APUSH Unit 8 SPICE Chart
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De Facto Segregation
During racial integration efforts in schools during the 1960s, “de facto segregation” was a term used to describe a situation in which legislation did not overtly segregate people by race, but nevertheless such segregation continued
De Jure Segregation
“De jure” is the Latin expression for “by law” or “by right” and is used to describe a practice of segregation enforced or explicitly allowed by legislation
Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968)
A transformational US social movement aimed at ending de jure racial discrimination, disenfranchisement, and segregation against African Americans
Effectively ended with success through the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965
Martin Luther King Jr.
Malcolm X
Born Malcolm Little, he was a prominent Black Muslim civil rights activist
Advocated for Black nationalism, self-defense, and self-reliance rather than the nonviolent integration sought by Martin Luther King Jr.
Famously encouraged empowerment “by any means necessary,” criticizing white racism and pushing for economic independence
Renamed himself el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz after completing his hajj to Mecca, showing his dedication to Islam, even after he left the Nation of Islam
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that “separate but equal” schools were unconstitutional
Linda Brown, a Black student in Kansas, was denied admission to an all-white school near her home and had to travel far to attend a segregated school
Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote that segregation had a harmful psychological effect on Black children and violated the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause
Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
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The Cold War a period of intense geopolitical rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, which began in the aftermath of the Second World War and ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991
Chinese Civil War (1927-1949), the PRC, and the ROC
Typically divided into two phases by historians
First Phase (1927-1937)
A struggle between the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that predates the Cold War
Interlude (1937-1945)
A temporary truce during WW2 while both sides fought the Japanese invasion
Second Phase (1946-1949)
Resumption of full-scale conflict
The KMT (also known as the Nationalists), led by Chiang Kai-shek, fought the Communists, led by Mao Zedong, over control of China
The KMT had controlled China since 1912 (when the Republic of China was first founded); however, they lost popularity particularly among the peasant class due to severe government corruption and hyperinflation
The Communists gained influence and support through land reform and by keeping their armies disciplined (avoiding looting)
The KMT was primarily supported by the United States, whereas the Communists were primarily supported by the USSR
The Communists eventually seized control over the entire mainland, forming the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and the KMT was forced to flee to Taiwan, continuing the Republic of China (ROC) there
United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, adopted on October 25, 1971, expelled representatives of the ROC and recognized the PRC as the only legitimate representative of China to the UN; as a result, the ROC transferred its UN membership and permanent seat in the Security Council to the PRC
The US refused to recognize or establish diplomatic relations with the PRC until 1979, acknowledging the PRC’s “One China” policy and ending diplomatic ties with and recognition of the ROC (despite maintaining robust unofficial relations with the ROC through the American Institute in Taiwan, a nonprofit private corporation that serves as a de facto embassy)
Today, the PRC maintains control over the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong SAR, and Macau SAR; the ROC maintains control over Taiwan
The ROC lacks widespread international recognition, including from the US, due to the “One China” policy, and the PRC claims Taiwan as an integral part of its territory despite never having ever controlled it and seeks reunification with Taiwan
Today, only 11 United Nations members (along with Vatican City) recognize the ROC: Guatemala, Belize, Haiti, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Eswatini, Palau, Tuvalu, and the Marshall Islands
Korean War (1950-1953)
After WW2, the Korean Peninsula was liberated from 35 years of Japanese colonial rule but was immediately divided into two occupation zones along the 38th parallel: North Korea, occupied by the Soviet Union, and South Korea, occupied by the United States
North Korea shortly became the independent nation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, a communist country
South Korea shortly became the independent nation of the Republic of Korea, a democratic and capitalist country
This proxy war was sparked when North Korea invaded South Korea
North Korean and Soviet forces nearly captured the entire Korean peninsula, and were stopped just short of the city of Pusan (now called Busan)
The UN, led by the US, defended South Korea, and their forces pushed the North Korean and Soviet forces north towards China
Feeling threatened, China sent its forces to support the North Koreans and Soviets, resulting in the UN-US forces retreating back to the 38th parallel
The war ended in a stalemate, with armistice line being close to the 38th parallel
Vietnam War (1955-1975)
After WW2, the Japanese surrendered Vietnam and France fought the communist Viet Minh to retain control over Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia in the French Indochina War (1946-1965)
France lost control over Indochina, and the Geneva Accords split Vietnam along the 17th parallel into a communist North (backed by the USSR) and a democratic, capitalist South (backed by the US)
Ho Chi Minh, the leader of North Vietnam, was very charismatic and popular among the Vietnamese people; on the other hand, Ngô Đình Diệm, the leader of South Vietnam, was controversial, particularly due to his pro-Catholic and anti-Buddhist policy, and was assassinated in 1963
This proxy war was characterized by guerilla warfare, the use of napalm and Agent Orange, and intense bombing campaigns (e.g., Operation Linebacker)
The war became unwinnable for the South Vietnamese and American forces, and in the U.S., anti-war and anti-draft protests were large-scale and had immense support from the public
The U.S. eventually withdrew from Vietnam, and South Vietnam collapsed, resulting in the unification of the Vietnamese people under communism
The U.S.’s “domino theory” (which dictated the country’s Cold War policy in places like Vietnam) became true to a certain extent, as shortly after Vietnam became entirely communist, Laos and Cambodia adopted communist governments; however, communism did not spread beyond these immediate neighbors of Vietnam to other nations—such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia—as predicted
McCarthyism
A period of intense anti-communist suspicion in the US during the early 1950s, characterized by unsupported accusations, “witch hunts”, and blacklisting led by Senator Joseph McCarthy
McCarthy claimed in 1950 that he had a list of 205 communists in the State Department, though he never produced credible evidence
The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigated suspected communists, forcing individuals to reveal political affiliations or face blacklisting
Thousands of people, particularly in the film industry, government, and education, lost their jobs and had their reputations destroyed through guilt by association
The televised Army-McCarthy Hearings in 1954 exposed McCarthy’s bullying tactics to the public, leading to his censure by the Senate
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Conformity
1950s American conformity was a post-WW2 cultural shift defined by strict social, gender, and political norms, emphasizing suburban, middle-class homogeneity
This era featured uniform housing, rampant consumerism, nuclear families, rigid gender roles, and McCarthyism-era anti-communism, with widespread pressure to conform and avoid standing out
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