APUSH Ch. 29 Terms

John F. Kennedy

The 35th President of the United States, whose administration was defined by the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and a sense of youthful idealism.

Election of 1960

A highly contested U.S. presidential election between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, notable for being one of the closest in history and the first to be televised.

Lee Harvey Oswald

The man accused of assassinating President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, in 1963.

Camelot Image

The idealized, glamorous, and sophisticated public perception of the Kennedy administration, characterized by elegance and optimism.

Lyndon B. Johnson

The 36th President of the United States who succeeded JFK and oversaw the passage of landmark Civil Rights legislation and the Great Society programs.

Great Society

A set of domestic programs launched by President Lyndon B. Johnson to eliminate poverty and racial injustice.

Medicare

A federal health insurance program in the United States designed to provide coverage for people aged 65 and older.

Medicaid

A joint federal and state program that provides health coverage to people with very low income.

Office of Economic Opportunity

The centerpiece of Johnson's War on Poverty, designed to provide resources and training to help the poor achieve self-sufficiency.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act

A landmark piece of legislation that provided federal funding to public schools to ensure equal access to education for all children.

Immigration Act of 1965

A law that abolished the national-origins quota system, significantly changing the demographic makeup of the United States by allowing more immigration from Asia and Latin America.

SNCC

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee; a key student-led organization in the Civil Rights Movement focused on grassroots organizing and voter registration.

CORE

Congress of Racial Equality; a civil rights group that utilized nonviolent direct action, such as sit-ins, to combat segregation.

SCLC

Southern Christian Leadership Conference; an organization led by Martin Luther King Jr. that coordinated nonviolent protests and marches across the South.

James Meredith

An African American student who became a symbol of integration after successfully enrolling at the University of Mississippi in Permitted by federal court order.

Ross Barnett

The segregationist Governor of Mississippi who resisted the integration of the University of Mississippi.

Birmingham March

A series of nonviolent protests in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963 that drew national attention to the brutality of segregation.

Eugene Bull Connor

The segregationist Commissioner of Public Safety in Birmingham, Alabama, known for using police dogs and fire hoses against protesters.

Medgar Evers

A prominent NAACP field secretary in Mississippi who was assassinated in 1963 for his civil rights activism.

George Wallace

The segregationist Governor of Alabama and a leading figure of "massive resistance" to integration in the South.

March on Washington

A massive protest held in 1963 to advocate for civil and economic rights for African Americans, famous for Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.

Civil Rights Act 1964

Landmark legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin and ended segregation in public places.

Freedom Summer

A 1964 campaign aimed at registering as many African American voters as possible in Mississippi.

MFDP

Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party; a political group formed during Freedom Summer to challenge the all-white regular Democratic delegation.

Fannie Lou Hamer

A civil rights activist and leader of the MFDP, known for her powerful testimony regarding the violence faced by Black voters in Mississippi.

Selma March

A series of marches in Selma, Alabama, in 1965 aimed at securing voting rights, which led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act.

Voting Rights Act 1965

Federal legislation that prohibited racial discrimination in voting, specifically outlawing literacy tests and other barriers.

De Jure Segregation

Segregation that is imposed by law, such as the Jim Crow laws in the South.

De Facto Segregation

Segregation that occurs due to social, economic, or residential patterns rather than explicit legal mandates.

Watts Riots

A period of intense civil unrest and rioting in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1965, sparked by racial tensions and police brutality.

Affirmative Action

Policies and practices intended to increase the representation of marginalized groups in areas such as employment and education.

Black Power Movement

A political movement in the mid-to-late 1960s that emphasized Black self-reliance, racial pride, and militant resistance to white supremacy.

Malcolm X

A prominent leader in the Nation of Islam and later an independent activist who advocated for Black empowerment and self-defense.

Elijah Muhammad

The influential leader of the Nation of Islam who mentored Malcolm X and promoted Black separatism.

Black Panther Party

A revolutionary organization formed in 1966 to combat police brutality and provide social programs to Black communities.

Third World

A term used during the Cold War to describe nations that were not aligned with either NATO or the Communist Bloc, often characterized by developing economies.

Peace Corps

A U.S. government agency established by JFK to send American volunteers to developing countries to provide technical assistance and promote peace.

Bay of Pigs

A failed 1961 CIA-backed invasion of Cuba intended to overthrow Fidel Castro's government.

1961 Vienna Meeting

A summit between President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev that highlighted the rising tensions of the Cold War.

Vietmeinh

The communist-nationalist movement in Vietnam that fought for independence from French colonial rule.

Ho Chi Minh

The Vietnamese revolutionary leader and communist politician who led the struggle for independence against France and later the U.S.

Dien Bien Phu

A decisive battle in 1954 where the Viet Minh defeated French forces, effectively ending French colonial presence in Indochina.

17th Parallel

The provisional military demarcation line established by the Geneva Accords that divided North and South Vietnam.

Ngo Dinh Diem

The anti-communist President of South Vietnam who was assassinated during a military coup in 1963.

National Liberation Front

Also known as the Viet Cong; a communist guerrilla force in South Vietnam that fought against the South Vietnamese government and U.S. forces.

Buddhist Protests

A series of demonstrations in South Vietnam in 1963 against the pro-Catholic policies of the Diem regime.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

A congressional authorization that granted President Lyndon B. Johnson the authority to escalate military involvement in Vietnam.

Attrition

A military strategy used during the Vietnam War aimed at wearing down the enemy's strength through continuous loss of personnel and resources.

Hearts and Minds

A counterinsurgency strategy focused on winning the support and loyalty of the local population rather than just using military force.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

A complex network of paths through Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam used by North Vietnamese forces to supply troops in the South.

Napalm

A highly flammable jelly-like substance used in incendiary bombs during the Vietnam War.

Agent Orange

A powerful herbicide used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War to defoliate forests and destroy crops.

Teach in Movement

A form of protest where students and faculty held educational seminars and discussions to critique government policies, particularly regarding the Vietnam War.

Folk Music

A genre of music that became a vehicle for social and political commentary during the 1960s protest movements.

Student Protest at University CA Berkeley

The site of the Free Speech Movement in 1964, where students protested restrictions on political activity on campus.

Robert McNamara

The U.S. Secretary of Defense during much of the Vietnam War, known for his role in escalating military involvement.

Tet Offensive

A massive, coordinated North Vietnamese and Viet Cong attack in early 1968 that, while a tactical failure for the communists, was a psychological victory.

1968 New Hampshire Primary

A pivotal moment in the 1968 election where Eugene McCarthy's strong performance signaled the waning support for Lyndon B. Johnson.

Robert Kennedy

The U.S. Attorney General and brother of JFK, whose presidential campaign ended with his assassination in 1968.

Assassination of MLK

The 1968 killing of Martin Luther King Jr., which triggered widespread riots and a period of intense grief and unrest across the U.S.

Assassination of RFK

The 1968 killing of Robert F. Kennedy, which significantly altered the trajectory of the presidential election and the Civil Rights Movement.

Chicago Democratic National Convention

The 1968 convention marked by violent clashes between anti-war protesters and police, symbolizing the deep divisions within the Democratic Party.

George Wallace

(Repeated term) The segregationist Governor of Alabama and symbol of Southern resistance to civil rights.

Richard Nixon

The 37th President of the United States who won the 1968 election by appealing to the "Silent Majority."

Silent Majority

A term used by Richard Nixon to describe the large group of Americans who supported his policies and were not part of the loud protest movements.

Peace with Honor

The slogan used by Richard Nixon to describe his policy of pursuing an end to the Vietnam War through diplomatic and military pressure.