Unit 8

• Brown vs. The Board of Education


  1954- Court case which overturned Plessy vs. Fergusson "separate but equal" ruling, schools could not be segregated.
• Move to Sunbelt

  States that border Mexico, many moved there throughout 50s and 60s due to good weather and new suburban buildings
• The Great Society


  LBJ's goal of fixing poverty, segregation, racism, etc., many policys and acts (Civil Rights Act, Medicare and Medicaid) passed to fulfill goal
• Medicare and Medicaid


  Federal healthcare for elderly and poor, created by LBJ
• The Feminine Mystique

  Published 1963, book by Bett Friedan, sparked Second Wave Feminism, described dissatisfaction felt by American women post WW2
• Roe vs. Wade


  1973, Supreme Court case which guaranteed right to abortion
• Domino Theory


  Cold War Containment belief that if one country fell to communism, so would the others around it, motivated US to join Vietnam War
• Containment


  Cold War foreign policy of the need to "contain" communism, stop 3rd world countries from creating communist governments
• Beat Movement


  1950s, movement of writers/philosphers/intellectuals who rejected the consumerism of the 50s and wished to liberate society, beginning of counter culture movement ; Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsburg
• Silent Spring


  Book by Rachel Carson, part of Environmental movement, described the effects of using pesticide
• Truman Doctrine


  Foreign policy plan to help other countries fight the growth of the Soviet Union, policy of containment, US would "support" other democratic countries and people
• NATO

  North Atlantic Treaty Organization, alliance made between some countries in the North Atlantic to defend one another if they were attacked by any other country (US, England, France, Canada, Western European countries)
• Earl Warren


  Supreme court judge, "activist judge", led the Warren Court, expanded civil rights and federal government power (ex. Brown vs. Board of Education)
• Malcolm X


  Civil Rights leader and activist, early 1960s, supported separatism, part of and eventually a leader of Nation of Islam, assassinated in 1965
• Second Red Scare

  1950s (post WW2 and part of Cold War), led by Joseph McCarthy, targeted those in film and television, gay people, left wing people, campaign of fear and persecution against anyone suspected of communism, mainly propaganda fueled hysteria
• Joseph McCarthy


  Created McCarthyism, US Senator, fear monger and leader of Second Red Scare and HUAC, accusations of communists infiltrating the government
• HUAC

  House of Un-American Activities Committee, originally created to find Nazi sympathizers, after war it accused people of being communists/Soviet supporters, led by Joseph McCarthy, focused on film industry, labor unions, universities
• Rosenberg Cases

  Julius and Ethel Rosenburg, two scientists and members of the communist party who were accused of being Soviet spies (giving info about atomic bomb to the Sovietussy Unionussy), executed for treason
• Korean War

  1950-1953, war between North and South Korea, communist North invaded democratic South with support of the Soviet Union, US intervened and China got involved, ended where it started with a stalemate at 38th parallel
• Vietnam War

  1955-1975, costly and divisive conflict, communist North backed by China and Soviety Union, democratic South backed by US, US was scared the if Vietnam fell that Domino Theory would come true, US eventually withdrew its troops (1973), severely hurt US economy,
• Yalta Conference


  WW2 meeting between Big 3, agreed on post war plan like unconditional surrender by Germany, division of Germany into 4 zones, establishment of free elections in Eastern Europe (LOL)
• Marshall Plan


  Post war plan for US to provide economic assistance to Europe after WW2, partially so that they wouldn't turn to communism
• American Indian Movement

  (AIM), began in 1968 to late 1970s, civil rights movement which focused on poverty, discrimination and policy brutality against Native Americans, treaty rights, reclamation of tribal land, also improve situation of newly urbanized Native Americans
• Love Canal


  Environmental disaster, neighborhood where a landfill was located for toxic chemicals which killed and harmed residents, discovered in 1977 (side note I literally watched a movie where they talked about this like 2 days ago it was really good it had julia roberts in it)
• Barry Goldwater


  Republican nomination for president in 1964 vs. LBJ, viewed as very extreme/conservative, very anti-communism
• GI Bill

  Post WW2, provided veterans with education, insurance and housing, contributed to strong/educated middle class and suburban housing
• 24th Amendment


  1964, eliminated poll taxes
• Counterculture


  1960s social movement, rejection of mainstream values and norms, caused by and widened the generation gap, supported by anti war movement and new left, "hippies"
• Generation Gap

  Divide between young and old people, mainly 1960s, the young were more liberal, went against their parents values and norms through counter culture, rock n roll, anti-war movement, etc.