APUSH Period 8 Timeline

Marshall Plan (1948)

Def: $12 billion in US economic aid to help European nations revive their economies and strengthen their democratic governments Sig: Helped Western Europe achieve self-sustaining economic growth and helped the US by increasing imports to Europe. Ended any real communist threat in the region

McCarran Internal Security Act (1950)

Def: 1) illegal to advocate or support the establishment of a totalitarian government and 2) restricted the employment and travel of those joining communist front organizations

Taft-Hartley Act (1947)

Def: 1) outlawed the closed shop (a contract requiring workers to join a union before being hired), 2) permitted states to pass "right of work" laws outlawing the union shop (a contract requiring workers to jin a union after being hired), 3) outlawed secondary boycotts (the practice of several unions supporting a striking union by joining a boycott of a company's products), and 4) gave the president power to invoke an 80-day cooling off period before a strike endangering national safety could be called Sig: Was pro-business. Unions unsuccessfully sought to repeal the act. Was a major issue dividing the Democrats and Republicans

March on Washington (1963)

Def: 2,000 blakcs and whites led by MLK took part in a peaceful march on Washington in support of the civil rights bill Sig: MLK delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech which appealed for the end of racial prejudice

Hydrogen Bomb (1952)

Def: 67 times more powerful than the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. Developed first by the US Sig: Put the arms race between the US and USSR at a dangerously fast pace

Kerner Commission (1965)

Def: A federal investigation of many race riots Sig: Concluded that racism and segregation were cheifly responsible and the US was becoming "two societies, one black, one white -- separarate and unequal"

"Beatniks" (1950s-1960s)

Def: A group of rebellious writers and intellectuals led by Jack Kerouvac and Allen Ginsberg Sig: Advocated spontaneity, use of drugs, and rebellion against societal standards. Became models for the youth rebellion of the 1960s

Head Start

Def: A preschool program for children from low income families Sig: Also provided healthcare, nurition services, and social services

Kennedy / Nixon Debates (1960s)

Def: A series of 4 televised presidential debates between Kennedy and Nixon Sig: Were the first televised presidential debates. The debates tipped the scales in Kennedy's favor because he seemed more vigorous than Nixon. They also demonstrated the importance of image in a lelevision age

Immigration Act (1965)

Def: Abolished discriminatory quotas baed on national origins Sig: Allowed more immigrants from Asia, Europe, and Africa to enter the US. Changed the composition of the American population

Executive Order 9981 (1948)

Def: Abolished racial segregation in the United States Armed Forces Sig: Eventually led to the end segregation in the services

24th Amendment (1964)

Def: Abolished the practice of collecting a poll tax Sig: Poll taxes had previously discouraged poor people from voting

Child Nutrition Act (1966)

Def: Added breakfasts to the school lunch program Sig: Promoted better nutrition

Civil RIghts Act of 1960

Def: Aimed at estending the life of the CIvil Rights Commission and giving the uS attorney general the authority to inspect local and state voting records for federal elections Sig: The final bill was just as weak as its predecessor in dealing with voting reights for African Americans

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries / OPEC (1960)

Def: Aimed to control access to and prices of oil, wresting power from western oil companies and investors Sig: Oil was starting to become a criticla foreign policy

Sino-Soviet Pact

Def: Alliance, mutual-assistance, and non-aggression agreement between China (Mao Zedong) and the USSR (Stalin) Sig: Was proof of the spread of Communism; worldwide communist conspiracy)

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)

Def: Argued that the segregation fo black children in public schools violated the 14th Amendment's guarantee of "equal protection of the laws" Sig: Overturned the Plessy ruling: 1) separate facilities are ingerently unequal and unconstitutional and 2) ended school segregation

National Defense and Education Act / NDEA (1958)

Def: Authorized giving hundreds of millions in federal money to schools for math, science, and foreign language education Sig: Was in response to Sputnik. The US wanted to compete with the Soviets in scientific and technical fields

Highway Act (1956)

Def: Authorized the construction of 42,000 miles of interstate highways linking all the nation's major cities Sig: Created jobs, promoted the trucking industry, accelerated the growth of the suburbs, and contributed to a more homogenous national culture

Free Speech Movement (1964)

Def: Berkeley students demanded an end to univeristy restrictions on student political activities Sig: Students across the country started to protest a variety of university rules

Birth Control (1960)

Def: Birth control pill introduced to the public Sig: Was the first time contraceptives were readily accessibled

Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955)

Def: Bus driver ordered Rosa Parks (a black woman) to give up her seat for a white passenger. Parks refused to give up her seat and was arrested for violating laws, which led to an African American protests in form of a boycott of city buses. Sig: Supreme Court ruled that segregation laws were unconstitutional. The boycott sparked many civil rights movements

Sexual Revolution (1960s)

Def: Change in attitudes towards sexual expression Sig: Premarital sex, contraception, abortion, and homosexuality became practived more openly

Formation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee / SNCC (1960)

Def: College students fighting for civil rights started a sit-in movement Sig: Deliberately invited arrest by sitting in restricted areas to call attention to the injustice of segrefated facilities

Employment Act of 1946

Def: Committed the federal government to ensuring economic growth. Establsihed the COuncil of Economic Advisors to confer with the president and formulate policies for maintaining employment, production, and purchasing power Sig: Promoted national economic welfare

Committee on Civil Rights (1946)

Def: Committee established to investigate the status of civil rights in the US and propose measures to strengthen and protect the civil rights of Americans Sig: Truman was the first modern president to use the power fo his office to challenge racial discrimination

Department of Transportaion (1967)

Def: Created to manage national air, rail, and highway transportation Sig: Managed Amtrack, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard

Counterculture (1960s)

Def: Culture with lifestyle and values that opposed those of established culture. Expressed by young people in rebellious styles fo dress, music, drug use, and communal living Sig: Challenged traditional values and unleashed a movement to reassert basic values. Freedom of expression in art and music

National Aeronautics and Space Administration / NASA (1958)

Def: Directed US efforts to build missiles and explore space Sig: Founded to compete with the Soviets' space program

Office of Economic Opportunity / OEO (1964)

Def: Distributed money to a varity of local programs designed to promote educational opportunites and job training among the poor to provide legal services for the poor Sig: Had some successes, but most of its programs were curtailed or scattered among other federal agencies

Berlin Wall (1961)

Def: East Germans (with Soviet backing) built a wall around West Berlin to stop East Germans from fleeing to West Germany Sig: As the wall was being built, SOviet and US tanks faced off in Berlin, but no move was made to stop the completion of the wall. The Berlin Wall stood as a gloomu symbol of the Cold War

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare / HEW (1953)

Def: Eisenhower consolidated welfare programs into this department Sig: The department's goal was to protect the health of all Americans and provide essential human resources

Voting RIghts Act of 1965

Def: Ended literacy tests and provided federal registars in areas where blacks were kept from voting Sig: African Americans in the Deep South could vote fort the first time since Reconstruction

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

Def: Engel challenged the New York state Board of Regents authorization of a short, voluntary prayer for recitation at the start of each school day Sig: Supreme Court ruled that state laws requiring prayer and Bible readings in public schools violated the 1st Amendment's provision for separation of church and state

Civil Rights Act of 1957

Def: Established a Civil Rights Commission to investigate systematic discrimination in areas such as voting Sig: First civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. Was ultimately ineffective

Food Stamp Act (1964)

Def: Expanded the federal program to help poor people buy food Sig: Goal was to prevent hunger, improve nutrition, and strengthen the agricultural economy

Sputnik (1957)

Def: First satellite launched into space. Developed by the Soviets Sig: Intensified fears of nuclear war since the missiles launched in the satellite could deliver thermonuclear warheads anywhere in the world in minutes

Operation Wetback (1954)

Def: Forced an estimate 3.8 million people to return to Mexico in response to complaints from native-born workers and Mexico Sig: Mexican migrants remaining in the US often faced discrimination and exploitation by commericial farmers

Hiss Case (1948-1950)

Def: Former state department official, Alger Hiss, was accused of being a Communist spy (giving secret documents to the Soviets) Sig: Was convicted of perjury and sent to prison. Americans wondered whether the highest levels of government were infiltrated by spies

Geneva Conference (1954)

Def: France agreed to give up Indochina which was divided into the independent nations of Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia Sig: Ended hostilities of the anticolonial war and restored peace

Tonkin Gulf Resolution (1964)

Def: Gave the president, as commander in chief, a blank check to take "all necessary measures" to protect US interests in Vietnam Sig: Gave Johnson a free hand to escalate US military involvement in Vietnam. Had to figure out how to help South Vietnam without making it a full on American war

