US History Semester 2
Executive Order 9981 (1948): Desegregation of the US military
"It is hereby declared to be the policy of the President that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin. This policy shall be put into effect as rapidly as possible, having due regard to the time required to effectuate any necessary changes without impairing efficiency or morale."
eisenhower
"dynamic conservatism" aka "Modern Republicanism" called for government to be "conservative when it comes to money and liberal when it comes to human beings;" followed a middle-of-the road course and avoided many controversial issues, pressed hard for programs that would bring around a balanced budget and a cut in taxes, raised the minimum wage, extended Social Security and unemployment benefits, increased funding for public housing, and backed the creation of interstate highways and the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare "IKE"
Jack Kerouac
*** ON THE ROAD*** American novelist and poet, a pioneer of the Beat Generation, spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic spirituality, jazz, sexual promiscuity, Buddhism, drugs, poverty, and travel, progenitor of the hippie movement, died from internal bleeding due to long standing abuse of alcohol
allen ginsberg
***HOWL*** American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation, opposed militarism, materialism, and sexual repression, practicing Buddhist who studied Eastern religious disciplines extensively, took part in decades of non-violent political protest, succumbed to liver cancer via complications of hepatitis and died in NYC
John F. Kennedy
- 35th president - Democratic nominee against Republican Nixon - television and civil rights issue caused presidential win - "ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country." - thought the Eisenhower administration had not done enough about the Soviet threat - created an elite branch of the army called the Special Forces, or Green Berets - enabled US to fight limited wars around the world while maintaining a balance of nuclear power with the Soviet Union
eisenhower's accomplishments
- Helped end McCarthyism by refusing to allow administration personnel to testify at the McCarthy hearings. - Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956: authorized $25 billion for 41,000 miles of interstate highways to be constructed in the United States. - Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960: The 1957 Act created a civil rights office within the U.S. Justice Department; the 1960 Act authorized investigation of voting rights restrictions. - Created NASA - era of the Baby Boom
inventions
- credit cards - bar codes - diet sodas - velcro - microwave oven - Peanuts (Charlie Brown) - super glue - Mr. Potato Head - McDonald's - bubble wrap - birth control pill - hula hoop - laser - microchip - barbie
What did JFK persuade Congress to do?
- enact measures to boost the economy - build the national defense - provide international aid - fund a massive space program
What did JFK offer Congress proposals to?
- provide medical care for the aged - rebuild blighted urban areas - aid education
Fidel Castro
- revolutionary leader of Cuba - communist - welcomed aid from the Soviet Union - gained power with the promise of democracy - seized three American and British oil refineries - broke up commercial farms into communes to be worked by formerly landless peasants - relied increasingly on Soviet aid and on political repression of dissenters - seen as a tyrant, population went into exile - BAY OF PIGS
Sequence of events of Korean War
1) Korean Peninsula separated into communist north and non-communist south 2) North Korea invades South Korea, crossing the 38th parallel 3) South Korean forces retreat, holding onto a small area around Pusan 4) US and UN force successfully invade at Inchon 5) US and UN force pursue North Korean troops, cross 38th parallel 6) US and Un force approach Yalu River, the border between North Korea and China, China enters the war in support of North Korea 7) Gen. Douglas MacArthur is fired by Truman for suggesting the use of nuclear weapons against North Korea 8) Chinese and North Korean forces cause US and UN force to retreat 9) Ceasefire signed, ended conflict in Korea (border of North and South is barely changed)
Ethel and Julius Rosenberg
Americans learned that the Soviet Union had exploded an atomic bomb, People began to wonder if Communist supporters in US had leaked the secret of the bomb; German-born physicist Klaus Fuchs admitted giving the Soviet Union information ,about America's atomic bomb which enabled Soviet scientists to develop their own atomic bomb; these minor activists in the American Communist Party denied the charges of Communism against them and pleaded the Fifth Amendment, choosing not to incriminate themselves, claimed persecuted for being Jewish and for holding radical beliefs, these people were found guilty of espionage and sentenced to death, found directly responsible for one of the deadliest clashes of the Cold War; died in the electric chair in June 1953, first US civilians executed for espionage
1964 election
Barry Goldwater v. Lyndon B. Johnson, LBJ won by a landslide
Taiwan
Chiang fled to this island after Communists ruled all of mainland China and established People's Republic of China; containment had failed, Truman administration blamed, American fear of communism increased
Mao Zedong
Communist leader ruling in northern China, relied heavily on financial aid from the Soviet Union, attracted peasants with promises of land reform, benefited from experiences guerilla army and a highly motivated leadership
1952 election
Eisenhower and Nixon win with "I like Ike and Dick"
CIA's action in Guatemala
Eisenhower believed Guatemala's government had Communist sympathies (gave American-owned land to peasants), CIA's army invaded Guatemala, Guatemalan president resigned and army's leader became dictator of the country
"Open Skies" proposal
Eisenhower met with Soviet leaders in Geneva, Switzerland; Soviets rejected proposal for US and Soviet Union to allow flights over each other's territory to guard against surprise nuclear attacks
1944 election
FDR and Truman win easily, but Roosevelt will survive less that three months into his fourth term as president. Truman is inaugurated on April 12, 1945, the day of FDR's death.
