Untitled Flashcards Set
Term | Definition |
Vietnam War | A war between the Communist armies of North Vietnam who were supported by the Chinese and the non-communist armies of South Vietnam who were supported by the United States. |
Lyndon B. Johnson | Became president of the U.S. after the assassination of JFK; escalated the war in Vietnam and created government programs that became known as the Great Society |
Great Society | Lyndon B. Johnson’s programs that addressed social problems including healthcare, civil rights, and urban decay. |
Vietcong | North Vietnamese fighting group that fought against South Vietnamese and US forces |
Detente | Easing of hostility or strained relations between countries |
Kent State Massacre | Event where the National Guard shot at and killed four students during an anti-Vietnam War protest |
Medicaid | Federal health insurance program for people with limited income and resources; part of LBj’s Great Society Programs |
Medicare | Federal health insurance program for people age 65 and older; part of LBJ’s Great Society Programs |
Miranda v. Arizona | Supreme Court case that established that police must inform person of their constitutional rights before questioning them in custody |
New York Times Company v. United States | Supreme Court case that expanded freedom of press and limited government censorship of the press by allowing the release of the Pentagon Papers |
Pentagon Papers | Leaked government documents that were publishing showing that several presidents had lied to the American public about what was happening in Vietnam |
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution | begins undeclared war in Vietnam; gave the executive branch of the US Government power to use military force without official declaration of war from Congress |
Escalation | The United States continuously sent more and more troops to fight in Vietnam |
Domino Theory | The belief that if a nearby nation becomes communist, surrounding nations will follow suit. This theory was used as a rationale for containment. |
Draft | Mandatory enrollment of persons for military service |
26th Amendment | Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 in responses to protests against the Vietnam War (If people were old enough to go to war, they should be old enough to vote). |
Hawks | Supporters of the Vietnam War who believed the U.S. should increase military force in order to win the war |
Doves | Critics of the Vietnam War who believed the U.S. should withdraw |
Tet Offensive | Catastrophic military failure on the part of North Vietnam and the communists; considered a turning point in the war. Despite this success for U.S. forces, people continued to protest against the war. |
Anti-War Movement | Led primarily by students and Civil Rights activities across the country |
Credibility Gap | Gap between what the government was reporting about the war and what the media was reporting. The media had direct access to the battlefields as this was considered the first “televised” war. The government was increasingly becoming distrusted by the general public. |
Silent Majority | President Nixon’s term referring to the people who supported the war but were not speaking out about their support to the media |
Vietnamization | Giving more control to South Vietnamese forces to allow the gradual removal of U.S. troops |
War Powers Act | A law that limited the President’s right to sent troop into battle without Congressional approval |
Roy Benevidez | Medal of Honor winner due to his heroism in the Vietnam War |
Bay of Pigs Invasion | Failed attempt by the United States to overthrow the Communist dictator of Cuba, Fidel Castro. Americans feared having a communist government that was close to the U.S. |
Cuban Missile Crisis | The United States and the Soviet Union were on the brink of nuclear war in 1962 after the USSR placed nuclear weapons in Cuba |
Berlin Wall | The USSR built a wall that divided Berlin and prevent people from leaving Communist East Berlin |
New Frontier | John F. Kennedy’s program that addressed social and international concerns and the expansion of the space program |
NASA | The United States’ space agency that sent Americans into space. In 1969, the first man landed on the moon |
Tinker v. Des Moines | Supreme Court cause that establishes students’ first amendment rights to free speech after students were suspended for protesting the Vietnam War |
Guerilla Warfare | Military strategy were small groups of fighters use surprise attacks and ambushes to weaken a stronger military force |