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Def: Gideon was accussed of breaking into a pool hall. Florida Court refused to provide him with counsel when he requested a lawyer Sig: Supreme Court ruled that state courts must provide counsel (services of an attorney) for indigent (poor) defendents

Little Rock Nine (1956)

Def: Govenor ordered troops from the Arkansas National Guard to prevent 9 African Americans from entering Little Rock Central High School Sig: Violated the Supreme Court ruling to desegregate schools. Eisenhower sent troops to the school for a year to protect black students

Domino Theory (1954)

Def: If South Vietnman fell under Communist control, one nation after another in Southeast Asia would also fall, unitl Australia and New Zealand were in dire danger Sig: Drove the US to give aid to South Vietnam to build a stable, anticommunist state

"Military-Industrial Complex" (1961)

Def: Informal alliance between a nation's military and defense industry whose goal was to gain political support for increased military spending Sig: Eisenhower warned against it in his farewell address. The industries were gaining too much power and overestimated threats during the Cold War

Formation of the United Nations (1945)

Def: International organization that aimed for cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, and human rights issues Sig: Hoped to prevent future wars. Recognized the authority of the Big Five Powers in keeping peace in te world (veto power in the Security Council)

HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee)

Def: Investigated government officials and industries with potential Communist influence Sig: Sought out Communists in America

Loyalty Review Board (1947)

Def: Investigated the background of more than 3 million federal employees Sig: Thousands os officials and civil service employees either resigned or lost their jobs

New Frontier (1960)

Def: JFK's campaign program promising to revitalize the stagnant economy and enact reform legislation in education, health care, and civil rights Sig: Kennedy had trouble with social reform, but had economic successes -- the economy was stimulated by an increased spending for defense and space exploration

US-Japanese Security Treaties (1951)

Def: Japan surrendered its claims to Korea and the islands of the Pacific. The US ended formal occupation of Japan, but US troops remained military bases in Japan for the country's protection against external enemies (mainly Communists) Sig: Japan became a strong ally and prospered under the American shield

War on Poverty (1964)

Def: Johnson called for an "unconditional war on poverty" Sig: Siginificantly reduced the number of American families living in poverty

Rosenberg Case (1951-1953)

Def: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed for suppposedly passing nuclear weapon secrets to the USSR Sig: Anti-communist hysteria was responsible for the conviction and punishment of the Rosenbergs

Yates v. United States (1957)

Def: Justices overturned the convictions fo Communist party officials under the Smith Act Sig: Court ruled that the 1st Amendment protected radical and revolutionary speech, unless it was a "clear and present danger" to the safety of the nation

Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)

Def: Kennedy approved of a CIA scheme planned under the Eisenhower administration ot use Cuban exiles to overthrow Castro. The operation failed to set off a general uprising at the Bay of Pigs Sig: Castro used the failed invasion ot get even more aid from the Soviet Union and to stregnthen his grip on power

Kennedy Assassination (November 22, 1963)

Def: Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas after only two and a half years in office Sig: Marked the beginnings of a loss in credibility of the government. Conspiracy theories pointing to involvemnt in organized crime, Castro, the CIA, and the FBI

Baker v. Carr (1962)

Def: Lawsuit detalied hwo the Tennessee legislature's reapportionment efforts ignored population shifts and significant economic changes in the state Sig: The decision required state legislators to apportion electoral districts so that all citizen's votes had equal weight. Established the principle fo "one man, one vote"

22nd Amendment (1951)

Def: Limited a president to a maximum of two full terms in office Sig: Republican-dominated Congress was not happy about FDR being president for 4 terms

"Letter from Birmingham Jail" (1963)

Def: MLK wrote this letter while he was in jail for a peaceful protest in response to criticism about how the fight for racial equality should be fought in court, not in the streets Sig: King's letter moved Kennedy to support a tougher civil rights bill

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Def: Made segregation illegal in all public facilities and gave the federal government additional powers to enforce school desegregation Sig: Outlawed Jim Crow policies of segregation in the South

Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

Def: Mapp's home was searched by police without a warrant. He was convicted for possession of obscene material. Mapp claimed the police violated the 4th and 5th Amendments Sig: Supreme Court ruled that illegally seized evidence could not be used in court against the accused

MLK Jr. Assassination (1968)

Def: Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed by a white man while standing on a motel balcony in Memphis, Tennessee Sig: Massive violent riots erupted across the nation. There was a growing "white-backlash" to the civil rights movement

