Chapter 14: Post-War America (1945–1960)
Lesson 1: Truman and Eisenhower
Harry Truman (D): Took over after FDR.
Fair Deal: Expanded New Deal, tried for national health care, civil rights, and aid to education.
Desegregated the military (1948).
Dwight Eisenhower (R): Moderate Republican.
Interstate Highway Act (1956): Massive infrastructure project, also helped military mobility.
Believed in limited government and balanced budgets.
Cold War policies: Brinkmanship and Massive Retaliation.
Lesson 2: The Affluent Society
Economic prosperity, growth of suburbs (Levittown).
GI Bill: Helped returning WWII vets with education and housing.
Baby Boom: Population spike from 1946-1964.
Rise of consumerism, TV culture, and traditional family values.
Lesson 3: The Other Side of American Life
Poverty still existed despite prosperity.
Urban decay: Poor and minorities often left behind in cities.
Appalachia and inner cities struggled.
Book: “The Other America” by Michael Harrington exposed hidden poverty.
Chapter 15: The New Frontier and Great Society
Lesson 1: The New Frontier
John F. Kennedy (JFK):
Pushed for civil rights, space exploration (NASA), education, and the economy.
Created the Peace Corps (1961).
Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961): Failed mission in Cuba.
Assassinated in 1963.
Lesson 2: JFK and the Cold War
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962): Closest the U.S. came to nuclear war with USSR.
Built nuclear arms and expanded space race.
Promoted flexible response over massive retaliation.
Lesson 3: The Great Society
Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ):
War on Poverty: programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start, Job Corps.
Civil Rights Act (1964) & Voting Rights Act (1965).
Funded education and public housing.
Chapter 16: The Civil Rights Era
Lesson 1: The Movement Begins
Brown v. Board of Education (1954): Ended segregation in schools.
Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-56).
Martin Luther King Jr. and nonviolent protest.
Lesson 2: Challenging Segregation
Little Rock Nine (1957): Integration crisis in Arkansas.
Sit-ins (Greensboro, 1960).
Freedom Riders (1961): Protested segregation on buses.
March on Washington (1963) – “I Have a Dream.”
Lesson 3: New Civil Rights Issues
Malcolm X and Black Power movement: more militant activism.
Black Panthers: promoted self-defense.
Civil Rights Act of 1968: Fair Housing.
Continued push for equality in education and jobs.
Chapter 17: The Vietnam War
Lesson 1: Going to War in Vietnam
Domino Theory: Fear of communism spreading in Asia.
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964): Gave LBJ broad war powers.
Vietcong and guerrilla warfare tactics.
Lesson 2: Vietnam Divides the Nation
Tet Offensive (1968): Major turning point; public lost faith in U.S. success.
Anti-war protests grew: especially among students.
Draft resistance, media coverage, and credibility gap.
Lesson 3: The War Winds Down
Vietnamization (Nixon): Pulling U.S. troops out, training South Vietnamese.
Paris Peace Accords (1973): U.S. pulls out.
Fall of Saigon (1975): North Vietnam wins; U.S. loses war.
Chapter 18: Social Movements of the 1960s and 70s
Lesson 1: Students and the Counterculture
Free Speech Movement at UC Berkeley.
Counterculture: Hippies, peace, love, drugs, rejection of mainstream values.
Woodstock (1969): Music and cultural festival.
Lesson 2: The Feminist Movement
Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique (1963): sparked second-wave feminism.
NOW (National Organization for Women): pushed for equal rights.
Title IX (1972): Banned sex discrimination in education.
Lesson 3: Latino Americans Organize
Cesar Chavez: United Farm Workers (UFW), used strikes and boycotts.
Bilingual Education Act (1968).
Latino activism for workers’ rights and cultural recognition.
Chapter 19: Politics of the 1970s
Lesson 1: Nixon Administration
Southern Strategy: Appealed to white conservative voters.
Détente: Easing Cold War tensions with USSR and China.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created.
Lesson 2: Watergate Scandal
1972 break-in at DNC HQ (Watergate).
Nixon’s cover-up led to resignation (1974).
Checks and balances worked; trust in government weakened.
Lesson 3: Ford and Carter
Gerald Ford: Pardoned Nixon, faced economic troubles.
Jimmy Carter: Struggled with inflation and energy crisis.
Camp David Accords (1978): Peace between Egypt and Israel.
Iran Hostage Crisis (1979): Hurt Carter’s re-election chances.
