1950s and 1960s Study Guide

MLK

Activist for equality and black people's rights.

Rosa Parks

An activist known for not giving her bus seat up for a white person.

Jackie Robinson

One of the first black sports players, played for the LA Dodgers.

Little Rock Nine

Nine black students who joined an all-white school for the first time, facing racism.

Emmett Till

Abducted and lynched for allegedly assaulting a white woman.

Eisenhower (Presidency)

Signed the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960.

Truman (Presidency)

Signed the go-ahead for the atomic bomb; implemented the Marshall Plan.

Rosenbergs

Julius and Ethel executed for conspiracy to commit espionage; Ethel's innocence is disputed.

Alger Hiss

Accused of spying for the Soviet Union; convicted of perjury.

Hollywood Ten

Ten Hollywood actors blacklisted for not testifying in a case and accused of being Communists.

Douglas MacArthur

General who fought in the Korean War and received the rank of General in the Army.

Brown v. Board of Education

Ruled that separate but equal was not actually equal.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

Black people in Montgomery boycotted buses in protest of inequality.

Containment

American strategy to keep Communism out of the western hemisphere and other places.

NATO

Originally created to contain Communism but used for peacekeeping between 32 North American and European countries.

GI Bill

Provided benefits for WWII veterans, including compensation and education.

Berlin Airlift

Operation to airlift food and supplies into isolated Berlin.

Truman Doctrine

Pledged support for democracy and non-communist beliefs.

McCarthyism

The practice of publicly accusing individuals of being communist without sufficient evidence.

Korean War

Conflict where Soviets supported North Korea and the US supported South Korea, ending at the 38th parallel.

Sputnik

The first artificial satellite launched by the Soviets, marking the beginning of the space race.

HUAC

House Un-American Activities Committee, investigated suspected communist activities.

Marshall Plan

Plan to provide economic help to Western Europe to rebuild economies and prevent communism.

Warsaw Pact

Military alliance between the Soviets and several Eastern European countries.

Baby Boom

A significant increase in birth rates following WWII.

White Collar Jobs

Professional jobs typically in an office, often with good pay.

Rock n’ Roll

A new music genre rooted in African American traditions, initially rejected by older generations.

Beatniks

Writers who criticized and rejected mainstream American values and consumerism.

Sunbelt

Region of the US with warm climate and significant economic growth, from Florida to California.

Levittowns

Large-scale, commercialized housing developments built identical and affordably.

The New Frontier

JFK's vision for a more progressive and activist government.

The Great Society

LBJ's initiatives aimed at addressing poverty and societal issues.

The Cuban Missile Crisis

Confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union over missiles in Cuba.

Peace Corps

Program that sends American citizens to developing countries for assistance.

Medicare

Health care program for elderly individuals aged 65 and older.

Medicaid

Health care program for low-income households below the poverty line.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, sex, and religion.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Legislation that prohibited racial discrimination in voting.

Kennedy Assassination

Event in which President JFK was shot and killed by Lee Harvey Oswald.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

Failed US invasion of Cuba targeting the overthrow of Fidel Castro.