Unit 8 Key Terms Flashcards

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1
Q

The Cold War

A

1947-1991
* An ideological war, democracy vs. communism
* Called a cold war because there was no actual fighting, only proxy wars

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2
Q

Propaganda During The Cold War

A
  • The US used a lot of propaganda and advertisements to display how awful of a system communism was and how awesome capitalism was in comparison
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3
Q

The Long Telegram, Containment

A

1946
* Written by G. F. Kennan, the longest telegram ever written
* Wanted to control communism by containing it in the Soviet Union, barely worked

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4
Q

The Iron Curtain

A
  • A symbolic line between democratic countries and communist countries, from a speech by Winston Churchill
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5
Q

Truman Doctrine

A

1947
* Written by Harry S. Truman, saying that the US will support any democratic nations from subjugation by authoritarian nations

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6
Q

Marshall Plan

A

1947-1948
* Granted economic aid to democratic nations in Europe, totaled to over 12.5 billion dollars

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7
Q

Division of Germany

A

1949
* Germany and its capital were divided into four equal areas between France, Great Britain, the US, and the Soviet Union
* France and Great Britain eventually gave their area to the US, division was supposed to be temporary but lasted for much longer

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8
Q

Berlin Blockade

A

1948-1949
* Stalin attempts to cut off access to Berlin from the US so that Berlin (and then the rest of Germany) will fall to communism

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9
Q

Berlin Airlift

A

1948-1949
* The US, along with many other democratic nations, got together to deliver supplies to Berlin via an airlift

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10
Q

NATO

A

1949
* NATO was created originally to ally democratic countries together against communism

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11
Q

The Warsaw Pact

A

1955
* Created by Stalin in response to NATO, mirrored NATO but as communism against democracy

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12
Q

Creation of West Germany & East Germany

A

1949
* The US created West Germany which was politically and economically stable and independent
* East Germany was created by Stalin to mirror West Germany but with communism

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13
Q

Worker Stikes Following WW2

A
  • Price ceilings were lifted, so prices skyrocketed while worker wages didn’t increase at all
  • Workers began going on strike for their wages to be increased, the largest strike in US history with over 4.6 million workers on strike
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14
Q

Employment Act

A

1946
* States that it was the government’s responsibility to protect wages and government stability, also said they needed to stop inflation and unemployment

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15
Q

Taft-Hartley Act

A

1947
* Gave the president the power to shut down strikes if necessary
* Allowed the executive branch to invade the affairs of private industries, overextension of power

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16
Q

Executive Order 9981

A

1948
* Truman wanted to provide equal rights to African Americans but saw lots of opposition from his fellow Democrats
* Used an executive order (bypassing Congress) to desegregate the military, but all other facilities were still segregated

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17
Q

Jackie Robinson

A
  • African-American Man who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and was the most prominent African American professional athlete at the time
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18
Q

National Security Act

A

1947
* Established the National Security Council (NSC), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the Joint Chief of Staff
* Mandated a major reorganization of foreign policy and the military

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19
Q

Joint Chief of Staff

A

1947
* Made of senior military leaders from each branch of the military and made decisions in the case of wars, invasions, and other conflicts

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20
Q

Israel Becomes an Ally

A

1948
* The US began recognizing Israel as a country and became their #1 ally
* The main reason was to establish influence in the Middle East and have an ally that was close to Russia

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21
Q

The “Fair Deal”

A

1949
* Proposed by Harry S. Truman to create a civil rights bill, national healthcare, and federal aid to education and housing
* Though Truman won the election, congress never let him see his points get passed while in office

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22
Q

China Turns Communist

A

1949
* Mao Zedong took over China and the country fell to Communism
* Highlighted how weak containment was, showing it needed to be revised

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23
Q

Russia Develops an Atom Bomb

A

1949
* Russia officially released that they had made an atomic bomb
* The US began to panic at the thought of nuclear warfare and tried to investigate who the Russian mole was

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23
Q

Internal Report 68

A

1950
* Created by the National Security Council, it planned to revise the idea of containment and find another way to beat communism
* Decided to strengthen all branches of the military indefinitely and build a nuclear arsenal in case Russia would attack
* Created a lot of jobs for US citizens, with the 1950s being the height of the US economically
* Lead the international arms race and space race

