AMH2020 Final Exam

Henry Luce

Prominent American publisher and a powerful advocate for internationalism in the United States; heavily promoted the idea of an "American Century," advocating for a strong US global presence and actively influencing public opinion through his influential magazines like Time and Life, essentially pushing for a more interventionist American foreign policy to counter Soviet influence during the Cold War era

George F. Kennan and the Cold War

Advocated for the strategy of “containment” against Soviet expansion; outlined “Long Telegram” policy that aimed to prevent the spread of Soviet influence without directly confronting them militarily

The Civil Rights Congress

A civil rights organization that was active from 1946 to 1956, and was a major force in the fight for civil rights for African Americans after World War II; One of the organization's main goals was to protect blacks from police brutality and injustice in the court system

CIA covert operations in the early Cold War period

Operations included Iran coup (supported military coup that overthrew Iran prime minister), Guatemala (backed military overthrow of President for being too friendly with Soviets), Tibet (supported resistance against Chinese rule); the bugging of the Soviet military's major communications line in East Germany & development of U-2 and spy satellites

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the different “strands” of civil rights activism

A key civil rights organization that emphasized nonviolent protest and was led by figures such as Martin Luther King Jr to combat racial segregation and injustice through peaceful means; other strands include NAACP (focused on combating thru lawsuits), Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC, young ppl organizing sit ins, freedom rides, etc) Black Power movement (more aggressive)

Conservative activists on college campuses in the 1960s

Silent majority rising; “Sharon statement” where conservative students believed the free market supported personal freedom, gov must be limited, and international communism must be destroyed; played a major role in the campaign that won the Republican presidential nomination

The “War on Poverty” programs within Lyndon Baines Johnson’s Great Society

Food stamps, Medicare & Medicaid, Economic Opportunity Act (created Job Corps), Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA), Elementary & Secondary Education Act, Hart-Cellar Act (1965), etc

The Black Panther Party

Led by Henry P Newton, revolutionary black nationalist group that wanted to destroy racism and capitalism (free market economy), and promote social justice through community programs and armed self-defense

Feminist organizing in the 1960s and 1970s

Betty Friedan’s “The Feminine Mystique”; National Organization for Women (founded by Betty Friedan); Pauli Murray (a lawyer focused on discrimination not only for white women, added no discrimination of sex in civil rights act); Roe v. Wade; Reed v. Reed (prohibited sex discrimination in law)

Events that took place in 1968

My Lai Massacre, Tet Offensive, Vietnam & the 1968 election

My Lai Massacre (1968)

When Americans troops approached a village in an area controlled by the Vietcong; troops found no VC and killed unarmed civilians, 500 died

Tet Offensive (1968)

A major surprise attack by North Vietnamese forces that significantly escalated the Vietnam War and exposed the realities of the conflict to the American public

Vietnam & the 1968 election

LBJ, who had escalated US involvement in Vietnam, announced he wouldn’t seek reelection; Nixon capitalized on anti-war sentiment & promoted a platform of "peace with honor”; promised to end the war while maintaining U.S. credibility and security; Nixon's campaign focused on appealing to the "silent majority" of Americans who were tired of the protests and unrest associated with the anti-war movement

Declining trust in the US government from 1964 to 1980 or so (-)

Vietnam War, civil unrest and the Watergate scandal, Civil Rights Movement exposing racism, My Lai massacre, Tet offensive

Deindustrialization and regional decline *

1980s labor based manufacturers moved production facilities to third world countries w lower wages and standards; the “Rustbelt” (midwest that relied on manufacturing) severe economic decline; fueled betrayal among workers leading to rise in populism & questioning gov policies seeming to favor corporate > working citizens

Opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment

Primarily centered around fears that it would undermine traditional gender roles, lead to women losing protective legislation, and force them into military service, with conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly leading a prominent campaign against it called "Stop ERA" which argued that the amendment would negatively impact women's lives (terf)

One of Jimmy Carter’s most famous speeches (delivered on July 15, 1979)

