8.9 to 8.14

Lyndon Johnson – 36th U.S. President who launched the “Great Society” to eliminate poverty and racial injustice.

Great Society – A set of domestic programs by Johnson aimed at ending poverty, improving education, healthcare, and urban areas.

The Other America – A book by Michael Harrington that exposed poverty in the U.S., influencing LBJ’s War on Poverty.

Michael Harrington – Author and activist who wrote The Other America, which helped inspire Johnson's anti-poverty programs.

War on Poverty – A series of initiatives to reduce poverty, including Head Start, Job Corps, and food stamps.

Barry Goldwater – Conservative senator and 1964 Republican presidential nominee who opposed Johnson’s liberal programs.

National Foundation on Arts and Humanities – Created to fund cultural and artistic development in the U.S.

Medicare – Federal health insurance for people 65 and older, part of Johnson’s Great Society.

Medicaid – Health insurance for low-income individuals and families, also part of the Great Society.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act – Gave federal funding to public schools, especially those in low-income areas.

Department of Transportation (DOT) – Created in 1966 to oversee federal transportation programs.

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – Oversees federal housing programs and urban development.

Ralph Nader – Consumer advocate who pushed for safer products, especially cars.

Unsafe at Any Speed – Nader’s book exposing dangers in car design, which led to automobile safety reforms.

Rachel Carson – Environmentalist whose work helped launch the environmental movement.

Silent Spring – Carson’s 1962 book warning of the dangers of pesticides like DDT.

Beautify America – First Lady Lady Bird Johnson’s campaign to improve public spaces with trees, flowers, and clean-up programs.

Immigration Act of 1965 – Ended quotas based on national origins; allowed more immigrants from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

James Meredith – First African American student admitted to the University of Mississippi; needed federal protection.

George Wallace – Governor of Alabama; pro-segregationist who famously said “Segregation now, segregation forever.”

Martin Luther King Jr. – Civil rights leader who advocated nonviolence; led the Montgomery Bus Boycott and March on Washington.

Letter from Birmingham Jail – MLK’s written defense of civil disobedience against unjust laws.

“I Have a Dream” speech – MLK’s famous 1963 speech promoting racial harmony and equality.

Civil Rights Act (1964) – Banned segregation in public places and discrimination in employment based on race, religion, sex, or origin.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) – Enforces laws against workplace discrimination.

24th Amendment – Abolished poll taxes in federal elections.

March to Montgomery – Also known as “Bloody Sunday”; march for voting rights met with violence in Selma, AL.

Voting Rights Act of 1965 – Outlawed literacy tests and ensured federal oversight of voter registration in some states.

Black Muslim – Term often used for members of the Nation of Islam, advocating black nationalism and self-reliance.

Malcolm X – Nation of Islam leader who later embraced more global human rights ideas; assassinated in 1965.

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) – Youth-led civil rights group that later embraced Black Power.

Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) – Civil rights organization that used nonviolent protests; involved in Freedom Rides.

Stokely Carmichael – Leader of SNCC who popularized the phrase “Black Power.”

Black Panthers – Militant group that advocated self-defense, community programs, and ending police brutality.

Watts – Neighborhood in LA where a major race riot broke out in 1965 due to police brutality and economic frustration.

Race riots – Violent outbreaks in cities during the 1960s due to racial tensions and inequality.

Kerner Commission – Government investigation that concluded racism was the root cause of urban riots.

De facto segregation – Segregation by unwritten customs or social norms, not by law.

Women’s movement – Social movement seeking equal rights and opportunities for women.

Betty Friedan – Author of The Feminine Mystique; co-founder of NOW.

The Feminine Mystique – Book that challenged traditional roles of women and inspired the women’s rights movement.

National Organization for Women (NOW) – Leading feminist organization fighting for gender equality.

Equal Pay Act of 1963 – Law requiring equal pay for equal work regardless of gender.

Civil Rights Act of 1964 – (Also relevant here) Prohibited discrimination based on sex as well as race.

Title IX – Banned sex discrimination in federally funded education programs, including sports.

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) – Proposed amendment to guarantee equal rights regardless of sex; not ratified.

Cesar Chavez – Labor leader who organized farm workers for better pay and conditions.

United Farm Workers Association – Union founded by Chavez to improve working conditions for farm laborers.

Hispanic Americans – Fought for civil rights, representation, and labor reforms.

American Indian Movement (AIM) – Activist group advocating Native American rights and sovereignty.

Indian Self-Determination Act of 1975 – Gave tribes more control over their own affairs and federal programs.

Asian Americans – Sought redress for internment, equality in education and representation.

Gay rights movement – Advocated for LGBTQ+ rights, gaining momentum after events like the Stonewall Riots.

Warren Court – Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren; known for expanding civil liberties.

