APUSH - Period 8
Counterculture
"Hippies" - protested Vietnam War; rejected many ideas of their parents' generation; used marijuana; helped start a sexual revolution
What events happened in these years?
1945 marked the end of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War. The Cold War led to a new US foreign policy and involvement in two wars - Korea and Vietnam. 1950s and 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement achieved many milestones. 1970s saw an increase in the American public distrust in the federal government, particularly under Richard Nixon. 1980 ushered in a Conservative Movement with the election of Ronald Reagan.
When China became a communist nation, how did that impact Truman?
1949 - Truman was blamed for the fall of China
Brown v. Board of Education
1954 - The Supreme Court overruled Plessy v. Ferguson, declared that racially segregated facilities are inherently unequal & ordered all public schools desegregated.
What the impact of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
1964 Congressional resolution authorizing President Johnson to take military action in Vietnam
What was the image of a nuclear family in the 1950s?
2 children, suburbs, stay at home mom
What was the boundary between North and South Korea at the end of the war?
38th parallel
What was the message and impact of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring?
A book written to voice the concerns of environmentalists. Launched the environmentalist movement by pointing out the effects of civilization development.
Detente
A policy of reducing Cold War tensions that was adopted by the United States during the presidency of Richard Nixon.
Sunbelt
A region of the United States generally considered to stretch across the South & Southwest that has seen substantial population growth in recent decades, partly fueled by a surge in retiring baby boomers who migrate domestically, as well as the influx of immigrants, both legal & illegal.
What is the "sunbelt?" Why did this area see an increase in population after WWII?
GI Bill, defense industries are popping up
Why did Eisenhower send troops to Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957?
Governor Faubus sent the Arkansas National Guard to prevent nine Black students from entering Little Rock Central High School. Eisenhower sent in U.S. paratroopers to ensure the students could attend class.
How is the "Hollywood Ten" an example of fear of communism?
Group of people in the film industry who were jailed for refusing to answer congressional questions regarding Communist influence in Hollywood. Investigated by HUAC
What was the purpose of HUAC?
House Un-American Activities Committee was created to investigate citizens who were suspected of being communist.
What were two reasons for the Second Red Scare?
Joseph McCarthy - McCartyhism. Rosenbergs - charged with selling nuclear secrets to the USSR. Found out that they actually did.
Describe the rights the following groups hoped to achieve/did achieve: Latinos, Native Americans, Women, Gay & lesbian activists:
Latinos: Cesar Chavez grape picker's strike & hunger strikes Native Americans: Indians of All Tribes (IAT) & American Indian Movement (AIM) - used protests Women: Betty Friedman's "The Feminine Mystique" to challenge the cult of domesticity Gay & lesbian activists: Stonewall Riots 1969
Suburbanization
More & more Americans moved to suburbs after WWII (cars, Interstate Highway System, Levittown)
Why did protests increase as the war continued?
People did not think that the US should be involved. We have many reporters with live video feed. People can see the atrocities of war up close and personal.
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.
Why did President Truman fire General MacArthur?
President Truman fired General MacArthur because MacArthur publicly criticized President Truman's decision to not bomb and invade China.
Immigration Laws of 1965
Reversed discriminatory quotas acts from the 1920s; favored immigrants from Latin America and Asia
What did the War Powers Act do?
Reversed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Took back the powers (blank check) given to the President to make decisions in Vietnam
What is containment?
stopping the spread of communism
Vietnam War
US aided the South (non-communist); led to sizeable, passionate, and sometimes violent protests, especially as the war went on
How could the Korean War be seen as an example of Containment?
US aids South Korea in fighting communist North Korea
What was the purpose of the Truman Doctrine? How is this an example of Containment?
US provided $400 million of economic & military aid to Greece & Turkey US is providing aid to countries & helping their economy to prevent them from falling to communism
Civil Rights Activism
Used various techniques (sit-ins, legal challenges, etc.); post-1965, debates emerged over the proper role of activists
What happens to individual rights & liberties during times of crisis?
Violation of constitutional rights
How did the Presidency of Richard Nixon lead to a decrease of public trust in government?
Watergate scandal: 5 men broke into Democratic headquarters, they had ties to Nixon, he knew about it all
Taft-Hartley Act
Act passed in 1947 that put increased restrictions on labor unions. Also, it allowed states to pass "right to work" laws: prohibited "union" shop (workers must join union after being hired). It also prohibited secondary boycotts & established that the President has power to issue injections in strikes that endangered national health & safety ("cooling off" period)
Containment
American policy of resisting further expansion of communism around the world
Environmental Problems
Brought to the attention of the public by Rachel Carson & Silent Spring; helped lead to the creation of the EPA & Clean Air Act
What was The "Fair Deal?" Was it successful?
Called for improved housing, higher minimum wage, extension of Social Security. NO, it was not successful.
How did the following contribute to Civil Rights? Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965, 24th Amendment
Civil Rights Act of 1964: guaranteed equal access to public accommodations, gov can cut off funds where discrimination occurred Voting Rights Act of 1965: allowed federal gov to register voters & abolished literacy tests 24th Amendment: abolished poll taxes
How could Joseph McCarthy be seen as a demagogue? How did he contribute to the Second Red Scare?
Demagogue: leader that capitalizes on prejudice & false claims to claim power Accused members of the state department of being communists
Military-Industrial Complex
Eisenhower first coined this phrase when he warned American against it in his last State of the Union Address. He feared that the combined lobbying efforts of the armed services & industries that contracted with the military would lead to excessive Congressional spending.
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
an international crisis in October 1962, the closest approach to nuclear war at any time between the U.S. and the USSR. When the U.S. discovered Soviet nuclear missiles on Cuba, President John F. Kennedy demanded their removal and announced a naval blockade of the island; the Soviet leader Khrushchev acceded to the U.S. demands a week later.
Korean War (1950-1953)
began as a civil war between North (USSR aided) and South Korea (US aided), but the conflict soon became international when, under U.S. leadership, the United Nations joined to support South Korea and China entered to aid North Korea. The war left Korea divided along the 38th parallel. The Korean War was an example of the U.S. Cold War policies of containment and militarization, setting the stage for the further enlargement of the U.S. defense perimeter in Asia (Vietnam)
What was the message of Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique?
challenged the 1950s cult of domesticity
What did Executive Order 9981 do?
desegregated the military, issued by Truman
What was the goal of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society?
focused on domestic programs including civil rights, poverty, & education
How would George Washington view NATO based on his advice in his Farewell Address?
he wouldn't like it, because the US is forming alliances
What was the message of the Southern Manifesto?
it opposed racial integration of public spaces
What was the impact of the war on the economy?
it severely damaged the US economy
What was the purpose of the Marshall Plan? How is this an example of Containment?
provided Europe with money to rebuild after WWII, seen as containment bc US is helping a country's economy to resist communism
What is Vietnamization?
the US policy of withdrawing its troops and transferring the responsibility and direction of the war effort to the government of South Vietnam.
What is the Domino Theory?
the idea that if a nation falls under communist control, nearby nations will also fall under communist control
Baby Boom
the larger than expected generation in United States born shortly after World War II led to future issues w Social Security
Why did the US establish the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)?
to deter Soviet expansion, forbid the revival of nationalist militarism in Europe through strong North American presence, & encourage European political integration
