Civil Rights, Cold War & Vietnam Era

Eisenhower’s “New look”

Cold war strategy focused on nuclear deterrence over conventional forces

Emphasized cutting military costs while relying on “Massive retaliation”

Birkmanship

Policy of pushing conflict to the brink of war to force enemy concessions

Practiced under Secretary of state John Foster Dulles

Sputnik and Space Race (1957)

First Satelite launched by USSR, triggered U.S fear of falling behind

Led to NASA’s creation and STEM education push in U.S schools

The Warren Court

Supreme court under chief justice Earl Warren (1953-1969)

Expanded civil liberities and rights (ex. Miranda rights, school desegregation, and voting rights) through landmark decisions).

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Landmark case that ruled segregating public schools were unconstitutional

Overturned Plessy V. Freguson; kickstarted modern civil rights movement