Suez War
Great Britain and the US agreed to help Egypt finance construction of a dam on Nile, Abdel-Nasser (Egypt's head of government) tried improving relations with US AND Soviet Union to get more aid; Dulles withdrew offer of a loan so Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal (Egyptian waterway that was owned by France and Great Britain), French and British were mad, ships bound for Israel couldn't pass through the canal, Israel, Britain and France seized the Mediterranean end of the canal; The UN quickly stepped in and persuaded Great Britain, France, and Israel to withdraw but allowed Egypt to keep control of the canal
Hollywood Ten
HUAC Communism movie trial, these ten "unfriendly" witnesses were called to testify but refused; decided not to cooperate because they believed that the hearings were unconstitutional, sent to prison
blacklist
Hollywood executives instituted a list of people whom they condemned for having a Communist background; careers ruined because they could no longer work
national health insurance plan
In a November 19, 1945 address, President Truman called for the creation of this, to be run by the federal government. This would be open to all Americans, but would remain optional. Participants would pay monthly fees, which would cover the cost of any and all medical expenses that arose in a time of need. The government would pay for the cost of services rendered by any doctor who chose to join the program.
CIA's action in Iran
Iran's prime minister (mossadegh) nationalized Iran's oil fields, British stopped buying Iranian oil, US gave several million dollars to anti-Mossadegh supporters (prevent help from Soviets) and wanted the pro-American Shah of Iran to return to power;
38th parallel
Japanese troops north of the 38th parallel surrendered to the Soviets, Japanese troops south of the parallel surrendered to Americans; North Korea (Communist, Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and South Korea (Democratic, Republic of Korea)
Lyndon B. Johnson
LBJ: JFK's vice president, became president after assassination of JFK, believed that government could and should help solve the nation's problems
McCarthy's Downfall
McCarthy made accusations against the U.S. Army, which resulted in a nationally televised Senate investigation which alienated the audience and cost him public support; Senate condemned him for improper conduct; 3 years later McCarthy, suffering from alcoholism, died
jazz
Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Thelonius Monk; a style of music characterized by the use of improvisation; entertained audiences of all races but aimed toward African Americans
Chiang Kai-shek
Nationalist leader ruling in southern and eastern China, relied heavily on aid from US, struggled with inflation and a falling economy, suffered from weak leadership and poor morale
New Frontier
President John F. Kennedy's legislative program, which included proposals to provide medical care for the elderly, to rebuild blighted urban areas, to aid education, to bolster the national defense, to increase international aid, and to expand the space program
"Great Society"
President Lyndon B. Johnson's program to reduce poverty and racial injustice and to promote a better quality of life in the United States
Loyalty Review Board
President Truman issued executive order, Federal Employee Loyalty Program (included this); investigated government employees and dismissed those who were found to be disloyal to the U.S.government
Dwight D. Eisenhower
President from 1953 to 1961; supported brinkmanship
Korean War
STALEMATE; a conflict between North Korea and South Korea, lasting from 1950 to 1953, in which the United States, along with other UN countries, fought on the side of the South Koreans and China fought on the side of the North Koreans; increased fear of communist aggression and prompted a hunt for Americans who might be blamed for the communist gains
comics
Senate subcommittee investigated comic books (juvenile delinquency), and create the Comics Code Authority: - cannot explicitly present the unique details and methods of a crime - policemen, judges, government officials are to be respected - good shall triumph over evil, criminal punished - crime, horror, or terror should not be in the title of the comic - excessive slang is discouraged - romance comics must emphasize the value of home and the sanctity of marriage
Sputnik
Soviets took lead in space race; October 4, 1957: world's first artificial satellite, triumph of Soviet technology; Americans poured money into their own space program
1948 election
Truman (Democrat) vs. Dewey (Republican), Truman wins, close race
fair deal goals
Truman's continuation and extension of FDR's New Deal: - Increased minimum wage to $0.75 - Constructed low income public housing - Expanded civil rights legislation (failed) - Federal support for education (failed) - Federal health insurance (failed)
Berlin airlift
a 327-day operation in which U.S. and British planes flew food and supplies into West Berlin after the Soviets blockaded the city in 1948 (no military intervention)
Francis Gary Powers
a U-2 pilot who entered Soviet airspace, was shot down by a Soviet pilot, and forced to parachute into Soviet-controlled territory (10 YEARS IN PRISON)
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
a U.S. agency created to gather secret information about foreign governments; relied on heavily by Eisenhower Administration, used spies to gather information, began to carry out covert, operations to weaken or overthrow governments unfriendly to the United States