Lesson 5: Environmentalism
Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring”: warned about pesticides.
Earth Day created (1970), EPA formed.
More regulation of pollution and industry.
Chapter 20: Conservatism and the 1980s
Lesson 2: The Reagan Years
Ronald Reagan: Conservative revolution.
Reaganomics: Tax cuts, reduce government spending, trickle-down theory.
Increased military spending, cut social programs.
Believed in smaller federal government.
Lesson 4: End of the Cold War
Arms race with USSR, Star Wars (SDI) defense plan.
Mikhail Gorbachev introduced Glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (reform).
Fall of Berlin Wall (1989) and USSR collapse (1991) = Cold War ends.
Chapter 21: Modern America
Lesson 2: A New Wave of Immigration
Immigration shifted from Europe to Latin America and Asia.
1986: Immigration Reform and Control Act: legalized some undocumented workers.
New diversity and challenges in education and jobs.
Lesson 3: Technology and Globalization
Rise of personal computers, internet, and tech companies.
Globalization: More trade and international business.
Outsourcing, NAFTA (1994), and a new global economy.
The Bretton Woods System
1944: Meeting of Allied nations to plan post-WWII global economy.
Created International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank.
U.S. dollar became world’s reserve currency.
Gold standard used until 1971.
Bush’s Challenges (George W. Bush)
2000 Election: Controversial, decided by Supreme Court (Bush v. Gore).
9/11 attacks (2001): Led to War on Terror.
Patriot Act, Department of Homeland Security created.
Iraq War (2003): Based on belief Saddam Hussein had WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction) — none found.
Faced Hurricane Katrina response criticism (2005).
2008 Financial Crisis began during his last year in office.
People to know:
Harry Truman – President after FDR; dropped atomic bombs, desegregated the military, started Cold War policies.
Dwight D. Eisenhower – President during 1950s; built interstate highways, promoted containment.
John F. Kennedy (JFK) – President during Cuban Missile Crisis; supported civil rights and the space race; assassinated in 1963.
Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) – Took over after JFK; launched Great Society and signed Civil Rights Acts.
Richard Nixon – President during Vietnam War, détente with China and USSR; resigned due to Watergate scandal.
Gerald Ford – Became president after Nixon; pardoned him.
Jimmy Carter – Promoted human rights; signed Camp David Accords; faced Iran Hostage Crisis.
Ronald Reagan – Conservative leader of 1980s; Reaganomics, Cold War policies.
George H.W. Bush – President during the Gulf War; end of Cold War.
George W. Bush – 9/11 attacks, War on Terror, Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina.
Martin Luther King Jr. – Leader of nonviolent civil rights movement; “I Have a Dream”; Nobel Peace Prize.
Rosa Parks – Sparked Montgomery Bus Boycott by refusing to give up her bus seat.
Malcolm X – Promoted Black empowerment and separation before moderating views later in life.
Thurgood Marshall – NAACP lawyer in Brown v. Board, first Black Supreme Court Justice.
Cesar Chavez – Latino labor leader; co-founded United Farm Workers; used nonviolent protest.
Betty Friedan – Wrote The Feminine Mystique, helped start modern feminist movement.
Gloria Steinem – Journalist and feminist leader.
Ho Chi Minh – Communist leader of North Vietnam.
Ngo Dinh Diem – Leader of South Vietnam (anti-communist, U.S.-backed).
Robert McNamara – U.S. Secretary of Defense during Vietnam escalation.
William Westmoreland – U.S. General in Vietnam.
Linda Brown – Student at the center of Brown v. Board of Education (desegregation case).
Earl Warren – Chief Justice of Supreme Court; led landmark decisions (Miranda v. Arizona, Gideon v. Wainwright, Brown v. Board).
Joseph Stalin – Soviet leader during early Cold War.
Nikita Khrushchev – Soviet leader during Cuban Missile Crisis.
Mikhail Gorbachev – Soviet leader in 1980s; reformed USSR, helped end Cold War.
Fidel Castro – Communist leader of Cuba.
Osama bin Laden – Leader of al-Qaeda; responsible for 9/11 attacks.
Saddam Hussein – Iraqi dictator; removed during 2003 U.S. invasion.
Rachel Carson – Wrote Silent Spring, sparked environmental movement.
Bill Gates – Co-founder of Microsoft; tech boom of 1990s.
Steve Jobs – Co-founder of Apple; helped lead technology revolution.