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24
Q

The Korean War

A

1950-1953
* China and Russia invaded the Northern Half of Korea, making it to the 38th parallel
* North Korea became communist while South Korea was capitalist (A.K.A. not communist)
* The United Nations with the support of the USA launched a defensive attack on North Korea, with both sides going back and forth
* General Douglas McArthur led US involvement and wanted to nuke Korea and end the war quickly, but Truman disagreed and had him let go
* An armistice was held devising Korea at the 38th parallel, the war put Democrats in a bad light and only harmed the US population

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25
Q

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

A

1938
* The US wanted to find Russian spies, and HUAC led the hunt for these
* Would accuse anyone they thought had ties and put them on trial, especially targeting Hollywood

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26
Q

Hollywood 10

A

1947
* 10 witnesses in Hollywood refused to cooperate with HUAC, with the Hollywood 10 growing to become the Hollywood 500
* All members would be unfairly blacklisted from Hollywood and condemned as spies, even though there was little to no evidence

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27
Q

Alger Hiss

A

1948
* A worker for the state government who was put on trial twice without evidence, but was still found guilty and jailed

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28
Q

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

A

1950-1953
* A husband and wife duo who were alleged to be spies for the Soviets, with Julius being affiliated with the Manhattan Project
* Both of them were found guilty of espionage and were the only two people executed for suspected espionage during this period

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29
Q

Joe McCarthy, McCarthyism

A

1950-1954
* Republican senator Joe McCarthy spread a lot of fear over possible espionage, using women to help spread gossip of possible spies
* Had a list of 205 members of government who he suspected were communist spies

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30
Q

Arthur Miller, “The Crucible”

A

1953
* Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible about the Salem Witch Trials and warned about following the lead of one person, making clear comparisons to Senator Joe McCarthy

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31
Q

Lavender Scares

A

1950s
* Grew along the red scare, targeting LGBTQ+ people for being “deviants” and spies
* Hundreds of people were accused and lost their jobs

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32
Q

Executive Order 10450

A

1953
* Signed by Eisenhower, barring LGBTQ+ people from serving in the federal government and essentially let the government decide who could work with them and who couldn’t

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33
Q

McCarran International Security Act

A

1950
* Communists had to register as a member of their party with the Attorney General
* Government employees had to take loyalty oaths and affirm their allegiance
* Established the Subversive Activities Control Board (SACB) to investigate organizations that possibly were communist

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34
Q

22nd Amendment

A

1951
* Restricted presidents to only two terms in office

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35
Q

Dwight “Ike” D. Eisenhower

A
  • The first Republican to enter the presidential office in 20 years, and was referred to as a moderate Republican
  • Maintained FDR’s deals, but believed the government should stay out of private/personal business and individual freedom
  • The first candidate to appeal to women, looking at causes women supported like education and lowering inflation
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36
Q

GI Bill

A

1944
* Passed by FDR, providing benefits to veterans like education and loans, creating economic growth

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37
Q

Baby Boom

A

1946-1964
* A worldwide explosion in birth rates as a result of WW2 ending, with people having several kids
* Led to increased production of goods for babies like baby food and cribs
* A lot of jobs were created in fields like education, construction, and production

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38
Q

National Highway System

A

1956
* The National Institute of Defense began building highways so the military and resources could travel across the country quickly

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39
Q

Rise of Roadside Culture

A
  • Cars have become a vital part of many people’s lives, allowing people to travel further for leisure and to find new opportunities, and leading to a growing market
  • Fast food joints grew because of affordability and speed
  • Motels grew as a quick place to stop at while on the road
  • Drive-in theaters grew as a popular form of entertainment enjoyable from your car
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40
Q

Levittowns/Surburbias/Cookie Cutter Towns, The “White Flight”

A
  • Mass-produced suburbs that became popular with the Cold War as people wanted to buy homes outside of cities
  • Many white families began moving to these suburbs to leave those “not like them”
  • Because of a need to build homes rapidly most homes had standard sets of items like kitchen appliances
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41
Q

Rise of TV Shows

A
  • TV shows became a popular form of entertainment and were used to present the idea that families should conform to gender roles
  • Always showed fathers as central figures, women as submissive housewives, and a few kids
  • Families were always white, a healthy white family wasn’t shown on TV until the 1980s with Bill Cosby
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42
Q