Eisenhower Doctrine
a U.S. commitment to defend the Middle East against attack by any communist country, announced by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1957; Soviet Union's prestige in Middle East rose (support for Egypt)
Alliance for Progress
a U.S. foreign-aid program of the 1960s, providing economic and technical assistance to Latin American countries
Truman Doctrine
a U.S. policy, announced by President Harry S. Truman in 1947, of providing economic and military aid to free nations threatened by internal or external opponents (Turkey and Greece)
mandate
a clear indication that voters approved of his plans, Kennedy lacked this so he tried to play it safe politically
hot line
a communication link established in 1963 to allow the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to contact each other in times of crisis
franchise
a company that offers similar products or services in many locations; right sold to an individual to do business using the parent company's name and the system that the parent company developed, McDonald's
Berlin Wall
a concrete wall topped with barbed wire that severed Berlin in two, created by Kennedy for the containment of communism, aggravated Cold War tensions
Satellite Nation
a country that is dominated politically and economically by another nation; countries dominated by the Soviet Union, communist governments installed in Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Poland
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
a defensive military alliance formed in 1949 by ten Western European countries, the United States, and Canada pledging military support to one another in case any member was attacked; US entered military alliance during peacetime, Cold War ended any hope of US isolation
Medicare
a federal program, established in 1965, that provides hospital insurance and low cost medical insurance to Americans aged 65 and over
Warren Commission
a group, headed by Chief Justice Earl Warren, that investigated the assassination of President Kennedy and concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald was alone responsible
Immigration Act of 1965
a law that increased the number of immigrants allowed to settle in the US
Warsaw Pact
a military alliance formed in 1955 by the Soviet Union and its Eastern European satellites; Soviets grew fearful when West Germany was allowed to rearm and join NATO
Iron Curtain
a phrase used by Winston Churchill in 1946 to describe an imaginary line that separated Communist countries in the Soviet bloc of Eastern Europe from Capitalist Democratic countries in Western Europe
flexible response
a policy, developed during the Kennedy administration, that involved preparing for a variety of military responses to international crises rather than focusing on the use of nuclear weapons
Medicaid
a program, established in 1965, that provides health insurance for people on welfare
Peace Corps
an agency established in 1961 to provide volunteer assistance to developing nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America
fair deal
an extension of Roosevelt's New Deal, economic program included proposals for a nationwide system of compulsory health insurance and a crop-subsidy system to provide a steady income for farmers
United Nations
an international peacekeeping organization to which most nations in the world belong, founded in 1945 to promote world peace, security, and economic development; intended to promote peace, used by US and Soviet Union as forum to spread their influence over others
John Foster Dulles
anti-Communist, viewed Cold War as moral crusade against communism; proposed that the US could prevent the spread of communism by promising to use all of its force, including nuclear weapons, against any aggressor nation
Economic Opportunity Act
approving nearly $1 billion for youth programs, anti poverty measures, small-business loans, and job training. The EOA legislation created: • the Job Corps Youth Training Program • VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) • Project Head Start, an education program for underprivileged preschoolers • the Community Action Program, which encouraged poor people to participate in public-works programs
McCarthyism
attacks on suspected Communists in the early 1950s; referred to the unfair tactic of accusing people of disloyalty without providing evidence
conformity
behavior that is the same as the behavior of most other people in a society, group, etc. (ex. gender roles, McDonald's franchises, suburbs, 1950s television)
consumerism
buying material goods, leisure time led to new inventions and products, more money to increase numbers of products
Other Anti-Communist Measures
by 1953, 39 states had passed laws making it illegal to advocate the violent overthrow of the government (which clearly violated the constitutional right of free speech); fear of communism seemed to have no limits; no profession was safe from the hunt for Communists
Hungarian Uprising
dominated by the Soviet Union since the end of WWII, Hungary rose in revolt in 1956; called for a democratic government. Imre Nagy formed a new government (free elections, denounced Warsaw Pact, demanded that all Soviet troops leave Hungary); Soviets invaded and killed Hungarians, Soviets overthrew the Nagy government, replaced it with pro- Soviet leaders; US did nothing to help Hungary; **containment did not extend to driving the Soviet Union out of its satellites**
What domestic problem did the Kennedy team tackle?
