Usa 1948-74 Flashcards
What was the red scare?
A period of intense fear and paranoia about communism
Why was there a red scare in the USA in the 1950s? (3) ( bomb, Asian countries)
Fear of the spread of communism because people believed it could lead to the loss of individual freedoms and the government controlled economy
→ the Soviet bomb (in 1949 the USSR developed an atomic bomb)
→ communist china (china was taken over by communists led by Mao Zedong
→ southeast Asia (communism was also advancing in Malaya, Indonesia, Bruma and the Philippines, encouraged by communist china
What was the Rosenberg case?
Trial and execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were accused of espionage and passing atomic bomb secrets to the Soviet Union during the red scare
Who was McCarthy and what was McCarthyism?
McCarthy was an American politician who led a campaign against alleged communists in the 1950s. McCarthyism is a period in the 1950s when people were accused of being communists without evidence
How did McCarthy rise to prominence?
He claimed that there were communists within the USA government. He gained media attention and public support through his aggressive and sensationalist tactics.
What were the effects of the red scare on the US government and which committee did it lead to being created?
It led to the creation of anti- communist policies and investigations such as the HUAC (house un-american activities committee)
Many government. Officials were accused of being communists or communist sympathisers which resulted in a climate of fear and suspicion
What led to the fall of McCarthy?
He accused the US army of having communist sympathisers. The army fought back and both sides had a television hearing and McCarthy’s unfounded and aggressive accusations were exposed which damaged his credibility and led to a loss of public support
Support for McCarthy depended on 4 things, what were they?
Fear
anti communist beliefs
McCarthy’s reputation
Media interest
Describe one action carried out by the HUAC
Conducted investigations of alleged communists
→ a group of Hollywood filmmakers who refused to answer questions were blacklisted from the industry
What were Jim Crow Laws?
Rules that enforced racial segregation and treated African Americans unfairly
Which unfair enforcement of laws did African Americans face
Segregation
Voting rights
Law enforcement (police frequently took part in attacks on African American people )
Employment and pay
Education
Who was Jackie Robinson?
A professional baseball player, he made history by becoming the first African American in Major League Baseball, breaking the colour barrier. His bravery and talent open doors for other African American athletes and helped spark the civil rights movement.
What happened in Brown vs Board of Topeka 1954?
(What led to it)
Linda brown had to travel several kilometres and cross a dangerous rail track
As she wasn’t allowed to attend an all white School closer to home
The Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in schools were unconstitutional and it helped pace the way for desegregation and equal educational opportunities
Who was emmet till and what happened?
A 14 year old African American boy who was brutally beaten and murdered
In Mississippi for allegedly flirting with a white woman
His death sparked a widespread outrage and played a significant role in inspiring the civil rights movement
What was the Montgomery Bus Boycott? (1955)
Montgomery had a local law that African Americans were only allowed to sit in the middle/back seats of a bus.
Rosa parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man and it led to her being arrested
Who was Martin Luther King Jr.?
A prominent civil rights activist who dedicated his life to fighting for equality and justice
How did president Eisenhower support desegregation in Little Rock?
He sent federal troops to protect the ‘little rock nine’ as they integrated a previously all-white School
What was Eisenhower’s role in the civil rights act of 1957?
Eisenhower advocated for its enactment and signing into law → this act aimed to protect voting rights and it outlawed Jim Crow Laws
What were the sin ins 1960?
Peaceful protests where African American individuals would sit in restaurants and refuse to leave until my were served
What was the SNCC?
Student non violent coordinating committee
What was CORE?
Congress of racial equality
What were freedom rides?
People deliberately sat on buses and protested for desegregation on transport
200 freedom riders were arrested and spent40 days in jail
What was the Birmingham civil rights march 1963?
Led by Martin Luther King jr and the SCLC, thousands of African Americans marched peacefully to protest segregation and demand equal rights.
What happened in the march on Washington 1963 ?
Peaceful protest where hundreds of thousands of people gathered to advocate for a civil rights bill and equality and where MLK delivered his famous I have a dream speech
What role did Kennedy play in the civil rights campaign?
Kennedy supported desegregation efforts and introduced the civil rights act of 1964 and created the committee on equal employment opportunity
What was the civil rights act of 1964?
Prohibited discrimination based on race, religion, sex etc and aimed to end segregation and ensure equal rights and opportunities for all citizens.
