★ CHAPTER 24 ★ AN AFFLUENT SOCIETY 1953–1960

Question 1

Levittown

Answer 1

Refers to a suburban housing development built by William Levitt and his company in the years following World War II. Levittown became an iconic symbol of the postwar suburban boom and the growth of the American middle class.

Question 2

Baby boom

Answer 2

Refers to the sharp increase in the birth rate in the United States following World War II, between 1946 and 1964. The baby boom had a profound impact on American society, affecting everything from the economy to politics to culture.

Question 3

Urban renewal

Answer 3

Refers to a program of urban redevelopment that aimed to revitalize and modernize urban areas by tearing down older buildings and replacing them with new, modern structures. Urban renewal was controversial, as it often resulted in the displacement of low-income residents and the destruction of historic neighborhoods.

Question 4

“In God We Trust”

Answer 4

Refers to the official motto of the United States, which was adopted in 1956. The phrase has its roots in the national anthem, and it became a widely recognized symbol of American identity during the Cold War.

Question 5

Interstate highway system

Answer 5

Refers to the vast network of highways and roads that was built in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s. The interstate highway system was designed to connect cities and promote economic growth.

The signing of the Federal-Aid Highway Act by President Eisenhower led to the construction of the Interstate Highway System, which revolutionized transportation and had major economic and social impacts on the United States.

Question 6

Sputnik

Answer 6

Refers to the first artificial satellite to be launched into orbit, by the Soviet Union in 1957. The launch of Sputnik was a major shock to the United States and sparked a new phase of the space race.

The event led to increased emphasis on science and education in the United States, including the passage of the National Defense Education Act.

Question 7

National Defense Education Act

Answer 7

Refers to a law passed by Congress in 1958 that provided federal funding for education, particularly in science and technology. The act was a response to the perceived threat of Soviet advances in science and technology.

Question 8

Social contract

Answer 8

Refers to the implicit agreement between citizens and their government, in which citizens agree to give up some of their freedoms in exchange for protection and security provided by the government.

Question 9

Massive retaliation

Answer 9

Refers to a military strategy adopted by the United States during the Cold War, which involved the threat of massive nuclear retaliation in response to any aggression by the Soviet Union or its allies.

Question 10

Geneva Accords

Answer 10

Refers to a set of agreements reached at the Geneva Conference in 1954, which aimed to resolve the conflict in Vietnam. The accords established a temporary division of Vietnam and called for free elections to be held in 1956, but these elections were never held.

Question 11

The Beats

Answer 11

Refers to a group of writers, artists, and musicians who rejected mainstream American culture in the 1950s and embraced a countercultural lifestyle. The Beats were associated with literary figures like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, and they had a significant influence on the development of the 1960s counterculture.

Question 12

League of United Latin American Citizens

Answer 12

Refers to a civil rights organization founded in 1929 to address the needs of Hispanic Americans. LULAC played a significant role in the fight for civil rights in the 1950s and 1960s, particularly in the Southwest.

Question 13

Brown v. Board of Education

Answer 13

Refers to a landmark Supreme Court case in 1954 that struck down the “separate but equal” doctrine and paved the way for desegregation of public schools in the United States.

This landmark Supreme Court decision declared segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional. The decision had far-reaching implications for the Civil Rights Movement and set the stage for other legal challenges to segregation and discrimination.

Question 14

Montgomery bus boycott

Answer 14

Refers to a 1955-1956 boycott of the Montgomery, Alabama bus system by African Americans in response to segregation and discrimination. The boycott was a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement and helped to launch the career of Martin Luther King Jr.

This protest against the segregation of public buses in Montgomery, Alabama was sparked by the arrest of Rosa Parks.

Question 15

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Answer 15

Refers to a civil rights organization founded in 1957 by Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders. The SCLC played a key role in

Question 16

Southern Manifesto

Answer 16

Refers to a document signed by over 100 members of the U.S. Congress from the Southern states in 1956. The document was a response to the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which declared segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional. The Southern Manifesto called for resistance to the court’s decision and expressed support for continued segregation.

Question 17

Missile gap

Answer 17

Refers to a perceived technological and strategic advantage held by the Soviet Union over the United States in terms of missile technology during the Cold War. The missile gap was believed to be a significant threat to U.S. national security, and it was a major issue in the 1960 U.S. presidential election.

Question 18

U-2 Incident (1960)

Answer 18

The downing of an American U-2 spy plane over the Soviet Union led to a major diplomatic crisis and tensions between the U.S. and the USSR during the Cold War.

Question 19

Civil Rights Act of 1957

Answer 19

This was the first federal civil rights legislation passed by the United States Congress since the Reconstruction era. It established the Civil Rights Commission to investigate claims of racial discrimination and protect voting rights for African Americans.

Question 20

Military-industrial complex

Answer 20

Refers to the relationship between the military establishment and the defense industry in the United States, which emerged during World War II and expanded significantly during the Cold War. The military-industrial complex refers to the intertwined network of businesses, government agencies, and military organizations that collectively exert significant political and economic influence in the United States.

Question 21

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Answer 21

President of the United States during this period, known for his moderate conservatism and emphasis on national security.

He is important because he presided over a time of economic prosperity and oversaw policies that promoted social stability.

Question 22

Richard Nixon

Answer 22

Vice President of the United States under Eisenhower, later becoming the 37th President of the United States.

He is important because he played a prominent role in the Eisenhower administration’s foreign and domestic policies.

Question 23

John F. Kennedy

Answer 23

Democratic Senator from Massachusetts who challenged Nixon for the presidency in the 1960 election.

Question 24

Martin Luther King Jr.

Answer 24

Civil rights activist and Baptist minister who played a major role in the Montgomery bus boycott and was a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement.

Question 25

Rosa Parks

Answer 25

Civil rights activist who refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus to a white passenger, sparking the Montgomery bus boycott.

Her act of defiance helped to spark the Montgomery bus boycott and the Civil Rights Movement.

Question 26

Elvis Presley

Answer 26

Popular musician and cultural icon who rose to fame during the 1950s and 1960s.

He played an important role in the rise of rock and roll music and helped to bring African American music to a wider audience.

Question 27

Allen Ginsberg

Answer 27

American poet and leading figure of the Beat Generation.

Question 28

Jonas Salk

Answer 28

Medical researcher who developed the first successful polio vaccine.

The vaccine was a major breakthrough in the fight against the disease, which had caused widespread fear and outbreaks in the United States.

Question 29

Nikita Khrushchev

Answer 29

Premier of the Soviet Union during this period, known for his efforts to liberalize Soviet society and his confrontations with the United States during the Cold War.

He was a key player in the Cold War and presided over some of the most tense moments of the conflict, including the Cuban Missile Crisis. Khrushchev also implemented domestic reforms in the Soviet Union, such as the de-Stalinization campaign.

Question 30

Fidel Castro

Answer 30

Revolutionary leader who overthrew the Cuban government in 1959, leading to tensions with the United States.

He played a significant role in the Cold War as he aligned with the Soviet Union and became a thorn in the side of the United States, culminating in the Cuban Missile Crisis. His leadership also saw the implementation of socialist policies in Cuba.

Question 31

Lyndon B. Johnson

Answer 31

He was the Vice President of the United States during Kennedy’s presidency and became President after Kennedy’s assassination. He is important because he implemented many of Kennedy’s policies and initiated several of his own, including the Great Society and War on Poverty programs.