Gender roles in the 1950s & 1960s

A
  • Only 5-6% of women had jobs, most women who went to college went mainly to find husbands
  • Advertisements and entertainment re-inforced gender roles by showing what expectations there were for women
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43
Q

Religious revival in the 1950s & 1960s

A
  • Christianity began to rise again as the US became a “godly” nation meant to combat the “ungodly” Soviet Union
  • Increased focus on the youth, notions of god added in places live the pledge of allegiance and on our money
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44
Q

Rise of Teenage Culture

A

1950s
* Subcultures began to grow for teenage groups, as kids had free time because they didn’t need to go to work after school anymore
* Shopping malls and other forms of commerce grew to target youth
* Music by the likes of Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and Elvis Presley grew as rebellious music for teenagers, most parents were worried about how “vulgar” they were

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45
Q

Beat Generation, Anticonformity

A

1950s
* A group of writers known as the beat generation wrote about anticonformity, with significant figures like Jack Kerosene and William Burroughs
* The anticonformist movement continued to grow, which is how we ended up with hippie culture

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46
Q

Massive Retaliation

A
  • A strategy where a state will retaliate with much greater force than received (you get slapped, you nuke their home)
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47
Q

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)

A
  • An argument not to go to war where it’s known that direct conflict could cause excessive damages
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48
Q

Nationalize

A
  • To transfer something to government control, such as land or canals
49
Q

Operation Ajax

A

1953
* Iran recently got rid of the British and implemented their government
* The CIA removed the leader and replaced him with someone sympathetic to American needs to get more oil for their economy
* Made it look like it was a civilian uprising, the leader is considered one of Iran’s worst

50
Q

Banana Republic

A
  • A small and poor country almost completely dependent on an economy of bananas
51
Q

Operation PBSUCCESS

A

1954
* The Guatemalan government wanted to nationalize their economy by taking control of all the American plantations
* The CIA overthrew Guatemala’s leader and put an American sympathizer into office, and made it look like a civilian uprising

52
Q

Hungarian Revolution

A

1956
* Hungary saw the US “help” Guatemala and Iran and rose against their government, believing the USA would help them defend democracy
* The US chose not to intervene because they were too close to the USSR and it wasn’t in their best economic interests

53
Q

Suez Crisis

A

1956
* Egypt’s leader wanted to nationalize their economy by taking control of the Suez Canal from the British and French
* Britain and France convinced Israel to attack Egypt to prevent this, supporting them along the way
* Eisenhower didn’t join the war but did address it because it was an election year and he didn’t want to lose public favor

54
Q

Eisenhower Doctrine

A

1957
* Stated that the Middle East could intervene if they were being threatened by anything (kept vague so they could define it however they wanted)

55
Q

Nikita Khrushchev

A
  • Stalin died and was replaced by Khrushchev who denounced him but was still communist and serious like Stalin
  • Spoke with Eisenhower about the US leaving Berlin, waiting for the next guy after an American spy plane was shot down over Russia
56
Q

Brown Vs. The Board of Education

A

1954
* The NAACP sued the Kansas Board of Education on behalf of a few black families because their kids couldn’t attend an all-white school down the block
* The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Brown because “separate but equal is inherently unequal” overturning Plessy Vs. Ferguson

57
Q

Brown II

A

1955
* The Southern States challenged the original Brown Vs. The Board of Education ruling to try and overturn it
* The Supreme Court decided that states could make the change “with all deliberate speed” (Whenever tf they wanted)

58
Q

Rosa Parks, Montgomery Bus Boycotts

A

1955-1956
* Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give her seat on a bus for a white man
* Her arrest made national news, leading to a boycott of the bus system of Montgomery led by Martin Luther King Jr.
* Ended when the Supreme Court ruled segregation on buses to be unconstitutional

59
Q

Martin Luther King Jr.

