APUSH Post-WWII

Women in the 1950's

During the 50's many women joined the work force. However, the ideal women at the time was married, cooked, and cared for her family. Overall, most women were happy at the time.

Unions immediately following WWII

During the war unions accepted a no-strike pledge. However, with the war ended and prices rising, labor demanded steep wage increases. By late 1945 half a million workers went out on strike.

Whittaker Chambers

Editor at Time Magazine who accused Alger Hiss, who had served as a high ranking aid to FDR at Yalta, of having been a communist. He claimed that in 1938 hiss had given him microfilm or classified State Department documents.

Domino Theory

Eisenhower's analogy that compares the Nations of Southeast Asia to a row of dominoes: Knock one over and the rest would fall quickly. This was in references to the danger of Ho Chi Minh's communist forces in the North.

"dynamic conservatism"

Eisenhower's political philosophy which he interpreted as "conservative when in comes to money and liberal when it comes to human beings." Like many conservatives, he believed that the executive branch had grown too strong under Roosevelt and Truman. He was determined to reverse the direction taken by the New and Fair Deal. He removed Truman's moderate wage and price controls, lowered price supporters for farm products, cut the government payroll by two hundred thousand workers, and trimmed federal spending by 10 percent.

Election of 1952

Eisenhower's status as a war hero made him a popular choice to run for president. He selected thirty-nine year old Richard Nixon as his running mate. The democrats looked to Illinois governor Adlai Stevenson. Eisenhower won 55% of the popular vote to Stevenson's 44% and won overwhelmingly.

Elvis and why he was so controversial

Emerged in 1956 with his single "Heartbreak Hotel." He adapted the powerful rhythms and raw sexual energy of "race music" to create his own unique style and sound. Many parents were aghast at watching "Elvis the Pelvis" with his sensual pout and tight pants, swinging his hips while young female fans screamed in excitement.

Peace Corps

Established by executive order in 1961, this volunteer group of mostly young Americans numbered 5,000 by early 1963 and 10,000 a year later. The volunteers went into developing nations as teachers, agricultural advisers, and technicians. Part of step 2 in Kennedy's flexible response.

Federal Employee Loyalty Program

Executive Order 9835; This program allowed dismissal of any federal employee whenever "reasonable grounds exist for belief that the person involved is disloyal." Response to the Second Red Scare.

Nixon's domestic policies

FAP, New Federalism, and Revenue Sharing

J. Edgar Hoover

FBI head declared "The disloyalty of American Communists is no longer a matter of conjecture."

War on Poverty

First had roots in the Kennedy administration; an effort to stop poverty in America through programs, notably the Economic Opportunity Act.

Teach-ins

First organized at the University of Michigan in March 1965; organizers planned lectures and discussions about the war in hope of "educating" students to the dangers of American involvement in Vietnam. This quickly spread to other college campuses.

The Beatles

First premiered in America on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964; the most famous of the British Invasion bands. Initially they wore ties, jackets, and well-kempt if long haircuts, hoping to reach a mass consumer market by avoiding a clear association with the counterculture. Their music contained a message of freedom and excitement that belied their sometimes subdued lyrics. By 1967, they were celebrating their new role as cultural antagonists.

Sputnik

First space satellite to orbit earth; launched by the Soviets in October 1957; The success of this dealt a serious blow to American national pride and created a widespread and unfounded fear of a "missile gap" between the US and the Soviet Union; it also brought to the surface America's underlying anxiety about atomic power.

Ford's pardon of Nixon

Ford connected his administration to the Watergate scandal by granting Nixon "a full, free, and absolute pardon...for all his offenses against the Unites States." overnight his approval rating went from 71 to 50.

Daniel Ellsberg

Former Pentagon official who leaked the "Pentagon Papers", revealing that Kennedy and Johnson had misled the public about their intentions in Vietnam.

Eisenhower

Former war hero who ran for president in 1952; He endeared himself to the public, gaining trust and an overwhelming victory in the election.

Students for a Democratic Society

Founded by students at the University of Michigan, setting forth its ideology in "The Port Huron Statement", a founding text of the "New Left." They suggested the crisis of modern life was primarily moral.

American Indian Movement

Founded by young, angry Native Americans. The members orchestrated the seizure of the headquarters of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in DC and held it for a week. Later, when local whites who had murdered Sioux were lightly punished, two hundred members occupied the town of Wounded Knee. The demanded that the government honor hundreds of broken treaties and called for major changes in reservation government.

The National Review

Founded in 1955; The conservative monthly magazines who's circulation tripled to ninety thousand between 1960 and 64. This led many to predict that conservatives would assume positions of power in America in the upcoming years.

French Indochina

French territory in Southeast Asia. They faced military threats from the nationalist movement in northern Vietnam, led by Ho Chi Minh. Finally surrendered to Ho Chi Minh in May 1954 after Americans rejected to offer support for the weak French forces.

Who fought in Vietnam?

From 1964 to 1973, 2.2 million men were drafted, 8.7 million enlisted, and 16 million did not serve. the average age of American soldiers was 19. The majority of these young men came from either poor or working class backgrounds.

John Kenneth Galbraith/The Affluent Society

Harvard economist who, along with other liberals, joined in the celebration of American consensus.

House Committee on Un-American Activities

In 1947, this committee opened a series of investigations into the Hollywood entertainment industry. They declared that "Large number of moving pictures that come out of Hollywood carry the Communist line." A small group of screenwriters, the "Hollywood Ten'' served prison terms for refusing to answer questions about their ties to the Communist Party.

Merger of AFL-CIO

In 1955 the two most powerful labor organizations merged into one great federation. The two were headed by George Meany and Walter Reuther.

Jonas Salk

In 1955, this doctor developed the first effective vaccine against polio, and by 1960, vaccines had practically eliminated the disease in the US.

The 1967 Six Day War

In 1967, Arab nations, which had never conceded Israel's right to exist, prepared to invade their neighbor. In six days of fighting the Israeli army captured the Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria.

EPA

In 1971, Congress created this cabinet level position to focus government efforts to protect the environment.

Bakke v. University of California

In 1978, Allan Bakke, a white man, sued the University of California Med School at Davis, claiming that the University had rejected him in favor of less-qualified minority candidates. In the Supreme Court case, the court ruled that the university's absolute quota for minorities was illegal, but it also agreed that schools could consider race as a "plus factor" in admissions so as to foster "diversity" in the classes.

Carter and the oil crisis

In response to OPEC raising prices, Carter cut back public spending and appointed leading conservative Paul Volcker to head the Federal Reserve Board.