economy (pushed for use of deficit spending, increased spending, increased minimum wage, extended unemployment insurance, and provided assistance to cities with high unemployment
beat movement
expressed the social and literary nonconformity of artists, poets, and writers; beat originally meant "weary" but came to refer as well to a musical beat; followers were called beats/beatniks and lived nonconformist lives, shunned regular work, and sought a higher consciousness through Zen Buddhism, music and sometimes drugs
Bay of Pigs
failed military invasion of Cuba, a counter-revolutionary military, trained and funded by the United States government's CIA, intended to overthrow the increasingly communist government of Fidel Castro, launched from Guatemala, the invading force was defeated within three days by the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, under the direct command of Prime Minister Fidel Castro
non-conformity
failure or refusal to behave the way most people behave (examples: rock 'n' roll, Elvis Presley, "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac, "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg, James Dean in "Rebel Without a Cause," Modern Art by Pollock, Newman, and Rothko)
Alger Hiss
former Communist spy named Whittaker Chambers accused this person of spying for the Soviet Union, Chambers produced microfilm of government documents that he claimed had been typed on this person's typewriter; charged not of espionage (too much time had passed) but of perjury (for lying about passing the documents), sent him to jail; young conservative Republican congressman named Richard Nixon gained fame for pursuing the charges against this person, Nixon was elected vice president of the United States. Soviet cables released by the National Security Agency seemed to prove this person's guilt
office of price administration
halted inflation by imposing maximum prices on goods during WWII, lead to prices skyrocketing
suburb
housing shortage led to homes offered in small residential communities surrounding cities
HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee)
investigated possible Communist influence, both inside and outside the U.S. government; began to investigate Communist influence in movie industry, believed Communists were sneaking propaganda into films, pointed to pro-Soviet films made during WWII when Soviet Union had been a United States ally; this organization summoned 43 witnesses from the Hollywood film industry
planned obsolescence
manufacturers began using a marketing strategy that encouraged consumers to purchase more goods, manufacturers purposely designed products to wear out or become outdated in a short period of time
mass media
means of communication that reach large audience, television developed quickly
robert taylor homes
meant to be an improvement over the slums they replaced, the buildings turned into hot zones for a host of social problems, America's largest public-housing project and evolved into an emblem of failure, seen by many residents and by outsiders as prisons for the poor, comprised 28 16-story buildings mostly in U-shaped clusters of three, containing almost 4,300 apartments and 27,000 people
Joseph McCarthy
most famous anti-Communist activist was this Republican senator from Wisconsin; acquired a reputation for being an ineffective legislator; charged that Communists were taking over the government
juvenile delinquency
participation in illegal behavior by minors
dixiecrat
protested Truman's emphasis on civil rights, a number of Southern Democrats formed the States' Rights Democratic Party in 1948 election
rock 'n' roll
radio disc jockey named Alan Freed was first to coin term, addition of electronic instruments to traditional blues music; name that has come to mean music that's both black and white "music that is American" ***ELVIS PRESLEY - King of Rock***
beat generation
refers to a group of American post-World War II writers who came to prominence in the 1950s; central elements of "Beat" culture included experimentation with drugs, alternative forms of sexuality, an interest in Eastern religion, a rejection of materialism, and the idealizing of exuberant, spontaneous means of expression and being
McCarran Internal Security Act
replaced Truman's Loyalty Review Board, made it unlawful to plan any action that might lead to the establishment of a totalitarian dictatorship in the US; Truman vetoed the bill but Congress enacted the law over Truman's veto
Nikita Khrushchev
