U.S. History Lecture Review on Nixon and the Cold War

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to U.S. history, focusing on President Nixon's policies, the Vietnam War, civil rights movements, and significant historical events from the mid-20th century.

Nixon’s Vietnam policy

Nixon's policy focused on 'Vietnamization', aiming to reduce U.S. troop involvement and shift the responsibility of the war to South Vietnamese forces.

Domestic policy under Nixon

Nixon's domestic policy included efforts to create a New Federalism, reducing federal influence while increasing state power, and initiatives like the Environmental Protection Agency.

Gains of women and ethnic minorities in the 1960s and 1970s

Increased rights and visibility due to movements advocating for civil rights, gender equality, and federal policy changes.

Counterculture of the 1960s

A social movement characterized by opposition to mainstream values, promoting peace, love, and alternative lifestyles, notably through music and art.

Watergate crisis

A political scandal involving a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, leading to Nixon's resignation due to cover-up efforts.

Nixon’s foreign policy successes

Included establishing relations with China and easing tensions with the Soviet Union through détente.

Détente

The easing of strained relations, especially during the Cold War, manifesting through treaties and normalized relations, notably with the USSR and China.

'Cash-and-carry' policy

A U.S. policy allowing countries at war to purchase goods from America as long as they paid in cash and transported the goods themselves.

Pearl Harbor

A surprise military attack by Japan on December 7, 1941, which led to the U.S. entering World War II.

Chester W. Nimitz

A U.S. Navy fleet admiral in World War II who played a major role in the naval battles of the Pacific.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

The 34th President of the U.S., who served during the Cold War and was known for his foreign policy of containment.

Executive Order No. 9066

Authorized the forced relocation and internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Office of Price Administration

Agency established during World War II to control inflation and stabilize prices.

'Rosie the Riveter'

Cultural icon representing women who worked in factories during World War II.

Navajo 'code talkers'

Native American soldiers who used their language to create unbreakable codes during World War II.

Battle of Midway

A crucial naval battle in World War II, which turned the tide in favor of the Allies in the Pacific.

Island-hopping strategy

Military strategy employed by Allied forces to capture specific islands while bypassing others in the Pacific during World War II.

D-Day

The Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, marking a significant turning point in World War II.

Manhattan Project

A secret U.S. government project during World War II that developed the atomic bomb.

Joseph McCarthy

U.S. Senator known for allegations of communist infiltration in the government during the Red Scare.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

American citizens who were executed for allegedly spying for the Soviet Union.

Yalta Conference

A meeting between Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin in 1945 to discuss the postwar reorganization of Europe.

Servicemen's Readjustment Act (GI Bill)

Legislation providing benefits to returning World War II veterans, such as education and housing assistance.

Baby boom

A significant increase in birth rates following World War II.

Iron curtain

The division between Eastern (Soviet) and Western (democratic) Europe during the Cold War.

Berlin airlift

An operation that delivered supplies to West Berlin after the Soviet blockade in 1948.

'Containment doctrine'

U.S. foreign policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy established in 1947 to provide political, military, and economic assistance to countries resisting communism.

Marshall Plan

A U.S. program providing aid to Western Europe for economic recovery after World War II.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

A military alliance formed in 1949 for mutual defense against aggression.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

A committee established to investigate alleged disloyalty and subversive activities among U.S. citizens.

Levittown

The first mass-produced suburb in the U.S., representing post-war housing boom in the 1950s.

Elvis Presley

An iconic American singer known as the 'King of Rock and Roll'.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Civil rights leader who advocated for nonviolent protest against racial segregation.

Jackie Robinson

The first African American to play in Major League Baseball, breaking the color barrier.

Rosa Parks

Civil rights activist known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott.

Lyndon B. Johnson

36th President of the U.S. known for his Great Society programs.

John F. Kennedy

35th President of the U.S., known for his leadership during the Cuban Missile Crisis and support for civil rights.

Sit-ins

Nonviolent protests in which participants sit and refuse to leave at segregated establishments.

'Massive retaliation'

A military strategy used by the U.S. during the Cold War, emphasizing the response of using nuclear weapons.

Brown v. Board of Education

The landmark 1954 Supreme Court case that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Montgomery bus boycott

A civil rights protest against racial segregation on public buses in Montgomery, Alabama.

Sputnik

The first artificial Earth satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, marking the start of the space race.

Cuban missile crisis

A 13-day confrontation in October 1962 between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over Soviet ballistic missiles deployed in Cuba.

Freedom Riders

Civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated southern U.S. to challenge the non-enforcement of Supreme Court rulings.

Malcolm X

A civil rights activist who advocated for the empowerment of African Americans and was a prominent figure in the Nation of Islam.

Richard M. Nixon

37th President of the U.S., known for ending U.S. involvement in Vietnam and the Watergate scandal.

Counterculture

A social movement that rejected traditional values and norms, especially during the 1960s.

'Silent majority'

A term used by Nixon to describe Americans who did not publicly protest and supported the government's policies.

Détente

The relaxation of tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Great Society

Lyndon B. Johnson's set of domestic programs aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

A 1964 congressional resolution that granted President Johnson authority to use military force in Vietnam.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Landmark legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Medicare and Medicaid

Government programs established in 1965 to provide health coverage for the elderly and low-income individuals.

Tet offensive

A major military campaign during the Vietnam War launched by North Vietnamese forces in January 1968.