Winston Churchill
A noted British statesman who led Britain throughout most of World War II and along with Roosevelt planned many allied campaigns. He predicted an iron curtain that would separate Communist Europe from the rest of the West.
D-Day
June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France.
George Marshall
United States secretary of state during WWII. Formulated a program providing economic aid to European countries after World War II. The Marshall Plan provided massive American economic assistance to help Europe recover from the war.
Dwight Eisenhower
Top Allied commander in Europe supervised the invasion of Normandy and the defeat of Nazi Germany. Later 34th president
Tuskegee Airmen
all black unit of fighter pilots. trained in Tuskegee Alabama. won many awards for bravery and never lost a single pilot
Bataan Death March
Japanese forced about 60,000 of americans and philippines to march 100 miles with little food and water, most died or were killed on the way
Battle of Midway
1942 World War II battle between the United States and Japan, a turning point in the war in the Pacific
Island Hopping
A military strategy used during World War II that involved selectively attacking specific enemy-held islands and bypassing others
Kamikaze
Japanese suicide pilots who loaded their planes with explosives and crashed them into American ships.
Manhattan Project
code name for the secret United States project set up in 1942 to develop atomic bombs for use in World War II
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
nuclear attacks during World War II against the Empire of Japan by the United States of America at the order of U.S. President Harry S. Truman
Douglas MacArthur
army commander in Pacific; at Bataan "I shall return" retook Philippines and led rebuilding after WWII
Chester A Nimitz
navy commander (coral sea, Midway, Solomon Island, Philippine Sea)
Navajo Code Talkers
Native Americans from the Navajo tribe used their own language to make a code for the U.S. military that the Japanese could not desipher
Harry S. Truman
Succeeded Franklin D. Roosevelt upon his death. Led the country through the last few months of World War II, and made the controversial decision to use two atomic bombs against Japan
Potsdam Conference
The final wartime meeting of Truman, Churchill, and Stalin discussed the future of Europe but their failure to reach meaningful agreements soon led to the onset of the Cold War.
Arms Race
Cold war competition between the U.S. and Soviet Union to build up their respective armed forces and weapons
Communist Revolution in China
a revolution led by Mao Zedong and the Red Guards whose focus was to establish a society in which all people were equal, also called the Cultural Revolution
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
Arrested in the Summer of 1950 and executed in 1953, they were convicted of conspiring to commit espionage by passing plans for the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union.
Venona Papers
Revealed the identities of several American spies
House Un-American Activities Committee
(HUAC) committee formed in the House of Representatives in the 1930s to investigate radical groups in the United States; it later came to focus on the threat of communism in the United States during World War II and the Cold War
McCarthyism
The term associated with Senator Joseph McCarthy who led the search for communists in America during the early 1950s through his leadership in the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Space Race
a competition of space exploration between the United States and Soviet Union
1957
Sputnik launched; starts the Space Race
Truman Doctrine
President Truman's policy of providing economic and military aid to any country threatened by communism or totalitarian ideology, mainly helped Greece and Turkey
Marshall Plan
A plan that the US came up with to revive war-torn economies of Europe. This plan offered $13 billion in aid to western and Southern Europe.
Berlin Airlift
Airlift in 1948 that supplied food and fuel to citizens of west Berlin when the Russians closed off land access to Berlin.
North Atlantic Trade Agreement (NATO)
International Organization set up in 1949 to provide for the defense of western European countries and the United States from the perceived Soviet threat
Korean War
..., The conflict between Communist North Korea and Non-Communist South Korea. The United Nations (led by the United States) helped South Korea.
Containment
American policy of resisting further expansion of communism around the world
Limited War
A war fought to achieve a limited objective, such as containing communism
Cuban Missile Crisis
an international crisis in October 1962, the closest approach to nuclear war at any time between the U.S. and the USSR. When the U.S. discovered Soviet nuclear missiles on Cuba, President John F. Kennedy demanded their removal and announced a naval blocka
GI Bill
law passed in 1944 to help returning veterans buy homes and pay for higher educations
Baby Boom
30 million war babies were born between 1942 and 1950.
