U.S. History Flashcards (Great Depression to Post-9/11)

Flashcards covering U.S. History from the Great Depression to Post-9/11.

How did unemployment change from the 1930s to 1942?

It dropped from 25% to almost 0% due to WWII war jobs.

What was U.S. foreign policy before 1939?

Isolationism - staying out of European problems.

Define isolationism.

A policy of not getting involved in other countries' wars.

What event caused the U.S. to enter WWII?

Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

What role did women play during WWII?

Worked in factories making weapons and supplies.

What is rationing and why is it used?

Government limited food and goods so military had enough supplies.

What was Executive Order #9066?

Put Japanese Americans in internment camps during WWII.

What did Japan do after the atomic bombs?

Surrendered and ended WWII.

What was the -Final Solution-?

Nazi plan to kill all Jewish people in Europe.

What were the Nuremberg Trials?

Court trials that punished Nazi leaders for war crimes.

What was the purpose of the Marshall Plan?

To rebuild Europe and stop communism from spreading.

What is the purpose of the United Nations?

To keep peace and prevent wars between countries.

Who were the -reds-?

Nickname for communists.

Define communists.

People who want the government to control the economy.

What was the Cold War?

A long period of tension between the U.S. and Soviet Union without fighting.

How was speech threatened during the Red Scare?

People were afraid to speak out; suspected communists were fired.

How were nuclear weapons used in WWII?

The U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Japan to end the war.

How did the atomic bomb increase fear?

People feared nuclear war could destroy the world.

What two proxy wars made the Cold War violent?

Korean War and Vietnam War.

What caused the Korean War?

North Korea invaded South Korea; the war ended with Korea still divided.

What was the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Soviets put missiles in Cuba; almost caused nuclear war.

What is the -baby boom-?

A big increase in births after WWII.

What was the Interstate Highway Act of 1956?

Built highways and led to growth of suburbs.

Define conformity.

People acting the same and following traditional rules.

What was Brown v. Board of Education?

Supreme Court ruled segregated schools were illegal.

What was Freedom Summer?

A push to register Black voters in the South.

Who were the Little Rock Nine?

Black students integrating a white school with military help.

Who was Martin Luther King Jr.?

Civil rights leader who used peaceful protests.

Define nonviolent protest.

Peaceful actions like sit-ins, marches, and boycotts.

What was Plessy v. Ferguson?

Case that allowed -separate but equal- segregation.

What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 do?

Banned discrimination based on race and gender.

Who was Rosa Parks?

Black woman who refused to give up her bus seat.

Define feminism.

Movement for equal rights for women.

What fueled Native American activism in the 1960s?

They fought to keep their land and culture.

What was Roe v. Wade?

A case that legalized abortion.

Who was Cesar Chavez?

Farm worker leader who fought for better treatment.

Why couldn-t the U.S. leave Vietnam easily?

They didn-t want communism to win or look weak.

How did Vietnam affect Great Society programs?

Money for war cut funding for anti-poverty programs.

How did LBJ fight poverty?

Created Medicare, Head Start, and other support programs.

What was the generation gap?

Big differences between older and younger beliefs.

What was the counterculture?

Youth movement that rejected traditional values and mistrusted government.

What event escalated the Vietnam War?

Gulf of Tonkin incident.

How did TV affect views on Vietnam?

Showed violence and made Americans oppose the war.

What was the Tet Offensive?

A major attack that reduced American support for the war.

Who was President Nixon?

Ended Vietnam War, opened relations with China.

What was Nixon-s biggest foreign policy win?

Making peace with China.

What was SALT I?

Treaty with the USSR to limit nuclear weapons.

What was Watergate?

Nixon's spying scandal that made him resign.

Who was Jimmy Carter?

Democratic president who focused on energy and human rights.

What was Carter-s biggest foreign policy success?

Peace deal between Egypt and Israel.

What were the Camp David Accords?

Peace agreement between Egypt and Israel.

Who was President Reagan?

Conservative leader who cut taxes and built up the military.

What did Reagan increase spending on?

Military and defense programs.

Who were the -New Right-?

Conservatives who wanted traditional values and a strong military.

How did the Cold War end?

The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

Why did the U.S. enter the Persian Gulf War?

To push Iraq out of Kuwait in 1991.

What happened on 9/11?

Terrorists attacked the U.S., killing about 3,000 people.

What did the U.S. create after 9/11?

The Department of Homeland Security.