History 1200 Final

Cold War (1947-1991)

rivalry between the US and Soviet Union, no physical war but many decades of competition (space race, arms race, nuclear weapons, etc.)

rationing

the government controlled the distribution of goods like food and people had to use coupons, stamps, points, etc. to make sure everyone had access to goods

Berlin Airlift (1948-1949)

a major event during the Cold War in which the United States and the United Kingdom used air power to resupply West Berlin after the Soviet Union blockaded land and rail access to the city. done to prevent the USSR from getting control of West Berlin

Joseph McCarthy

McCarthyism - crusade to recklessly persecute alleged communists, often without evidence. It eventually drove McCarthy out of popular favor, but it still defined an era of “hysterical and often unfounded” accusations.

containment

The Cold War strategy calling for preventing the spread of communism, by force or by other means. The US adopted this strategy because they assumed communists wanted to spread their ideology globally and that all communists were conspiring together.

domino theory

idea that if one nation falls to communism, the rest will fall like dominoes - reflection of the fear of communism held by many in the US

Marshall Plan (1948)

A plan created by the Economic Cooperation Administration to spark economic recovery in Europe and cultivate economic ties/broader alliances for the US. It eventually channeled $13 billion into the economies of 16 participating countries.

Truman Doctrine (1947)

A US policy that supported all groups/governments worldwide who fought against communism. This was a stark contrast from isolationism. Also committed the US to financial/resource assistance to other countries.

NATO

The postwar alliance of the US and much of western Europe, unified against invasion by the Soviet Union. They would maintain a standing military force in Europe to defend against any potential Soviet invasion.

Levittown

the name given to several large suburban housing developments in the United States, notably in New York and Pennsylvania, built in the post-World War II era; helped veterans but was racially exclusive and gave way to problems like redlining

Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)

A failed invasion of Cuban anticommunist exiles to overthrow the Castro regime. The US originally lent support but withdrew it once things started to go poorly (didn’t want to get too involved).

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

A 13-day standoff between the US and Soviet Union over the threat of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. It created a gigantic war threat. Eventually, the Moscow-Washington treaty was signed, creating direct communication between the countries.

Warren Commission (1963)

888 page report

• Oswald acted alone

• Fired 3 shots

• Killed JFK

• Report later found to be flawed

Great Society

LBJ’s legislative initiatives that addressed poverty, decaying cities, and poor schools. It was way more comprehensive/far-reaching than JFK stuff. LBJ is a good politician

Civil Rights Act (1964)

LBJ - An act that prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, and national origin. It outlawed segregation of public accommodations and established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to enforce the act. This act made it the federal government’s job to enforce the outlawing of segregation.

Economic Opportunity Act (1964)

federal legislation establishing a variety of social programs aimed at facilitating education, health, employment, and general welfare for impoverished Americans (LBJ “War on Poverty”)

Montgomery Bus Boycott/Rosa Parks (1955)

Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus and got arrested. MLK was chosen by Montgomery Improvement Association to lead the boycott. It lasted 381 days and nearly bankrupted the transit company running the buses.

Brown v Board of Education (1954)

Desegregates schools - Marshall (NAACP) argues Linda Brown’s 14th amendment right was violated when she had to go to a Black school far away instead of the nearby white school. Supreme Court unanimously agrees → overturns “separate but equal” from Plessy v. Ferguson. Brown II then allowed for implementation “with all deliberate speed” (not fast)

March on Washington (1963)

Big civil rights protest. Site of MLK I Have a Dream speech. He demanded equality and jobs and the passage of the civil rights act.

