American Studies (2nd Semester) - Key Terms & Definitions

WWII Figures & Events:

  • Joseph Stalin: Soviet dictator during WWII.
  • Benito Mussolini: Fascist leader of Italy during WWII.
  • Adolf Hitler: Nazi leader of Germany; started WWII and led the Holocaust.
  • Blitzkrieg: “Lightning war” military strategy used by Germany.
  • Pearl Harbor: Japanese attack on U.S. naval base; led to U.S. entering WWII (Dec 7, 1941).
  • Tuskegee Airmen: First Black military aviators in the U.S. Armed Forces.
  • Bracero Program: Allowed Mexican laborers to work temporarily in the U.S.
  • Manhattan Project: Secret U.S. project to develop the atomic bomb.
  • Internment: Forcible relocation of Japanese Americans during WWII.
  • Holocaust: Systematic murder of 6 million Jews by Nazis.

Cold War & Communism:

  • Iron Curtain: Imaginary line dividing communist East and democratic West Europe.
  • Containment: U.S. policy to stop the spread of communism.
  • Marshall Plan: U.S. aid to rebuild Europe after WWII.
  • Warsaw Pact: Military alliance of communist countries led by the USSR.
  • Mao Zedong: Leader of communist China.
  • Douglas MacArthur: U.S. General; led in WWII and Korea.
  • Red Scare: Fear of communism in the U.S.
  • Blacklist: Denial of employment to suspected communists.
  • Joseph McCarthy: Senator who led anti-communist investigations.

Post-War America:

  • Baby Boom: Large increase in births post-WWII.
  • Nuclear Family: Family unit with parents and children only.
  • Television: Dominant postwar medium shaping culture.
  • Blue Collar: Manual labor workers.
  • Inner City: Central parts of cities, often facing economic decline.
  • Franchise Business: Chain businesses with licensed branches.
  • Consumerism: Focus on buying goods and services.
  • Productivity: Output per worker; rose post-WWII.
  • White Collar: Office/professional jobs.
  • Multinational Corporation: Companies operating in multiple countries.
  • Sun Belt: Southern/western U.S. regions with population growth.

Civil Rights Movement:

  • De Jure Segregation: Legal racial separation (by law).
  • De Facto Segregation: Racial separation by custom, not law.
  • Thurgood Marshall: First Black Supreme Court Justice; civil rights lawyer.
  • Rosa Parks: Sparked Montgomery Bus Boycott.
  • Sit-in: Nonviolent protest at segregated lunch counters.
  • Freedom Ride: Civil rights activists rode buses to protest segregation.
  • March on Washington: 1963 rally for civil rights; MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
  • Civil Rights Act of 1964: Banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or origin.
  • Malcolm X: Civil rights leader who advocated for Black empowerment.
  • Black Power: Movement for racial pride and autonomy.
  • Black Panthers: Black militant political organization.

Kennedy & Johnson Administrations:

  • Peace Corps: U.S. volunteer program to aid developing countries.
  • Bay of Pigs Invasion: Failed U.S.-backed invasion of Cuba.
  • Cuban Missile Crisis: 1962 U.S.-Soviet standoff over missiles in Cuba.
  • New Frontier: JFK’s domestic and space policy agenda.
  • War on Poverty: LBJ’s initiative to reduce poverty.
  • Great Society: LBJ’s programs for healthcare, education, and civil rights.
  • Medicare: Health insurance for seniors.
  • Medicaid: Health care for low-income people.

Vietnam War:

  • Ho Chi Minh: Communist leader of North Vietnam.
  • Domino Theory: Belief that if one country falls to communism, neighbors will too.
  • Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: Gave LBJ power to use force in Vietnam.
  • Tet Offensive: Major North Vietnamese attack; turned U.S. opinion against war.
  • My Lai: Massacre of Vietnamese civilians by U.S. troops.
  • Pentagon Papers: Government documents revealing U.S. deception in Vietnam.