White Flight
working and middle-class white people move away from racial-minority suburbs or inner-city neighborhoods to white suburbs and exurbs
Sun Belt
U.S. region, mostly comprised of southeastern and southwestern states, which has grown most dramatically since World War II.
Suburbs
Areas of living outside the cities where middle-class families went to live to escape the city
Polio Vaccine
(1995) created by Dr. Jonas Salk. worked by introducing killed or weak pieces of the virus to allow body to develop antibodies thus preventing polio
Billy Graham
An Evangelist fundamentalism preacher who gained a wide following in the 1950s with his appearances across the country and overseas during and after the war.
In God we Trust
A phrase that Congress made mandatory on all American currency in 1954, inspired by Eisenhower's patriotic crusade to bring Americans back to God.
Beat Generation
Group of writers of the 1950s, led by Kerouac, focusing on alienation, conformity, and materialism.
13th Amendment
Abolished Slavery
14th Amendment
Declares that all persons born in the U.S. are citizens and are guaranteed equal protection of the laws
15th Amendment
Citizens cannot be denied the right to vote because of race, color , or precious condition of servitude
Mendez vs. Westminster
federal court case that challenged racial segregation in California schools. In its ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals held that the segregation of Mexican and Mexican American students into separate "Mexican schools" was unconstitutional
Delgado vs. Bastrop
1948-Parents of Mexican American students in Texas sued on the premise that "Separate but Equal" was created to segregate White and Black student, not Mexican American. The decision stated that segregation was illegal for Mexican American.
Executive Order 9981
President Truman desegregated US military
Sweatt vs. Painter
Segregated law school in Texas was held to be an illegal violation of civil rights, leading to open enrollment.
Hernandez vs. Texas
argued that Pete Hernandez could not get a fair trial because no Mexican Americans were allowed on the jury; supreme court agreed
Brown vs. Board of Education
1954- court decision that declared state laws segregating schools to be unconstitutional. Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
1957 Civil Rights Act
A bipartisan commission established by IKE to investigate if certain citizens were being deprived the right to vote
1964 Civil Rights Act
This act prohibited Discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion, or national origin by employers or labor unions
24th Amendment
Abolishes poll taxes
1965 Voting Rights Act
ended literacy tests and poll taxes; allowed officers to register voters
NAACP
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
Thurgood Marshall
American civil rights lawyer, first black justice on the Supreme Court of the United States. Marshall was a tireless advocate for the rights of minorities and the poor.
Rosa Parks
United States civil rights leader who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man in Montgomery (Alabama) and so triggered the national civil rights movement
Montgomery Bus Boycott
In 1955, after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a city bus, Dr. Martin L. King led a boycott of city busses. After 11 months the Supreme Court ruled that segregation of public transportation was illegal.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
1929-1968. Pivotal leader of the American Civil Rights movement. Non-violent leader, became youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his efforts to end segregation and racial discrimination. Led Montgomery Bus Boycott, helped found Sou
Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
1957 group founded by Martin Luther King Jr. to fight against segregation using nonviolent means
March on Washington
held in 1963 to show support for the Civil Rights Bill in Congress. Martin Luther King gave his famous "I have a dream..." speech. 250,000 people attended the rally
Orval Faubus
Arkansas governor who called out the National Guard to prevent nine black students from entering Little Rock's Central High School under federal court order.
George Wallace
Racist gov. of Alabama in 1962 ("segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever"); runs for pres. In 1968 on American Independent Party ticket of racism and law and order, loses to Nixon; runs in 1972 but gets shot
Lester Maddox
This racist restaurant owner closed his restaurant rather than integrate. He eventually became governor and hired more blacks to office than all prior governors combined.
Malcolm X
Black Muslim leader who said Blacks needed to have separate society from whites, but later changed his views. He was assassinated in 1965.
