The Cold War
Rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union for control over the postwar world emerged before World War II had even ended. U.S. presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S Truman and Soviet premier Joseph Stalin never really trusted one another, even while working together to defeat the Nazis. This mutual mistrust actually began as far back as 1917, when the United States refused to recognize the new Bolshevik government after the Russian Revolution. Stalin also resented the fact that the United States and Great Britain had not shared nuclear weapons research with the Soviet Union during the war and was unhappy with the countries' initial unwillingness to engage the Germans on a second front in order to take pressure off of the Soviets. Additionally, Stalin was irked by the fact that Truman had offered postwar relief loans to Great Britain but not to the USSR.
Harry Truman
1953, Truman made the decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan, helped rebuild postwar Europe, worked to contain communism and led the United States into the Korean War (1950-1953).
Dwight D. Eisenhower
. In 1951-52, he served as the first Supreme Commander of NATO. ... His administration provided major aid to help the French fight off Vietnamese Communists in the First Indochina War.Eisenhower Doctrine, a country could request American economic assistance and/or aid from U.S. military forces if it was being threatened by armed aggression from another state.
Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech
The Iron Curtain symbolised the ideological conflict and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold war in 1 on Curtain, the political, military, and ideological barrier erected by the Soviet Union after World War II to seal off itself and its dependent eastern and central European allies from open contact with the West and other noncommunist areas.
Containment
Containment was a United States policy using numerous strategies to prevent the spread of communism abroad. A component of the Cold War, this policy was a response to a series of moves by the Soviet Union to enlarge its communist sphere of influence in Eastern Europe, China, Korea, and Vietnam.
George Kennan
George F. Kennan , a career Foreign Service Officer, formulated the policy of "containment," the basic United States strategy for fighting the cold war (1947-1989) with the Soviet Union.
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was an American foreign policy whose stated purpose was to counter Soviet geopolitical expansion during the Cold War. It was first announced to Congress by President Harry S. Truman on March 12, 1947, and further developed on July 12, 1948, when he pledged to contain threats to Greece and Turkey.
NSC - 68
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NSC - 162
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Marshall Plan
Plan announced in 1948 named after then Secretary of State George Marshall which gave 13 billion in aid to Europe from 1948 to 1951. Designed to rebuild Europe and resist Communism + create market for American goods.
NATO
Organization established in 1949 - North Atlantic Treaty Organization - US, Great Britain, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Other european powers followed. Directed against Soviet Union and all members were required to jointly defend any other member who fell under attack. Warsaw Pact created by Soviet Union in response. Marked shift from unilateralism - America free to decide own path - to multilateralism - deciding with input of allies
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift, 1948-1949. At the end of the Second World War, U.S., British, and Soviet military forces divided and occupied Germany. ... The crisis was a result of competing occupation policies and rising tensions between Western powers and the Soviet Union.
Korean War
(1950-1953) North Korea had communist government led by Kim Il Sung (supported by Stalin) and South Korea was anti communist and led by Syngman Rhee (supported by US); division was along 38th parallel. In 1950 North invaded South and the US responded with NSC 68 - large increase in military spending - and had UN condemn invasion and sent American troops under control of General MacArthur without Congressional declaration of war. MacArthur pushed North all the way back close to China; China responded with attacking and South went back. Truman's refusal to use atomic weapons meant that the war ended with a truce and North and South remained divided along the 38th
Iranian Coup and Mossadegh
overthrow of government led by Mohammed Mossadegh with help of CIA; Mossadegh had taken over the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. Instead the western-friendly Shah Phlevi were installed
House Committee on Un-American Activities
a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, investigated allegations of communist activity in the U.S. during the early years of the Cold War (1945-91).
Joseph McCarthy/McCarthyism
Senator McCarthy spent almost five years trying in vain to expose communists and other left-wing "loyalty risks" in the U.S. government.
Army/McCarthy Hearings
The Army-McCarthy hearings were a series of hearings held by the United States Senate's Subcommittee on Investigations (April-June 1954) to investigate conflicting accusations between the United States Army and U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy.
John F. Kennedy 61-63
Hated Communism was even apart of the hearing before he became president. "Ich bin ein Berliner!"... All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words "Ich bin ein Berliner in West Berlin. It is widely regarded as the best-known speech of the Cold War and the most famous anti-communist speech. Kennedy aimed to underline the support of the United States for West Germany 22 months after Soviet-supported East Germany erected the Berlin Wall to prevent mass emigration to the West.
Space Race
The Space Race was considered important because it showed the world which country had the best science, technology, and economic system. After World War II both the United States and the Soviet Union realized how important rocket research would be to the military.