What was the freedom summer?
The summer of 1964, it was a civil rights campaign that aired to register African American voters in Mississippi and challenge segregation
What happened at the Selma march of 1965?
African Americans were protesting peacefully for equal voting rights and they were attacked by the law enforcement
What actions did Lyndon B. Johnson take in the civil rights campaign?
He signed the civil rights act of 1964 and the voting rights act of 1965
What was the black power movement?
They sought to empower African Americans to define their own identity, culture, and political goals and advocated for racial equality for African Americans, it helped to raise awareness about racial injustice.
What was Malcom X’s approach to the civil rights movement?
He advocated for black nationalism, self defence, challenging systematic racism and calling for black empowerment
What were some significant race riots in the 1960s led by African Americans and what did it aim to achieve?
The watts riots in los angeles (1965) and the Detroit riots (1967), they aimed to draw attention to racial inequality and injustice, seeking to bring about systematic change
What was the purpose of the kerner report?
It was commissioned to understand the causes of the race riots in the 60s and provide recommendations for addressing racial inequality
What were some differences between Malcom X and martin Luther King Jr.in their approach to civil nights?
Malcom X→ advocated for self defence and separatism and emphasised black empowerment, he also criticised MLK’s peaceful approach
Martin Luther King Jr. → promoted non violent protests and integration and believed in the power of love to bring about change
In which year was Martin Luther King jr assassinated?
1968
What was the nation of Islam?
Religious and political organization that promoted black nationalism, self reliance and separation from white society
Now was Malcom X involved in the Nation of Islam and what did he do for it?
He joined in the 1950s and became one of its influential leaders, he preached its teachings and played a crucial role in expanding its reach and influence
Why did Malcom X leave the Nation of Islam ?
After visiting Mecca in 1964, he witnessed Muslims of different races and ethnicities peacefully coexisting, so he left the nation of Islam due to ideological differences and a falling out with its leadership. He disagreed with the nations strict racial separatism.
What was the black Panther party?
Political organisation founded in 1966.it aimed to protect and empower the African American community, advocating for self defence against police brutality and providing social programs like free breakfast for children
Their slogan was ‘black is beautiful’
What was John F Kennedy’s positive contributions? (1961-63)
→ he supported the aims of the civil rights movement
→ he stood up to governors of southern states during freedom rides
→ he challenged segregation in airports
→ he laid the way for Johnson to pass the civil rights act
→ le made public commitments on tv to civil rights
What was John F Kennedy’s limitations?
→ he moved too slowly on issues
→ civil rights was not a priority for him
→ his first proposed civil rights bill was moderate and disappointed activists
What was Lyndon Johnson’s positive contributions? (1963 - 69)
→ he managed congress so difficult laws were passed
→ he gave large amounts of government money to reduce poverty which helped African Americans
→ he passed the voting rights act 1965
→ there was a record number of African American officials in important positions in his presidency
What was Lyndon Johnson’s limitation?
He was an aggressive and difficult man
What was Richard Nixon’s positive contributions? (1969 -74 )
→ desegregation in schools went from being a requirement to a reality
→ he extended the voting rights act in 1970 and banned literacy tests nationally
→ ne set up the ‘office of minority business enterprise’ which gave government contracts to African American and Hispanic businesses
What were Nixon’s limitations?
→ there was still segregation in housing
→ he had a poor relationship with civil rights leaders
→ he tried to appoint judges who were pro segregation
Describe one action of the SNCC
The student non violent coordinating committee participated in sit ins at segregated lunch counters
Who was César Chavez?
He was a prominent civil rights activist, He was the co-founder of the united farm workers association
What were some ongoing struggles Chicanos in the civil rights movements?
Equitable education, immigration reform and economic equality
What were the high school walk-outs?
Chicano students organizaed walkouts to protest unfair treatment and fight for better education and equal rights
What was one result of civil rights campaigns for Chicanos?
Increased political representation and community empowerment
Why were native Americans protesting in the early 1970s?
To bring attention to issues such as land rights, sovereignty and the preservation of their culture, they sought to address historical injustices and fight for their right as indigenous peoples
What happened at the wounded knee in 1973?