Black Panthers
A black political organization that was against peaceful protest and for violence if needed. The organization marked a shift in policy of the black movement, favoring militant ideals rather than peaceful protest.
Assassination of MLK
April 4, 1968 - MLK shot by James Earl Ray on hotel balcony in Memphis -- rocked nonviolent campaign, resulted in violent riots
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
Fought to desegregae schools, public facilities, and housing in Southern California and the Southwest; fought for Hispanic rights
Hector P. Garcia
founded the American GI Forum to help minority veterans obtain the same benefits other veterans recieved
Edgewood ISD vs. Kirby
historically established the inequity found in the money available to local schools in Texas
Cesar Chavez
1927-1993. Farm worker, labor leader, and civil-rights activist who helped form the National Farm Workers Association, later the United Farm Workers.
Dolores Huerta
taught farmworkers how to become citizens and how to vote; earned more money to buy food and clothing for them; worked with Cesar Chavez to form the National Farm Workers Association
Chicano Mural Movement
Began in the 1960s in Mexican-American barrios throughout the Southwest. Artists began using the walls of city buildings, housing projects, schools, and churches to depict Mexican-American culture.
Betty Friedan
1921-2006. American feminist, activist and writer. Best known for starting the "Second Wave" of feminism through the writing of her book "The Feminine Mystique
National Organization for Women (NOW)
Founded in 1966, the National Organization for Women (NOW) called for equal employment opportunity and equal pay for women.
American Indian Movement (AIM)
led by Dennis Banks and Russell Means; purpose was to obtain equal rights for Native Americans; protested at the site of the Wounded Knee massacre
Great Society
President Johnson called his version of the Democratic reform program the Great Society. In 1965, Congress passed many Great Society measures, including Medicare, civil rights legislation, and federal aid to education.
Affirmative Action
A policy in educational admissions or job hiring that gives special attention or compensatory treatment to traditionally disadvantaged groups in an effort to overcome present effects of past discrimination.
Title IX
-Provision of the Educational Amendments of 1972 that bars educational institutions recieving federal funds from disciminating against female student
Tinker vs. Des Moines
Supreme Court case that stated that students do not lose their freedom of speech rights in high school. Mary Beth tinker wore black arm bands to protest the Vietnam War.
Wisconsin vs. Yoder
Court decided that Amish families are required to send their kids to school.
Domino Theory
A theory that if one nation comes under Communist control, then neighboring nations will also come under Communist control.
Ho Chi Minh
1950s and 60s; communist leader of North Vietnam; used geurilla warfare to fight anti-comunist, American-funded attacks under the Truman Doctrine; brilliant strategy drew out war and made it unwinnable
Gulf of Tokin Resolution
The resolution passed by Congress in 1964 giving President Lyndon Johnson board powers to expand the U.S. role in Vietnam.
Tet Offensive
1968; National Liberation Front and North Vietnamese forces launched a huge attack on the Vietnamese New Year (Tet), which was defeated after a month of fighting and many thousands of casualties; major defeat for communism, but Americans reacted sharply,
Fall of Saigon
Marked the end of the Vietnam War in April, 1975 when North Vietnamese invaded South Vietnam, forcing all Americans left to flee in disarray as the capitol was taken
26th Amendment
Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18
1969 Moon Landing
Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon.
Detente
A policy of reducing Cold War tensions that was adopted by the United States during the presidency of Richard Nixon.
Watergate
The events and scandal surrounding a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in 1972 and the subsequent cover-up of White House involvement, leading to the eventual resignation of President Nixon under the threat of impeachment, Ford be
Cold War
A conflict that was between the US and the Soviet Union. The nations never directly confronted each other on the battlefield but deadly threats went on for years.
Oil Crisis
Economic crisis of 1973 that occurred when OPEC nations refused to export oil to Western nations
EPA
An independent federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment
Sam Walton
the most successful discount retailer and the founder of Wal-Mart
Estee Lauder
American beautician and business woman who began her cosmetics business with a face cream designed by her uncle, and then got her products into all leading department stores
Ronald Reagan
1980 and 1984; Republican; reduce reliance on government; Reagonomics: supply-side, laissez-faire, send troops to Grenada, escalated the Cold War: "rollback" of communism, Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars); War on Drugs, Iran-Contra affair, second
Heritage Foundation
conservative american think tank in washington D.C to promote conservative public policies. based the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional american values and a strong national defense.