Age of consensus

In the 60's, America had entered into an age of consensus; American's were in a battle against Communism and agreed on economic growth and security....(***)

General MacArthur

In the Korean war, he turned the war around with a daring amphibious invasion behind enemy lines at Inchon, near Seoul. At the same time, forces counterattacked in Pusan. The dual tactic was a turning point in the war, which ended with neither side making any significant gains in territory.

Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education

In this unanimous case, the court ordered a quick end to segregation, ruling that cities could be required to bus students if necessary to achieve integration. With the Supreme Court firmly behind busing as a remedy for school segregation, lower courts across the US followed suit, ordering busing plans in numerous cities.

Election of 1948

Included candidates from 4 parties; Truman (Democrat), Dewey (republican), Thurmond (Dixiecrat), and Wallace (Progressive); Truman tied himself to FDR and was able to pull off an unexpected victory, with 303 electoral votes to Dewey's 189. His victory was much in part to the public's want to continue the FDR years.

Communist takeover in China (Mao Zedong, Chiang Kai-shek)

Initially, Truman sent aid to Jiang Jieshi, however, after realizing there was little the US could do to salvage the non-communist government, he stopped all aid in 1949; shortly after, Jiang's forces collapsed, sending the Nationalist leader scurrying to the offshore island of Taiwan, where they set up an independent Republic of China. Many thought the Democrats gave up and let the Communists win.

ICBM

Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles; the US had 63 of them by 1961 and 424 by 1963; The increase in arms was part of the defense strategy called "flexible response".

Mossadegh and Iran

Iran was heavily disputed because of its plethora of oil; In an effort to westernize, the Americans appointed Reza Shah who was later replaced by Ayatollah Khomeini, a radical leftist who was supported by the Soviets.

JFK Assassination

JFK was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. Many conspirators believe that the assassination was done by more than one person, although the ruling was never overturned despite convincing evidence of a second shooter. Johnson appointed Chief Justice Warren to chair an investigation; they ruled that Oswald acted alone.

Robert F. Kennedy

JFK's younger brother who he appointed attorney general; People thought his choice lacked legal experience, but Kennedy trusted his shrewd political instincts, clear judgment, and firm support.

Arbenz and Guatemala

Jacobo Arbenz sought to nationalize land owned by United Fruit Company (roughly 90% of the country) and distribute it to land; sine it appeared to be very much like communism, the CIA led a coup, which removed Arbenz from power

Election of 1976

Jimmy Carter, a one term Georgia governor, emerged from a crowded pack of contenders by convincing voters that only he, an outsider, could clean up the mess in Washington. Carter selected Walter Mondale as his running mate. Ford campaigned from the white house. Ford could not overcome the legacy of Watergate, and lost 297 to 250 in the electoral college.

Johnson's policies toward Vietnam

Johnson dreaded getting mired in a protracted ground war in Southeast Asia. he feared that a wider war would distract attention from his Great Society programs and provide critics with ammunition to scale back domestic spending. At the same time, he vowed not to be the president who "lost Vietnam." He accepted the major outlines of the containment policy: the US had to maintain a strong presence in the world to thwart Soviet adventurism. He approved the recommendation of his military advisers calling for an incremental escalation in Vietnam.

Election of 1964

Johnson ran with Hubert Humphrey as his running mate. The Republicans nominated Arizona senator Barry Goldwater, an outspoken critic of liberal reform who hoped to rally millions of conservative voters in the South and West with his calls for smaller government and aggressive anticommunism. Johnson coined the phrase "Great Society" to show his hope of building one in which men are more concerned with the quality of their goals than the quantity of their goods. Similar to the New Deal. Johnson won with the 61.1% of the popular vote. It was never close.

Kennedy's handling of Diem

Kennedy initially tried taking a hard line with Diem, insisting that American aid was contingent on his willingness to reform his corrupt government and seek accommodation with dissident groups in South Vietnam. Diem ignored the pressure. Over the next 3 years Kennedy increased both economic aid and the number of American military advisers.

NASA

Kennedy prodded Congress to double the budget of this, and approved a plan to put an American on the moon by 1970.

Bay of Pigs

Kennedy wanted to assert himself on the world stage as being very anti-communist. To do so, he supported a plan that was initially created under Eisenhower to invade Cuba with anti-Castro refugees. The invasion took place on April 17, 1961 and was a total disaster. Castro's army anticipated the attack and lay wait for the sixteen hundred American-trained Cuban exiles who landed at the Bay of Pigs. Three days later the invaders surrendered.

Shuttle diplomacy

Kissinger's policy for two years during the Yom Kippur War; involved traveling between capitals in the Middle East to promote peace. He met with limited success. He made progress with Egypt, but the other Arab states imposed an oil embargo on the US, Europe, and japan.

Leonid Brezhnev

Leader of the Soviet union who presided over a struggling economy in desperate need of Western goods and capital. He worried about the growing military power of China. Signed multiple agreements with Nixon

Fidel Castro

Led a successful insurrection against the American supported dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in Cuba in 1959; When the US threatened to cut off American aid to Cuba, he declared his support for communism and confiscated about 1 billion dollars in US property. In 1960 he signed a trade agreement with the Soviet Union.

William Calley

Led his platoon on the tiny village of My Lai, where they burned the innocent city and over 450 of its people.

William Levitt/Levittown

Made the suburban dream a reality for millions of Americans; this builder bought four thousand acres of potato fields in Long Island and used mass production methods to produce affordable suburban homes for young families. Every house was identical and affordable.

Betty Friedan/The Feminine Mystique

Many date the beginning of the Women's liberation movement to the publication of this book. Friedan described the painful contradictions that she and many other educated women experienced.

Suburbanization

Many urban Americans looked to the suburbs to provide the additional space needed for their growing families. Farmland was plowed to make way for new communities. These "cookie-cutter" communities idealized neighborhood life, which appealed to many young families seeking a good place to grow a family.

Rachel Carson/Silent Spring

Marked the birth of the modern environment movement; this documented evidence that the widely used insecticide DDT was killing birds, fish, and other animals that ate insects. It also posed significant health risks to humans.

George Kennan/containment

Moscow Diplomat to the US who secretary of state Marshall turned to for advice towards the Russians. Coined the term "containment" to push for a policy of preventing the spread of communism abroad.

Equal Rights Amendment

NOW called for this to the constitution, which they believed would help them win other benefits: equal employment, maternity leave, child care, and the right to choose abortion.

Ho Chi Minh

Nationalist movement leader in Northern Vietnam. Led the communist takeover of French Indochina.

