APUSH Period 9 Vocab

1. 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.