Iron Curtain (1946)

Def: Metaphorical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas post WW2 and the Cold War era Sig: Truman called for a partnership between western democracies to halt the expansion of Communism because he was tired of "babysitting" the Soviets

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

Def: Miranda was charged with rape and kidnapping. He signed a confession after police questioning. THe police never informed Miranda of his right to have an attorney present during questioning Sig: Spreme Court extended the ruling of Escobedo to include the right to a lawyer being present during police questioning

Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)

Def: Mrs. Grisworld gave counsel to married couples that wished to use birth control (birth control was against a Connectivut statue) Sig: In recognition of a citizen's privacy, a state could not prohibit the use of contraceptives by adults

Suez Crisis (1956)

Def: Nassar (Arab) siezed and nationalized the French / British owned Suez Canal. The loss of the canal threatened Western Europe's access to Middle Eastern oil, so Britain, France, and Israel launched a surprise attack on Egypt and retook the canal Sig: Eisenhowe was furious that he was kept in the dark about the attack from his former allies and sponsored a UN resolution condemning the invasion of Egypt. The invading forces withdrew under pressure of the US and world public opinion

June 25, 1950

Def: North Korea invades South Korea. UN forces (mostly from the US) support South Korea Sig: First battle of the Korean War. The US didn't declare war, characterizing US intervention as "police action"

Formation of Southern Christian Leadership Conference / SCLC (1957)

Def: Organization fo ministers and churches in the South formed by Martin Luther King Jr. Sig: Supported the civil rights struggle

Escobedo v. Illinois (1964)

Def: Police would not let Escobedo speak with his attorney. After questioning, Escebedo confessed to murder Sig: Supreme Court ruling required the police to inform an arrested person of his / her right to remain silent (self incrimination)

Equal Pay Act of 1963

Def: Prohibited discrimination based on gender in wages and benefits Sig: Was largely ineffective, but some women were paid equal salaries to men

National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities (1965)

Def: Provided federal fundign for the arts and creative and scholarly projects Sig: Promoted progress and scholarship in the humanities and arts

Job Corps

Def: Provided food, shelter, healthcare, and job training to teenagers and young adults Sig: Mission was to help young people improve the quality of satisfaction of their lives through vocational and academic training

Servicemen's Readjustment Act / GI Bill (1944)

Def: Provided for college / vocational education for returning WW2 veterans, loans to buy houses and start businesses, and one year of unemployment compensation Sig: Federal government stimulated the post-war economic expansion by focusing on a better educated workfaorce and promoting new construction

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (1965)

Def: Provided funds to poor school districts and special education programs Sig: Provided funds to expand head start. Promoted education from an early age

Medicaid (1965)

Def: Provided funds to states to pay for medical care for the poor and disabled Sig: Protected the health of millions of American families and improved the nation's economic security

Medicare (1965)

Def: Provided health insurance for all people 65 and older Sig: Protected the health of millions of American families and improved the nation's economic security

Students for a Democratic Society / SDS (1962)

Def: Radical student organization that protested the shortcomings in American life, notably racial injustice and the Vietnam War Sig: Those with these ideas became known as the New Left. Protests disrupted or closed down hundreds of schools. Sparked the Free Speech Movement

Southeast Aisia Treaty Organization / SEATO (1954)

Def: Regional defense pact that agreed to defend one another in case of an attabk within the region Sig: Dulles put SEATO together to prevent Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos from "falling" to communism

Department of Housing and Urban Development (1965)

Def: Regulated and monitered housing and urban development Sig: Helpred refurbish and preserve decaying cities. Supported the housing market

Black Panthers (1966)

Def: Revolutionary socialist movement advocating self-rule for American blacks Sig: Marked a shift in policy of the black movement, facoring militant ideals rather than peaceful protest

Watts Riots (1965)

Def: Riot broke out for a week in response to a white police officer striking a black bystander during a protest Sig: First large race riot since the end of WW2. Revealed blacks' resentment over their treatment

U-2 Incident (1960)

Def: Russia spotted US spy plane U-2 two weeks before the Paris Summit Sig: Exposed a secret US tactic for gaining information. Khrushchev (Soviet leader) denounced the US and walked out on the Paris Summit, ending the temporary thaw of the Cold War

Great Society (1963-1966)

Def: Series of social reforms passed by Johnson Sig: New programs would have a lasting effect on the US

Molotv Plan (1947)