A
  • A prominent leader in the civil rights movement during the 50s and 60s.
  • Advocated for nonviolent protests through civil disobedience in events like the Mongomery Bus Boycott and March on Washington
  • Gave the famous “I Have a Dream” Speech calling for an end to racism in the US
60
Q

Little Rock Nine

A

1957
* Nine black students began school at a previously white-only high school, but the governor of Arkansas banned them and sent the National Guard
* Eisenhower had to step in and get the army to help escort them to school without being harmed
* The Little Rock Nine were still heavily harassed by racists waiting outside the school and their classmates and teachers

61
Q

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)

A

1958
* Established by President Eisenhower to address the technological needs of the Department of Defense and develop US national security

62
Q

National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)

A

1958
* Established by President Eisenhower to advance knowledge about space and aeronautics
* Aimed to beat Russia in the Space Race

63
Q

Sputnik

A

1957
* Russia won the space race after they sent the Sputnik into orbit
* The US panicked because they didn’t know if it could be used for surveillance and/or launching weapons

64
Q

1960 Presidential Election

A
  • Republicans Nominated Vice President Richard Nixon as the Republican candidate, and Democrats nominated John F. Kennedy
  • Kennedy spoke about a “new frontier” in space to motivate people to vote for him along with attacking poverty
  • JFK won, though the final vote was very close
65
Q

Kennedy-Nixon Debates

A

1960
* The first televised debates, allowing voters to get a better feel of who they were voting for
* Nixon fumbled the bag bc of various factors making him look disheveled and not fit to run
* Many TV viewers believed Kennedy won the debates but radio listeners who didn’t see the candidates thought Nixon won the debates

66
Q

Eisenhower’s Farewell Address

A

1961
* Warned the US about overspending on the Military and having the country run by the Military Industrial Complex

67
Q

Military Industrial Complex

A
  • Refers to the relationship between the military, defense contractors, and the government
  • Government funs military, military works with defense contractors, contractors fund congress (Known as the Iron Triangle)
68
Q

Cuban Revolution

A

1959
* Cuba was a popular tourist destination, the US also controlled some Cuban land
* Cuba’s former leader Ruben Fulgencio Battista was kind to the US and its interests
* A coup led by Fidel Castro took Battista down and exiled anyone associated with him
* Castro was formerly a member of the nonaligned movement and was neither democratic nor communist

69
Q

Bay of Pigs Invasion

A

1961
* Fidel Castro wanted to nationalize the Cuban economy by taking control of all Cuban land, which would have hurt the US economy
* The CIA began training in Florida for an invasion of Cuba under Eisenhower, but they weren’t ready until JFK became president
* JFK disliked the idea and called off the second of two airstrikes on Cuba
* JFK fired the head & deputy of the CIA to shift the blame, Fidel Castro was pissed and began turning to Communism which hurt Cuba

70
Q

Berlin Wall

A

1961
* Kruschev began talking with the US again because he believed JFK was weak and would be malleable
* East Berlin was seeing a “brain drain” of educated people going to West Berlin, so Kruschev was looking for a way to stop it
* Barbed wire and soldiers were put up on the border between East & West Germany, which became the Berlin Wall
* Families were separated for nearly 30 years, anyone who tried to cross would be shot

71
Q

Cuban Missile Crisis

A

1962
* A U2 spy plane found Russian missile silos in Cuba that could reach Washington DC
* JFK’s cabinet wanted to nuke them, but JFK chose to put in a blockade (an act of war)
* The media got ahold of the story at the same time the president did, causing mass hysteria
* Russia agreed to remove their missiles from Cuba if the US removed their missiles from Turkey (Though we didn’t remove them all ;)

72
Q

Ruby Bridges

A

1960
* Ruby Bridges was the first black student at an all-white school in New Orleans and had to be escorted by government officials
* Bridges had to sit in an isolated classroom, and only one teacher was willing to work with her
* Racist bastards often sat outside the school and threatened to harm and kill her, but she kept going to school

73
Q

Greensboro Sit-Ins

A

1960
* Four college students from Greensboro, North Carolina began peacefully protesting by sitting at a diner counter, where the owners refused to serve them
* The number of sit-in protesters grew exponentially until it became a national movement

74
Q

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Commission (SNCC)

A

1960
* A youth-led movement for civil rights that led with nonviolent protest, such as sit-ins

75
Q

Freedom Riders

A

1961
* Civil rights protestors from the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) who drove through the deep South to see if civil rights laws were being upheld
* Riders were often attacked, arrested, or worse just because whites went to black-only areas/blacks went to white-only areas
* Most of the arrested protestors chose to stay in jail without posting bail, crippling the city’s jail space

