U.S. History Review

Flashcards about the U.S. Presidents, Important People, Ideas & Doctrines, Major Events & Conflicts, Civil Rights Movement, and Global Conflicts & Late 20th Century from the lecture notes.

Dwight Eisenhower

Ended Korean War, created Interstate Highway System, warned of military-industrial complex.

John F. Kennedy (JFK)

Led during Cuban Missile Crisis, began U.S. space race, assassinated in 1963.

Lyndon B. Johnson

President after JFK; passed Civil Rights Act of 1964, started “Great Society” programs, escalated Vietnam War.

Richard Nixon

President (1969–1974); ended U.S. involvement in Vietnam, visited China, resigned due to Watergate.

Gerald Ford

Became president after Nixon resigned; pardoned Nixon, faced economic troubles.

Jimmy Carter

Known for Camp David Accords and Iran Hostage Crisis.

Ronald Reagan

Promoted “Reaganomics,” increased military spending, challenged the Soviet Union.

George H.W. Bush

Led U.S. during Persian Gulf War, saw end of Cold War.

Bill Clinton

President (1993–2001); signed NAFTA, impeached for lying under oath but not removed.

George W. Bush

Led U.S. through 9/11, began wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Barack Obama

President (2009–2017); passed Affordable Care Act, ordered killing of Osama bin Laden.

Donald Trump

President (2017–2021); known for populist policies, controversial rhetoric, and impeachment.

Joseph McCarthy

Senator who led anti-communist witch hunts (McCarthyism) during the Red Scare.

Jackie Robinson

First African American MLB player (1947), broke the color barrier in sports.

Nikita Khrushchev

Soviet leader during the Cold War, Cuban Missile Crisis, and space race.

Emmett Till

14-year-old Black boy lynched in 1955; his death helped spark the Civil Rights Movement.

Rosa Parks

Refused to give up her bus seat in 1955; sparked Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Civil Rights leader; assassination in 1968 led to riots and national mourning.

Malcolm X

Black nationalist and Nation of Islam leader who promoted Black empowerment.

Lee Harvey Oswald

Assassinated JFK in 1963; was later killed before trial.

Ho Chi Minh

Communist leader of North Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

Ross Perot

Billionaire who ran for president in 1992 as an independent, split the vote.

Osama bin Laden

Leader of Al-Qaeda; responsible for 9/11 attacks; killed in 2011.

Marshall Plan

U.S. plan to rebuild Europe after WWII to prevent communism.

Cold War

U.S. vs. USSR conflict (1945–1991); political and ideological battle.

Korean War

U.S.-backed South Korea vs. communist North Korea (1950–1953); ended in stalemate.

Domino Theory

Belief that if one country fell to communism, others would follow.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy to contain communism by helping threatened nations.

Containment

U.S. strategy to stop the spread of communism.

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)

Both U.S. and USSR had enough nukes to destroy each other — prevented war.

G.I. Bill

Helped WWII veterans attend college and buy homes.

Reaganomics

Reagan’s economic policy of tax cuts, deregulation, and increased defense spending.

Glasnost

Gorbachev's policy of open discussion in USSR.

Perestroika

Gorbachev’s policy of restructuring USSR’s economy.

Sputnik

First satellite (1957) by USSR; started U.S. space race.

Berlin Airlift

U.S. flew supplies to West Berlin during Soviet blockade.

NATO

Military alliance of U.S. and allies to protect against Soviet threats.

Bay of Pigs

Failed U.S. invasion of Cuba to overthrow Fidel Castro.

Cuban Missile Crisis

U.S.-Soviet standoff over missiles in Cuba (1962).

Berlin Wall

Symbol of Cold War division; fell in 1989, ending Cold War.

Vietnam War

U.S. tried to stop communism in Vietnam; ended in U.S. withdrawal.

Gulf of Tonkin

Alleged attack on U.S. ships that justified U.S. entering Vietnam.

My Lai Massacre

U.S. troops killed hundreds of Vietnamese civilians.

Tet Offensive

Surprise attack by Viet Cong in 1968; shifted U.S. public opinion.

Vietnamization

Nixon’s policy to gradually pull U.S. troops from Vietnam.

Watergate Scandal

Nixon’s administration spied on opponents; led to resignation.

OPEC Embargo

Middle East oil producers cut off oil to U.S. in 1973 over support for Israel.

Brown v. Board

1954 Supreme Court case ending school segregation.

Little Rock Nine

Black students integrated an all-white school in 1957 with military protection.

Jim Crow Laws

State laws enforcing racial segregation.

Birmingham Riots & TV

Brutality against protestors was broadcasted, shifting national opinion.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

1955–56 protest after Rosa Parks; ended segregation on buses.

March on Washington

1963 civil rights rally where MLK gave 'I Have a Dream.'

Freedom Riders

Protesters who rode buses to challenge segregation in the South.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Ended segregation in public places and banned job discrimination.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Ended barriers to Black voting like literacy tests.

Nation of Islam

Religious movement for Black empowerment; Malcolm X was a leader.

Black Power

Movement for Black pride and self-defense.

Black Panthers

Group that fought for Black rights and self-defense, often seen as militant.

Camp David Accords

Peace deal between Israel and Egypt brokered by Carter.

SALT Negotiations

U.S. and USSR talks to limit nuclear weapons.

Iran Hostage Crisis

52 Americans held for 444 days in Iran (1979–1981).

SDI (Star Wars)

Reagan’s plan to build space-based missile defense system.

Evil Empire

Reagan’s term for the USSR during Cold War.

Tiananmen Square

1989 protests in China crushed by military; symbol of fight for democracy.

Election of 1992

Clinton (D) beat Bush (R); Ross Perot split the vote.

Persian Gulf War (Desert Storm)

U.S. pushed Iraq out of Kuwait in 1991.

NAFTA

Free trade agreement between U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

LA Riots 1992

Triggered by acquittal of police who beat Rodney King.

Oklahoma City Bombing

Domestic terror attack on federal building (1995).

Unabomber

Ted Kaczynski, sent bombs to protest modern technology.

Mogadishu, Somalia

U.S. troops killed in mission gone wrong (1993).

Clinton Impeachment

Lied under oath about affair; acquitted.

Election of 2000

Bush vs. Gore; Supreme Court decided the outcome.

Taliban

Extremist group that ruled Afghanistan; sheltered al-Qaeda.

Al-Qaeda

Terrorist group behind 9/11 attacks.

9/11

Terrorist attacks on World Trade Center and Pentagon (2001).

Afghanistan War (2001–2021)

Longest U.S. war; aimed at defeating Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

Iraq War (2003)

U.S. invaded Iraq over claims of WMDs; none found.

Boston Marathon Bombing

Terror attack in 2013 by radicalized brothers.

Hurricane Katrina

2005 disaster; exposed poor disaster response.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Reason given for Iraq invasion; never found.

Patriot Act

Gave government more power to monitor for terrorism.

Columbine

1999 school shooting that raised awareness of gun violence.

Election of 2016

Trump (R) defeated Hillary Clinton (D); highly divisive.