting in Khrushchev removing the missiles in exchange for a pledge not to invade Cuba and a secret removal of US missiles from Turkey.

Freedom Rides

a series of political protests where interracial groups of civil rights activists rode interstate buses into the segregated Southern U.S. to challenge local defiance of Supreme Court rulings banning segregation in interstate transportation

Freedom Summer

a volunteer-driven voter registration campaign in Mississippi, organized by the SNCC and other civil rights groups to empower Black residents in the face of brutal racist violence.

Great Society

a set of domestic programs launched by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the mid-1960s (1964–1968) aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice. It represented the high point of 20th-century American liberalism, utilizing federal government power to expand social welfare, education, healthcare, and consumer/environmental protections.

Gulf Tonkin Resolution

authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to use conventional military force in Southeast Asia without a formal declaration of war. It was passed following alleged attacks on U.S. ships in the Gulf of Tonkin, serving as the legal justification for escalating U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965

abolished the 1920s national-origins quota system that favored Northern Europeans. It prioritized family reunification and skilled immigrants, setting a new visa system. This caused a major demographic shift, increasing immigration from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

John Kennedy

was the 35th U.S. President, known as the youngest elected (age 43) and first Catholic, whose "New Frontier" agenda focused on civil rights, space exploration, and Cold War liberalism. Key APUSH topics include the Cuban Missile Crisis, Bay of Pigs, Peace Corps, and his assassination.

Lyndon Johnson

the 36th US President (1963–1969), dramatically expanded liberal government with his Great Society program, aiming to end poverty and racial injustice. He signed landmark legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and created Medicare/Medicaid, but his presidency was overshadowed by escalating the Vietnam War.

Malcolm X

was a prominent African American civil rights activist, Nation of Islam leader, and proponent of Black nationalism and self-defense, offering a militant alternative to the nonviolent mainstream movement. He advocated for Black empowerment, economic independence, and racial separation, before shifting toward global human rights.

Medicaid

a 1965 Great Society program enacted under President Lyndon B. Johnson that provides federal and state-funded health insurance for low-income individuals and families. It is a key component of LBJ's "War on Poverty," designed to address the inadequacies of medical care for the poor, often paired with Medicare in APUSH study

Medicare

a 1965 federal health insurance program enacted under President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society, providing coverage for Americans aged 65 and older

My Lai Massacre

was a brutal mass murder of 347–504 unarmed South Vietnamese civilians, including women and children, by U.S. troops from Charlie Company in Quang Ngai province. Led by Lieutenant William Calley, the massacre was largely covered up until public disclosure in 1969, which heavily escalated domestic anti-war sentiment.

New Frontier

President John F. Kennedy’s (JFK) 1960s domestic and foreign policy agenda, aiming to boost the economy, reduce poverty, advance civil rights, and win the space race.

Richard Nixon

(37th U.S. President, 1969–1974) was a Republican known for a "realpolitik" foreign policy—including détente with the USSR, opening relations with China, and "Vietnamization"—alongside domestic policies like establishing the EPA. His presidency ended in resignation following the Watergate scandal, highlighting a major abuse of executive power

Tet Offensive

a massive, coordinated surprise attack by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces against over 100 cities and towns in South Vietnam during the Lunar New Year. While a military defeat for the communists, it was a political victory that shocked the U.S. public, showing the war was far from over and causing a massive decline in public support and trust in the Johnson administration.

Viet Cong

a South Vietnamese communist insurgency group, backed by North Vietnam, that used guerrilla warfare to fight U.S. and South Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam War

American Indian Movement

a militant Native American civil rights organization founded in 1968 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to address systemic injustices, discrimination, and poverty.

Betty Friedan

pivotal American feminist author and activist who sparked the second wave of feminism in the US with her 1963 book, The Feminine Mystique. She challenged post-WWII gender norms and the "cult of domesticity," urging women to seek education and professional fulfillment outside the home.

Cesar Chavez

was a Mexican-American labor leader and civil rights activist who co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) union in 1962. He used nonviolent tactics—strikes, boycotts, and hunger strikes—to secure better wages and working conditions for migrant laborers, playing a pivotal role in the Chicano Movement

CounterCulture

a youth-driven social movement (primarily "hippies") that rejected mainstream American norms, including materialism, conformity, and the Vietnam War. Based on "peace and love," it promoted alternative lifestyles, drug experimentation, sexual liberation, and rock music, culminating in events like Woodstock

Detente

the easing of Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, primarily during the 1970s (1969–1979). Initiated by President Nixon and his advisor Henry Kissinger, it marked a shift from confrontation to negotiation, leading to key arms treaties like SALT I, increased trade, and stabilized international relations

Earth Day

a nationwide environmental protest and teach-in involving 20 million Americans. Spearheaded by Senator Gaylord Nelson, it marked a shift towards modern environmentalism, pressuring the government to pass regulations like the EPA, following 1960s activism and ecological disasters

Gerald R. Ford

38th U.S. President, notable as the only person to hold both the vice presidency and presidency without being elected to either by the Electoral College. Taking office after Richard Nixon’s resignation, he granted Nixon a controversial pardon to heal the nation, while managing stagflation and maintaining détente

Indian Civil Rights Act

a federal law applying most of the U.S. Bill of Rights to Native American tribal governments, ensuring individual protections (free speech, due process, fair trials) on tribal lands.