Gulf of Tonkin (1964)

Allowed Johnson to “take all necessary measures” to protect US forces and prevent further aggression. LBJ saw this as an open-ended legal authorization for escalation of the conflict (although at the time he had no desire to make things erupt more)

Operation Rolling Thunder (1965-1968)

a sustained bombing campaign conducted by the United States Air Force and Navy against North Vietnam

failure

• Heavy civilian casualties

• Untold destruction of environment

  • Harder to win hearts and minds

• Did little to mute guerilla warfare

• Resulted in calls for more troops

  • Johnson 100,000 more troops in July 1965

Tet Offensive (1968)

A large coordinated attack of American strongholds in South Vietnam by communist forces. It led to a loss of support for the war in the US (almost doubled).

Harry Ueno

Japanese American union leader who was in an internment camp

rose to prominence when he was arrested and removed from the camp after being accused of attacking the leader of the Japanese American Citizens League

Dillon Myer

Director of the War Relocation Authority which oversaw the relocation and resettlement of Japanese-Americans during World War II

Roy Wilkins

Led NAACP, appealed to more moderate audience in civil rights movement

Fannie Lou Hamer

best known for her courageous and unwavering fight for voting rights for Black Americans, more critical of the government and democracy than Wilkins

Betty Friedan/Feminine Mystique

The author of The Feminine Mystique, published in 1963. The book described the frustration of many women who found themselves limited socially, economically, and intellectually in postwar America.

Gloria Steinem

journalist and co-founder of Ms. magazine, large figure in feminist movement, less confrontational and more media savvy than Betty Friedan

Buying on margin

borrowing money from a broker to purchase stock; a cause of Great Depression

Black Tuesday (1929)

Stock market crash launching Great Depression

Dust Bowl (1930s)

a severe drought that devastated the Great Plains region of the United States, causing widespread dust storms and soil erosion; environmental cause of Great Depression

Bonus Expeditionary-Force (1932)

a group of approximately 20,000 to 45,000 World War I veterans and their families who marched to Washington, D.C. to demand early payment of their promised wartime bonus

New Deal

The broad array of reform initiatives launched during the Roosevelt administration in order to alleviate the financial panic. It dramatically increased the impact of the federal government on economic life and the personal welfare of citizens.

First New Deal (1933-1934)

short-term recovery from the Great Depression

Second New Deal (1935-1938)

longer term recovery from the Great Depression

Social Security Act (1935)

An act that included pensions for many workers and established unemployment insurance and aid to disabled/dependent children. It was the first step to important social program for the retired.

Court Packing Plan (1937)

Roosevelt’s proposal to overthrow the federal court system by adding a bunch of judges who would act in the New Deal’s favor. The episode politically damaged the Roosevelt administration and led more conservatives to vote against him.

New Deal Coalition

Big city machines, labor unions, liberals, ethnic and racial minorities and Southern whites

Gave Democrats “natural majority”

New Deal Consensus

Changed what Americans expected from the federal government

• Health care

• Unemployment relief

• Jobs

• Retirement pay

• Management of the economy

Aldo Leopold

believed in a "land ethic," which emphasizes the importance of a moral, caring relationship between humans and the natural world, viewing humans as integral members of a broader "land community" rather than its masters

Rachel Carson

Part of the environmentalist movement. She wrote a book “Silent Spring” about pesticides. Big chemical companies went against her viciously, then a study years later ended up completely backing her.

Wilderness Act (1964)

established the National Wilderness Preservation System in the United States, defining "wilderness" as areas where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, and where man is a visitor who does not remain

Endangered Species Act (1973)

• Petition and listing

  • Process for determining which species were in danger of extinction

  • Economic factors cannot be considered, must be based on the “best scientific…data available”

  • Included plants and invertebrates

  • Reflection that plants and animals have inherent value beyond economic utility

• “Taking”

• Citizens standing to file suit

• Snail Darter

Edward Abbey

recognizing the intrinsic value of nature and the importance of allowing ecosystems to thrive without human interference (protect the land from the people)

James Watt

believed people should be taking advantage and using land as a resource

Redlining

discriminatory practice where financial institutions deny or limit access to loans, insurance, and other financial services to residents of certain geographic areas