76
Q

James Meredith, The University of Mississippi

A

1962
* James Meredith tried to enroll in the University of Mississippi but was rejected by the school and government officials solely because of his race
* He had to take his case to the court of appeals and won, but he still had to be escorted to avoid direct violence
* Though Meredith was often isolated, threatened, or abused, he still became the first black person to graduate from that school

77
Q

Letter From Birmingham Jail

A

1963
* Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested and sent to Birmingham Jail, where he wrote a letter defending his movement and re-energizing the campaign in the South

78
Q

Birmingham Campaign

A

1963
* Young protestors for civil rights had the police and fire brigade called, on them, and they were attacked with dogs, batons, and high-strength hoses
* The treatment of these college and high school students was broadcasted on national news, showing the rest of the US the atrocities that were occurring in the deep South

79
Q

“I Have a Dream,” March on Washington DC

A

1963
* MLK gathered around 250,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial 100 years after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation speech
* Talked about a dream of racial equality, marking one of the biggest political rallies and a key moment in the civil rights movement

80
Q

“Ich Bin Ein Berliner” Speech

A

1963
* JFK travelled to West Berlin to give a speech stating that he would do what he could to help West Berliners and re-unite them with their families in East Berlin

81
Q

JFK’s Assassination

A

1963
* JFK was beginning to campaign for his next presidential term, beginning in Dallas
* While driving in a motorcade, JFK was shot and killed by former CIA member Lee Harvey Oswald
* Oswald was never tried for the assassination because he was shot and killed during a prison transfer by Jack Ruby
* The news shook the United States, and LBJ was sworn in while airborne
* Many sections of the story seem very shady, lots of theories proposing the government is hiding some info

82
Q

Civil Rights Act

A

1964
* LBJ released the Civil Rights Act which declared no more segregation/discrimination based on race, gender, or nationality
* Wanted to win the public for the next election, was still a racist behind closed doors

83
Q

Economic Opportunity Act

A

1964
* Released by LBJ to prevent discrimination from employment based on race, gender, ethnicity, or religion
* Was released to win public favor in the next election

84
Q

Lyndon B. Johnson, “The Great Society”

A
  • LBJ was sworn in after JFK was shot, and aimed to stay president in the next election
  • Made his platform about “The Great Society” which would attack poverty levels and improve on FDR’s new deal
  • FDR went on to win the next election, but didn’t run for another term due to controversy
85
Q

Immigration Act (LBJ)

A

1965
* LBJ reshaped the Immigration Act of 1924 to admit more immigrants into the United States and remove quotas

86
Q

Freedom Summer

A

1964
* White northern and black southern college students decided to help black people vote in the South
* Different forms of poll taxes and other measures to stop black peoples from voting were still in place, freedom summer activists planned to change that

87
Q

Freedom Summer Murders

A
  • On the first day of freedom summer, three college students went missing in Mississippi
  • Their bodies were found six months later, the murders were traced back to the KKK
  • The events shook activists nationwide and continued to show the nation the brutality of the South
88
Q

March from Selma to Montgomery

A

1965
* Civil rights activists marched from Selma to Montgomery to protest voter discrimination
* Police in the South abused the protestors, the National guard had to be called to protect the protestors
* The march was completed, and later LBJ signed the Voting Rights Act

89
Q

Voting Rights Act

A

1968
* Removed any form of voter discrimination, including poll taxes, literacy tests and the grandfather clause

90
Q

Vietnam Conflict

A

1955-1975
* The US has been involved with Vietnam since the 50s, but LBJ sent a lot more troops
* US was only concerned about stopping the spread of communism, knew it was a losing battle
* Robert McNamara, the US Secretary of Defense, urged LBJ to continue the attack and win the “Hearts and Minds” of the public with propaganda

91
Q

USS Maddox, USS Turner Joy, Midnight Address

A
  • Two ships that were “attacked” by North Vietnam while on routine patrol
  • LBJ used the incident to issue the Midnight Address to villainize North Vietnam and say he would take “necessary measures”
  • In reality, the USS Maddox was trespassing and the USS Turner Joy was sunk by friendly fire
92
Q

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

A

1964
* Passed to send troops into Vietnam but didn’t officially debate war to not wake the USSR

93
Q

Anti-Vietnam Conflict Sentiment

A
  • The Vietnam Conflict led to anti-war sentiment and protests
  • The national guard shot and killed unarmed protestors, leading to more protest and the rise of hippie culture
94
Q