Def: Soviet plan to provide economic aid to rebuild the countries in Eastern EUrope that were aligned with them Sig: Spread communism

McCarthyism (1950s)

Def: The "witch hunt" for Communists in America led by Senator Joseph McCarthy Sig: Vitriolic, fear mongering anti-Communism

Dennis et al. v. United States

Def: The Communist Party of America was charged with violating the Smith Act Sig: Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Smith Act which made it illegal to advocate / teach the overthrow of the government by force or belong to an organization with this objective

Berlin Arilift (1948-1949)

Def: The Soviets cut off all access by land to Berlin, so a US airlift flew food and supplies to the people of West Berlin Sig: Was the first major conflict of the Cold War. Foreshadowed future conflict over the city of Berlin

Counterattack in Korea

Def: The UN forces launched an assault on the North Korean army from behind, destroying the army, and proceeded North Sig: General MacArthur failed to heed China's warnings and crossed the border into China. Masses of Chinese troops crossed into Korea which ended in US defeat

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

Def: The US discovered undergound Soviet missile launching sites in Cuba, so they set up a naval blockade around Cuba unitl the weapons were removed. The USSR removed the weapons to avoid nuclear warfare Sig: There was an effort to control the testing of nuclear arms, but a new round in the arms race for developing missile and warhead superiority began. The standoff had a sobering effect on both sides and a telecommunications hotline was established between Washington and Moscow, so the leaders could talk directly during crises

Truman Doctrine (1947)

Def: Truman asked Congress for $400 million in economic and military aid to assist the "free people" of Turkey and Greece against "totalitarian" regimes Sig: Was in response to two threats: 1) communist led uprising agisnt the government in greece and 2) Soviet demands for some control of a water route in Turkey, the Dardanelles

Truman v. MacArthur

Def: Truman cautioned MacArthur about making public statements that suggested criticism of official US policy, but MacArthur spoke out anyway Sig: Truman recalled MacArthur for insubordination. Citizens on the side of MacArthur attacked Truman

Truman's Fair Deal (1949)

Def: Truman urged Congress to enact national health care, federal aid to education, civil rights legislation, funds for public housing, and a new farm program Sig: Most of the bills were defeated because of 1) Truman's political conflicts with Congress and 2) the pressing foreign policy concerns of the Cold War

Eisenhower Doctrine (1957)

Def: US pledged military and economic aid to any Middle Eastern country threatened by communism Sig: Singled out the Soviet Union promising the US would help countires fight against the Soviets

My Lai Massacre (1968)

Def: US troops massacred women and children in the Vietmanese village of My Lai Sig: Fueled the antiwar sentiment. Became a symbol of the brutality and immorality of the war

Levittown

Def: Utilized mass production techniques to build inexpensive homes in suburban New York to relieve the post-war housing shortage Sig: Became the symbol of the movement to the suburbs, conformity of houses, diverse communities, and homes for lower-middle class families

Tet Offensive (1968)

Def: Vietcong launched a surprise attack on almost every provincial capital in and US military base in South Vietnam. The US counterattacked, inflicting much heavier losses on Vietcong and recovered lost territory Sig: Demoralized the American public, weakening support for the war in Vietnam. Destruction shown on TV news appeared as a colossal setback for Johnson's Vietnam policy

March to Montgomery (1965)

Def: Voting rights march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery that was met with beatings and tear gas Sig: Televised pictures of the violence proved a turning point in the civil rights movement. Led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965

Korean War (1950-1953)

Def: War between North Korea (aided by the USSR) and South Korea (aided by the US) Sig: First proxy war between the US and USSR in the Cold War

National Organization for Women / NOW (1966)

Def: Women's rights organization. Campaigned for the ERA which proposed a constitutional amendment that stated "equality of rights under law shall not be denied or abridged by the US or by any state on account of sex" Sig: Accomplished fundamental changes in attutudes and hiring practices. Women increasingly moved into male dominated professions

National Security Act (1947)

Definition: 1) Department of Defense: - Coordinated the operations of the army, navy, and airforce (replaced the War Department) 2) National Security Council (NSC): - Coordinated the making of foreign policy in the Cold War 3) Central Intelligence Agency: - Employed spies to gather information on foreign governments 4) Selective Service System: - All men between the ages of 18 and 26 were required to enlist in the military (invoked a peacetime draft) Sig: Reshaped the nation's military and diplomatic institutions