Untitled Flashcards Set

GI Bill (1944)

1) Also known as the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, this helped World War II veterans transition back to a peacetime economy.
2) Provided a college education for veterans, paid for by the government.
3) Also provided low interest loans to allow veterans to purchase homes, sparking growth in construction industry.

Baby boom (1945-1960)

1) Refers to explosion in marriage and birth rates after World War II.
2) Over 50 million babies were born between 1945 and 1960.
3) This happened because people felt good about their economic futures so stopped delaying marriage/not having kids and led to many families moving to the suburbs.

Levittown (1947)

1) 17,000 inexpensive, mass produced homes built in Long Island, NY.
2) Appealed to middle class families due to affordability and came to symbolize the conformity of suburban homes.
3) Led to the rise of suburbs across the country.

Sunbelt (Post-1950)

1) 15-state area which stretched from parts of Virginia to California.
2) Many Americans moved to this region, attracted to the low taxes and warmer climate. 3) Many defense-related industries existed in the South, which attracted potential employees and helped revitalize the South economically.

Taft-Hartley Act (1947)

1) Anti-union legislation passed by Congress but vetoed by Truman.
2) Prohibited unions from certain types of strikes.
3) Required union leaders to take anti-Communist oaths.

Federal Highway Act (1956)

1) Authorized the construction of 42,000 miles of roads, making it the largest public works project in history.
2) Led to the creation of a trucking industry and the growth of suburbs, to name a few.
3) Taxes on fuel and cars were used for defense spending during the Cold War.

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)

1) Landmark Supreme Court case that challenged the constitutionality of segregation in public schools. Sparked the Civil Rights movement.
2) Demonstrated the inequality in schools for white children v. African American children.
3) Ruled that "separate but equal" was illegal, and mandated that schools begin integrating "with all deliberate speed". Many southern schools resisted this ruling.

Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955)

1) Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat and was arrested.
2) Led to an 11 month boycott of the public transportation system by African Americans.
3) Supreme Court ruled that segregation on buses was illegal.

Martin Luther King, Jr. (1955)

1) Preacher who fought for civil rights and was leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
2) Believed in non-violent, peaceful protest, demonstrated by boycotts and sit-ins.
3) Delivered famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington and continued to push for civil rights for African Americans until his death in 1968.

Little Rock Nine (1957)

1) Group of African American students who tried to integrate Central High School.
2) Governor blocked entry of students using state's National Guard.
3) President Eisenhower eventually intervened, sending federal troops to protect African American students.

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) (1957 & 1960)

1) Civil rights organization geared toward college students. Instrumental in using sit-ins to desegregate lunch counters.
2) Eventually aligned with ideals of Malcolm X and advocated for separation over integration.
3) Chairman Stokley Carmichael denounced non-violent protest and advocated for "black power" in the form of economic equality and racial separation in the 1960s.

“Leave it to Beaver”(1957)

1) American sitcom that followed the Cleaver family (father, mother, two sons).
2) Plot centered around the life of an ideal suburban family with typical middle class values.
3) Also reinforced common gender roles (i.e. father works, mother stays home).

Elvis Presley (1950s)

1) Singer/actor who fused different styles of music together (rhythm and blues, bluegrass, and country) to form rock 'n' roll.
2) Music symbolized growing teenage rebellion in America.
3) Known for his sexually provocative movements, he revolutionized American music, becoming the best selling solo artist in history.

Beatniks (1950s)

1) Nickname for group of rebellious writers and artists, such as Jack Kerouac.
2) Criticized conformity of American life and shallowness of mainstream culture.
3) Known for its liberal, anti-war stance.

Food Stamps (1964)

1) Part of Lyndon B. Johnson's "Great Society" programs.
2) Meant to address poverty levels in America, this initiative provided low income families with vouchers to use in exchange for food at grocery stores.
3) While the program has been changed, it is still around today.

Medicare; Medicaid (1965)

1) Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society initiative that provided health care to the elderly (65+) and poor/disabled.
2) Both programs greatly expanded the role of the government as now it everyone's tax dollars are being used to provide health insurance for certain segments of the population.
3) Both programs are still around today and constitute about 25% of the federal budget.

Civil Rights Act of 1964 (1964)

1) Passed by Lyndon B. Johnson, this made segregation illegal in all public facilities.
2) This also made it illegal to discriminate in hiring based on race or gender.
3) Also set up the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to investigate discrimination in the workplace.

Voting Rights Act of 1965 (1965)

1) Passed by Lyndon B. Johnson after the Selma march, in which civil rights leaders and peaceful protesters were attacked by Alabama state troopers.
2) This banned the use of literacy tests, and allowed the federal government to investigate the use of poll taxes in state elections. Poll taxes in federal elections were outlawed with the passage of the 24th Amendment in 1964.
3) This legislation was instrumental in increasing black voter turnout in the South.

Malcolm X (1965)

1) Black Muslim civil rights leader and former leader of the Nation of Islam. He was assassinated in 1965.
2) Preached black nationalism, separatism, and economic improvement.
3) Critical of Martin Luther King's methods and often advocated for self-defense.

Black Panthers (1966)

1) A militant civil rights group inspired by Malcolm X and organized by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale.
2) Advocated for blacks to carry arms and defend themselves from police brutality.
3) Their ten-point party platform also called for housing and economic opportunities for black communities.

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) (1962)

1) Radical political organization founded by Tom Hayden and others; it set forth its ideals in the Port Huron Statement: government should promote equality, fairness, and be responsive to people.
2) Over 300 chapters were created on college campuses across the country.
3) Also known as the "New Left", members went on to protest the Vietnam War and existed alongside the counterculture movement of the 1960s.

Immigration Act of 1965 (1965)

1) Officially ended the quotas created in the 1920s which discriminated against Southern and Eastern Europeans.
2) Doubled the amount of immigrants allowed in each year, leading to increases in the number of immigrants from Central/South America and Asia.
3) Also allowed for refugees from communist nations such as Vietnam and Cuba.

Betty Friedan (1963)

1) Wrote The Feminine Mystique, which validated the unhappiness that many women felt at home, and led to women seeking fulfillment in careers outside of the home.

2) Also created NOW (National Organization for Women) in 1966 which encouraged women to fight for equality, especially in the workplace.

3) Credited with sparking the “second wave” feminist movement.

Title IX (1972)

1) A federal civil rights law passed as part of the Education Amendments of 1972.
2) This law protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance.
3) Led to an increase in athletic and co-curricular activities for females at both the high school and college levels.

National Organization for Women (NOW) (1966)

1) Created by Betty Freidan, this organization adopted tactics of civil rights leaders to fight for equality, such as protests and marches.
2) Worked for better enforcement of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Civil Rights Act of 1964.
3) Campaigned for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Equal Rights Amendment (1972)

1) Amendment to the U.S. Constitution giving women equal rights under the law.
2) Although the amendment was approved by Congress, it failed to achieve ratification by the required 38 states.
3) Would have banned all discrimination based on gender, but failed largely due to a growing reaction against feminism by conservatives such as Phyllis Schlafley.

Rachel Carson (1962)

1) Author of Silent Spring, which documents the dangers of the use of pesticides.

2) Led to a nation-wide ban on the use of DDT on agricultural products.

3) Spearheaded the start of an environmental movement which eventually led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.