NASA
National Aeronautic and Space Administration created by Congress in 1958 in response to Soviet launching of Sputnik
GI Bill of 1944
Veterans allows people to go to college, own homes. opens up educational opportunities and helped people with home ownership
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1950s
During the 1950s, it was easy to see what Churchill meant. The United States was the world's strongest military power. Its economy was booming, and the fruits of this prosperity-new cars, suburban houses and other consumer goods-were available to more people than ever before. However, the 1950s were also an era of great conflict. For example, the nascent civil rights movement and the crusade against communism at home and abroad exposed the underlying divisions in American society.During the 1950s, it was easy to see what Churchill meant. The United States was the world's strongest military power. Its economy was booming, and the fruits of this prosperity-new cars, suburban houses and other consumer goods-were available to more people than ever before. However, the 1950s were also an era of great conflict. For example, the nascent civil rights movement and the crusade against communism at home and abroad exposed the underlying divisions in American society.
Baby Boom
Highest birthrates ever with veterans returning from the war; population 150 million by 1950 and over 200 million 20 years later. Most of the "boom" occurred in the sun belt - California, Arizona, and Florida - resulted in higher demand of consumer products = consumer culture
William J. Levitt
built new communities in the suburbs after WWII, using mass-production techniques
Suburbanization
There were several causes of suburbanization in the 1950s. One of them was the availability of land in the suburbs. The land was less expensive to buy in suburban areas than in urban areas. ... People believed suburbs were safer areas than the cities were.
The Other America
The Other America: Poverty in the United States in 1962. Read by President Kennedy and many others, this highly influential book argued that despite America's apparent postwar prosperity, tens of millions of Americans were stuck in desperate poverty.
Civil Rights Movement
The civil rights movement was a struggle for social justice that took place mainly during the 1950s and 1960s for blacks to gain equal rights under the law in the United States. The Civil War had officially abolished slavery, but it didn't end discrimination against blacks�they continued to endure the devastating effects of racism, especially in the South. By the mid-20th century, African Americans had had more than enough of prejudice and violence against them. They, along with many whites, mobilized and began an unprecedented fight for equality that spanned two decades.
Jim Crow Laws
n 1868, the 14th Amendment to the Constitution gave blacks equal protection under the law. In 1870, the 15th Amendment granted blacks the right to vote. Still, many whites, especially those in the South, were unhappy that people they'd once enslaved were now on a more-or-less equal playing field.
To marginalize blacks, keep them separate from whites and erase the progress they'd made during Reconstruction, "Jim Crow" laws were established in the South beginning in the late 19th century. Blacks couldn't use the same public facilities as whites, live in many of the same towns or go to the same schools. Interracial marriage was illegal, and most blacks couldn't vote because they were unable to pass voter literacy tests. segregation - Jim Crow Laws in the South
lack of political rights - no representation - not being able to vote
day-to-day humiliation - not accepted as equals in society - often looked upon as inferior and treated as such
KKK - racially motivated crimes and lynchings
ideology of Cold War - standing up for freedom
Redlining
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Disenfranchisement
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NAACP
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Plessy v. Ferguson
It upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation laws for public facilities as long as the segregated facilities were equal in quality - a doctrine that came to be known as "separate but equal
Brown v. Board of Education
Resulting from the efforts of the NAACP and particularly Thurggod Marshall to overturn the "separate but equal" ruling. The case declared Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) unconstitutional and ordered desegregation of schools - separation implied inferiority; ruling met with Southern resistance
Emmett Till
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Montgomery bus boycotts
Rosa Parks refused to give up seat on bus to a white man; Local black community organized a bus boycott led by MLK; lasted for 381 days; establishment of Montgomery Improvement Association MIA that took case to court; Supreme Court ruled segregation rules on buses unconstitutional
Martin Luther King
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Rosa Parks
45 year old seamstress who refused to give up seat to a white man and was subsequently arrested; her actions prompted the Montgomery Bus Boycott that resulted in desegregation of the buses
SCLC
Southern Christian Leadership Conference formed by Kind and his associates in 1957; central hub of civil rights movement
SNCC
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee formed by african american college students in 1960 - worked with SCLC to state various non violent protests (see below)
Greensboro Four
The Greensboro Four were four young black men who staged the first sit-in at Greensboro: Ezell Blair Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeil. All four were students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College.
Lunch counter sit-ins
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Freedom Rides
Freedom Riders were groups of white and African American civil rights activists who participated in Freedom Rides, bus trips through the American South in 1961 to protest segregated bus terminals. Freedom Riders tried to use "whites-only" restrooms and lunch counters at bus stations in Alabama, South Carolina and other Southern states. The groups were confronted by arresting police officers�as well as horrific violence from white protestors�along their routes, but also drew international attention to their cause.
Birmingham Campaign
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Eugene "Bull" Connor
ugene "Bull" Conner - Police Commissioner of Birmingham Alabama, most segregated city of the South; used dogs, tear gas, fire houses, and prods against protesters; MLK was arrested and wrote famous letter in jail; MLK's "Letter from Birmingham City Jail" - 1963 - Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere - Americans gave support to civil rights movement seeing violence on TV
George Wallace
Alabama governor - resistance to Civil Rights movement - positioned himself as a warrior for segregation; invited by LBJ to the white house who tried to convince him otherwise
Children's Crusade
thousands of young people who participated in a series of non-violent demonstrations known as the Children's Crusade in Birmingham, Alabama, during the first week of May 1963. For many African-American children in Birmingham, the Civil Rights Movement was already part of their lives. They had witnessed their parents involvement through mass meetings organized at churches like the 16th Street Baptist Church. While many parents and Civil Rights leaders were cautious about involving young people in the protests, it turned out that the brave actions of these children helped make lasting change in Birmingham at a key turning point in the movement.
