APUSH - Cold war - suburbanization

• Containment – U.S. policy to stop the spread of communism.

• Truman Doctrine – U.S. promise to help nations resist communism.

• Marshall Plan – U.S. aid to rebuild Europe after WWII to resist communism.

• Iron Curtain – Symbolic division between free West and communist East Europe.

• NATO – Military alliance of Western nations against Soviet threat.

• Warsaw Pact – Soviet-led military alliance of communist countries.

• Berlin Blockade – Soviet attempt to cut off Allied access to West Berlin (1948–49).

• Korean War – Conflict between communist North Korea and democratic South Korea.

• Korean War Armistice (1953) – Ceasefire agreement ending major fighting in Korea.

• Bay of Pigs Invasion – Failed U.S.-backed attempt to overthrow Cuba’s communist leader.

• Viet Cong – Communist fighters in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

• Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) – Idea that full nuclear war would destroy both sides.

• Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (1968) – Agreement to stop the spread of nuclear weapons.

• Limited Test Ban Treaty (1963) – Treaty banning nuclear tests in the air, space, and water.

• Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I, 1972) – U.S.-Soviet talks to limit nuclear arms.

• Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) – U.S. plan to build a missile defense system in space.

• Helsinki Accords (1975) – Agreement to improve relations between communist and Western nations.

• Détente – Period of eased tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union during the Cold War.

• McCarthyism – Accusing people of communism without solid proof.

• House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) – Congressional group investigating communist ties.

1. Consumerism – Surge in buying goods like cars, TVs, and appliances after WWII; linked to American identity and
status.

2. Advertisements – Exploded during the 1950s, especially on TV; encouraged materialism and “keeping up with the
Joneses.”

3. GI Bill – 1944 law that gave WWII veterans benefits like college tuition and home loans; expanded the middle class.

4. Suburbia – Mass movement to affordable, new suburban homes symbolizing the American Dream.

5. Levittown – First mass-produced suburb; offered cheap homes for white families but excluded minorities.

6. Baby Boom – Major population surge (1946–1964) that increased demand for housing, schools, and family goods.

7. Dwight D. Eisenhower – President who promoted suburban growth and signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act in 1956.

8. Federal-Aid Highway Act – 1956 law funding the Interstate Highway System, connecting cities and expanding
suburbs.

9. Interstate Highway System – Massive network of highways that boosted travel, economy, and car culture but hurt
cities.

10. Television – Became a household staple by the late 1950s; shaped consumer habits, culture, and reinforced gender
roles.

11. I Love Lucy – Hit 1950s TV show that defined family entertainment and made TV a central part of daily life.

12. Second-wave feminism – Movement that grew in the 1960s from women’s dissatisfaction with 1950s domestic
roles.

13. The Feminine Mystique – 1963 book by Betty Friedan that criticized traditional roles and inspired feminist activism.

14. Rock ‘n’ Roll – New music style popular with teenagers; symbolized rebellion and cultural change.

15. Elvis Presley – Major figure of 1950s rock ‘n’ roll; influenced youth culture and challenged older values.

16. Brown v. Board of Education – 1954 Supreme Court case ending legal school segregation.

17. Rosa Parks – Sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott by refusing to give up her bus seat in 1955.

18. Montgomery Bus Boycott – 1955–1956 protest against segregated buses in Montgomery, Alabama; major civil rights
victory.

19. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – Civil rights leader who gained national attention from leading the Montgomery Bus
Boycott.

20. Civil Rights Movement – 1950s–1960s effort to end segregation, discrimination, and racial inequality in America.