Cold War and Modern America

Unit 9 and 10: Cold War and Modern America

Key Concepts

1. Containment

  • Definition: The policy used by post-World War II Presidents aimed at containing communism and preventing its spread throughout Europe.

2. Iron Curtain

  • Definition: The imaginary line that divided Europe into two distinct regions:

    • Eastern Europe: Characterized by communist governance.

    • Western Europe: Characterized by democratic governance.

3. Arms Race

  • Definition: The post-World War II competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to see which country could develop the most powerful military weapons.

  • Context: Fueled advancements in military technology and nuclear capabilities.

4. Sputnik

  • Definition: The first artificial satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.

  • Features: Could complete a circuit around the Earth approximately every 90 seconds, marking a significant achievement in space exploration.

5. GI Bill

  • Definition: Legislation that provided various benefits to returning World War II veterans.

  • Benefits included:

    • Funding for college or vocational education.

    • One year of unemployment compensation.

    • Loans for purchasing homes and starting businesses.

6. White Flight

  • Definition: The phenomenon where white populations moved out of urban areas, especially those with significant minority communities, and relocated to suburban areas.

  • Implications: Contributed to urban decline and demographic shifts in cities.

7. Brown vs. Board of Education

  • Definition: A landmark Supreme Court case that ruled the segregation of public schools was unconstitutional.

  • Significance: Overturned the precedent set by the "separate but equal" ruling established in Plessy vs. Ferguson, promoting desegregation in educational institutions.

8. Great Society

  • Definition: The political platform of President Lyndon B. Johnson.

  • Main Goals:

    • End poverty.

    • Reduce crime.

    • Abolish inequality.

    • Improve the environment.

9. Roe vs. Wade

  • Definition: A critical Supreme Court case that ruled state laws criminalizing the termination of pregnancy were unconstitutional.

  • Impact: Established a woman's legal right to choose abortion.

10. Vietnamization

  • Definition: The strategy implemented by President Nixon aimed at ending U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

  • Key Objective: Reduce the number of American soldiers deployed in Vietnam while transferring combat responsibilities to South Vietnamese forces.

11. War Powers Act

  • Definition: A federal law designed to limit the President's ability to commit U.S. military forces into armed conflict without Congressional approval.

  • Requirements: The President must consult Congress before deploying troops overseas during foreign conflicts.

  • Historical Context: Instituted following the military engagements in Korea, Cuba, and Vietnam conducted without Congressional consent.

12. Reaganomics

  • Definition: The economic policy of President Ronald Reagan, often referred to as "trickle down economics."

  • Key Components:

    • Reduction of taxes.

    • Promotion of free-market principles without extensive regulation.

13. NAFTA

  • Definition: The North American Free Trade Agreement, enacted under President Bill Clinton.

  • Purpose: To eliminate barriers of trade and investment between the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

  • Outcome: Immediate elimination of tariffs among the three countries.

14. Globalization

  • Definition: The process in which businesses or other entities begin to operate on an international scale, developing influence globally.

  • Implications: Increased interconnectedness of economies and cultures.

15. Al Qaeda

  • Definition: A militant Sunni Islamist organization founded in 1988 by Osama bin Laden and others during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

  • Structure: Functions as a network of radical Islamic extremists, including the Taliban.

16. Watergate Scandal

  • Definition: A major political scandal involving the illegal break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters by Nixon's reelection campaign members.

  • Consequence: Before Congress could proceed with impeachment, Nixon resigned from the presidency.

17. Conservatives

  • Definition: Individuals or groups who adhere to traditional attitudes and values, particularly in the realms of politics and religion.

18. Liberals

  • Definition: Advocates of a political and moral philosophy emphasizing liberty and equality.

  • Typical Support:

    • Civil rights.

    • Democracy.

    • Secularism.

    • Gender equality.

    • Racial equality.

    • Internationalism.

    • Freedoms: Speech, Press, Religion, and Free Markets.

19. Martin Luther King Jr.

  • Definition: An American Baptist minister and civil rights activist who emerged as a leading figure in the civil rights movement from 1954 until his assassination in 1968.

20. Marshall Plan

  • Definition: The European Recovery Program initiated by the United States to aid Western Europe after World War II.

  • Goals:

    • Economic redevelopment of war-torn regions.

    • Halt the spread of communism in Europe by providing financial assistance to nations deemed at risk of falling under communist influence.