Escalation

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Gloria Steinem

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Radio Free Europe

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Tom Hayden

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Viet Minh

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Le Duc Tho

A North Vietnamese counterpart to Kissinger who held private meetings in Paris with Kissinger. Tho insisted that South Vietnam's president Nguyen Van Thieu be removed from power and the North Vietnamese troops be allowed to remain in the South.

Phyllis Schlafly

A conservative activist who campaigned tirelessly against the ERA. Tapping into traditional views of womanhood, she complained that feminists had abandoned their God-given roles of wife and mother, in favor of a radical political agenda that was "anti family, anti-children, and pro-abortion."

Milton Friedman

A conservative who claimed that prices could be lowered by reducing the quantity of money in the economy. If there were less money and it were more expensive to borrow, he reasoned, economic activity would ease and prices would stabilize. Staglfation

JFK and flexible response

A defense strategy created by the Kennedy administration; It expanded the options for fighting the communist threat with three components; First, it called for a dramatic increase in America's strategic and tactical nuclear capability; Second, it increased economic assistance in troubled parts of the Third World; Lastly, to deter aggression, the Pentagon and the CIA increased the training of paramilitary forces.

Roe v. Wade

A divided court ruled that women had the right to choose abortion in the early stages of pregnancy.

VISTA

A domestic version of the Peace Corps; during the war on poverty, it provided volunteers with the opportunity to work in poor urban areas and depressed rural communities. Part of the Economic Opportunity Act

Detente

A focus on peaceful economic competition rather than the costly pursuit of weapons superiority. Nixon and Kissinger hoped this plan would lessen the threat of Nuclear war, encourage the Soviets to pressure the NV into a peace settlement, and diminish the possibility of another war like Vietnam beginning elsewhere in the Third World.

NATO

A mutual defense pact that bound twelve signatories to fight against aggression. It's approval by the Senate signals the shift in American thinking from isolationism to internationalism. It committed the US to the defense of Europe.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

A network of trails and roads on which supplies flowed south; This was improved and extended by North Vietnam to add to the political instability in the South.

Medicaid

A program that was part of the Great Society that would pay the medical expenses of the poor, regardless of age.

Dien Bien Phu

A remote jungle fortress where the French troops where surrounded by Vietnamese and Communist Chinese forces in 1954; The US debated its course of action, and eventually decided against supporting the French, leading to a French surrender.

Gulf of Tonkin incident

A reported attack from US destroyers C. Turner Joy and Maddox that they were under attack by North Vietnamese torpedo boats. Neither saw any enemy vessels and afterword crew members speculated that poor weather conditions may have contributed to the confusion. This incident gave Johnson the opportunity he need to establish congressional support for his actions in Vietnam.

Operation Rolling Thunder

A response to an failed bombing attempt by Johnson; this was the sustained bombing of North Vietnam that would last until 1968; At first, Johnson had tight control of the bombing, however he loosened his control by spring, allowed the use of napalm, and allowed pilots to drop their deadly cargo's without prior approval.

SALT II

A second round of arms limitations at a time when many Americans were questioning its benefits. After the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, Carter moved away from the detente, forbidding US athletes from participating in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, but an end to these negotiations, and ordered an embargo on US grain exports from the Soviet Union.

First televised debates

A series of four televised debates in the 1960 campaign between September 29 and October 24. Kennedy used the debates to demolish the Republic charge that he was inexperienced and badly informed. He was more appealing on television than Nixon, who perspired profusely, look nervous and uncomfortable. A deciding factor in Kennedy's victory.

Realpolitik

A shared pessimistic view of both Nixon and Kissinger, regarding the behavior of nations. Power, they believed, not ideals or moral suasion, counted in international affairs.

Hollywood Ten

A small group of screenwriters, who served prison terms for refusing to answer questions about their ties to the Communist Party.

My Lai

A small village that was burned to the ground by American troops led by William L. calley; the village had almost no men of military age and not a single shot was fired at American's, who slaughtered more than 450 people.

Michael Harrington/The Other America

A social activist who challenged Kennedy's belief that economic growth alone would solve the problems of poverty. Instead, he argued through a popular book that poverty resulted from long-term structural problems, such as unemployment and low wages, which only the federal government could address.

Counterculture

A social movement that rejected the tenets of modern industrial society: materialism, self denial, sexual repression, individualism, and the work ethic. It also promoted long hair in men, Eastern symbols, and clothes purchased from the Salvation Army. Was defined through musicians such as Bob Dylan.

Kent State Massacre

A source of outrage; 4 students at a university were shot and killed, and others injured, while protesting the Cambodian Invasion.

Revenue Sharing

A system employed by Nixon in the State and Local Fiscal Assistance Act that distributed 30 billion in federal money to the states.

Alfred Kinsey

A zoologist who decided to turn his attention to human sexuality. His studies concluded that premarital sex was common and that married couples frequently engaged in extramarital affairs. His finding shocked people.

The impoverished in the 1950's

About 40 million Americans (25 percent) were poor in 1960. The majority of these people received little help from the meager welfare system. Poverty in the 50's moved from the rural farms to the inner city.

Impact of the Voting Rights Act of 1965

African-American's began voting in unprecendented numbers and dramatically increased their representation in Congress and in state houses and town halls across the nation. The most impressive gains took place on the local level. In 1964 only 70 elected black officials served at all levels of government; by 1980 there were 4,600 including more than 170 mayors. In 2008, an African American was elected President of the United States of America.

Suez Canal Crisis

After Egypt increased trade with the Soviet's and recognized China, the US cancelled its financing to build the Aswan Dam across the Nile. In response, Egyptian leader Nasser seized control of the Suez Canal, a vital waterway between the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Suez, and used the revenue to complete the Aswan project. Two years later, Britain and France seized control of the northern third of the canal in a military expedition.

White Flight

After Milliken v. Bradley, in which the court prohibited the forced transfer of students between city and suburban schools, the decision accelerated movement of white families to the suburbs, leaving urban schools more segregated than they had been before busing

April 4, 1968/King's Assassination/James Earl Ray

After a speech to strikers in Memphis, King was shot and died shortly after. James Early Ray, a white ex-convict, was responsible for the murder. This caused mass racial violence.

Richard Nixon and the Checkers Speech

After reports that Nixon had recieved an 18,000 dollar private "slush fund" to pay for personal campaign expenses, he went on television to assure that the money was for family needs, not personal ambitions. he told a story of one special gift he had received--a "little cocker spaniel dog," which his daughter Tricia had named Checkers.

Second Red Scare

After reports that Soviets had gained access to secret documents, the public entered another Red Scare.

baby boom

After the War, many couples rushed to get married and have babies. As a result, America experienced a huge growth in birth rates. Also causes of the boom were an improvement in medicine, and changing cultural attitudes encouraged couples to have children.

