APUSH- Unit 8

Cold War and Civil Rights Movement: Overview

  • Focus on the key events and figures from 1945 to 1990 that shaped the Cold War and the Civil Rights Movement.

Harry S. Truman (1945-53)

  • Political Background:

    • MO Democrat, Vice President elevated to President after FDR's death.

    • Famous quote: "The buck stops here."

  • Major Actions:

    • Ended WWII in Europe and the Pacific using atomic bombs.

    • Proposed Fair Deal: Included the GI Bill (education and loans for veterans).

  • Successes:

    • Executive Order 9981: Integrated the military.

  • Failures:

    • Executive Order 9835: Loyalty oath program.

  • Foreign Policy Highlights:

    • Occupation of Japan and West Germany; fall of China (1949) and North Korea (1953).

    • Marshall Plan: Financial aid to Western Europe.

    • Truman Doctrine: Provided financial and military aid to Greece and Turkey.

    • Introduced containment policy for communism influenced by advisor George Kennan (NSC-68).

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-61)

  • Political Background:

    • KS Republican, known as "Ike"; WWII SCAP in Europe.

    • First president limited to two terms (22nd Amendment).

  • Key Figures:

    • VP Richard Nixon, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles.

  • Notable Policies:

    • Domino Theory: Belief if one country fell to communism, others would follow.

    • Introduced brinkmanship strategy in foreign policy; warned against the military industrial complex in Farewell Address.

  • Achievements:

    • Peace in Korea (1953), and momentary peace in Vietnam and Suez Canal crisis (1956).

    • Implemented 1956 Interstate Highway Act; promoted suburbs.

  • Judicial Legacy:

    • Appointed Chief Justice Earl Warren (desegregation in education).

John F. Kennedy (1961-63)

  • Political Background:

    • MA Democrat, youngest elected President, first Catholic.

  • Major Quote:

    • Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.

  • Key Initiatives:

    • New Frontier: Targeted poverty eradication and space exploration.

  • Notable Outcomes:

    • Success in NASA: Man on the moon in 1969; Peace Corps established.

    • Failures included the Bay of Pigs incident (1961).

  • Legacy:

    • Resolved Cuban Missile Crisis peacefully; influenced civil rights movement.

Lyndon Baines Johnson (1963-1969)

  • Political Background:

    • TX Democrat, successor to JFK.

  • Major Quote:

    • Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.

  • Domestic Policy:

    • Great Society: Focused on the War on Poverty, introduced programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

    • Successful legislative achievements: Civil Rights Act (1964), Voting Rights Act (1965), Immigration Act (1965).

  • Failures:

    • Gulf of Tonkin Incident led to escalated Vietnam conflict.

Cold War (1945-1991)

  • Rising Action (1945-1962):

    • Establishment of the United Nations.

    • Iron Curtain Speech by Winston Churchill (1946).

    • Formation of NATO (1949) vs. Warsaw Pact (communist bloc).

    • Notable events: Berlin Blockade/Airlift, Korean War (1950-53).

  • Climax:

    • Cuban Missile Crisis (1962); followed by Détente and communication hotline.

  • Falling Action (1962-1991):

    • Détente with arms reduction treaties (SALT and START).

    • Events leading to the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989), reunification of Germany (1990), and dissolution of the USSR (1991).

Second Red Scare (1945-1954)

  • Key Policies:

    • Truman's loyalty oaths; Taft-Hartley Act; creation of the National Security Council.

  • Key Figures:

    • Senator Joseph McCarthy, lawyer Roy Cohn, J. Edgar Hoover, and HUAC.

  • Key Events:

    • Accusations against individuals like the Rosenbergs and Alger Hiss.

    • Notorious Army-McCarthy Hearings (1954) led to fading of McCarthyism.

Korean War (1950-53)

  • Background:

    • Invasion of South Korea by communist North Korea.

  • U.S. Involvement:

    • UN police action supporting the South, resulted in significant American casualties.

  • Outcome:

    • Armistice established a demilitarized zone at the 38th parallel.

Vietnam War (1964-73)

  • Origins:

    • Division of Vietnam after 1954 Geneva Accords; civil war ensued.

  • U.S. Escalation:

    • Justified by false claims about the Gulf of Tonkin incident.

  • Key Events:

    • Tet Offensive marked a turning point; Nixon's continued involvement led to eventual U.S. withdrawal in 1973.

    • Fall of Saigon in 1975 completed the communist takeover of Vietnam.

Landmark Decisions of the Warren Court

  • Brown v. Board (1954): Overturned segregation laws.

  • Mapp v. Ohio (1961): No unwarranted search.

  • Engel v. Vitale (1961): Freedom of worship in schools.

  • Gideon v. Wainwright (1963): Right to an attorney.

  • Miranda v. Arizona (1966): Right to be read one's rights.

  • Loving v. Virginia (1967): Legalized interracial marriage.

  • Tinker v. Des Moines (1969): Upheld freedom of expression in schools.

African American Civil Rights Movement

  • Key Figures: Martin Luther King Jr. vs. Malcolm X.

  • Significant Events:

    • Brown v. Board (1954), Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955), Little Rock Nine (1957).

    • March on Washington (1963), Civil Rights Act (1964), Voting Rights Act (1965).

Latino and Filipino Civil Rights Movement

  • Key Programs: Bracero Program and Operation Wetback.

  • Notable Figures: Cesar Chavez & Dolores Huerta (UFW), Larry Itliong.

  • Key Events: Delano Grape Boycott; movements focused on rights and recognition.

1960s Assassinations and Riots

  • Significant Figures: JFK, MLK, Malcolm X, RFK, and others.

  • Causes of Riots: Involvement in Vietnam War, racial tensions.

Nixon to Ford (1969-77)

  • Richard Nixon: Successes (EPA, SALT) vs. Failures (Cambodia invasion, Watergate scandal).

  • Gerald Ford: Policies during economic struggles, pardoned Nixon.

Carter Administration (1977-81)

  • Challenges: Inflation, unemployment, Iran Hostage Crisis.

  • Notable Actions: Camp David Accords.

Reagan Administration (1981-89)

  • Key Policies: Reaganomics, increased defense spending.

  • Notable Events: Cold War strategies, INF Treaty, Iran Contra Scandal.

Watergate Scandal

  • Timeline of critical events from the break-in to Nixon’s resignation.

Student Movement (1960s-70s)

  • Focus on protests regarding civil rights, Vietnam, and community engagement.

Women’s Rights Movement (1960s-70s)

  • Key Figures: Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem vs. Phyllis Schlafly.

  • Important Legislation: Title IX and Roe v. Wade.

U.S. in the Mid-East since WWII

  • Summary of events including establishment of Israel, Arab Oil Embargo, and subsequent conflicts.