Honors History Test 3

The Iron Curtain

the ideological, political, and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas—Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe and democratic Western Europe—from the end of World War II (1945) until the end of the Cold War (1991). It symbolized the extreme separation and mistrust between communist and capitalist nations.

Code Talkers

Native American servicemen in World Wars I and II who used their indigenous languages as secure, unbreakable communication codes, crucial for Allied victories

Joseph McCarthy

was a Republican U.S. Senator from Wisconsin (1947–1957) who spearheaded a campaign of intense anti-communist paranoia in the early 1950s. He gained prominence by alleging widespread Soviet infiltration of the U.S. government, triggering the anti-communist hysteria

Fair Deal

a 1949 domestic agenda proposed by US President Harry S. Truman, aiming to expand upon Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal policies. It focused on strengthening the post-WWII economy, increasing the minimum wage, increasing Social Security coverage, expanding public housing, and enacting civil rights reforms to promote social equality.

Black Panthers

a revolutionary organization advocating for Black self-defense, socialism, and community empowerment. Through their "Ten-Point Program," they aimed to end police brutality, gain full employment, and improve housing and education

GI Bill of Rights

signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to help World War II veterans transition to civilian life. It provided comprehensive benefits, including educational tuition and expenses, job training, low-interest home/business loans, and up to 52 weeks of unemployment pay.

Tuskegee Airmen

were the first African American military aviators in the U.S. Army Air Forces, training at Tuskegee, Alabama, during World War II. Despite facing segregation and racism

Containment

a foundational U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War (1947–1989) designed to prevent the expansion of Soviet-backed communism beyond its existing borders

Battle of Midway

It is considered the turning point of the war in the Pacific because the U.S. Navy decisively defeated the Japanese fleet, sinking four of their aircraft carriers. This victory stopped Japan’s expansion in the Pacific and shifted the momentum of the war in favor of the Allies.

Freedom Riders

were interracial civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated Southern U.S. in 1961 to challenge non-compliance with Supreme Court rulings banning segregation on interstate travel. Facing extreme violence, arrests, and firebombings, they forced federal intervention, ultimately leading to the enforcement of desegregation in interstate transportation.

Betty Friedan****

best known for sparking the "second wave" of the feminist movement with her 1963 book, The Feminine Mystique. She co-founded the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1966, advocating for legal and social equality.

Berlin Airlift

was a massive humanitarian mission where the U.S. and its allies flew food, fuel, and supplies into West Berlin, Germany. It was launched after the Soviet Union blocked all land routes into the city to force the Western Allies out.

Suburbia

the residential districts or suburbs located on the outskirts of a city. It typically represents a, often middle-class, lifestyle characterized by lower population density, single-family homes

Operation Barbarossa

was Nazi Germany’s massive invasion of the Soviet Union during WWII, breaking their non-aggression pact. Led by Hitler's aim to secure attacked, initially achieving rapid, massive advances. The campaign ultimately failed outside Moscow, turning into a long, brutal war of attrition that doomed the Third Reich

SNCC

a pivotal, student-led organization formed in 1960 to spearhead grassroots, nonviolent action against racial segregation in the American South. Its purpose was to dismantle Jim Crow laws through direct action—such as sit-ins and voter registration drives—promoting Black self-determination and strengthening student activism

Rock and Roll

a genre of popular music that emerged in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, characterized by a heavy, accented beat, electrified instruments—particularly the guitar—and a fusion of rhythm and blues (R&B), country, and gospel. It represented a cultural shift toward teenage rebellion and independence, evolving into a global phenomenon that heavily influenced youth culture

National Security Act

the requirement of a government to protect its citizens, territory, economy, and institutions from both internal and external threats. It involves using military, diplomatic, economic, and cyber tools to ensure safety, sovereignty, and prosperity.

Pearl Harbor

U.S. Navy base in Hawaii that was the site of a surprise, devastating air attack by Japan on December 7, 1941. This attack destroyed many U.S. ships and aircraft, killing over 2,400 Americans. It immediately brought the United States into World War II.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

is a landmark federal law signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson that outlawed discriminatory voting practices, such as literacy tests, aimed at suppressing Black voters. It aimed to enforce the 15th Amendment, ensuring all citizens equal access to the ballot, particularly in the South.

War Relocation Camps

were 10 prison sites operated by the US government during WWII to forcibly confine about 120,000 Japanese Americans—most of whom were U.S. citizens—in remote, inland areas. Established under Executive Order #9066 in 1942, they aimed to isolate these individuals under suspicion of disloyalty.

