AP US History Notes: Period 8 (1945-1980)

This set of flashcards includes important terms and concepts related to U.S. History from 1945 to 1980, focusing on key events, policies, figures, and movements.

Cold War

An escalating struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union, defining the era from 1945-1980.

Korean War

A conflict from 1950-1953 between North Korea, backed by China, and South Korea, backed by a U.N. coalition, ending in stalemate.

Civil Rights Movement

A nationwide movement led by activists for racial progress and equality, notably exemplified by Martin Luther King Jr.

Brown v. Board of Education

A landmark Supreme Court case that ruled segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Marshall Plan

A foreign aid program proposed by George Marshall to help rebuild Western Europe post-World War II.

Berlin Airlift

A crisis from 1948-1949 where the U.S. airlifted supplies to West Berlin to counter a Soviet blockade.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

A military alliance established in 1949 to deter Soviet aggression, ensuring collective defense.

Warsaw Pact

A collective defense arrangement of Eastern bloc countries, established in response to NATO.

National Security Act of 1947

A landmark act that reorganized U.S. military and security agencies, establishing the Department of Defense.

CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)

U.S. foreign intelligence service established in 1947 to gather, process, and analyze national security information.

Domino Theory

The idea that political events in one country can trigger similar events in neighboring countries, especially related to communism.

Great Society

Domestic programs launched by President Lyndon B. Johnson to eliminate poverty and racial injustice.

Vietnam War

A conflict involving U.S. forces in Vietnam from the mid-1950s until the fall of Saigon in 1975.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

An August 1964 resolution giving President Johnson authority to escalate U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

Watergate

A major political scandal involving President Nixon's administration, leading to Nixon's resignation in 1974.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

A landmark law prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Legislation that outlawed discriminatory voting practices that disenfranchised African American voters.

Malcolm X

Civil rights leader advocating for black empowerment and self-defense, initially associated with the Nation of Islam.

Freedom Riders

Civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated southern United States in 1961.

Tet Offensive

A major escalation in the Vietnam War, occurring in January 1968, that shifted public opinion against the war.

Hard Hat Riot

A 1970 counter-protest by construction workers against anti-Vietnam War demonstrations in New York City.

SALT I (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty)

The first agreement between the U.S. and Soviet Union to limit nuclear weapons, ratified in 1972.

Operation Rolling Thunder

A sustained bombing campaign against North Vietnam conducted by the U.S. from 1965 to 1968.

Ayatollah Khomeini

The leader of Iran from 1979 to 1989, known for establishing the Islamic Republic and anti-American sentiment.

Camp David Accords

A 1979 peace agreement between Egypt and Israel, brokered by President Jimmy Carter.