Sandra Day O'Connor
(b. 1930) Arizona state senator from 1969 to 1974, appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals in 1979. Reagan appointed her to the U.S. Supreme Court, making her the first female Justice of the Supreme Court.
Phylis Schlafly
She is known for her opposition to feministic ideas and for her ongoing campaign against the proposed Equal Rights Amendment.She believed the Equal Rights Amendment was bad because there were obvious differences between men and women that should be recogn
Reaganomics
These policies combined a monetarist fiscal policy, supply-side tax cuts, and domestic budget cutting. Their goal was to reduce the size of the federal government and stimulate economic growth.
Iran-Contra Affair
This involved high officials in the Reagan administration secretly selling arms to Iran (in return for the release of Western hostages in the Middle East) and illegally using the proceeds to finance the Contra rebels in Nicaragua.
Mikhail Gorbachev
the last General secretary of the Soviet Union. He brought about massive economic, social, and political changes and helped bring an end to both the Soviet Union and the Cold War. His reforms included giving citizens the ability to freely voice their opin
Persian Gulf War
(1990 - 1991) Conflict between Iraq and a coalition of countries led by the United States to remove Iraqi forces from Kuwait which they had invaded in hopes of controlling their oil supply. A very one sided war with the United States; coalition emerging v
9/11
terrorist attacks that occurred on Sep. 11, 2001, in which 19 militant Islamist men hijacked and crashed 4 commercial aircraft. Two planes hit the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, causing them to collapse. One plane crashed into the
Patriot Act
This law passed after 9/11 expanded the tools used to fight terrorism and improved communication between law enforcement and intelligence agencies
Afghanistan War
(2001-Present) to find/kill Osama Bin Laden, destroy Al Qaeda, remove the Taliban from power and; help build a nation better for its citizens than what we found
Iraq War
An armed conflict in Iraq that consisted of two phases. an invasion force led by the United States and a phase of fighting, in which an insurgency emerged to oppose coallition forces
1992 Election
Bush vs. Clinton vs. Perot; focus on stagnancy of economy and problems of middle class (Clinton)
Bill Clinton
1992 and 1996; Democrat; Don't Ask Don't Tell policy implemented by Congress, Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, Travelgate controversy; Operation Desert Fox (4 day bombing campaign in Iraq); Scandals: Whitewater controversy, Lewinsky scandal (imp
2000 Election
This election came down to the state of Florida, between George W. Bush and Al Gore. George Bush won the Presidency by a Supreme Court vote.
Hurricane Katrina
Considered to be the one crisis of the Bush administrations second term and in is inefficiency to deal with the crisis. It destroyed 80% of New Orleans and more than 1300 people died, while the damages were $150 billion.
George W. Bush
2000 and 2004; Republican; 9/11 terrorist attack invade Afghanistan and Iraq; economy: huge tax cuts, 2007-great recession; No Child Left Behind, Medicare prescription drug benefits, Hurricane Katrina disaster
2008 Election
The election was the first in which an African American was elected President, and the first time a Roman Catholic was elected Vice President (Joe Biden, then-U.S. Senator from Delaware).
Barack Obama
2008; Democrat; first African American president of the US, health care bill; Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster; economy: huge stimulus package to combat the great recession, is removing troops from Iraq, strengthened numbers in Afghanistan; repeal of Don
Sonia Sotomayor
Appointed by President Obama in 2009, first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice
Oprah Winfrey
Born January 29, 1954. Television host, philanthropist, producer and actress
1968
MLK was assassinated
1969
United States lands on the moon
1991
Cold War Ends
2001
terrorist attacks on World Trade Center and
the Pentagon
2008
Election of first black president