APUSH unit 7

Berlin Blockade / Airlift
Soviet blockade of West Berlin in 1948–49 led to U.S. airlift; first Cold War crisis showing U.S. commitment to containment and resisting Soviet expansion.

Containment (George Kennan)
U.S. Cold War policy developed in 1947 to stop the spread of communism; shaped decades of foreign policy, with debate over military vs. political strategies.

Marshall Plan
1948 U.S. aid program to rebuild Western Europe and prevent communism; helped economic recovery but increased Cold War tensions with the USSR.

Truman Doctrine / NSC-68
The Truman Doctrine (1947) pledged support for nations resisting communism; NSC-68 (1950) called for military buildup, solidifying a global Cold War stance.

Yalta and Potsdam Conferences
1945 Allied meetings to decide postwar Europe’s future; exposed U.S.–Soviet tensions over Eastern Europe, contributing to Cold War mistrust.

Korean War / 38th Parallel
1950–53 war where U.S. intervened to stop communist North Korea; ended in stalemate at the 38th parallel and set a precedent for Cold War conflicts.

NATO
Formed in 1949 as a U.S.-led military alliance to counter the USSR; marked a shift to collective security and Cold War bloc politics.

United Nations
Global peacekeeping organization formed in 1945; provided a forum for U.S.–Soviet rivalry during the Cold War but had mixed success.

Mao Zedong
Led Chinese Communist Revolution and came to power in 1949; seen as a U.S. Cold War failure, deepening anxiety over communist expansion.

“Duck and Cover”
Cold War civil defense drills in U.S. schools symbolizing nuclear fears and government attempts to manage public anxiety.

HUAC
The House Un-American Activities Committee investigated alleged communists, targeting Hollywood and fueling Cold War paranoia.

Alger Hiss, the Rosenbergs
Hiss was accused of spying; the Rosenbergs were executed for espionage—both cases intensified domestic anti-communist sentiment.

McCarthyism, Edward R. Murrow
McCarthy led aggressive anti-communist hearings; Murrow’s reporting helped expose his tactics, marking a shift in public opinion.

Truman Loyalty Program
1947 executive order investigating federal employees for disloyalty; reflected fears of internal communist threats.

G.I. Bill (of Rights)
1944 law providing benefits to WWII veterans; expanded the middle class and boosted the postwar economy.

Closed Shop, Taft-Hartley Act
Closed shops required union membership; the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act restricted unions, showing postwar backlash against labor power.

The Fair Deal
Truman’s domestic program aiming to expand the New Deal; met resistance but reflected ongoing debates about government’s role.

Baby Boom (Dr. Spock)
Post-WWII population surge shaped 1950s culture; Dr. Spock’s parenting book reflected new values on child-rearing and family life.

Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley
Pioneers of rock ‘n’ roll; represented youth rebellion and racial integration in popular music during the 1950s.

Conformity
1950s emphasis on social and cultural uniformity, especially in suburbs and workplaces; sparked critiques from counterculture voices.

Federal Highway Act of 1956
Created the interstate highway system, boosting car culture, suburbs, and military mobility during the Cold War.

Jack Kerouac, Beat Generation
Authors and thinkers who rejected 1950s conformity and consumerism; early voices of the counterculture movement.

Levittown
Mass-produced suburban housing development; symbolized postwar growth and racial segregation.

Rebel Without a Cause
1955 film capturing teen disillusionment; reflected generational tensions and rising youth culture.

The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, The Organization Man
Books critiquing postwar corporate conformity and personal sacrifice for career success.

AFL-CIO
Formed in 1955 from union merger; symbolized postwar labor strength but also stability and compromise with business.

Father Knows Best
Popular 1950s TV show idealizing nuclear family life; reinforced cultural norms of gender and domesticity.

Jackson Pollock
Abstract expressionist painter; broke traditional art forms and symbolized postwar American creativity and anxiety.

The Other America
1962 book by Michael Harrington revealing poverty amid affluence; helped inspire War on Poverty programs.

Salk Vaccine
Developed in 1955 to prevent polio; major public health success reflecting trust in science and government.

“Massive Retaliation”
Eisenhower’s Cold War policy threatening nuclear response to any Soviet aggression; aimed to deter but increased nuclear risk.

Brinksmanship
Cold War strategy of pushing tensions to the edge of conflict; criticized for being too dangerous.

John Foster Dulles
Eisenhower’s Secretary of State who championed anti-communism and brinkmanship as foreign policy tools.

Suez Canal Crisis
1956 conflict over Egyptian control of the canal; exposed limits of British/French power and U.S. Cold War leadership.

U2 Crisis
1960 incident where a U.S. spy plane was shot down over the USSR; derailed U.S.–Soviet diplomacy and exposed espionage.

Brown v. Board of Education
1954 Supreme Court case ending legal school segregation; landmark civil rights victory.

Little Rock Nine, Elizabeth Eckford
1957 desegregation crisis in Arkansas; federal troops protected Black students, highlighting resistance to integration.

Sputnik
1957 Soviet satellite; spurred U.S. fears of falling behind and led to massive investments in science and education.

Apollo Program
NASA project to land Americans on the Moon; restored U.S. prestige after Sputnik and showcased Cold War competition.

Army-McCarthy Hearings
1954 televised hearings that revealed McCarthy’s baseless accusations, leading to his downfall.