Iranian Revolution/Iran Hostage Crisis

After the overthrow of the shah of Iran, Muslim fundamentalists loyal to religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini had gained control of the country, Carter agreed to let the deposed shah come to the US for cancer treatment, and many Iranians took the act as a direct insult. In response, Iranian nationalists seized fifty-three American soldiers and diplomats and held them hostage in Tehran. The hostages were kept in captivity for over a year before they were released.

June 4, 1968/RFK Assassination/Sirhan Sirhan

After winning the critical California primary, RFK was shot by Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian who opposed the senator's pro-Israel position. 25 hours later, he died, dimming Democrats' hopes of uniting their disparate coalition of blacks and whites, hawks and doves, young and old.

SALT I

Agreement with the Soviets on the terms of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, an unprecedented breakthrough in Soviet-American relations. Thereafter, the aim of American nuclear doctrine shifted from achieving superiority to maintaining sufficiency. The agreement limited the building of anti ballistic missile systems and froze for five years the number of strategic offensive weapons in both arsenals, including ICMB's and submarine-launched missiles. For the first time, improvements in spy satellites made it possible to monitor an arms limitation.

Allende and Chile

Allende, a Marxist, won election as president of Chile. Nixon ordered the CIA to support his opponents. The president cut off economic aid and prevented private banks from granting loans to Chilean concerns. Chilean military leaders staged a successful coup and killed Allende in September of 73.

Taft-Hartley

Also known as the Labor-Management Relations Act of 1947; The measure outlawed the closed shop, which had required that all hiring be don through a union hall; permitted states to pass so-called right to work laws allowing nonunion members to work in unionized plants; empowered authorities to issue federal injunctions against strikes that jeopardized public health or safety; and gave the president power to stave off strikes by imposing "cooling-off" periods of up to eight days.

George Wallace

American Independence Party candidate. his anti-establishment populism appealed to many northern Democrats angry over the party's association with protest and integration. He moved up in the pols by catering to the resentments of his followers.

Cambodian Invasion

American military officials believed the NVA was using Cambodia for attacks on the South. Nixon ordered American ground troops into neutral Cambodia, claiming that an American defeat in Vietnam would unleash the forces of totalitarianism around the globe. He said the invasion was a guarantee of American credibility. On the whole it was a failure because the NVA survived.

Fulgencio Batista

American supported dictator of Cuba who was overthrown by Fidel Castro in 1959.

"silent majority"

Americans who were growing increasingly hostile to protesters and reformers whose challenges often violated deeply held attitudes about patriotism and traditional values. Nixon appealed to them to build support for his policies.

Cuban Revolution

An armed revolt led by Fidel Castro against the American-supported President Batista; This led to another Communist state which had a trade agreement with the Soviet's.

Hubert Humphrey

Announced that he would run in Johnson's place after he stated he would not seek reelection. During the campaign, he announced that he would stop the bombing of North Vietnam as an acceptable risk for peace.

Paul Volcker and the tight money policy

Appointed by Carter to head the Federal Reserve Board. Determined to wring inflation out of the economy, instituted a severe tight money policy; in 1980 his policy had devastating effect: unemployment shot up to more than 7.5 percent, but inflation remained above 12 percent, and interest rates topped out at the incredible figure of 20%.

Clement Haynsworth

Appointed to the Supreme Court by Nixon; His opposition to desegregation angered Senate liberals and worried many moderate Republicans. For the first time since the administration of Hoover, the Senate rejected a Supreme Court nominee.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

Arrested by the FBI for conspiring with Klaus Fuchs to pass secrets to the Russians. They denied allegations, insisting they were the victims of anticommunist hysteria and anti-Antisemitism. A jury pronounced them guilty of espionage and sentenced them to death. They were executed two years later.

Fair Deal

As part of Truman's domestic policy, he ordered Congress to expand many New Deal programs, while launching new initiatives in civil rights, national health insurance, and federal aid to education. Of its success included the raising of the minimum wage. However, Congress did little to help Truman move beyond the New Deal.

17th parallel

As part of the Geneva Accords, this line of longitude divided the North and South temporarily until free elections were to be held in 1956.

Warren Commussion

Assigned by LBJ to conduct an investigation looking into the assassination of JFK. They concluded that Oswald had acted alone. Despite this, most American's continued to believe there was a second shooter.

Democratic National Convention-Chicago 1968-Richard Daley

At the Democratic Convention, Daley turned the city into a fortress. He surrounded the convention hall with barbed wire, mobilized 12,000 police, and placed 7,500 national guardsman on alert. The convention debated the Vietnam platform plank. At the end, the majority pro-administration plank won in a close vote. Overall, havoc broke out and the majority of Americans supported the measures taken by Daley and his police.

Jack Kerouac

Author who coined the term "Beat" to express the "weariness with all the forms of the modern industrial state." Wrote the bestselling novel "On the Road".

Operation Menu

Authorized by Nixon in his first month of office--the secret bombing of North Vietnamese bases and supply routes in Cambodia. Over the next 15 months, American bombers served up a deadly diet of explosives. They failed to intimidate the North Vietnamese.

Office of Economic Opportunity (Sargent Shriver)

Authorized by the Economic Opportunity Act; this coordinated the antipoverty battle. It was administered by a Kennedy brother in law and Peace Corps director Sargent Shriver.

Impact of automobile industry

Automobiles narrowed he physical gap between rural and urban communities. By the end of the 50's, the automobile was directly or indirectly responsible for one-sixth of the Gross National Product and millions of jobs. It also accelerated the move to the suburbs, contributed to he decay of public transportation, and produced higher levels of air pollution. Also a massive population shift from the Northeast to the South and West and a boost in the travel industry and entertainment such as Disneyland.

Nikita Khrushchev

Became Soviet premier and secretary of the Communist Party in March 1958; He planned to ease Cold War tensions so that his country could spend less money on the military and more on consumer goods. He also hoped that lowering the heat of the Cold War would weaken ties between the US and its Western allies.

New Left/New Right

Began with the emergence of youth groups such as SDS, which suggested the crisis of modern life was moral. Like New Left, the New Right attacked the moral relativism that blurred the distinction between right and wrong. Unlike SDS, however, the new conservatives called for an aggressive foreign policy, dramatic increases in military spending, and an end to most social welfare programs.

Stonewall Inn Riots

Birth of the modern gay rights movement; june 1969; A group of Manhattan police officers raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the heart of Greenwich Village. These were routine affairs, but not this time. It ignited a nationwide grass-roots movement among gay men and women.

Hawks and doves

Branches of the Democratic Party who polled in favor of McCarthy in NH primary of 1968; both opposed LBJ's Vietnam policy.