Lend/Lease Act

empowered President Franklin D. Roosevelt to transfer, sell, or lease war materials, food, and equipment to any nation deemed vital to U.S. defense. The policy aimed to support the Allied powers—primarily Great Britain and later the Soviet Union—in their fight against Axis aggression without immediately involving the U.S. in active combat.

Stonewall Riots

were a series of spontaneous protests by LGBTQ+ people against a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in New York City on June 28, 1969. Lasting six days, it marked a turning point in history, sparking the modern gay liberation movement and worldwide calls for equal rights

Bracero Program

a diplomatic agreement between the U.S. and Mexico that brought millions of Mexican citizens to the United States for temporary, legal agricultural and railroad labor. It was created to solve wartime labor shortages, providing crucial workers for U.S.

Truman Doctrine

was a U.S. foreign policy promising military and economic aid to any nation threatened by communism. Announced by President Harry S. Truman, it aimed to "contain" Soviet influence and prevent the spread of totalitarianism, marking the start of the Cold War and active U.S. global intervention.

Southern Strategy

was a Republican Party electoral approach, primarily starting in the late 1960s, designed to win over white Southern voters by appealing to racial resentment and conservative cultural values. It utilized coded language (like "law and order" or "states' rights") to oppose civil rights advances without explicitly using racist language.

Domino Theory

a Cold War-era U.S. foreign policy idea suggesting that if one country in a region fell to communism, surrounding countries would inevitably fall as well, like a row of dominoes. Coined by President Eisenhower in 1954, it was used to justify American intervention to prevent communist spread

Douglas McArthur

was a highly decorated American five-star general and Medal of Honor recipient who played a key role in the Pacific theater during World War II. As Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in the Southwest Pacific, he oversaw the occupation of Japan and led UN forces in the Korean War, known for his bold strategy, "I shall return" vow, and later dismissal by President Truman

Marshall Plan

was a U.S. program enacted in 1948 that provided over $13 billion in economic aid to rebuild Western European economies after World War II. It aimed to prevent economic collapse, stop the spread of communism, and create stable trading partners for the U.S..

NSC-68

was a top-secret U.S. National Security Council report that acted as a Cold War blueprint, urging a massive buildup of U.S. military power to fight the expansion of communism. It portrayed the US-Soviet conflict as an existential struggle between freedom and slavery, justifying high defense spending and militarized containment over diplomatic action

Expansion of the Federal Government from 1940-1970 (Readings)

• The tax base was drastically expanded, moving from a tax on the wealthy to a broad-based income tax for most working Americans,

• creation of a permanent national security apparatus, including the Department of Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the National Security Council.

• using federal authority to end segregation and protect voting rights in the South

• government expanded into regulatory areas such as environmental protection

• federal government grew in power, it often worked through state and local governments by providing grants and funding,

Influence of Southern Democrats 1940-1960 (Readings)

• dominated key committee chairmanships in Congress, allowing them to kill federal anti-lynching bills and civil rights legislation for decades.

• attacking the Supreme Court and urging "lawful means" to resist school desegregation.

• Southern Democrats ("Dixiecrats") led by Strom Thurmond broke away from the party, warning that the "Solid South" was eroding.

• Southern opposition forced leaders like Truman and Kennedy to prioritize other legislation, slowing the progress of liberal reforms and civil rights initiatives

US from Isolationism to Participation in World War II (Readings)

• Congress passed a series of Neutrality Acts designed to prevent the U.S. from repeating the mistakes that led to its entry into WWI

• The Japanese surprise attack on December 7, 1941, fundamentally shattered the isolationist movement. (Pearl Harbor)

• Lend-Lease Act (1941): This was the definitive break from neutrality. It allowed the U.S. to supply the British (and later the Soviet Union)

• Quarantine" Speech (1937): FDR began testing the waters by suggesting that peace-loving nations should "quarantine" aggressors, though public opinion remained largely opposed to war.

• : An executive agreement that traded 50 aging U.S. destroyers for the right to build military bases on British territories.

Beloved (Readings)

Sethe, an escaped slave, lives with her daughter Denver and mother-in-law Baby Suggs, but her home is haunted by the ghost of her deceased baby, whose tombstone reads "Beloved". The arrival of a mysterious young woman who calls herself Beloved brings the past crashing into the present, forcing Sethe to confront the unspeakable horrors of her time at the Sweet Home plantation. 

• save the baby from the dirtiness of slavery