Letter from a Birmingham Jail (Know this inside and out)
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Nonviolent direct action
Sit-ins - sat at white only counters and demanded service
Wade-ins - entering segregated pools
Kneel-ins - going to segregated churches
Freedom Rides - End segregation on interstate public buses - despite violence
led to growing sympathy and respect for civil rights movement
March on Washington
Largest civil rights demonstration in history; 200,000 people; MLK's "I Have a Dream" Speech in front of Lincoln Memorial; momentum for civil rights legislature
I Have a Dream Speech (Know this inside and out)
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Civil Rights Act of 1964
is a landmark civil rights and US labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
Freedom Summer of 1964
Campaign in Mississippi to register voters by civil rights supporters; local Klansman murdered two young men and a local black man who were part of the movement; racist southerners beat and jailed other participants
James Chaney, Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman
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Congress of Racial Equality
The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States that played a pivotal role for African Americans in the Civil Rights Movement.
Freedom Schools
Freedom Schools were temporary, alternative, and free schools for African Americans mostly in the South. They were originally part of a nationwide effort during the Civil Rights Movement to organize African Americans to achieve social, political and economic equality in the United States.
Selma
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Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday. On March 7, 1965 around 600 people crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in an attempt to begin the Selma to Montgomery march. State troopers violently attacked the peaceful demonstrators in an attempt to stop the march for voting rights
Johnson's "We Shall Overcome" speech
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Voting Rights Act of 1965
Act signed by LBJ; Act signed by LBJ; outlawed literacy test + other practices that prevented citizens from voting; African Americans finally able to elect black representativesoutlawed literacy test + other practices that prevented citizens from voting; African Americans finally able to elect black representatives
Shelby v. Holder
The Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was signed into law as a defense against discriminatory voting practices, was altered in a controversial decision in 2013. The Shelby County v. Holder decision struck down a key provision of the act, the preclearance section, calling it "unconstitutional."The Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was signed into law as a defense against discriminatory voting practices, was altered in a controversial decision in 2013. The Shelby County v. Holder decision struck down a key provision of the act, the preclearance section, calling it "unconstitutional.
De jure vs. de facto segregation
Racial segregation, especially in public schools, that happens "by fact" rather than by legal requirement. For example, often the concentration of African-Americans in certain neighborhoods produces neighborhood schools that are predominantly black, or segregated in fact ( de facto ), although not by law ( de jure ).not by law ( de jure ).
Malcolm X
Malcolm X (1925-1965) was a Black leader who, as a key spokesman for the Nation of Islam, epitomized the "Black Power" philosophy. By the early 1960s, he had grown frustrated with the nonviolent, integrated struggle for civil rights and worried that Blacks would ultimately lose control of their own movement.
Stokley Carmichael
Stokely Stokely Carmichael was a Trinidadian-American civil rights activist known for leading the SNCC and the Black Panther Party in the 1960s.Carmichael was a Trinidadian-American civil rights activist known for leading the SNCC and the Black Panther Party in the 1960s.
Black separatism
Black separatism is a separatist political movement that seeks separate economic and cultural development for those of African descent in societies, particularly in the United States.
Black Power
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John Lewis
Lewis, who as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was one of the "Big Six" leaders of groups who organized the 1963 March on Washington, played many key roles in the Civil Rights Movement and its actions to end legalized racial segregation in the United States.
The Great Society
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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.
War on Poverty
The War on Poverty is the unofficial name for legislation first introduced by United States President Lyndon B. Johnson during his State of the Union address on Wednesday, January 8, 1964. This legislation was proposed by Johnson in response to a national poverty rate of around nineteen percent
Medicare
a federal program of health insurance for persons 65 years of age and oldera federal program of health insurance for persons 65 years of age and older
Medicaid
a federal and state assistance program that pays for health care services for people who cannot afford them
Women's Movement
a federal and state assistance program that pays for health care services for people who cannot afford them
Betty Friedan
broke new ground by exploring the idea of women finding personal fulfillment outside of their traditional roles. She also helped advance the women's rights movement as one of the founders of the National Organization for Women (NOW).
National Organization of Women
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First Wave Feminism
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Second Wave Feminism
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Vietnam
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Indochina
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Domino Theory
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Ho Chi Minh
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Viet Minh
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Ngo Dinh Diem
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Gulf of Tonkin Incident
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Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
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Viet Cong
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National Liberation Front
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Guerrilla warfare
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Ho Chi Minh Trail
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Napalm
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Agent Orange
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My Lai Massacre
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