US HISTORY EOC
Chapter 14: Post-War America (1945–1960)
Lesson 1: Truman and Eisenhower
Harry Truman (D): Took over after FDR.
Fair Deal: Expanded New Deal, tried for national health care, civil rights, and aid to education.
Desegregated the military (1948).
Dwight Eisenhower (R): Moderate Republican.
Interstate Highway Act (1956): Massive infrastructure project, also helped military mobility.
Believed in limited government and balanced budgets.
Cold War policies: Brinkmanship and Massive Retaliation.
Lesson 2: The Affluent Society
Economic prosperity, growth of suburbs (Levittown).
GI Bill: Helped returning WWII vets with education and housing.
Baby Boom: Population spike from 1946-1964.
Rise of consumerism, TV culture, and traditional family values.
Lesson 3: The Other Side of American Life
Poverty still existed despite prosperity.
Urban decay: Poor and minorities often left behind in cities.
Appalachia and inner cities struggled.
Book: “The Other America” by Michael Harrington exposed hidden poverty.
Chapter 15: The New Frontier and Great Society
Lesson 1: The New Frontier
John F. Kennedy (JFK):
Pushed for civil rights, space exploration (NASA), education, and the economy.
Created the Peace Corps (1961).
Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961): Failed mission in Cuba.
Assassinated in 1963.
Lesson 2: JFK and the Cold War
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962): Closest the U.S. came to nuclear war with USSR.
Built nuclear arms and expanded space race.
Promoted flexible response over massive retaliation.
Lesson 3: The Great Society
Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ):
War on Poverty: programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start, Job Corps.
Civil Rights Act (1964) & Voting Rights Act (1965).
Funded education and public housing.
Chapter 16: The Civil Rights Era
Lesson 1: The Movement Begins
Brown v. Board of Education (1954): Ended segregation in schools.
Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-56).
Martin Luther King Jr. and nonviolent protest.
Lesson 2: Challenging Segregation
Little Rock Nine (1957): Integration crisis in Arkansas.
Sit-ins (Greensboro, 1960).
Freedom Riders (1961): Protested segregation on buses.
March on Washington (1963) – “I Have a Dream.”
Lesson 3: New Civil Rights Issues
Malcolm X and Black Power movement: more militant activism.
Black Panthers: promoted self-defense.
Civil Rights Act of 1968: Fair Housing.
Continued push for equality in education and jobs.
Chapter 17: The Vietnam War
Lesson 1: Going to War in Vietnam
Domino Theory: Fear of communism spreading in Asia.
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964): Gave LBJ broad war powers.
Vietcong and guerrilla warfare tactics.
Lesson 2: Vietnam Divides the Nation
Tet Offensive (1968): Major turning point; public lost faith in U.S. success.
Anti-war protests grew: especially among students.
Draft resistance, media coverage, and credibility gap.
Lesson 3: The War Winds Down
Vietnamization (Nixon): Pulling U.S. troops out, training South Vietnamese.
Paris Peace Accords (1973): U.S. pulls out.
Fall of Saigon (1975): North Vietnam wins; U.S. loses war.
Chapter 18: Social Movements of the 1960s and 70s
Lesson 1: Students and the Counterculture
Free Speech Movement at UC Berkeley.
Counterculture: Hippies, peace, love, drugs, rejection of mainstream values.
Woodstock (1969): Music and cultural festival.
Lesson 2: The Feminist Movement
Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique (1963): sparked second-wave feminism.
NOW (National Organization for Women): pushed for equal rights.
Title IX (1972): Banned sex discrimination in education.
Lesson 3: Latino Americans Organize
Cesar Chavez: United Farm Workers (UFW), used strikes and boycotts.
Bilingual Education Act (1968).
Latino activism for workers’ rights and cultural recognition.
Chapter 19: Politics of the 1970s
Lesson 1: Nixon Administration
Southern Strategy: Appealed to white conservative voters.
Détente: Easing Cold War tensions with USSR and China.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created.
Lesson 2: Watergate Scandal
1972 break-in at DNC HQ (Watergate).
Nixon’s cover-up led to resignation (1974).
Checks and balances worked; trust in government weakened.
Lesson 3: Ford and Carter
Gerald Ford: Pardoned Nixon, faced economic troubles.
Jimmy Carter: Struggled with inflation and energy crisis.
Camp David Accords (1978): Peace between Egypt and Israel.
Iran Hostage Crisis (1979): Hurt Carter’s re-election chances.