Tet Offensive

A

1968
* North and South Vietnam agreed to a temporary ceasefire to observe the Lunar New Year
* North Vietnamese and Viet Cong soldiers broke the ceasefire and rushed into South Vietnam, almost reaching the Southernmost point of Vietnam
* Though fewer South Vietnamese and American soldiers were killed than North Vietnamese and Viet Cong, the massacres were broadcast to the US and people asked what the hell we were doing in Vietnam

95
Q

My Lai Massacre

A

1968
* US soldiers rushed the Vietnamese town of My Lai as they thought there was a Viet Cong base, but only South Vietnamese citizens were found
* The commanders still ordered the soldiers to open fire, leading to one of the most barbaric massacres in US history
* US Soldier Ron Ridenhour wrote to multiple branches of government and some senators asking for a call to action but got no reply, so he revealed the massacre to the public
* 14 officers were tried for the massacre, only one was charged (life sentence) but only served three years

96
Q

Martin Luther King Jr’s Assassination

A

1968
* MLK was trying to help sanitation workers in Memphis and was staying in a hotel
* Escaped convict and racist James Earl Ray was staying across from MLK and shot him
* MLK died from his wounds, James Earl Ray was caught and sentenced to life in prison
* MLK’s death led to widespread outrage and protests, with protesters questioning where to go now
* MLK Day was established soon after to remember him for his efforts

97
Q

Robert F. Kennedy’s Assassination

A

1968
* RFK was making a bid for the Democratic position and began with California
* Soon after “winning” California, RFK was shot by Sirhan Sirhan and died from his injuries
* Sirhan was sentenced to death but is still in prison, some believe Sirhan was innocent as he had no known motive to kill RFK

98
Q

Nixon Becomes President

A

1968
* Nixon won after being elected by a “silent majority” who didn’t want another Democrat to fumble
* Began with Spiro Agnew as his VP but switched to Gerald Ford after Agnew didn’t pay his taxes

99
Q

The Draft Lottery

A

1969
* A lottery based on birthdays began to choose who would be first to fight in Vietnam based on birthdays
* Many men attempted to avoid being drafter through illnesses, disabilities, or by staying in school
* Some men did want to go and chose to enlist, but most soldiers were mistreated after they returned

100
Q

Woodstock Festival

A

1969
* The hippie culture along with counter-culture and anti-war culture grew, asking for love and peace
* Lots of hippies decided to meet up in the summer of ‘69 at the Woodstock Festival
* Considered the “Party of a Lifetime” with lots of peace and iconic musical moments
* The media reported on the festival negatively by only looking at the drug use because it went against all of the government’s values

101
Q

Yippie Culture

A
  • The Youth International Party (known as Yippies) was a counterculture and youth-oriented party that grew using theatrics
102
Q

Chicago 7 Trial

A

1969
* After the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, 7 members of the Yippie Party were arrested following protests and were unfairly tried
* Bobby Seale, a black man and co-founder of the Black Panther Party, was heavily mistreated during the trial, culminating in him being separated, bound, and gagged while in court

103
Q

Kent State Shooting

A

1970
* College students were protesting nationwide, with the National Guard appearing at Kent State University
* Several students were throwing sticks and stones at the soldiers, so the National Guard shot tear gas canisters at the protestors
* After the tear gas canisters were thrown back, the soldiers opened fire, killing four and wounding nine
* There was lots of public outcry to the National Guard’s handling of the situation, and distrust grew surrounding the military

104
Q

Jackson State Shooting

A

1970
* In the same month at the Kent State Shooting, two college students were shot and killed by the national guard
* There was a public outcry and military distrust, but not as much as the Kent State Shooting because of racial dynamics and because most outlets were covering Kent State

105
Q

The Pentagon Papers

A

1971
* Daniel Ellsberg was working at The Pentagon on the Vietnam War and began to realize that the Government was lying about the ordeal
* Ellsberg revealed the papers to the New York Times and the Washington Post, and the papers went viral
* Nixon attempted to sue the New York Times and Washington Post, but lost in the Supreme Court, with the First Amendment being cited
* Nixon also sent “plumbers” (CIA & FBI agents) to Ellsberg’s psych’s office to gather dirt on him, but they found none
* The courts attempted to indict Ellsburg and he was facing 115 years in prison, but charges were dropped after continued government misconduct
* This scandal, along with the shootings and everything else led to a massive drop in citizen trust regarding the government and military.