Berlin Wall

Built by the Soviets under Khrushchev; a wall that separated East and West Berlin; it was built in response to Kennedy's increase in draft calls, extending enlistments, and mobilizing some National Guard Units.

April 1975

By this day, North Vietnamese troops had captured the Southern capital of Saigon, and America had already turned its attention away from the nation's longest war.

General William Westmoreland

Chosen by LBJ to lead combat troops in Vietnam; a veteran of WWII and former superintendent of West Point. He planned to limit ground action to search-and-destroy missions launched from fortified bases in the countryside. He would depend on firepower from ground artillery, helicopter gunships, fighter aircrafts, and B-52 bombers.

Religious revival in the 1950's

Church membership skyrocketed from 64 million in 1940 to 114 million in 1960. Sales of bibles reached an all time high. In 1954 Congress added the phrase "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance. Television transformed religious preachers into celebrities. most famous evangelist of the 50's as Billy Graham, who used the mass media to reach millions of people.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Congress ratified this, which authorized the president to take "all necessary measures to repel any armed attacks against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression." It provided the legislation foundation for the Vietnam War.

National Liberation Front (NLF)

Created by Ho Chi Minh in the South to fight a guerrilla war against the Diem government. Also known as the Vietcong

Congressional Budget Office

Created in the Budget and Impoundment Control Act; produces an independent analysis of the president's budget each year.

King's criticism of the war

Criticized the government for sending young black men "to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia which they had not found in Southwest Georgia and East Harlem."

Nixon's use of the IRS/FBI to silence critics

Nixon instructed the IRS to audit tax returns of critics, authorized the FBI to wiretap phones and infiltrate leftist groups, and told the Small Business Admin. to deny loans to prominent antiwar or civil rights activists, all of which was illegal.

Nixon's trip to China

Nixon made a historic trip to China in February 1972, becoming the first sitting president to visit the nation and reversing more than twenty years of Sino-American hostility. It resulted in increased contacts.

New Federalism

Nixon proposed limiting the size of the federal government and providing local communities with greater power. his plan was designed to "start resources and power flowing back from Washington to the people."

"peace with honor"

Nixon reported that the US had achieve this. In fact, it had achieved neither of these promises.

Family Assistance Plan

Nixon's most novel and surprising proposal, which provided a guaranteed minimum income of 1,600 to every US family. Although the proposal died in the Senate, it revealed Nixon's capacity for domestic innovation.

Vietnamization

Nixon's plan of gradual withdraw of troops from Vietnam and have the South Vietnamese take on a bigger role in fighting the war.

Henry Kissinger

Nixon's secretary of state who he relied on for developing his strategy for dealing with Vietnam. He was born in Germany; both possessed a desire for power and a penchant for secrecy and intrigue. Together, they concentrated decision making in the White house and excluded even close aides from sensitive diplomatic initiatives.

George McGovern

Nominated Democratic party candidate for 1972 election. An outspoken liberal critic of the Vietnam War who sought to win election by directly challenging Nixon's interpretation of American politics and culture. Among his calls were a call for the immediate withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam, amnesty for those who had fled the draft, busing to achieve integration in the schools, and the abolition of capital punishment.

Cuban Missile Crisis

October 14, 1962, a U-2 spy plane caught images of offensive nuclear missile sites in Cuba; Kennedy decided to impose a naval quarantine of the island. A blockade would provide the time for each side to contemplate the costs of its actions and possibly provide the Russians with a graceful way to back out of the crisis. In the end, the two made an agreement in which the Us promised not to invade Cuba if the missiles were quickly withdrawn and if a number of Russian medium range bombers were returned from Cuba to the USSR. Privately, Kennedy also agreed that American missiles in Turkey would be removed.

Yom Kippur War

October 6, 1973, Syria and Egypt attacked Israel after Syria and Egypt refused to negotiate settlements with Israel. At first the US remained aloof. The administration was looking to take a neutral stance. After the creation of OPEC, America decided to offer its services to both sides as a broker if the war ended in a stalemate.

Tet Offensive

On January 31, 1968, communist troops launched an offensive during the lunar New Year. The Vietcong invaded the US Embassy compound in Saigon and waged bloody battles in the capitals of most of South Vietnam's provinces. From a military perspective, it was a failure for the North Vietnamese. They suffered heavy casualties and failed to gain new ground ir incite a popular rebellion against the US. This also dealt LBJ's credibility a blow.

Truman Doctrine

On March 12, 1947, Truman made his case on foreign policy by saying, "I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures." The future of the free world was in America's hands. This was a turning point in American Foreign policy. Now, Truman prepared the American people for their responsibility as a world power.

Hungarian Revolution

On October 29, 1956, 200,000 Soviet soldiers and hundreds of tanks swept into Hungary to repress a popular uprising demanding democratic reforms. The Soviet's killed 40,000 Hungarian freedom fighters and forced 150,000 refugees to flee the country. Eisenhower did not do anything due to Hungary's proximity to the Soviet Union.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

Part of Johnson's Great Society; Its heart was Title I, which provided more than a billion dollars for textbooks, library materials, and special education programs for poor children.

Alliance for Progress (La Allianza)

Part of Kennedy's second step in his flexible response; This called for a missive developmental program in Latin America, most notably the Peace Corps.

Head start

Part of the Economic Opportunity Act which provided a head start for preschoolers and the Job Corps for inner-city youth.

Medicare

Part of the Great Society legislation; provides medical assistance to those on social security.

Communist Control Act of 1954

Passed by Congress in 1954, this law prohibited communists from running for public office.

Water Quality Improvement Act and National Air Quality Standards Act

Passed by Congress in 1971, strengtheningcontrols against water and air pollution.

Title IX of the Higher Education Act

Passed by Congress in 1972, which banned discrimination "on the basis of sex" in "any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance." Set the stage for an explosion in women's athletics later in the decade.

War Powers Act of 1973

Passed in 1973 over Nixon's veto. The act required a president to "consult with Congress" within forty-eight hours of committing American troops abroad and ordered him to withdraw them within sixty days unless Congress approved the mission.

National Defense Education Act

Passed in response to Soviet superiority in the space-age rockets; The legislation provided loan funds for college students and fellowship for advanced study, and it promised more resources to strengthen the instruction in mathematics, the sciences, and foreign languages at elementary and secondary school levels.

Gideon v. Wainwright

Perhaps the Warren Court's most controversial decision; The court ruled that a pauper accused in state courts of a felony must be provided an attorney at public expense.