Aka the “Malaise Speech” that concluded that America suffered from a “crisis of confidence” where the people had lost faith in the gov, each other, and their ability to shape democracy; recognized disconnect from federal gov and the people

The intensification of Cold War tensions early on in the Reagan administration

Labeling SSR the “evil empire” (shift from diplomacy to aggressive foreign policy), SDI “Star Wars”, Grenada, “Reagan Doctrine” (pledged support for anti-communist revolutions), Nicaragua & contras, Nuclear arms race

Ronald Reagan’s 1984 reelection campaign

“Morning in America”, Reaganomics (cut taxes give consumers control), SDI “Star Wars”, invasion of Grenada, Iran-Contra affair, Gorbachev (Berlin wall coming down)

The Reagan administration’s HIV/AIDS response

Poorly handled crisis that Reagan didn’t mention publicly until years after; administration allowed minimal funding for research and prevention; Everett Koop criticized Reagan administration from the inside for failure to launch prevention plan (and of cuts to health foundation); mandatory testing, quarantines, shutting off of bath houses; Koop called for safe sex campaign

Violence and upheaval in the US during the 1990s

National Defense Authorization Act, Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, Violent Crime Control & Law Enforcement Act, Rodney King & LA rebellion, O.J. trial, Ruby Ridge, Waco, Oklahoma City bombing, Antiterrorism & Effective Death Penalty Act, Personal Responsibility & Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act

Bush v. Gore (US Supreme Court ruling, 2000)

Controversial case where Supreme Court reversed a Florida vote recount order, winning Bush the presidency

George W. Bush’s declining approval ratings

Post 9/11 (ratings soared in national unity), Iraq War controversy (concerns over justification for invasion & failure to find destructive weapons), Hurricane Katrina response, Economic challenges (crash of 2007/2008)

Cesar Chavez

The labor leader that organized exploited California farm workers, co-founded the United Farm Workers, fought with non violent methods for better working conditions for migrant farm workers (similar to black power movement)

John Kerry

Veteran dedicated to anti-war movement & critic of Vietnam War; co-founded Vietnam Veterans Against the War; was accused of fabricating military service; organization “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” made scathing ads questioning his service, loyalty, and masculinity; viewed as a foil to Bush (football thing)

Pat Buchanan

The conservative political commentator and former presidential candidate known for his strong opposition to immigration and multiculturalism; believes America threw away a country united by a common culture, creed, history, and tradition when it embraced diverse immigration in the 60s

Reies Lopez Tijerina

Chicano activist that advocated for land rights and social justice for Mexican Americans in the Southwest; violent means of protest; treaty of Guadalupe had not been followed

Pauli Murray

Civil rights activist who played a significant role in the fight for gender and racial equality, and was a co-founder of the National Organization for Women; devised the legal strategy the NAACP used to fight Jim Crow system

Barbara Lee

Politician who believed military action will not prevent future acts of terrorism (after 9/11); against AUMF

Stokely Carmichael

Created “black power slogan”; Civil rights leader and chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) known for his advocacy of Black Power and grassroots organizing; jailed for work with freedom riders; moved away from MLK’s nonviolence to self-defense approach

Gloria Steinem

Leading feminist activist and writer who co-founded “Ms.” magazine; pioneered for publication for women, and played key role in second wave of feminism; wrote “If Men Could Menstruate”

Fannie Lou Hamer

Civil rights leader that co-founded Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party that challenged the all-white Mississippi delegation at the Democratic National Convention 1964; known for her powerful testimony at this convention; on a bus full of black people to vote and she was the only one

George Kennan

The head diplomat to Soviet Union; Wrote telegram to Truman about Soviet plans to operate overtly and covertly; Argued that Soviet people are pliable due to generations of dictator rule; their governments need to be contained by force; labeled Stalin as unstable and said that Russians are scared of outside world and will attack it; construed the word "containment"; economic, not military means

“Containment”

US commitment to preventing any further expansion of Soviet power

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference significance

A “key strand” of the Civil Rights movement, focused on nonviolent protest and the moral authority of the Black church to achieve racial equality, primarily led by MLK

What organizations did the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) contrast?

