HIST146

double v for victory

Campaign popularized by American Black Leaders during WW2 emphasizing the need for double victory: over Germany and Japan and also over racial prejudice in the US. Many blacks were fought in WW2 were disappointed that the America they returned to still hate racial tension

popular front

Coalition of "antifascist" groups such as the American Communist Party - criticized American capitalism. Offered an escape from the alienation it had experienced in the 1920s - attracted many young Americans. It appeared free, but was under strict supervision of the Soviet Union.

korematsu vs united states

The U.S. Supreme Court, in a divided decision, upheld Korematsu's conviction in late 1944. The majority opinion, written by Justice Hugo Black,upheld the government's right to relocate citizens in the face of wartime emergency. This verdict declared the "constitutionality" of the Japanese relocation camps. 1988, the United States government apologized for its actions and gave $20,000 to each of the camp survivors.

lawrence vs texas

A 2003 landmark decision by the Supreme Court that limited the power of states to prohibit private homosexual activity between consenting adults.

pentagon papers

A 7,000-page top-secret United States government report on the history of the internal planning and policy-making process within the government itself concerning the Vietnam War, led to public distrust, especially of Nixon

guantanamo bay

Acquired by US from Cuba in 1903 however it is not technically a part of the US. In 2001 US built a prison that specifically detained prisoners determined to be opponents in the the war on terror.

solid south

After Reconstruction, the South became extremely Democratic. Once they gained control, the Democrats cut back expenses, wiped out social programs, lowered taxes, and limited the rights of tenants and sharecroppers. These white southerners remained a major force in national politics well into the 20th century.

neoconservatives

American political philosphy that opposses big government approaches to domestic issues yet favors an interventionist and aggressive foreign policy

the feminine mystique

Betty Friedan depicted how difficult a woman's life is because she doesn't think about herself, only her family. It said that middle-class society stifled women and didn't let them use their talents. Attacked the "cult of domesticity." Helped launch the modern women's rights movement.

bush doctrine

Declared America could launch first strikes to defend itself from terrorists and countries that supported terrorists in order to prevent possible attacks before they occurred

military industrial complex

Eisenhower's farewell speech to the nation the retiring president warned of the dangers of allowing a Military-Industrial Complex to take control of the United States. The Military-Industrial Complex is a term that denotes a symbiotic relationship between a nation's military, economy, and politics. The idea being that if the military becomes the biggest client for manufacturers then the nation will begin to invest more of its economy into military contracts. Politically, this leads to national budgets being heavily weighed in the military's favor in order to support the economic stability that this relationship seems to create.

GI bill of rights

Government legislation designed to solve the problem of what the 15 million soldiers would do once they got back home. It allowed all servicemen to have free college education once they returned from the war, and it created the Veterans' Administration allowing them to take out loans.

indian new deal

Government legislation that allowed the Indians a form of self-government and thus willingly shrank the authority of the U.S. government. It provided the Indians direct ownership of their land, credit, a constitution, and a charter in which Indians could manage their own affairs.

clinton welfare reform

Legislation that made deep cuts in welfare grants and required able-bodied welfare recipients to find employment

atlantic charter

Main points included... There would be no territorial changes contrary to the wishes of the natives. The charter also affirmed the right for people to choose their rulers (self-determination). It declared disarmament and a peace of security, as well as a new League of Nations

nsc-68

National Security Council recommendation to quadruple defense spending and rapidly expand peace-time armed forces to address Cold War tensions; it reflected a new militarization of American foreign policy but the huge costs of rearmament were not expected to interfere with what seemed like the limitless possibilities of postwar prosperity

freedom riders

Organized mixed-race groups who rode interstate buses deep into the South to draw attention to and protest racial segregation, beginning in 1961. This effort by northern young people to challenge racism proved a political and public relations success for the Civil Rights Movement

executive order 8802

Passed by FDR in 1941 prohibited discriminatory employment practices by fed agencies and all unions and companies engaged in war related work. It established the Fair Employment Practices Commission to enforce the new policy.

four freedoms

The four principles President Franklin D. Roosevelt considered to be essential for world peace: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. The president spoke of the four freedoms in a 1941 address in which he called on Americans to support those who were fighting in World War II. "Freedom from fear and want" was also mentioned in the Atlantic Charter.

civil rights act of 1964

This act outlawed segregation of public accommodations. established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to enforce the law,made the federal government responsible for finding instances of discrimination, and made illegal discrimination based on race, religion, ethnic origin, or gender. Unfortunately, the act did not effectively address many problems associated with voting rights.

cuban missile crisis

United States and the Soviet Union came close to nuclear war when President Kennedy insisted that Nikita Khrushchev (leader of the USSR) remove the 42 missiles he had secretly inserted in Cuba. The Soviets eventually did so, nuclear war was averted, and the crisis ended.

levittown

Utilized mass production techniques to build inexpensive homes in suburban NY to relieve postwar housing shortage; became symbol of movement to suburbs; conformity of houses; diverse communities; home for lower-middle class families

racially restrictive covenant

contractual agreements that prohibit the purchase, lease, or occupation of a piece of property by a particular group of people, usually African Americans. Racially restrictive covenants were not only mutual agreements between property owners in a neighborhood not to sell to certain people, but were also agreements enforced through the cooperation of real estate boards and neighborhood associations. Racially restrictive covenants became common after 1926 after the U.S. Supreme Court decision, Corrigan v. Buckley, which validated their use.

reganomics

policies combined a monetarist fiscal policy, supply-side tax cuts, and domestic budget cutting; goal was to reduce the size of the federal government and stimulate economic growth