Great Society

Plan announced by Johnson in the spring of 1964; the main idea was a belief that economic growth provided all Americans with the historic opportunity to forge a new national consensus; many observed it as a second New Deal. It was launched after his election victory. At the front of the agenda was medical assistance to people on social security and medical insurance for the elderly and education funding for the young.

State and Local Fiscal Assistance Act

Pushed through Congress by Nixon in 1972; a revenue-sharing plan that distributed 30 billion in federal money to the states.

Joseph McCarthy/McCarthyism

Radical anti-communist who gained national attention for his hundreds of accusations of communist supporters. By the fall of 1950, he was the most feared man in American politics. He accused targets of "protecting communism for political reasons." His charges tapped into a deep populist impulse in the American character. Overall, the movement was a product of partisan politics at midcentury, in which Republicans used him to gain attention and authority.

Barry Goldwater

Ran against Johnson in the 1964 election; an outspoken critic of liberal reform who hoped to rally millions of conservative voters in the South and West with his calls for smaller government and aggressive anticommunism.

John F. Kennedy

Ran for president in 1960 as a Democrat; A catholic who was a war hero; Prior to his presidency he was a Congressman and Senator from Massachusetts. he attracted considerable media attention through the book "Profiles in Courage"

Secretary of Defesne Robert McNamara

Recommended sending 100,000 combat troops to Vietnam, more than doubling the number already there; Johnson responded by sending 50,000 initially, and promised another 50,000 before the end of the year.

Thomas Dewey

Republican Party nominate in the 1948 election. He had run a strong race against Roosevelt in 1944 and seemed certain to beat Truman. They picked Earl Warren as his running mate.

Richard Nixon

Republican nominee in 1968 election. He had emerged as a centrist who could appeal to both the liberal and conservative wings of the Republican party. He appealed to the "forgotten Americans," those whose values of patriotism and stability had been violated by student protesters, urban riots, and arrogant intellectuals. He limited his public appearances to televised question-and-answer sessions before audiences of partisan Republicans. Won by a thin popular vote but significant electoral vote.

Election of 1960

Republicans were forced by the 22nd amendment to nominate Nixon. He drafted Henry Cabot Lodge to be his running mate. The Democrats turned to the youthful and attractive Kennedy; Kennedy was a 42 year old senator and was the first Catholic to contend for the presidency since Al Smith in 1928; He was a war hero who was swept into politics by his father. The turning point was a series of four televised debates, the first in history. They have Kennedy the edge; Kennedy took 303 electoral votes to Nixon's 219.

Berlin Blockade/Berlin Airlift

Russian reaction to the Western Powers financial reforms in Germany; A tight blockade around West Berlin, which lay 110 miles within the Soviet occupation zone. It blocked all surface transportation into West Berlin, depriving some 2.5 million people of food and fuel. In response, Truman ordered an airlift that would last for the next 324 days, in which planes dropped 2.5 million tons of provisions to sustain the 10,000 troops and 2 million civilians in West Berlin. He threatened to use "the bomb" if the Russians shot down the planes.

George Marshall/Marshall Plan

Secretary of State under Truman; proposed a plan of economic assistance to Europe. His program was directed at solving hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos. The plan was approved on April 2, 1948; It was a dramatic success.

Senator Eugene McCarthy

Senator from Minnesota who challenged LBJ for the 1968 nomination by gaining a stunning 42% of votes in the New Hampshire Primary, transforming him from a hopeless underdog into a serious challenger and demonstrating Johnson's vulnerability.

SEATO

Set up by John Foster Dulles in 1954 in an effort to stem Soviet and Chinese influence in the area; an anticommunist military alliance. It pledged the US to defend Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Pakistan, and the Philippines against communist aggression.

Election of 1968

Shockingly, LBJ did not seek reelection, leaving Humphrey in his place. Kennedy and McCarthy battled in the Democratic primaries. Humphrey ran for the Democrats, Wallace for the Independents, and Nixon for the Republicans. Nixon won with 301 electoral votes; Humphrey received 191, and Wallace 46.

Paris Peace Accords

Signed on January 27, 1973, officially ending US involvement in the Vietnam War. The Treaty required the US to remove its remaining 23,700 troops and the North Vietnamese to return all American prisoners of war. The accords also called for "free and democratic general elections" to choose a government for a unified Vietnam. US and SV agreed that NV troops could remain in the South.

Geneva Accords

Singed by the French government, temporarily dividing Indochina at the seventeenth parallel until the holding of free democratic elections in 1956.

causes of the Cold War

Some scholars place the most of the blame on the Soviet Union, charging that its aggressive foreign policy was the logical outgrowth of an ideological commitment to world revolution. Others contend that Russian aggression reflected a legitimate fear of American economic imperialism. Recently, historians have concluded that both nations share responsibility, though not evenly. Also, American development of the Atomic bomb without sharing with Stalin. Overall, their visions clashed with one another.

George McGovern

South Dakota's Democratic senator who censured his colleagues for their part in the war: "This chamber reeks of blood."

Army of the Republic of Vietnam

South Vietnam's military which reached epidemic levels, exceeding six thousand a month in 1964.

Viet Cong

South Vietnamese troops who used guerrilla tactics to avoid fixed positions and striking from ambush.

Warsaw Pact

Soviet response to NATO; an intensified domination of Eastern Europe. They poured massive aid into Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria to accelerate industrialization and Soviet control.

Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

Soviets invaded Afghanistan, angering the Americans. Outraged, Carter boycotted the Moscow Games and ended SALT II negotiations and ordered an embargo on grain exports from the Soviet Union.

milliken v. Bradley

Supreme Court case in which the court prohibited the forced transfer of students between city and suburban schools. In many urban areas, the decision accelerated "white flight" to the suburbs, leaving urban schools more segregated than they had been before busing.

Impact of television

Television transformed American social habits. Studies showed that the average household watches five hours of television a day. Television provided a valuable shared experience for Americans. Television also changed marketing as we know it. It also improved sports culture.

Growth of Corporations

The 50's witnessed an acceleration of the trend toward concentration of power in the hands of fewer corporations. The government contributed to the growth of big business by awarding military contracts to a handful of large corporations.

Election of 1972

The Democratic Party nominated Senator Goerge McGovern, an outspoken liberal critic of the Vietnam War who sought to win election by directly challenging Nixon's interpretation of American politics and culture. Nixon won a resounding victory, taking 521 electoral votes!

The Pentagon Papers

The New York Times began publishing a secret Defense Department study of American decision making in Vietnam before 1967; Lead to the press by Daniel Ellsberg, the report showed that Kennedy and Johnson had consistently misled the public about their intentions in Vietnam.

consumerism

The baby boom created enormous demand for new consumer goods that propelled the economy forward as Americans experimented with new ways of living and spending. A new market emerged for food, clothing, and shelter. Many people used credit cards to pay for merchandise and as a result total debts in the US increased dramatically.

