The Cold War and Civil Rights Movement

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts from the Cold War and the Civil Rights Movement, aiding in the study and understanding of these significant historical events.

Cold War

A period of political tension and military rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II.

Iron Curtain

A term coined by Winston Churchill to describe the division between Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe and the Democratic Western Europe.

Containment

A foreign policy adopted by the United States to prevent the spread of communism during the Cold War.

Truman Doctrine

A policy that asserted U.S. support for free peoples resisting subjugation, particularly against communist threats.

Marshall Plan

A U.S. initiative to aid Western Europe in economic recovery after World War II.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

A military alliance formed in 1949 between the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to counter Soviet expansion.

Korean War

A conflict that lasted from 1950 to 1953, involving North Korea (supported by China and the USSR) and South Korea (supported by the US and UN forces).

Brinkmanship

A strategy during the Cold War that involved taking actions that risked a direct conflict, with the hope that the opponent would back down.

Sputnik

The first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, marking the start of the Space Race.

Civil Rights Movement

A social movement in the United States aimed at ending racial discrimination and ensuring equal rights for African Americans.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

A landmark Supreme Court case that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional.

Sit-in

A form of protest in which participants sit and refuse to move, often used during the Civil Rights Movement to challenge segregation.

Freedom Rides

Civil Rights protests in which activists rode buses into the segregated southern United States to test compliance with court rulings.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Legislation that aimed to eliminate various barriers to voting for African Americans.

Malcolm X

An influential African American leader and activist who advocated for black empowerment and the use of self-defense.

Jackie Robinson

The first African American to play Major League Baseball in the modern era, breaking the color barrier.