ruler after Stalin's death, believed communism would take over the world but triumph peacefully, favored peaceful coexistence in which two powers would compete economically and scientifically
states' rights democratic party
small political party in favor of segregation of the races, also known as Dixiecrats, Jackie Robinson went against these beliefs by becoming the first African American to play in major league baseball
baby boom
soldiers returned from WWII and settled into family life, they contributed to an unprecedented population explosion, birth rate soared to one American infant born every 7 seconds; the largest generation in the nation's history caused by reunion of husbands and wives after the war, decreasing marriage age, desirability of large families, confidence in continued economic prosperity, and advances in medicine
Limited Test Ban Treaty
the 1963 treaty in which the United States and the Soviet Union agreed not to conduct nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere
Warren Court
the Supreme Court during the period when Earl Warren was chief justice, noted for its activism in the areas of civil rights and free speech (banned prayer in public schools, declared state-required loyalty oaths unconstitutional, limited power of communities to censor books or films, said free speech included the wearing of black armbands to school by antiwar students)
Containment
the blocking of another nation's attempts to spread its influence; the efforts of the United States to block the spread of Soviet (communist) influence during the late 1940s and early 1950s, Truman administration
U-2 incident
the downing of a U.S. spy plane and capture of its pilot by the Soviet Union in 1960; CIA made secret high-altitude flights over Soviet territory with plane (U-2: could fly at high altitudes without detection, cameras took photographs of troop movement and missile sites); US officials were nervous about the U-2 program (1) existence/purpose of U-2 was an open secret among some members of the American press (2) Soviets had been aware of the flights since 1958; Eisenhower wanted flights discontinued. He and Khrushchev were going to hold another summit conference on the arms race but Dulles persuaded him to authorize one last flight (Francis Gary Powers was pilot); Khrushchev demanded an apology for flights and a promise to halt them, Eisenhower agreed to stop U-2 flights but didn't apologize; Khrushchev called off the summit and withdrew his invitation to Eisenhower to visit the Soviet Union
federal communications commision
the government agency that regulates and licenses television, telephone, telegraph, radio, and other communications industries, period of rapid expansion of television entertainment is known as the ________ ; ("golden age") where women and minorities were portrayed in a stereotypical way
H-bomb
the hydrogen bomb—a thermonuclear weapon much more powerful than the atomic bomb; race to see if US or Soviets would be the first to produce an H-bomb, Truman made decision to develop an even more horrifying weapon than atomic bombs
brinkmanship
the practice of threatening an enemy with massive military retaliation for any aggression; the United States trimmed its army and navy and expanded its air force (delivered bombs) and its buildup of nuclear weapons
Marshall Plan
the program, proposed by Secretary of State George Marshall in 1947, under which the United States supplied economic aid to European nations to help them rebuild after World War II
Cold War
the state of hostility, without direct military conflict, that developed between the United States and the Soviet Union after WWII
reapportionment
the way in which states redraw election districts based on the changing number of people in them
truman
viewed as honorable, down-to-earth, and self-confident; had the ability to make difficult decisions and to accept full responsibility for their consequences; faced two huge challenges: dealing with rising threat of communism and restoring the American economy to a strong footing after the war's end, supported civil rights, did not run in 1952 and Eisenhower became president
Effects of McCarthyism
• Americans forced to take loyalty oaths and undergo loyalty investigations • Activism by labor unions declines • Many are afraid to speak out on public issues • Anti-communism drives U.S. foreign policy
Causes of McCarthyism
• Soviets establish Communist regimes in Eastern Europe after WWII • Soviets develop atomic bomb more quickly than expected • Korean War ends in a stalemate • Republicans gain politically by accusing Truman and Democrats of being soft on communism