"The table incident"

The fact that the only thing the for a year either side on the debate of South Vietnamese president Nguyen Van Thieu could agree on was the shape of the negotiating table.

Hydrogen Bomb

The first of these bombs was exploded by the US in November 1952. The following year, the Russians exploded their first one, and later Britain and France did as well. The arms race had entered a new phase.

President's Committee on Civil Rights (Executive Order 9981)

The first presidential committee ever created to investigate race relations in America. Shortly after, Truman signed an executive order which set up procedures for ending radical discrimination in the military; this symbolized Truman's commitment to civil rights.

Miranda v. Arizona

The most controversial criminal rights case; required police to inform suspected criminal of their right to remain silent and to have an attorney present during interrogation. (Miranda rights)

Camp David Accords

The most notable success of the Carter administration--a historic peace treaty between long-standing enemies Egypt and Israel. In the Treaty, Egypt recognized Israel's right to exist as a sovereign state, and Israel agreed to return the Sinai Peninsula. Carter also convinced the Senate to ratify a treaty that promised to turn over the Canal Zone to Panama by the year 2000.

Economic woes of the 1970's

The nations economic problems resulted from an inflationary trend that began in the 60's. Second, America ran out of easy oil, a serious challenge to the basic structures of the economy. Third, for the first time since the end of WWII, American business faced stiff competition from other countries.

MacArthur Constitution

The new Japanese Constitution which made them a model of Western Democracy in which women could vote, trade unions were encouraged, and land redistributed among the peasants. Initially, they made sure Japan would never emerge as a military threat by renouncing war at all costs. However, due to the growing communist threat in Asia, they shifted the policy by terminating US occupation and giving Japan the right of self-defense.

Economic Opportunity Act

The poverty legislation passed by LBJ the day after the assassination; authorized almost a billion dollars for a wide range of antipoverty programs including Head Start for preschoolers and the John Corps for inner-city youth.

new Frontier

The promise of John F. Kennedy in his inaugural speech; he called for "a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war."

Timothy Leary

The prophet of the new drug culture. A Harvard psychologist who preached to his students about the wonders of magic mushrooms and LSD.

McCarthy Senate Hearings (censure)

The senate held an investigation on live television into McCarthy and his staff after an army report that documented attempts by them to win preferential treatment for a former staff member drafted into the army. Three years after he was condemned for bringing the Congress into disrepute, McCarthy died of hepatitis and other health problems caused by alcoholism.

Labor relations in the 1950's

The significance of low white-collar unionization was not apparent. Labor-management relations became far less antagonistic than they had been in the 30's, with few strikes or work stoppages.

post WWII economic situation

The sudden end of the war sent shock waves through the American economy. The lack of jobs for returning vets made American's fear another depression. Soaring inflation added to public anxiety.

Maddox and C. Turner Joy

The two US destroyers that reported an attack by North Vietnamese torpedo boats. Although it was likely just weather issues, it gave LBJ the opportunity to establish congressional support of his policies.

Results and consequences of the war

The war left deep scars. 57,000 Americans died, and many others from Vietnam. The war shattered the myth of American invincibility and rocked the foundation of postwar American foreign policy. The consensus of an anticommunist foreign policy was replaced by acrimonious debates over the lessons of Vietnam.

Stagflation

Theory of Milton Friedman, which claimed that prices could be lowered by reducing the quantity of money in the economy. If there were less money and it were more expensive to borrow, he reasoned, economic activity would ease and prices would stabilize. In practice, a reduced money supply did slow economic growth, but it did not stop prices from rising.

Daniel Boorstin and consensus historians

These historians stressed the importance of continuity and consensus. Surveys showing that 75 percent of Americans considered themselves part of the middle class contributed to hte growing sense that the nations was evolving toward a classless society.

Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974

This 1974 act streamlined the budgeting process in Congress and created the Congressional Budget Office, which produces an independent analysis of the president's budget each year.

Profiles in Courage

This Pulitzer Prize winning book cultivated the image of a youthful Kennedy in his time in war. In later years, historians would discover that Kennedy bad manufactured much of the image. In reality, he suffered from various illnesses and a speech writers had written most of the book.

Engel v. Vitale

This Warren Court case ruled the NY prayer recited by Children unconstitutional on the grounds that it was a religious activity that placed an "indirect coercive pressure upon religious minorities."

Griswold v. Connecticut

This Warren Court case struck down a CT statue banning the sale of contraceptives.

Federal Election Campaign Act

This act placed caps on the amount of money that individuals could donate to political campaigns and provided some public funding for presidential campaigns. Loopholes in the act allowed new mechanisms of fundraising.

GI Bill of Rights 1944

This act pumped millions of dollars into the economy by providing veterans with unemployment compensation, medical benefits, business loans, and tuition reimbursements for continuing education.

Internal Security Act of 1950

This act required communist and communist-front organizations to register with the government and to identify as communist all of their official mail and literature. The act's most severe provisions authorized the government to place all communists in concentrations camps whenever a national emergency should occur. Truman vetoed the bill but Congress garnered enough votes to override the veto.

United Farm Workers/Cesar Chavez

This group began a successful effort to organize Mexican-American workers. Its leader, Cesar Chavez, was the key figure in the success. Chavez, a Mexican-American farm worker, echoed the religious themes of nonviolence of the early civil rights movement, framing the struggle between workers and growers as one of an oppressed minority seeking justice and simple dignity. They won passage of the 1975 California Agricultural Labor Relations Act, which gave farm workers the right to secret ballot union elections.

Beatniks

This group embraced open sexuality and free drugs use as keys to spiritual liberation. By the early 60's, there message gained wide acceptance among young people and formed the backbone of the so-called counterculture movement, which rejected the tenets of modern industrial society: materialism, self-denial, sexual repression, individualism, and the work ethic. It promoted long hair for men, Eastern symbols, and clothes purchased from the Salvation Army.

National Organization for Women

This group of feminists, led primarily by older professional women, sought to achieve change by working within the political system. Formed in 1966 to lobby the government on behalf of issues of special concern to women, in announced that its purpose was "to take action to bring women into full participation in the mainstream of American society now, exercising all the privileges and responsibilities thereof in truly equal partnership with men."

Bob Dylan

This musicians rapid rise to fame was emblematic of the newly emerging cultural sensibility. His songs represented conflicting social movements. After 1964, he had to compete with the British Invasion.

Eisenhower Doctrine

This new plan provided the president with broad authority to provide economic and military assistance to defend any Middle East ally from "international communism."

