epi 5

Berlin Wall

A barrier erected by the Soviet Union between East and West Berlin to prevent people from fleeing the East, symbolizing the Cold War until its fall in 1989.

PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization)

An organization aimed at uniting Arabs and liberating Palestine from Israeli control.

OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)

An international oil cartel primarily composed of Arab nations that collaborates to protect their oil interests.

Common Market

Established in 1957 by the Treaty of Rome, it aimed to reduce trade barriers among European nations.

GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade)

A legal agreement to promote international trade by reducing trade barriers, evolving into the World Trade Organization in 1995.

ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam)

The military force of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

Modernization theory

The idea that economic reforms can lead to social and political changes, including democracy, used to justify U.S. policies in developing countries.

Bay of Pigs

A failed military invasion of Cuba by CIA-trained forces in April 1961, intended to overthrow Castro.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 1962 confrontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over missile installations in Cuba, leading to a near-nuclear conflict.

New Frontier

Kennedy's domestic program focusing on education, healthcare, urban renewal, and civil rights, which struggled to pass in Congress.

Supply side economics

Economic theory advocating for tax cuts and deregulation to stimulate growth, also known as trickle-down economics.

Space Race

The competition between the U.S. and USSR to achieve significant milestones in space exploration.

Limited Test Ban Treaty

An agreement prohibiting all above-ground nuclear tests, signed by the U.S., USSR, and UK.

Lunch Counter sit-ins

Civil rights protests aimed at desegregating private businesses and lunch counters.

Freedom Riders

Civil rights activists who challenged segregated bus terminals in the South through bus trips in 1961.

16th Street Baptist Church

The site of a bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, that killed four little girls, highlighting racial violence.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail

A letter by Martin Luther King Jr. addressing the need for civil rights activism and the urgency of justice.

Freedom Summer

A 1964 voter registration initiative designed to boost Black voter registration in Mississippi, organized by CORE and SNCC.

March on Washington

A significant civil rights demonstration led by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963, advocating for civil rights legislation.

1964 Civil Rights Act

Legislation that outlawed segregation in public facilities and strengthened federal enforcement of desegregation.