Members of the American Indian movement occupied the town of wounded knee, south Dakota, to protest against the federal government’s treatment of native Americans. The occupation lasted for 71 days and brought attention to the issues faced by Native American communities
What happened in November 1972 to the 26 year old native American woman
She went to see a doctor in Los Angeles to ask for a womb transplant because she wanted to start a family. The doctor told her there was no search operation and asked why she didn’t have a womb. From years earlier, a doctor from the Indian health service had been treating her for alcoholism in the process he had given her a hysterectomy.
Why is the wounded knee significant and what is the importance of the site?
It was significant because it brought attention to the ongoing struggles and injustice is faced by Native American communities in the US. It was a 71 day stand-off between the American Indian movement and the federal government. The wounded knee is the location of the tragic wounded knee massacre in 1890 where hundreds of Lakota Sioux were killed by the US army.
What percentages of woman made up the workforce from 1940 to 1960?
In 1940 women made up 19%
In 1950, women made up 28.8%.
In 1960 woman made up almost half of the workforce
What percentage of lawyers were women and what percentage of doctors were women?
Only 4% of lawyers and 7% of doctors were women
Who was Betty Friedan and what was her book about?
She was an American feminist and wrote a book called the feminine mystique, which focused on challenging the traditional rules and expectations placed on women and advocating for gender equality. It explored the dissatisfaction and emptiness that many women felt in their domestic lives, and called for women to pursue their own aspirations and goals
What was the women’s movement?
fighting for equal rights and opportunities, they wanted to challenge the idea that women should only be limited to certain roles and responsibilities. They fought for things such as equal pay, reproductive rights and an end to gender discrimination.
What does NOW stand for? 1966.
National organisation for women, it adopted peaceful protests and coordinated with other groups, challenging discrimination in the courts
What was the 1963 status commission report?
A government report that examined disparities in employment and wages based on gender. It highlighted the significant wage gap between men and women and unequal treatment of the woman in the workforce.
What was the 1963 equal pay act?
prohibited gender-based wage discrimination. It required equal pay for equal work regardless of gender.
What happened in the roe vs wade case? 1973.
The Supreme Court ruled that a woman has the constitutional right to choose to have an abortion. The decision was based on the right to privacy, and a belief that any woman should have control over her own body.
What happened at the Stonewall inn Bar 1969?
A police raid took place at the gay bar
What were the Stonewall riots of 1969?
A series of protests and demonstrations, by the LGBT community
What was homosexuality seen as in those times?
It was seen as a psychological condition and it was treated with shock therapy
What happened at the raid on the snake pit bar in 1970
170 people were arrested, and there was one death
What role did the American psychiatric Association play in the LGBT rights movement?
They removed homosexuality from the list of mental disorders
What was the student for a democratic society in 1959
Members campaigned in colleges for better education. Many student groups also protested for civil rights and women’s liberation and against the society that their parents had created.
What would people do at anti-war protests relating to Vietnam?
Burn the US flag as an illegal rejection of American values
What happened in 1970 at the Kent state university protest?
A protest against invading Cambodia became so heated that the National Guard opened fire on demonstration and killed four students
What was the hippie movement?
Hippies advocated for social change and protested against war, and prompted environmental awareness as they often expressed themselves through unconventional fashion, music and communal living
What was John F Kennedy’s aim and his successes?
His aim was to create a new frontier
His successes included increasing the minimum wage, the housing act which gave money to clear slums, Social Security act which helped the elderly and unemployed
What was John F Kennedy’s limitations to his new frontier?
The minimum wage only helped those with a job, The housing loans didn’t help the poorest and many poor black Americans moved to North for work, but face discrimination there
What was Lyndon Johnson’s aim and his successes
To create a greater society and an end to racial injustice
→ the medical care act funded healthcare for the elderly
→ give money to help the poorest with their children
→ The elementary and secondary act increased funding to education in poorer areas
What were Johnson’s limitations in creating a great society?
There was still very high employment levels
Social tensions
Anti-war protests
High government spending
What was Richard Nixon’s aim and successes?
Critical of Johnson’s great society
→ Supplemental security income and guaranteed an income for elderly and disabled
→ 20% increase in government spending on social security
→ Tax reform to help the poorest
→ Return of the food stamp program, making food made more available to the poorest
What were Nixon’s limitations in creating the great society
Some policies never became law, or were not implemented as Nixon had to resign because of political scandal
