APUSH: Unit 10 Test Review - Key Terms

A faitful hour

A significant moment or period within American history.

AFL-CIO

The largest federation of labor unions in the United States, representing millions of workers across various industries.

Alan Shepard

The first American astronaut to travel into space.

Alger Hiss

A former State Department official accused of espionage during the Cold War.

Apollo program

A series of manned space missions undertaken by NASA, culminating in the first human moon landing in 1969.

Arms Race

The competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to develop and stockpile nuclear weapons during the Cold War.

Army-McCarthy hearings

Televised hearings in 1954 investigating Senator Joseph McCarthy's allegations of communist infiltration in the U.S. Army.

Article 5

A provision in the NATO treaty stipulating that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all members, triggering collective defense measures.

Atomic diplomacy

The strategic use of nuclear weapons and deterrence tactics in diplomatic negotiations.

Baby boom

The significant increase in birth rates in the United States following World War II.

Beatniks

A group of individuals in the 1950s and early 1960s who rejected societal norms, often associated with unconventional lifestyles and artistic expression.

Berlin Airlift

A massive effort by the Western Allies to supply West Berlin by air during the Berlin Blockade imposed by the Soviet Union.

Berlin Blockade

A Soviet attempt to cut off Western access to West Berlin in 1948, leading to the Berlin Airlift.

Brinkmanship

A diplomatic strategy involving the willingness to push a dangerous situation to the brink of war to achieve one's objectives.

Castle Bravo

The code name for the first successful test of a hydrogen bomb by the United States in 1954.

Censure

A formal reprimand or condemnation issued by a legislative body against one of its members.

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

The primary intelligence-gathering agency of the United States government.

Challenger disaster

The explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986, resulting in the loss of all seven crew members.

Charles Wilson

The Secretary of Defense under President Eisenhower.

Chiang Kai-shek

The leader of the Nationalist government in China before the Communist victory in 1949.

Conformity

The social pressure to adhere to prevailing norms and behaviors within a society.

Containment

A U.S. foreign policy strategy aimed at preventing the spread of communism, particularly in the aftermath of World War II.

Cuba and Castro

Refers to the Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro, which resulted in the establishment of a communist government in Cuba in 1959.

DDT

A synthetic pesticide widely used after World War II but later banned due to environmental and health concerns.

Dien Bien Phu

A decisive battle in the First Indochina War, resulting in French defeat and the eventual withdrawal from Vietnam.

Dixiecrats

A faction of Southern Democrats who broke away from the party in 1948 due to their opposition to civil rights initiatives.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

The 34th President of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961.

Elvis Presley

A cultural icon and influential musician who rose to prominence in the 1950s.

Executive Order 9981

Issued by President Truman in 1948, desegregated the U.S. armed forces.

Fair Deal

President Truman's domestic policy agenda, including proposals for healthcare reform, civil rights legislation, and economic initiatives.

Federal Loyalty Program

Established in 1947 to screen federal employees for loyalty to the U.S. government during the Red Scare.

Federal Republic of Germany

Established in 1949 as a democratic state aligned with the Western Allies.

Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956

Authorized the construction of the Interstate Highway System in the United States.

Fidel Castro

Leader of the Cuban Revolution and Prime Minister/President of Cuba.

Francis Gary Powers

A U-2 pilot shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960, leading to heightened Cold War tensions.

General Douglas MacArthur

A prominent American military leader during World War II and the Korean War.

George C. Marshall

American military leader and statesman, known for the Marshall Plan.

George F. Kennan

American diplomat and historian who formulated the policy of containment.

German Democratic Republic

Established in 1949 as a socialist state aligned with the Soviet Union.

GI Bill

Provided education and housing benefits to veterans returning from World War II.

Herbert Hoover

The 31st President of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

A congressional committee that investigated alleged communist subversion during the Cold War era.

Hungarian Revolution

A nationwide uprising against Soviet-imposed policies in Hungary in 1956.

Hydrogen bombs

Thermonuclear weapons capable of vastly greater destructive power than atomic bombs.

ICBM

Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, a long-range missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

International bodies versus spheres of influence

The competition between global institutions like the United Nations and regional powers for influence and control during the Cold War.

