1950s

Eisenhower Doctrine

U.S. policy that aimed to block Soviet influence in the Middle East in the 1950s.

Baby Boom

A significant increase in birth rates following WWII due to economic prosperity.

Korean War

Conflict from 1950 to 1953 initiated by North Korea's invasion of South Korea, supported by UN forces.

McCarthyism

The practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper evidence, particularly against alleged communists.

Civil Rights Act of 1957

Legislation that established the Civil Rights Commission to investigate civil rights violations.

Brown v. Board of Education

The 1954 Supreme Court case that declared state-sponsored segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Space Race

Competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union for dominance in space exploration, marked by events like the Sputnik launch.

Sit-ins

Nonviolent protests where participants occupy a place and refuse to leave as a form of protest against segregation.

Polio Vaccine

Vaccine developed by Jonas Salk that was tested in 1954 and announced as highly effective in 1955.

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)

A Cold War strategy to deter nuclear war by ensuring that both sides would be annihilated in a conflict.

Interstate Highway System

A network of controlled-access highways established under President Eisenhower to improve transportation.

Espionage

The practice of spying to obtain secret or confidential information.

Brinkmanship

A foreign policy strategy that involves pushing dangerous events to the edge of active conflict.