106
Q

The First Moon Landing

A

1969
* Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins went to the moon and took the first steps on the moon, which meant they “won” the space race

107
Q

Watergate Scandal

A

1972
* Watergate Hotel was the headquarters for the Democratic National Convention
* Nixon sent “plumbers” (the same plumbers as the ones sent to Ellsberg’s psych) to collect information on the convention, on the second attempt the “plumbers” were arrested
* Nixon attempted to withdraw any connections, but two reporters for the New York Times tried to uncover as much as they could
* An FBI informant known as “Deep Throat” gave them all the info and revealed Nixon’s connection to the scandal

108
Q

Watergate’s “Smoking Gun”

A

1972
* Nixon recorded most of his conversations and was forced to hand over the tape recorder as evidence, but there was a 20-minute gap
* The tapes were transcribed, with Nixon’s Secretary Rosemary Woods saying she “accidentally” deleted that section of the tapes
* Nixon still maintained innocence though he was guilty, with Nixon being called out for his lies and was even mocked heavily on SNL

109
Q

Nixon Resigns

A

1974
* Nixon was somehow re-elected as president because the evidence wasn’t fully clear at the time
* Nixon made history as the first president to resign from the Oval Office, putting his VP Gerald Ford into the Presidential seat
* Ford was an idiot and was put into a hellish section of US history to be a president, made a big mistake early by choosing to pardon Nixon, leading to high levels of distrust

110
Q

“The Feminine Mystique,” Second Wave of Feminism

A

1960s-1980s
* “The Feminine Mystique” was a landmark book by Betty Friedan, critiquing societal expectations for women and sparking conversation about gender roles and equality
* Feminism saw a second surge, as the goal became equal rights for all genders

111
Q

Roe vs. Wade

A

1973
* Norma McCorvey wanted an abortion but Texas law forbade abortions unless her life was in danger, her life wasn’t
* Under the name Jane Roe, McCorvey sued Texas, with District Attorney Henry Wade representing the side of Texas
* The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Roe 7-2, said women could abort in the first trimester, states could regulate the second, and states could prohibit in the third trimester.
* Roe vs. Wade was recently overturned by the Supreme Court 5-4, arguable personal opinions interfered with the judgment

112
Q

1973 Oil Crisis

A
  • Because the US chose to support Israel during the Yom Kippur War, OPEC (the Organization of Petrol Exporting Countries) placed an embargo on oil exports
  • Gas prices began to heavily inflate, so people were limited on how much oil they could get
  • People wanted Ford to take action, and Ford handed out pins saying WIN (Whip Inflation Now!)
113
Q

Election of 1976

A
  • Because Ford was a fucking idiot, people wanted a Democrat in office and chose to elect Jimmy Carter in the election of 1976
114
Q

Détente

A

1960s-1970s
* A period of the Cold War where tensions between the USA and the USSR decreased

115
Q

SALT I and SALT II

A

1972, 1979
* The United States and Russia began discussing their nuclear policies and began to deactivate and produce fewer nukes
* Both countries followed through with their promises, and most people were relieved at tensions dropping

116
Q

Camp David Accords

A

1978
* Jimmy Carter invited representatives from Egypt and Israel and managed to negotiate a peace treaty

117
Q

Malaise Speech/Crisis of Confidence Speech

A

1979
* Jimmy Carter begins to question himself about his presidency and his inability to combat stagflation
* Carter made the blunder of blaming the US population for the economy’s state, ending any chance of re-election he had.

118
Q

Iranian Revolution

A
  • Iran’s US-instituted leader was deposed and replaced by a theocracy during a coup
  • The US lost a crucial ally in the Middle East and their homeland security was put into question
119
Q

Iranian Hostage Crisis

A
  • A hostage crisis occurred for over a year involving Iranian terrorists invading the US embassy, the marines tried to stop them but lost
120
Q

Election of 1980

A
  • Because of Carter’s blunders, Republican candidate Ronald Reagan won by a landslide, with his two elections being one of the only times Democrats and Republicans were united when choosing a candidate.
121
Q
A