National Organization Of Woman

a leading American feminist organization dedicated to promoting gender equality, ending workplace discrimination, and securing reproductive rights. It was pivotal in second-wave feminism and championed the Equal Rights Amendment

Nixon Doctrine

stated that the U.S. would honor treaty commitments but expected allies to handle their own defense, shifting from direct intervention to providing economic and military aid. Aimed at reducing troop commitments, it was central to Vietnamization, allowing the U.S. to withdraw forces while enabling South Vietnamese troops to fight

Rachel Carson

American marine biologist and conservationist whose 1962 book, Silent Spring, launched the modern environmental movement. She exposed the dangers of pesticide misuse (specifically DDT) on ecosystems and human health, directly influencing the creation of the EPA and the banning of harmful chemicals

Roe v Wade

a landmark Supreme Court case that legalized abortion nationwide, ruling that a woman’s right to terminate her pregnancy was protected under the Fourteenth Amendment’s right to privacy

Silent Majority

a term popularized by President Richard Nixon in a 1969 speech to describe the large segment of Americans who did not protest, riot, or partake in the 1960s counterculture

Stonewall uprising

a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by LGBTQ+ people against a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in New York City's Greenwich Village

SDS

was a prominent 1960s American student organization (founded 1962) that formed the core of the "New Left" movement. They protested injustices such as racial inequality, materialism, and, most notably, the Vietnam War, advocating for "participatory democracy

Vietnamization

President Richard Nixon’s 1969 strategy to end U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War by gradually withdrawing American ground troops while training, equipping, and increasing the combat role of South Vietnamese (ARVN) forces.

Watergate

a major U.S. political crisis involving a botched break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate office complex. It exposed illegal surveillance, campaign fraud, and massive cover-up efforts by President Richard Nixon’s administration. The scandal led to Nixon's resignation, the first by a U.S. president, on August 9, 1974, to avoid impeachment

Woodstock

a landmark three-day music festival in Bethel, New York, that served as the pinnacle of the 1960s American youth counterculture movement. Attracting over 400,000 people, it symbolized the era’s "peace, love, and music" ethos, highlighting a rejection of 1950s conformity and mainstream values

Ayatallah Khomeini

was the Iranian Shia religious leader who led the 1979 Iranian Revolution, overthrowing the US-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. As Supreme Leader, he transformed Iran into an Islamic Republic, strongly opposing Western influence, which fueled the 1979–1981 Iran Hostage Crisis and strained U.S. relations

Bill Clinton

(42nd President, 1993–2001) was a "New Democrat" who pushed centrist policies ("Third Way"), focusing on economic growth, free trade (NAFTA), and reducing the federal deficit. His presidency saw major legislative reforms (1996 Welfare Reform), sustained economic prosperity, and a focus on foreign intervention. He was the second president impeached (1998).

Camp David Accords

a historic peace framework brokered by U.S. President Jimmy Carter at his Maryland retreat between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin.

George H.W. Bush

George H.W. Bush (41st U.S. President, 1989–1993) is primarily known for leading the U.S. through the end of the Cold War and managing the collapse of the Soviet Union. He is famous for assembling a multinational coalition during the Persian Gulf War and signing major legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Iran Contra Scandal

a major political scandal during the Reagan administration involving the secret, illegal sale of weapons to Iran to secure the release of American hostages in Lebanon

Mikhail Gorbachev

was the final leader of the Soviet Union, known for initiating reforms (glasnost and perestroika) that intended to revitalize the stagnant Soviet economy and political system. His policies ultimately brought transparency, reduced censorship, and allowed private enterprise, which weakened communist control and led to the collapse of the USSR.

Neoconservatives

political thinkers and activists, emerging in the 1970s and 1980s primarily from disillusioned liberal ranks, who championed a shift toward traditional social values, free-market capitalism, and an assertive, interventionist foreign policy. They strongly advocated using American military power to promote democracy and counter communist influence globally

New Right

a powerful American conservative movement emerging in the 1970s and gaining dominance in the 1980s, driven by a grassroots reaction against 1960s liberalism, government expansion, and perceived moral decline. It aimed to return to traditional family values, strengthen the military, reduce taxes, and limit government social spending.

Reagan Doctrine

was a 1980s U.S. foreign policy pledge to provide overt and covert aid to anti-communist guerrillas and resistance movements to "roll back" Soviet influence in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It marked a shift from mere containment to active intervention against Soviet-backed governments, notably in Nicaragua (Contras) and Afghanistan

Reagonomics

the economic policies of President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, designed to combat 1970s stagflation through supply-side economics. It focused on substantial tax cuts, deregulation of domestic markets, and reduced government spending on social programs, while increasing military expenditures to stimulate economic growth and free-market capitalism.

Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) was the 40th U.S. President, leading a conservative movement ("Reagan Revolution") that shifted American politics rightward. Key aspects include Reaganomics (supply-side economics: tax cuts/deregulation), increased military spending, hawkish anti-Soviet foreign policy, and the Iran-Contra scandal. He was popular, charismatic, and worked to reduce federal government involvement

Saddam Hussein

was the authoritarian President of Iraq (1979–2003) whose aggressive actions led to major US military conflicts, the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 Iraq War. His regime represented a key threat to Middle Eastern stability and US energy interests in the post-Cold War era.

Stagflation

an economic condition during the 1970s characterized by the combination of stagnant economic growth (high unemployment) and high inflation. It defied traditional Keynesian economics, which assumed inflation and unemployment had an inverse relationship, causing significant policy challenges for the Nixon, Ford, and Carter administrations

SDI

a Cold War-era plan to develop a sophisticated, space-based anti-missile system. It aimed to use satellites and lasers to intercept Soviet nuclear missiles, fundamentally challenging the doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)

Sunbelt

the southern and southwestern U.S. states (from Florida to California) that experienced rapid population growth and economic expansion following World War II. Driven by a warm climate, invention of air conditioning, lower taxes, and defense industry jobs, this shift significantly increased the region's political power