Period 8 Flashcards
(36 cards)
Cold War
Period of political and military tension between the U.S. and Soviet Union after WWII, marked by ideological conflict and nuclear arms race.
Soviet Union
Communist superpower that rivaled the U.S. during the Cold War.
Collective security
System in which nations agree to protect each other; used in organizations like NATO to deter Soviet aggression.
Free
market global economy
Containment
U.S. foreign policy aimed at stopping the spread of communism during the Cold War.
Korean War
1950–1953 conflict in which the U.S. intervened to stop North Korea from taking over South Korea; ended in a stalemate.
Vietnam War
Prolonged conflict in Southeast Asia where the U.S. tried to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam; ended in U.S. withdrawal.
Antiwar protests
Public demonstrations against the Vietnam War, especially by students and civil rights groups.
Nuclear arsenal
Collection of nuclear weapons maintained by a country as a deterrent during the Cold War.
Détente
Period of eased tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union in the 1970s through diplomacy and arms control agreements.
Decolonization
Process by which former European colonies in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean gained independence after WWII.
Oil crises
Economic shocks in the 1970s caused by OPEC’s oil embargo and supply cuts, leading to inflation and energy shortages.
National energy policy
Government efforts to reduce dependence on foreign oil through conservation and development of alternative energy.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Civil rights leader who promoted racial equality through nonviolent resistance and delivered the “I Have a Dream” speech.
Nonviolent protests
Peaceful demonstrations such as sit
Desegregation of the armed forces
Executive order by President Truman in 1948 that ended racial segregation in the U.S. military.
Brown v. Board of Education
1954 Supreme Court case that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Landmark law that outlawed segregation and banned employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or origin.
Feminists
Activists who advocated for gender equality, workplace rights, reproductive freedom, and an end to discrimination.
Gay and lesbian activists
Advocated for LGBTQ+ rights, especially after events like the 1969 Stonewall riots.
Latino, American Indian and Asian American activists
Minority groups who pushed for civil rights, cultural recognition, and political inclusion.
Environmental movement
Movement in the 1960s and 1970s focused on pollution, conservation, and government regulation to protect the environment.
Liberalism
Political philosophy emphasizing individual rights, government intervention in the economy, and social justice.
Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society
A set of domestic programs launched to eliminate poverty and racial injustice, including Medicare and education reform.