Iron Curtain

Symbolized the ideological and physical divide between the Western and Eastern blocs during the Cold War.

Ivy Mike

The code name for the first successful test of a hydrogen bomb by the United States in 1952.

Joe McCarthy

U.S. Senator from Wisconsin known for his anti-communist crusade during the McCarthy era.

John Birch Society

A conservative advocacy group founded in 1958.

John Foster Dulles

U.S. Secretary of State under President Eisenhower, known for his aggressive anti-communist stance.

John Glenn

The first American to orbit the Earth, completing three orbits in the Friendship 7 spacecraft in 1962.

Jonas Salk

Developed the first successful polio vaccine in 1955.

Keynesian economics

Economic theory advocating for government intervention to manage economic fluctuations.

Kim Il-sung

Leader of North Korea from its establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994, known for his authoritarian rule and the development of a cult of personality.

Klaus Fuchs

A German physicist who passed atomic secrets to the Soviet Union during the Manhattan Project, leading to concerns about espionage and security breaches.

Korean War

A conflict from 1950 to 1953 between North Korea (supported by China and the Soviet Union) and South Korea (backed by the United Nations, primarily the United States) that ended in an armistice, solidifying the division of the Korean Peninsula.

Krushchev

Nikita Khrushchev, the leader of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, who engaged in both peaceful coexistence and confrontational policies with the West during the Cold War.

Levittown

One of the earliest postwar suburban housing developments, emblematic of the suburbanization trend in the United States.

Long Telegram

A telegram sent by George F. Kennan in 1946, outlining the Soviet Union's expansionist tendencies and advocating for a policy of containment to counter Soviet influence.

Louis Pasteur

A French biologist and chemist renowned for his discoveries in microbiology and the development of vaccines, including the rabies vaccine.

M.A.D. (Mutually Assured Destruction)

A doctrine of military strategy during the Cold War, where both the United States and the Soviet Union possessed enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other, thereby preventing nuclear conflict.

Mao Zedong

The founding father of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong led the Chinese Communist Party to victory in the Chinese Civil War and initiated social and economic reforms, including the disastrous Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution.

Marshall Plan

Officially known as the European Recovery Program, the Marshall Plan was a U.S. initiative enacted in 1948 to aid the economic recovery of Western Europe after World War II by providing financial assistance for reconstruction and stability.

Massive retaliation

A military strategy embraced by the United States during the Cold War, which emphasized the threat of overwhelming nuclear retaliation in response to aggression by an adversary, as part of deterrence efforts.

McCarran Internal Security Act

Enacted in 1950, this U.S. law authorized the investigation of suspected subversive activities and required Communist organizations to register with the government, reflecting the anti-communist sentiment prevalent during the Cold War.

Michael Harrington

An American socialist thinker and writer, Michael Harrington is best known for his book "The Other America," which shed light on poverty and inequality in the United States, influencing social policy discussions.

Military-industrial complex

Coined by President Eisenhower, the military-industrial complex refers to the close relationship between the military establishment and the defense industry, with potential implications for policy, budgeting, and national priorities.

Mossadegh

Mohammad Mossadegh was the democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran until his overthrow in a 1953 coup orchestrated by the CIA and British intelligence, leading to the reinstatement of the Shah and the beginning of decades of authoritarian rule under Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)

Established in 1958, NASA is the United States government agency responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research.

Nasser

Gamal Abdel Nasser was the charismatic President of Egypt from 1956 until his death in 1970, known for his leadership in the Arab world, advocacy of pan-Arabism, and nationalization of the Suez Canal, which led to the Suez Crisis.

National Security Act of 1947

Signed into law by President Truman, this act restructured the U.S. military and intelligence agencies, establishing the Department of Defense, the National Security Council, and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to enhance national security capabilities.

National Security Council

Established by the National Security Act of 1947, the National Security Council advises the President of the United States on matters related to national security, foreign policy, and defense strategy.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

Formed in 1949, NATO is a military alliance comprising North American and European countries committed to mutual defense against aggression, particularly from the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

NCS-68

A top-secret policy document completed in 1950, NCS-68 outlined the United States' strategy for dealing with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, advocating for a significant increase in military spending and containment efforts.