Lesson 5: Environmentalism
Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring”: warned about pesticides.
Earth Day created (1970), EPA formed.
More regulation of pollution and industry.
Chapter 20: Conservatism and the 1980s
Lesson 2: The Reagan Years
Ronald Reagan: Conservative revolution.
Reaganomics: Tax cuts, reduce government spending, trickle-down theory.
Increased military spending, cut social programs.
Believed in smaller federal government.
Lesson 4: End of the Cold War
Arms race with USSR, Star Wars (SDI) defense plan.
Mikhail Gorbachev introduced Glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (reform).
Fall of Berlin Wall (1989) and USSR collapse (1991) = Cold War ends.
Chapter 21: Modern America
Lesson 2: A New Wave of Immigration
Immigration shifted from Europe to Latin America and Asia.
1986: Immigration Reform and Control Act: legalized some undocumented workers.
New diversity and challenges in education and jobs.
Lesson 3: Technology and Globalization
Rise of personal computers, internet, and tech companies.
Globalization: More trade and international business.
Outsourcing, NAFTA (1994), and a new global economy.
The Bretton Woods System
1944: Meeting of Allied nations to plan post-WWII global economy.
Created International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank.
U.S. dollar became world’s reserve currency.
Gold standard used until 1971.
Bush’s Challenges (George W. Bush)
2000 Election: Controversial, decided by Supreme Court (Bush v. Gore).
9/11 attacks (2001): Led to War on Terror.
Patriot Act, Department of Homeland Security created.
Iraq War (2003): Based on belief Saddam Hussein had WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction) — none found.
Faced Hurricane Katrina response criticism (2005).
2008 Financial Crisis began during his last year in office.
People to know:
Harry Truman – President after FDR; dropped atomic bombs, desegregated the military, started Cold War policies.
Dwight D. Eisenhower – President during 1950s; built interstate highways, promoted containment.
John F. Kennedy (JFK) – President during Cuban Missile Crisis; supported civil rights and the space race; assassinated in 1963.
Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) – Took over after JFK; launched Great Society and signed Civil Rights Acts.
Richard Nixon – President during Vietnam War, détente with China and USSR; resigned due to Watergate scandal.
Gerald Ford – Became president after Nixon; pardoned him.
Jimmy Carter – Promoted human rights; signed Camp David Accords; faced Iran Hostage Crisis.
Ronald Reagan – Conservative leader of 1980s; Reaganomics, Cold War policies.
George H.W. Bush – President during the Gulf War; end of Cold War.
George W. Bush – 9/11 attacks, War on Terror, Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina.
Martin Luther King Jr. – Leader of nonviolent civil rights movement; “I Have a Dream”; Nobel Peace Prize.
Rosa Parks – Sparked Montgomery Bus Boycott by refusing to give up her bus seat.
Malcolm X – Promoted Black empowerment and separation before moderating views later in life.
Thurgood Marshall – NAACP lawyer in Brown v. Board, first Black Supreme Court Justice.
Cesar Chavez – Latino labor leader; co-founded United Farm Workers; used nonviolent protest.
Betty Friedan – Wrote The Feminine Mystique, helped start modern feminist movement.
Gloria Steinem – Journalist and feminist leader.
Ho Chi Minh – Communist leader of North Vietnam.
Ngo Dinh Diem – Leader of South Vietnam (anti-communist, U.S.-backed).
Robert McNamara – U.S. Secretary of Defense during Vietnam escalation.
William Westmoreland – U.S. General in Vietnam.
Linda Brown – Student at the center of Brown v. Board of Education (desegregation case).
Earl Warren – Chief Justice of Supreme Court; led landmark decisions (Miranda v. Arizona, Gideon v. Wainwright, Brown v. Board).
Joseph Stalin – Soviet leader during early Cold War.
Nikita Khrushchev – Soviet leader during Cuban Missile Crisis.
Mikhail Gorbachev – Soviet leader in 1980s; reformed USSR, helped end Cold War.
Fidel Castro – Communist leader of Cuba.
Osama bin Laden – Leader of al-Qaeda; responsible for 9/11 attacks.
Saddam Hussein – Iraqi dictator; removed during 2003 U.S. invasion.
Rachel Carson – Wrote Silent Spring, sparked environmental movement.
Bill Gates – Co-founder of Microsoft; tech boom of 1990s.
Steve Jobs – Co-founder of Apple; helped lead technology revolution.