Mapp v. Ohio – Ruled that illegally obtained evidence cannot be used in court (exclusionary rule).

Gideon v. Wainwright – Guaranteed right to a lawyer, even if the defendant can’t afford one.

Escobedo v. Illinois – Ruled that suspects have the right to a lawyer during police questioning.

Miranda v. Arizona – Established Miranda rights (right to remain silent, right to an attorney).

Reapportionment – Redrawing legislative districts to reflect population changes.

Baker v. Carr – Allowed federal courts to intervene in redistricting cases; led to “one man, one vote.”

One man, one vote – Principle that legislative districts must have equal populations.

Yates v. United States – Protected radical speech unless it posed a “clear and present danger.”

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) – Student activist group advocating participatory democracy.

New Left – Broad political movement focused on civil rights, anti-war, and anti-establishment ideals.

Free Speech Movement – 1964 protest at UC Berkeley demanding freedom of expression on campus.

Democratic Convention (1968) – Chaotic event marked by protests against the Vietnam War.

Yippies – Youth International Party; used humor and theatrics in radical protests.

Weather Underground – Radical offshoot of SDS that used violent tactics to protest U.S. policies.

Counterculture – Rejected mainstream values; emphasized peace, love, communal living, and anti-materialism.

Folk music – Genre linked to protest and social movements (e.g., Bob Dylan, Joan Baez).

Rock music – Became a voice of youth rebellion; artists like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin.

Woodstock – 1969 music festival symbolizing peace, love, and counterculture ideals.

Alfred Kinsey – Sex researcher whose reports challenged traditional views on sexuality.

Sexual revolution – Movement rejecting traditional sexual norms; promoted open discussion of sex

Rachel Carson – (Repeated from earlier) Author of Silent Spring; sparked modern environmentalism.

Silent Spring – Book warning about environmental damage from pesticides.

Paul Ehrlich – Author of The Population Bomb warning of overpopulation and resource depletion.

The Population Bomb – Ehrlich’s book warning about overpopulation and its environmental consequences.

Three Mile Island – 1979 nuclear accident in Pennsylvania that heightened fears of nuclear energy.

Earth Day – First celebrated in 1970 to raise awareness of environmental issues.

“Earthrise” – Famous photo from Apollo 8 that inspired global environmental awareness.

Wilderness Act – 1964 law preserving millions of acres of wild federal land.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – Created in 1970 to enforce environmental laws and protect public health.

Clean Air Act – Regulated air emissions from industries and vehicles.

Clean Water Act – Law aimed at reducing water pollution in lakes, rivers, and streams.

Superfund Act – 1980 law for cleaning up toxic waste sites.

Endangered Species Act – Law protecting species at risk of extinction.

Emissions – Pollutants released into the air by vehicles, factories, etc.

Greenhouse gases – Gases that trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere (e.g., CO₂, methane).

Climate change – Long-term shifts in weather patterns largely due to greenhouse gas emissions.

Antinuclear movement – Protest movement opposing nuclear weapons and energy.

Richard Nixon – 37th President; ended U.S. involvement in Vietnam, resigned due to Watergate scandal.

Silent majority – Nixon’s term for Americans who supported traditional values and were not vocal protestors.

Southern strategy – Nixon’s plan to gain political support from Southern whites by appealing to conservative values.

Watergate – Scandal involving a break-in at the DNC and Nixon’s cover-up; led to his resignation.

“Plumbers” – Nixon’s secret operatives who stopped leaks and sabotaged opponents.

Impeachment – Formal process to remove a president; Nixon resigned before this could occur.

Gerald Ford – Became president after Nixon’s resignation; pardoned Nixon.

Jimmy Carter – 39th President; struggled with economic issues and the Iran hostage crisis.

Imperial presidency – Term describing the president gaining too much power, especially under Nixon.

National malaise – Term describing low public morale and confidence during Carter’s presidency.

Burger Court – Supreme Court under Chief Justice Warren Burger; shifted slightly more conservative.

United States v. Nixon – Supreme Court case that forced Nixon to turn over Watergate tapes.

Roe v. Wade – 1973 decision legalizing abortion under the right to privacy.

Televangelists – Christian ministers who preached on TV and gained political influence.

Moral Majority – Political group of religious conservatives supporting traditional family values.

Religious fundamentalism – Belief in the strict, literal interpretation of scripture.

Think tanks – Research institutions that develop policies, often promoting conservative or liberal ideas.

Reverse discrimination – Claim that affirmative action discriminates against majority groups.

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke – Supreme Court case allowing affirmative action but banning quotas.

Proposition 13 – California initiative that cut property taxes and limited future tax increases.

Arthur Laffer – Economist behind the "Laffer Curve," which argued that lower taxes can increase revenue.