Studied by 0 people
Looks like no one added any tags here yet for you.
United Nations (UN)
a group where countries work together to solve problems like wars, hunger, and human rights.
Containment:
The U.S. didn’t want communism (where the government controls everything) to spread, so it tried to "contain" it—like stopping a fire from spreading.
Truman Doctrine:
President Harry Truman said the U.S. would help any country fight against communism. This meant giving money and military help to places like Greece and Turkey.
Iron Curtain
an "Iron Curtain" had fallen across Europe. He meant that communist countries in Eastern Europe were cut off from the free countries in the West, like a big, invisible wall.
Domino Theory:
The U.S. believed that if one country became communist, nearby countries would also turn communist—just like dominoes falling over.
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization):
A group of countries, including the U.S., that promised to protect each other if attacked. It was created to stop the spread of communism.
Warsaw Pact:
The Soviet Union created its own group of communist countries to fight against NATO.
Marshall Plan
After WWII, many European countries were poor and broken. The U.S. gave over $12 billion to help them rebuild. This was called the Marshall Plan. The U.S. hoped that by helping these countries, they wouldn’t turn to communism.
Berlin Crisis (1948-1949):
The USSR blocked supplies from reaching West Berlin. The U.S. responded with the Berlin Airlift, flying food and supplies to the people.
Korean War (1950-1953):
North Korea (communist) invaded South Korea (not communist). The U.S. helped South Korea fight back, and the war ended in a tie.
Fall of China (1949):
China became communist after a civil war. This scared the U.S. because it was a big country joining communism.
HUAC
A group in the U.S. government that looked for Americans who might be communists.
Hollywood Ten:
A group of movie writers and directors who were accused of being communists. They refused to answer questions and were sent to jail.
Senator Joseph McCarthy: McCarthyism
A politician who claimed that many Americans (including government workers) were secretly communists. His accusations created a lot of fear. Many innocent people lost their jobs. But McCarthy never proved his claims, and he was eventually exposed as a liar.
Military-Industrial Complex:
President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned that the U.S. was spending too much money on weapons and the military. He thought this might lead to too many wars.
Baby Boom:
After WWII, lots of soldiers came home, got married, and had kids. This led to a huge increase in babies—called the baby boom!
Election of 1960 – Kennedy vs. Nixon (Presidential Debates on TV)
The Election of 1960 was between John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Richard Nixon. It was a very close race, but something big changed how people voted—television.
For the first time, presidential debates were shown on TV. Kennedy looked young, calm, and confident, while Nixon looked nervous and sweaty.
Earl Warren (Warren Court) – Rulings That Changed America
Earl Warren was the leader of the Supreme Court
Ended school segregation (Brown v. Board of Education, 1954)
Protected people accused of crimes (Gideon v. Wainwright & Miranda v. Arizona—see below)
Protected free speech and voting rights
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963):
if someone was too poor to afford a lawyer, they had to defend themselves in court. This case ruled that everyone has the right to a lawyer, even if they can’t afford one.
Miranda v. Arizona (1966):
This case gave us Miranda Rights, which police must say when they arrest someone:
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you. You have the right to a lawyer."
Peace Corps
JFK created this to send volunteers to poor countries to help with education, health, and farming.
Sputnik & Space Race
In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first satellite to orbit Earth. This shocked Americans—if the USSR could send a satellite, could they send bombs too? The Space Race began, with the U.S. and USSR competing to control space. This led to NASA and the Apollo missions that put a man on the moon.
Kennedy Assassination - November 22, 1963
President Kennedy was shot and killed. The man accused of killing him was Lee Harvey Oswald,
Warren Commission & Warren Report
The Warren Commission was created to investigate Kennedy’s death. Their final report, the Warren Report, said Oswald acted alone.
