Period 9 vocabs

9/11: The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, when al-Qaeda hijackers flew

planes into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in

Washington, D.C., resulting in nearly 3,000 deaths and leading to significant

changes in U.S. domestic and foreign policy.

2. al-Qaeda/the Taliban: al-Qaeda is a militant Islamist organization responsible for

the 9/11 attacks, while the Taliban is an Islamist militant group that ruled

Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 and provided sanctuary to al-Qaeda.

3. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): A landmark civil rights law passed in

1990 that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas

of public life, including employment, education, transportation, and public

accommodations.

4. Clean Air Act: A federal law enacted in 1963 and amended in 1970 and 1990,

aimed at controlling air pollution and protecting air quality in the United States.

5. Demographic shifts in US populations: Changes in the composition of the

U.S. population over time, including trends such as increased immigration, aging

population, and shifts in racial and ethnic diversity.

6. Department of Homeland Security: A federal department created in 2002 in

response to the 9/11 attacks, tasked with coordinating national efforts to protect

the United States from terrorism and other threats.

7. Election of 1992: The U.S. presidential election in which Democrat Bill Clinton

defeated incumbent Republican President George H.W. Bush and independent

candidate Ross Perot.

8. End of the Cold War: The period marked by the dissolution of the Soviet Union

in 1991, leading to the end of the decades-long geopolitical tension between the

United States and the Soviet Union.

9. Fall of the Berlin Wall: The event in 1989 when the Berlin Wall, which had

divided East and West Berlin since 1961, was opened, symbolizing the collapse

of communist control in Eastern Europe and the end of the Cold War.

10. Gaza Strip: A small, densely populated territory along the Mediterranean coast,

bordered by Israel and Egypt, and a focal point of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

11. Hanging chads - FL - election of 2000: Refers to the controversial and disputed

ballots in Florida during the 2000 U.S. presidential election, where incompletely

punched holes in paper ballots led to a recount and ultimately the Supreme Court

decision in Bush v. Gore.

12. Iran Hostage Crisis: A diplomatic standoff between the United States and Iran,

where 52 American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 444 days from

1979 to 1981 after Iranian militants seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

13. Iran-Contra Affair: A political scandal during the Reagan administration in the

mid-1980s, involving the secret sale of arms to Iran and the illegal diversion of

the proceeds to support Contra rebels in Nicaragua.

14. Mikhail Gorbachev: The last leader of the Soviet Union, known for his policies of

glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring), which aimed to reform the

Soviet political and economic system and ultimately led to the end of the Cold

War.

15. Muammar Gaddafi/Libya: The leader of Libya from 1969 to 2011, known for his

authoritarian rule, sponsorship of terrorism, and eventual overthrow during the

Arab Spring.

16. NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement): A trade agreement between

the United States, Canada, and Mexico, implemented in 1994, aimed at

eliminating trade barriers and increasing economic cooperation among the three

countries.

17. Neo-conservatism: A political movement that emerged in the United States in

the 1960s, advocating for free-market capitalism, a strong national defense, and

an interventionist foreign policy to promote democracy and American interests

abroad.

18. Oklahoma City bombing: A domestic terrorist attack in 1995, when a truck

bomb exploded outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City,

killing 168 people and injuring hundreds.

19. Oslo Accords: A series of agreements between Israel and the Palestine

Liberation Organization (PLO) in the 1990s, aimed at achieving a peace

settlement and establishing Palestinian self-rule in parts of the West Bank and

Gaza Strip.

20. Pan Am Flight 103: The bombing of a Pan American World Airways flight over

Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, killing all 259 people on board and 11 on the

ground, attributed to Libyan terrorists.

21. Patriot Act: Legislation passed in response to the 9/11 attacks, aimed at

enhancing national security by expanding law enforcement's surveillance and

investigative powers.

22. Reaganomics: The economic policies of President Ronald Reagan, which

focused on tax cuts, deregulation, and reducing government spending to

stimulate economic growth.

23. Rodney King riots: Also known as the Los Angeles riots of 1992, these were a

series of violent protests and civil disturbances following the acquittal of LAPD

officers who were videotaped beating Rodney King, an African American

motorist.

24. Rodney King verdict: The 1992 court decision acquitting four LAPD officers of

excessive force in the beating of Rodney King, which sparked widespread

outrage and riots in Los Angeles.

25. Ronald Reagan and Administration: The presidency of Ronald Reagan from

1981 to 1989, characterized by conservative policies, economic reforms, and a

strong stance against the Soviet Union.

26. Ross Perot: A billionaire businessman who ran as an independent candidate in

the 1992 and 1996 U.S. presidential elections, known for his focus on reducing

the national debt and reforming government.

27. Star Wars (Strategic Defense Initiative): A proposed missile defense system

announced by President Ronald Reagan in 1983, intended to protect the United

States from nuclear missile attacks by using ground-based and space-based

systems.

28. Tiananmen Square Massacre: The violent suppression of pro-democracy

protests in Beijing, China, in 1989, where the Chinese government used military

force to disperse demonstrators, resulting in hundreds to thousands of deaths.

29. USS Cole attack: A terrorist attack in 2000, when al-Qaeda operatives bombed

the USS Cole, a U.S. Navy destroyer, while it was refueling in Yemen, killing 17

sailors.

30. War in Afghanistan: The U.S.-led military intervention in Afghanistan, initiated in

2001 in response to the 9/11 attacks, aimed at dismantling al-Qaeda and

removing the Taliban from power.

31. War on Iraq: The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, aimed at toppling Saddam

Hussein's regime and eliminating alleged weapons of mass destruction, leading

to a prolonged conflict and occupation.