More politically focused approach of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund; or more militant tactics sometimes employed by groups like the Black Panther Party

Key points of the SCLC and its “strand” of activism

Religious foundation, nonviolent protest, led by MLK, focus on desegregation and voting rights

Sharon Statement

Founding statement of principles for young conservatives part of the Young Americans for Freedom group; played significant role in influencing Republican leaders

Port Huron Statement

Founding statement/manifesto by the Students for a Democratic Society that proposed a new form of “participatory democracy” to rescue modern society from destructive militarism and cultural alienation

Hart-Cellar Act (1965)

A federal law created by LBJ that established a new immigration system for the US which opened the door for non-European immigration (marked an increase in immigration from Asia and other non-European countries)

Economic Opportunity Act (1964)

Created by LBJ and established the "War on Poverty" and aimed to reduce poverty in the United States; provided job training, loans, etc

Differences between Reies Lopez Tijerina and Cesar Chavez

Tijerina used aggressive tactics, Chavez believed in nonviolence

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) “Star Wars”

Missile defense system that would blow up incoming nuclear missiles (frightened Soviets)

Nicaragua & Iran-Contra Affair

Contras were group of Nicaraguans rebelling against dictatorship; Congress forbid aid to Contras but Reagan illegally supported rebels and sold weapons to Iran in exchange for American hostages, profits sent to Contras

Reagan & Gorbachev

Reagan & Gorbachev are friends; Gorbachev allowed “__ stroika) aka market reforms (leaning towards capitalism); implemented glasknost (open policy, freeing journalists); INF treaty (destruction of existing missiles & on site inspections); Berlin wall comes down

Phyllis Schlafly

Anti-feminist who led the campaign to defeat the Equal Rights Amendment claiming it would undermine the traditional American family & gender roles

National Defense Authorization Act

Annual piece of legislation that outlines the budget and expenditures for the U.S. Department of Defense; reflected post-Cold War military restructuring & need to address new security challenges (terrorism, regional conflicts)

Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act

Mandated federal background checks on firearm purchasers in the United States; aimed to prevent gun violence

Violent Crime Control & Law Enforcement Act

Act that included provisions for increased funding for police, the establishment of new federal crimes, and the expansion of the death penalty; introduced the "three strikes" rule, mandating life sentences for individuals convicted of three serious crimes (faced criticism)

Rodney King and the Los Angeles Rebellion

The beating of Rodney King by LAPD officers in 1991, captured on video, became a flashpoint for racial tensions in the U.S; When the officers were acquitted, sparked Los Angeles Riots

Ruby Ridge

Involved a standoff between federal agents and the Weaver family in Idaho, resulted in multiple deaths & debate about excessive force by law enforcement

Waco Siege

Involved a 51-day standoff between the FBI and the Branch Davidians, a religious sect led by David Koresh; fire consumed the compound & incident raised concerns about gov tactics & handling of religious groups, further inflaming anti-gov sentiments

Oklahoma City Bombing

Devastating bomb terrorist attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City; motivated by anti-government sentiment, resulting in the deaths of 168 people and injuring hundreds more

Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act

Response to Oklahoma City Bombing & terrorism concerns; included provisions for prosecution of terrorists, enhanced penalties for terrorist acts, & restrictions on ability of ppl to appeal death sentences; shift towards aggressive stance on terrorism

Personal Responsibility & Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act

Welfare reform legislation aimed to reduce dependency on gov assistance by promoting work and personal responsibility; imposed work requirements and time limits on welfare benefits; critiqued cuz it disproportionately affected low-income families & failed to address root causes of poverty

Henry Luce’s the “American Century”

Marked the full ascendance of internationalism over isolationism in U.S. foreign policy thinking; His call for the United States to use its power to shape and lead the international system has had an enduring influence during the Cold War and beyond