Berlin Crisis of 1961 & Berlin Wall
After World War II, Germany was split into two parts: West Germany (supported by the U.S) and East Germany (Soviet Union).After World War II, Germany was split into two parts: West Germany and East Germany. Many people in East Berlin wanted to escape to the West because life was better there. The Soviet Union didn’t like this, so in 1961, they built the Berlin Wall
Cuba fall to communism / Fidel Castro
a man named Fidel Castro took control of Cuba, an island near Florida. He made Cuba a communist country,
Bay of Pigs - Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
U.S. government, through its spy agency (CIA – Central Intelligence Agency), tried to remove Castro from power. They trained Cuban exiles (people who had escaped from Cuba) and sent them to invade Cuba at a place called the Bay of Pigs. However, the plan failed
Cuban Missile Crisis
U.S. discovered that the Soviet Union was putting nuclear missiles in Cuba, President John F. Kennedy (JFK) told the Soviet Union to remove the missiles and sent U.S. Navy ships to block Cuba. After 13 tense days, the Soviets agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for the U.S. promising not to invade Cuba.
Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) – Great Society & War on Poverty
President JFK was assassinated in 1963, Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) became president. His programs were called the Great Society and focused on helping people get education, jobs, and healthcare.
War on Poverty Programs – VISTA
LBJ started VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America). It was like a Peace Corps but for the U.S.—it sent volunteers to help poor communities by teaching, building homes, and creating job programs.
Medicare Act (1965) – Medicaid
Medicare: Helps elderly people (65 and older) pay for doctor visits and hospital care.
Medicaid: Helps poor people (of any age) get healthcare if they can't afford it.
Elementary & Secondary Education Act – Head Start Programs
This law gave money to schools, especially in poor areas, to make education better. One part of it was Head Start, which helps young children from low-income families go to preschool so they can be ready for school.
French Rule in Vietnam – Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954)
Vietnam was once controlled by France. But in 1954, Vietnamese fighters, led by Ho Chi Minh, defeated the French in a huge battle called Dien Bien Phu. After this, France decided to leave Vietnam, and Vietnam was split into two:
North Vietnam (Communist, led by Ho Chi Minh)
South Vietnam (Non-Communist, supported by the U.S.
Domino Theory
The U.S. believed in the Domino Theory, which said that if one country became communist, nearby countries would also fall to communism, like dominoes tipping over. This is why the U.S. wanted to stop North Vietnam from taking over South Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh () & Ngo Dinh Diem ()
Ho Chi Minh was the leader of North Vietnam. He was a communist and wanted all of Vietnam to be united under communism.
Ngo Dinh Diem was the leader of South Vietnam. He was against communism, but he was unpopular because he was strict and unfair.
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964)
In 1964, the U.S. claimed that North Vietnam attacked American ships in the Gulf of Tonkin. This led Congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which gave President Johnson permission to send U.S. troops to fight in Vietnam without officially declaring war.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a secret network of paths used by North Vietnam to send soldiers, weapons, and supplies to help fight in South Vietnam. It ran through neighboring countries like Laos and Cambodia. The U.S. tried to bomb the trail, but North Vietnam kept using it to fight against American forces.
William Westmoreland – U.S. Commanding General in Vietnam
General William Westmoreland was the main U.S. general in charge of the Vietnam War. He led U.S. troops and believed that by sending more soldiers, America could win the war.
Draft & Lottery System
Since the Vietnam War needed a lot of soldiers, the U.S. government used a draft (which means people were forced to join the military). In 1969, they started a lottery system where young men were chosen based on their birthday. If your birthday was picked, you had to go fight. Richer men could avoid if they went to college.
“Hawks” vs. “Doves”
During the Vietnam War, Americans were divided into two groups:
Hawks 🦅: Supported the war and wanted to keep fighting.
Doves 🕊: Wanted peace and thought the war was a mistake. This split the country, with many young people protesting against the war.
Tet Offensive (1968)
January 30, 1968, during the Tet holiday (Vietnamese New Year), North Vietnam and the Viet Cong (fighters in South Vietnam who supported the North) launched a huge surprise attack on U.S. and South Vietnamese forces. Even though the U.S. fought back, this attack showed that the war was far from over.