NSC-68

This report presented a frightening portrait of a Soviet system driven by "a new fanatic faith" that "seeks to impose its absolute authority over the rest of the world." In order to intimidate the Russians and inspire confidence in its allies, the report called for an extraordinary increase in the defense budget, from 13 to 15 billion a year.

U-2 Spy Plane/Gary Powers

This spy plane was caught over the Soviet Union....although they claimed it was a weather mission it clearly was for surveillance. The Russians used it to show the world Soviet dominance over America.

Lyndon Johnson

Took over after JFK was assassinated; A Texan who was powerful and ambitions in the Senate. A master manipulator who used his physically imposing frame to get people on his side. He used his talent to push Congress into enacting a number of JFK's initiatives, such as the Kennedy Tax package.

Augusto Pinochet

Took over an as the leader of the new anticommunist regime in Chile after the coup of Allende. One of the most repressive regimes in the hemisphere, but it was quickly recognized by the US and warmly supported.

Harry Truman

Took over as president following Roosevelt's death in 1945; emboldened by America's monopoly of atomic weaponry and eager to show critics and the nation that he was in charge, he matched Stalin's inflexibility with calls for self-determination and free elections in eastern Europe.

Joseph Stalin

Took over in Russia following Lenin's death in 1924; Truman described him as "honest--but smart as hell." He ignored the agreements made in Potsdam and aggravated Truman with his words and actions towards the an agreement and nuclear weapons.

Watergate

Trouble began before the election when a security guard foiled a break-in at the Democratic Party's headquarters in the Watergate complex. In 1974, a unanimous Supreme Court ordered Nixon to turn over all relevant tapes. They revealed that Nixon had personally intervened to stifle an FBI investigation into the Watergate break-in and that he had authorized payments of more the $460,000 in hush money to keep the Watergate burglars from implicating higher-ups in the administration. On August 8, 1974, Nixon became the first American President to resign from office.

JFK's policies toward Vietnam

Under Kennedy, the American effort focused on transforming Ngo Dinh Diem's government into an effective anticommunist fighting force, not on helping him to establish a base of public support; he supported the Eisenhower administration's decision to maintain a non-communist South by funneling aid to the Diem government. he also harbored doubts about whether Diem could unite the country.

Spiro Agnew

Vice President to Nixon in his second term, who traveled the country denouncing the media, radical professors, student protesters, and liberals. He attacked the elitists who regarded the Bill of Rights as a protection "for psychotic and criminal elements in our society."

Reynolds v. Sims

Warren Court case that established the principle of "one man, one vote." Legislative districts, the court ruled, had to be apportioned so that they represented equal numbers of people.

Brown v. Board of Ed

Warren Court case that overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and the idea of separate but equal.

Alger Hiss

Was accused of having been a communist by Whittaker Chambers. He denied the charges but was indicted for perjury and was sentenced to five years in jail. This convinced Americans that the Roosevelt and Truman administrations had been oblivious to the dangers of communist espionage.

Adlai Stevenson

Was nominated by the democrats in the 1952 election. Popular governor from Illinois who declared himself to party loyalists by taking strong positions on civil rights and civil liberties.

Robert F. Kennedy

When he entered the race for the democratic nomination in 1968, he was believed to be the only politician in America who could pull together the fractured liberal coalition. He called for a negotiated settlement in Vietnam and believed that convincing poor people of all colors to pursue their shared class interests offered the only solution to the deep racial hostility that was tearing the nation apart.

Iron Curtain

While speaking in Missouri, Winston Churchill declared of Europe that "from Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent." Essentially, Europe was split down the middle.

Korean War/38th Parallel

Yet another clash between communism and democracy; After WWII, Russia and the US had split the Korean peninsula at the 38th parallel. On June 25, 1950, 110,000 Korean soldiers crossed the 38th parallel and overpowered South Korean forces. Truman interpreted the invasion as a Soviet assault, although it is unclear whether it was lead by the North Koreans or not. The defense measure was theoretically a UN venture, but in the end the Us provided half the ground troops and most of the sea and air support. MacArthur led an offensive from the water while other forces pushed north from the south of the peninsula. Within a few weeks, they had advanced within fifty miles of Manchuria province, and thought the war had ended despite Chinese threats. In the end, Chinese forces pushed back the allied troops, and they stood at the same place where it all started.

Rock and Roll

Young adults changed musical taste in America by propelling Rock and Roll to the top of the charts. It was a mix of rhythm and blues, country, and white gospel music. First gained attention with blacks in the 40's but was seen as "race music" to whites.

"Malaise speech"

also known as the Crisis of confidence speech, in which Carter declared that the country had lost its bearing.

OPEC oil embargo

an oil cartel of Arab states; from October 1973 to march 1974, they had an embargo on the US, Europe, and Japan. Thereafter, these nations continued to raise oil prices, with devastating consequences for the oil-dependent US economy.

Americans for Democratic Action

created in 1947 by many leading anticommunist liberals who met in Washington. Reluctantly supported Truman in the election of 1948.

Ngo Dinh Diem

installed as head of state in South Vietnam following the Geneva Accords. A Vietnamese nationalist who hated the French; was also a staunch anticommunist and devout Catholic.

Henry Wallace

lead the progressives after WWII; While secretary of commerce under Truman, he criticized both the US and Soviet policy. In return,Truman fired him; in late 1947, he announced he would run for president on a third party Progressive ticket. Many liberals feared he would take votes away from Truman.

Immigration Act of 1965

part of the Great Society that eliminated discriminatory quotas and opened the door to an increased flow of immigrants from Asia and Latin America that would profoundly affect American life in the decades ahead.

John Foster Dulles and Brinkmanship

secretary of state under Eisenhower; He believed in a monolithic "world Communist movement," the "unholy alliance of Marx's communism and Russia's imperialism." He came into office denouncing Truman's containment policy and favored a policy of "brinkmanship"--pushing the Soviet Union to the brink of war before considering negotiations.

Dixiecrats/Strom Thurmond

short for States Right Democrat Party; was created when a group of southern delegates stormed out of a democratic assembly after Truman approved a strong civil rights plank. They nominated Strom Thurmond, governor of South Carolina, for the presidency.

National Security Act

this institutionalized the Cold War; This legislation created the skeleton of what would become an overpowering national security apparatus. The act expanded executive power by centralizing previously dispersed responsibilities in the White House. It established the Department of Defense to oversee all branches of the armed services and formed the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which included the generals of the three services and the marines. Also created the National Security Council, a cabinet-level body to coordinate military and foreign policy for the president. Provided a constant state of readiness for the Cold War.