New Look

A defense policy introduced by President Eisenhower, emphasizing reliance on nuclear weapons and strategic bombing.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

A military alliance formed in 1949 among Western European and North American countries to counter the threat of Soviet expansionism during the Cold War, with its members committed to collective defense.

Nuclear triad

A military strategy employed by nuclear-armed nations, such as the United States, involving the deployment of nuclear weapons via three delivery systems: land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and strategic bombers.

Postwar contract

The implicit social compact between the government, corporations, and citizens after World War II, focusing on economic prosperity and social stability.

Potsdam

A conference held in Potsdam, Germany, in 1945 among Allied leaders Churchill, Truman, and Stalin, where they discussed the post-World War II reorganization of Europe, including issues such as the division of Germany and war reparations.

Richard Nixon

The 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974, Nixon's presidency was marked by significant events such as the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, and his foreign policy initiatives, including détente with the Soviet Union and the opening of relations with China.

Right to work laws

Legislation at the state level that prohibits union security agreements, allowing employees in unionized workplaces to opt out of paying union dues.

Robert Welch

The founder of the John Birch Society, a conservative advocacy group known for its anti-communist and anti-government views, particularly active during the Cold War era.

Ronald Reagan

The 40th President of the United States, serving from 1981 to 1989, Reagan was known for his conservative policies, economic initiatives (Reaganomics), and his role in ending the Cold War through negotiations with the Soviet Union.

Rosenberg case

Refers to the espionage trial and execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg in 1953 for allegedly passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union, amidst heightened Cold War tensions and concerns about communist infiltration.

Salk vaccine

Developed by Jonas Salk in 1955, the Salk vaccine was the first successful polio vaccine, leading to the eventual eradication of polio in many parts of the world.

Selective Service Act

Enacted in the United States during times of conscription, the Selective Service Act requires men to register for potential military service, providing a pool of eligible candidates for the armed forces.

Shah Reza Pahlavi

The last Shah of Iran, Reza Pahlavi ruled Iran from 1941 until his overthrow in the Iranian Revolution of 1979, leading to the establishment of an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Khomeini.

Shephard

Likely a reference to Alan Shepard, the first American astronaut to travel into space, completing a suborbital flight aboard the Freedom 7 spacecraft in 1961 as part of NASA's Mercury program.

Space Race

A competition between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War to achieve significant milestones in space exploration, such as the first human in space and the first manned moon landing.

Sputnik

The first artificial Earth satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, marking the beginning of the Space Age and intensifying the Space Race between the superpowers.

Standard of living

The level of comfort, material goods, and necessities available to a population, often used as a measure of economic well-being.

Suez Crisis

A 1956 conflict triggered by Egyptian President Nasser's nationalization of the Suez Canal, leading to military intervention by Israel, France, and Britain, but ultimately resulting in their withdrawal under pressure from the United States and the Soviet Union.

Syngman Rhee

The first President of South Korea, serving from 1948 to 1960, Rhee played a significant role in the early years of South Korea's development and in the Korean War.

Taft-Hartley Act

Passed in 1947 over President Truman's veto, the Taft-Hartley Act amended the Wagner Act and imposed restrictions on labor unions, including prohibitions on certain union activities and the requirement for union leaders to sign affidavits disavowing communist affiliations.

Tehran Conference

A meeting held in Tehran, Iran, in 1943 among Allied leaders Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin, where they discussed military strategy and coordination during World War II, including plans for the invasion of France and the postwar reorganization of Europe.

Television

A mass communication medium that became increasingly popular and influential during the postwar period, shaping public opinion, culture, and politics in the United States and around the world.

The Apollo program

A series of manned space missions undertaken by NASA during the 1960s and 1970s, culminating in the first human moon landing by Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin in 1969.

The blacklist

Refers to the practice of denying employment or opportunities to individuals suspected of having communist or subversive affiliations during the McCarthy era in the United States, often without due process or evidence.

The containment doctrine

A U.S. foreign policy strategy developed by George F. Kennan during the Cold War, advocating for the containment of Soviet expansionism through political, economic, and military means, without direct confrontation.