Untitled Flashcards Set

Baby Boom

The sharp increase in birth rate in the United States following World War II

Space Race

The intense competition between the U.S. and USSR for superiority in space exploration

Brinkmanship

The policy of pushing a dangerous situation to the brink of disaster to achieve goals

Cold War

The period of tension and competition between the United States and the Soviet Union from 1945-1991

Levittown

A planned community built in New York that became the model for post-war suburban development

Beatnik

A member of the 1950s counterculture movement known for rejection of conventional society and interest in artistic expression

Iron Curtain

The symbolic and ideological boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas after World War II

Sputnik

The first artificial satellite to orbit Earth, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957

Truman Doctrine

U.S. foreign policy strategy aimed at stopping the spread of communism around the world

NATO

A military alliance formed in 1949 between North American and European countries to counter Soviet influence

National Defense Education Act

A 1958 act passed to improve American schools in response to the Space Race

Communism

An economic system based on collective ownership and the absence of social classes

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House Un-American Committee

Congressional committee that investigated suspected communist activities

Berlin Airlift

The 1948-1949 operation to supply West Berlin by air after Soviet forces blockaded ground access

Marshall Plan

American economic and military aid program to support countries resisting communism, announced by President Truman in 1947

Warsaw Pact

The Soviet-led military alliance formed in response to NATO

Domino Theory

The theory that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow

GI Bill

Post-WWII legislation that provided education and housing benefits to returning veterans

Polio Vaccine

The medical breakthrough developed by Dr. Jonas Salk that helped end a major disease epidemic

Sun Belt Migration

The movement of Americans from northern cities to southern and western states after World War II

Interstate Highway Act

A 1956 law establishing the interstate highway system under President Eisenhower

Elvis Presley

The 'King of Rock and Roll' who revolutionized popular music and youth culture

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Cuban Missile Crisis

The 1962 confrontation between the U.S. and USSR over Soviet missiles in Cuba

Joseph Stalin

Soviet leader during World War II and the early Cold War period

Korean War

The 1950-1953 conflict between North and South Korea

McCarthyism

This group of people were investigating people they felt were disloyal to the United States, without proper evidence

Arms Race

The competition between the U.S. and USSR to build up their respective weapons arsenals

Capitalism

An economic system based on private ownership and free market competition

Hollywood 10

A group of screenwriters and directors who refused to testify before HUAC about alleged communist influences