APUSH Chapter 28

Demobilization post-WWII

Reduction of US military troop strength from 12 million to 1.5 million by 1947, accompanied by a significant drop in defense spending.

GI Bill of Rights

The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 providing financial aid for college education and home loans to veterans, aiming to prevent postwar recession.

Employment Act of 1946

Legislation committing the US government to ensure economic growth, establishing the Council of Economic Advisors.

Postwar Economic Boom

Period from 1945 to 1970 marked by a doubling of national income, increased homeownership, and various factors contributing to economic growth.

Truman’s Point Four Program

Truman's initiative to provide economic aid to underdeveloped countries to resist communism.

Fair Deal

Truman's continuation and expansion of FDR's New Deal, achieving minimum wage increase, public housing, and Social Security extension.

Taft-Hartley Act

Legislation passed in 1947 restricting union activities, including banning closed shops and allowing states to pass right-to-work laws.

Landrum-Griffin Act

1959 legislation regulating labor unions, requiring regular elections, financial reporting, and prohibiting ex-convicts and communists from holding office.

Cold War

Period of geopolitical tension between the US and the Soviet Union, characterized by ideological conflict and competition.

Policy of Containment

Strategy proposed by George F. Kennan to prevent Soviet expansion through economic, diplomatic, and military means.

Domino Theory

Belief that the spread of communism in one country would lead to neighboring countries falling under communist influence.

Iron Curtain

Term describing the division between Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe and the West, coined by Winston Churchill.

National Security Act

Legislation passed in 1947 unifying the armed forces under the Department of Defense and creating the CIA and National Security Council.

Truman Doctrine

Truman's policy of providing aid to nations threatened by communism, exemplified by support to Greece and Turkey.

Marshall Plan

US initiative to provide economic aid to Western Europe to prevent communist influence and aid in post-WWII recovery.

Cold War Germany

Division of Germany and Berlin into zones controlled by Allied powers after WWII, leading to the Berlin Airlift.

Berlin Airlift

US and British operation to supply West Berlin by air after Stalin's blockade, showcasing US determination during the Cold War.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

Formed in 1949 for collective security against Soviet expansion, with member states pledging mutual defense.

Soviet Atomic and Nuclear Arms

Soviet development of atomic and hydrogen bombs challenging US nuclear superiority, leading to arms race.

China Falls to Communism

Victory of Mao Zedong's communists in China in 1949, sparking debates in the US over the loss of China.

America in Japan

US-led democratization efforts in Japan post-WWII under General MacArthur's guidance.

Senator Joseph R McCarthy

US senator known for anti-communist crusade, McCarthyism, and controversial tactics during the Red Scare.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

Couple executed in 1953 for espionage, accused of passing atomic secrets to the Soviets during the Red Scare.

Truman’s Loyalty Review Board

Established in 1947 to screen government employees for communist ties, resulting in dismissals and resignations.

House Un-American Activities Committee

Congressional committee investigating alleged communist influence in American society, notably in the entertainment industry.

United Nations

International organization established in 1945 with a General Assembly and a Security Council, including five permanent members with veto power.

Korean War

Conflict between North and South Korea from 1950-1953, involving UN intervention and a stalemate at the 38th parallel.

22nd Amendment

Ratified in 1951, setting term limits for the President of the United States to two terms.

Military-Industrial Complex

Eisenhower's warning about the influence of the military and defense contractors on public policy.

Massive Retaliation

US doctrine during the Cold War to respond to Soviet aggression with full nuclear force.

Sputnik

Soviet satellite launch in 1957 leading to fears of technological superiority, prompting increased US spending on science education and the creation of NASA.

Ho Chi Minh

Vietnamese leader advocating for independence, influenced by communism and nationalism, leading to conflict with the US.

Hungarian Revolt

1956 uprising in Hungary crushed by Soviet forces, with no US intervention.

Suez Crisis

Conflict over the nationalization of the Suez Canal, leading to US intervention and demands for Israeli withdrawal.

Eisenhower Doctrine

Policy offering aid and support to Middle Eastern nations against communist influence.

Suburbs

Post-WWII trend of moving to suburban areas, leading to urban concentration of minorities and the poor.

Levittown

Planned suburb built by William Levitt, symbolizing post-war housing developments and social conformity.

American Mobility

Post-WWII increase in Americans' mobility, shifting political influence to the Sunbelt states.

Federal Aid Highway Act

1956 legislation allocating funds for the construction of interstate highways, influenced by Eisenhower's experiences.

Social Conformity and Rebellion

Post-WWII trend towards conformity in the suburbs, critiqued for stereotyped gender roles and consumerism.

Beat Movement

A literary movement in response to societal conformity, with writers like Allen Ginsburg and Jack Kerouac promoting alternative visions of spontaneity and freedom.

Rock and Roll

A music genre originating from plantation hollers and blues, crossing over to white teens in the 1950s, facing criticism for its perceived impact on youth behavior.

Baby Boom

A period between 1946 and 1964 marked by a significant increase in births, leading to societal impacts and challenges in funding entitlement programs.

United States v Paramount Pictures

A legal case that dismantled the Hollywood studio system, paving the way for the growth of television in the 1950s.

Desegregation of the Military (1948)

Executive Order 9981 signed by President Truman to end racial discrimination in the military, marking a significant step towards desegregation.

Brown v Board of Education

Landmark Supreme Court case ruling that segregated schools were inherently unequal, leading to the desegregation of public schools.

White Citizens’ Councils

Groups opposing integration, emerging in response to the Brown decision, and advocating for segregation in a more respectable manner than the KKK.

Central High School (Little Rock Nine)

Nine black students who faced resistance during the integration of Central High School in Little Rock, leading to federal intervention by President Eisenhower.

Civil Rights Act of 1957

The first federal civil rights law since Reconstruction, establishing a commission to investigate civil rights violations.

Emmett Till

African American teenager brutally murdered in Mississippi, whose death became a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement after his open-casket funeral.

Rosa Parks

Civil rights activist who sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott by refusing to give up her seat, leading to a Supreme Court decision outlawing segregation on buses.

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Organization founded by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1957, advocating for nonviolent change in the civil rights movement.