Jackie Robinson
First Black MLB player in 1947; broke sports color barrier and inspired civil rights activism.

Montgomery Bus Boycott, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr.
1955 protest sparked by Parks' arrest; led by MLK, it became a model for nonviolent civil rights action.

Browder v. Gayle (Claudette Colvin)
1956 decision that struck down bus segregation in Montgomery; Colvin was an early activist before Rosa Parks.

Civil Rights Act of 1964 / Voting Rights Act of 1965
Outlawed segregation and protected voting rights; landmark legislation for civil rights, passed after years of activism.

March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
1963 rally where MLK gave his "I Have a Dream" speech; pushed for civil and economic rights.

Sit-ins / Freedom Rides
Nonviolent protests challenging segregation in public spaces and transportation; tested federal enforcement.

Freedom Summer
1964 voter registration campaign in the South; faced violent resistance, showing dangers civil rights activists faced.

Letter from Birmingham Jail
MLK’s 1963 letter defending civil disobedience; became a core text of the movement.

Malcolm X / Black Power
Malcolm X called for self-defense and Black pride; Black Power emphasized racial identity and autonomy, diverging from nonviolence.

Watts Riot
1965 uprising in Los Angeles over police brutality; reflected deeper racial and economic frustrations.

Affirmative Action
Policies to address past discrimination by promoting diversity in education and jobs; sparked long-term political debates.

George Wallace
Segregationist governor who ran for president; symbolized white backlash against civil rights gains.

SNCC / SCLC
Civil rights organizations; SNCC was youth-led and direct-action-focused, while SCLC, led by MLK, emphasized nonviolence and church leadership.

Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
Ended old quota system and opened U.S. immigration to non-Europeans; reshaped U.S. demographics.

Medicare / Medicaid
Created in 1965 to provide health care for the elderly and poor; key Great Society programs expanding the welfare state.

Community Action Programs
Local anti-poverty initiatives encouraging citizen involvement; often criticized for inefficiency or radicalism.

Cuban Missile Crisis
1962 Cold War standoff over Soviet missiles in Cuba; resolved peacefully but brought the world to nuclear brink.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
1964 law giving LBJ broad war powers in Vietnam; used to escalate U.S. involvement without a formal declaration of war.

Tet Offensive
1968 surprise attack by North Vietnamese; exposed U.S. setbacks and eroded public support for the war.

Vietcong
South Vietnamese communist guerrilla fighters; difficult to defeat, key to North Vietnam’s strategy.

“Body counts”
Metric used by U.S. military to gauge success in Vietnam; criticized as inhumane and misleading.

Democratic National Convention of 1968
Violent protests over Vietnam and civil rights; symbolized national division and loss of political trust.

My Lai Massacre
1968 massacre of Vietnamese civilians by U.S. troops; intensified antiwar sentiment and moral questioning of the war.

Ho Chi Minh Trail
Supply route through Laos and Cambodia used by North Vietnam; U.S. bombing failed to stop it.

American Indian Movement (AIM)
Militant group demanding Native sovereignty and rights; occupied sites to draw attention to broken treaties.

César Chávez / UFW
Led farmworker strikes for labor rights and better conditions; used nonviolence and boycotts.

EPA / Clean Water Act / Clean Air Act
Environmental legislation and agency created in the 1970s to combat pollution; reflected rising ecological awareness.

Roe v. Wade
1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion; became a major point in culture wars.

The Feminine Mystique / NOW
Betty Friedan’s book sparked second-wave feminism; NOW organized for gender equality.

Earth Day
First celebrated in 1970; symbolized growing environmental movement and concern over pollution.

Equal Rights Amendment
Proposed amendment to guarantee gender equality; failed ratification but remained a feminist goal.

Stonewall Riot
1969 uprising at a gay bar in NYC; launched modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

Woodstock / Counterculture
1969 music festival representing anti-establishment youth culture; rejected traditional values.

Indian Civil Rights Act
1968 law applying many constitutional rights to Native tribes while affirming their sovereignty.

Rachel Carson
Author of Silent Spring, exposed dangers of pesticides; helped launch environmentalism.

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)
Radical student group opposing war and corporate power; key player in 1960s activism.

Vietnamization / Nixon Doctrine
Nixon’s plan to reduce U.S. troops in Vietnam and shift fighting to South Vietnamese forces; part of a broader Cold War policy of local responsibility.

Kent State Massacre
1970 shooting of student protesters by National Guard; intensified opposition to the Vietnam War.

Pentagon Papers
Leaked documents showing government deception about Vietnam; fueled public distrust.

“Christmas Bombing”
1972 bombing campaign to force North Vietnam back to peace talks; controversial but led to negotiations.

Détente
Easing Cold War tensions under Nixon, including arms control and diplomacy with the USSR and China.

SALT I
1972 treaty limiting nuclear weapons; part of Nixon’s détente strategy.

Stagflation
1970s economic crisis with inflation and stagnation; challenged traditional economic policies.

Watergate / CREEP
Scandal involving Nixon’s campaign’s illegal activities and cover-up; led to his resignation in 1974.

OPEC Oil Embargo
1973 embargo by Arab nations in response to U.S. support for Israel; caused energy crisis and inflation.

Silent Majority
Term Nixon used for Americans who supported traditional values and opposed protests; appealed to conservative voters.

United States v. Nixon
1974 Supreme Court case ordering Nixon to release tapes; reaffirmed rule of law and limited executive privilege.