history final

Marshall Plan & Truman Doctrine - Initiatives by the U.S. to rebuild Western Europe after WWII and contain Soviet expansion, providing economic and military aid.

Berlin Airlift - Massive U.S./British effort to fly supplies into West Berlin after Soviets blocked land routes into the city in 1948-49.

GI Bill - Provided college education, vocational training, unemployment benefits, and low-interest loans for returning WWII veterans.

Baby Boom - Dramatic increase in birth rates in the years after WWII, fueled by economic prosperity.

NATO & Warsaw Pact - Military alliances formed by the U.S./West and Soviet Union/East respectively, heightening Cold War tensions.

Domino Theory & Proxy Wars - Fear that if one nation fell to communism, surrounding nations would follow. U.S. involved in proxy wars like Korea and Vietnam to prevent its spread.

38th Parallel & Korean Conflict - Division of Korean peninsula after WWII, leading to war between U.S.-backed South Korea and Soviet/China-backed North Korea from 1950-53.

Second Red Scare - Renewed fear of communist influence and Soviet espionage in the U.S. during the late 1940s and 1950s.

Joseph McCarthy & HUAC - Senator McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee notoriously went after alleged communist sympathizers and caused many to lose jobs.

1950s Conformity - Social pressures of the era encouraged sameness in areas like suburban living and traditional family/gender roles.

Rock and Roll - New music genre emerged in the 1950s, exemplified by artists like Elvis Presley, seen as rebellious by older generations.

Post-War Consumerism & Suburbanization - Economic prosperity allowed growth of consumer culture and suburban housing developments.

Interstate Highway System - Massive federal road construction project begun in 1950s to link cities.

Beat Generation - Anti-conformist literary movement of the 1950s including writers like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.

Civil Rights Movement - Struggle by African Americans against racial discrimination and segregation, using strategies like litigation, civil disobedience and grassroots protests. Key events and figures included:

• Brown v. Board of Education

• Montgomery Bus Boycott

• MLK and SCLC

• Thurgood Marshall and NAACP

• Sit-ins and Freedom Riders

• March on Washington

• Malcolm X and Nation of Islam

Sputnik & Space Race - Soviet Union launched first satellite in 1957, spurring Cold War technological competition between the U.S and Soviets.

NDEA - National Defense Education Act passed to improve science and math education in response to Sputnik.

Arms Race - Rapid buildup of nuclear weapons by the U.S and Soviet Union in a dangerous cycle of escalation.

JFK's New Frontier/Camelot - John F. Kennedy's inspirational but tragically brief presidency from 1961-63 exemplified by the young, vibrant "Camelot" image.

Bay of Pigs & Cuban Missile Crisis - Failed U.S. attempt to overthrow Castro in 1961 and subsequent 1962 crisis over Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba.

Peace Corps & NASA - New government agencies formed by JFK for volunteers abroad and the space program.

Brinkmanship & Detente - Aggressive posturing by Soviets and Americans brought them to the brink of war before a move toward easing tensions.

Lee Harvey Oswald - Marxist who assassinated JFK in 1963, with debate over whether he acted alone.

LBJ's Great Society - Sweeping social reforms and "War on Poverty" programs passed under Lyndon B. Johnson after 1963.

Civil Rights Acts of 1964 & 1965 - Banned discrimination and protectedvoting rights for African Americans.

Affirmative Action - Policiesgiving preferences to minorities in areas like employment and education to address past discrimination.

Selma - Bloody police attack on civil rights marchers in Alabama in 1965 helped solidify support for Voting Rights Act.

Black Panthers - Militant group formed in 1966 to combat police brutality and promote Black Power.

Vietnam War - Long, bloody conflict (1955-1975) as U.S. tried to stop spread of communism in Southeast Asia, ultimately ending in withdrawal.

1968 - A tumultuous year with the Tet Offensive, MLK and RFK assassinations, and escalating protests over Vietnam.

Counter-Culture & Anti-War Movements - "Hippie" youth subcultures rejected mainstream values and protested Vietnam War.

Free Speech Movement - Student activists at UC Berkeley in 1964 protested restrictions on political activities.

Nixon's "Silent Majority" - Nixon's appeal for support from mainstream Americans as opposed to protesters.

Vietnamization - Nixon's policy of removing U.S. troops and turning fighting over to South Vietnamese forces.

Pentagon Papers - Leaked study revealed extensive govt. deception in escalating Vietnam War, leading to First Amendment battles.

Women's Movement & NOW - Reinvigorated push for women's rights and formation of the National Organization for Women.

LGBT Movement - Gays, lesbians and transsexuals increasingly fought for equality and visibility after events like Stonewall in 1969.

Watergate - Political scandal involving Nixon administration operatives breaking into DNC HQ, leading to calls for impeachment.

MAD & SALT Treaties - Theory of "mutually assured destruction" led to arms limitation treaties between U.S. and Soviets.

EPA - Environmental Protection Agency created in 1970 to combat pollution and enforce environmental laws.

Carter's Challenges - Energy crisis, economic "stagflation," and Iran hostage crisis plagued Carter's presidency in late 1970s.

Soviet-Afghan War - 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan prompted Carter's drastic response and ultimately drained Soviet resources.

Reagan & The Cold War - President Reagan took a hardline anti-communist stance, ramping up military spending and aid to anti-Soviet causes like the Afghan mujahedeen. Policies like:

• Reaganomics of tax cuts and deregulation

• START arms reduction talks with Soviets

• Confrontation over human rights and "evil empire"

The AIDS Crisis - HIV/AIDS emerged as a public health crisis in the 1980s, spreading fear and impacting LGBTQ communities.

GHWB & The Gulf War - After Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, George H.W. Bush built a global coalition to remove Iraqi forces in the 1991 Gulf War.

Clinton Years - Major domestic policies under Bill Clinton included NAFTA, welfare reform and unsuccessful healthcare reform. His presidency also rocked by Lewinsky scandal and impeachment.

Election of 2000 - Controversial election with Florida recount disputes, eventually resolved by Supreme Court in favor of George W. Bush over Al Gore.

9/11 Attacks - Coordinated terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001 by al-Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 and led U.S. to war in Afghanistan, Iraq and strengthened homeland security measures.

War on Terror - Launched by Bush administration after 9/11 with invasions of Afghanistan to remove the Taliban and Iraq in pursuit of alleged WMDs.

Great Recession - Severe economic downturn in the late 2000s sparked by the housing crisis and failures on Wall Street.

Obama & The ACA - In 2010 President Obama achieved a key policy goal by signing the Affordable Care Act to expand health insurance access, also known as "Obamacare."