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House Un-American Activities Committee
The House Un-American Activities Committee or HUAC created in 1938 was designed to investigate disloyalty and subversive activities of citizens having communist ties. During the cold war this committee focused on suspected communists in positions of actual or supposed influence in the US society. A major and significant step for HUAC was its investigation of the charges of espionage brought against Alger Hiss in 1948. -
G.I. Bill (Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944)
The G.I. Bill was a law that provided a range of benefits for the returning World War II veterans. On June 22, 1944 the G.I. Bill of Rights, was signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt. These Benefits included cash payments of tuition down to low-cost mortgages. -
Baby Boom Generation
The " baby boom generation" was a group born during the post–World War II era. Between the years 1946 and 1964 were about 76.4 million babies born; when this generation began to grow older they began rebellious. This generation is also know as "Generation X". -
Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain was another name for the boundary that divided Europe into two separate areas until the end of the Cold War. This was a term symbolizing the works of the Soviet Union trying to block themselves from open contact with the West. From the speech Winston Churchill made on March 5, 1946 states that the iron curtain the soviets were creating was meant to block themselves from the rest of the world. -
Levittown
Levittown was the name of many large suburban developments created in the United States of America by William Levitt.This was built after WWll for returning veterans, the communities offered attractive alternatives to cramped central city locations and apartments. -
McCarthyism
McCarthyism was the practice of making accusations of treason without the proper evidence. This term comes from Joseph McCarthy, a U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin. He was known for making claims that there were many communists and Soviet spies inside the United States federal government. -
Containment Policy
The Containment Policy was a U.S policy using any and every strategies to prevent the spread of communism. This policy was a response of moves by the Soviet Union made to influence communism in Eastern Europe, China, Korea, and Vietnam. The Truman Doctrine was a very known example of containment. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was an American foreign policy that was created to prevent and stop the Soviet geopolitical spread during the Cold War. It was announced by President Truman on March 12, 1947. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was an American plan to aid Western Europe. The United States gave over $12 billion in economic support to help rebuild Western European economies after the end of WWII. This plan was in action for four years beginning in April 8, 1948. -
Berlin Airlift
At the end of the WWll, the U.S., British, and Soviet military forces divided and occupied Germany. On the day June 24, 1948 the Soviet forces created a blockade in allied controlled areas. The Allies responded by airlifting food and fuel to Berlin from Allied airbases in western Germany. -
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
NATO is known as a military alliance that was established as a respond to the Soviet Union's threats after WWll. The members of NATO were the Western and Eastern European nations. Each member of NATO agreed to defend each other if there was ever to be a Soviet attack. -
Rock n' Roll
Rock n' Roll first originated and evolved in the U.S during the late 1940s and early 1950s from musical styles such as jazz, blues, country music, etc. African Americans had strong influences on Rock n' Roll, however artists such as Elvis Presley made it more acceptable to a much wider audience. -
Beatniks
Beatniks were a group of American writers made of mainly WW II veterans.These writers wrote about American values and culture. Members of Beatniks include William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, and Jack Kerouac. -
1950's Prosperity
During this era many soldiers who fought in WWII started having families and moving into "Levittowns". The U.S. economy was growing while poverty was decreasing. -
Korean War
The Korean War began when North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950. South Korea was backed by the United States and the UN. North Korea was backed by the USSR and China. The fighting went back and forth for a while with both sides almost winning until the last two years of fighting became a war of attrition, with the front line close to the 38th parallel. T -
Rosenberg Trail
The Rosenberg Trail was a trail of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg who were U.S citizens that were executed for conspiracy to commit espionage for the Soviet Union. Julius Rosenberg sent information to Russia about the bomb from the Manhattan project. Due to this the Rosenberg's were executed for treason. -
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower was an army general who served as the 34th President of the United States from January 20, 1953 - January 20, 1961. He opposed Joseph McCarthy and contributed to the end of McCarthyism. Eisenhower signed the bill that authorized the Interstate Highway System. -
Ray Kroc
Ray Kroc was an American businessman who joined McDonald's (the most successful fast food operation in the world) in 1954. Kroc was credited for making numerous changes in the food-service franchise model. -
Domino Theory
The Domino Theory was a theory that a political standing in one country will cause similar changes in close countries, the same gestures as falling dominos. President Dwight D. Eisenhower described the theory in a 1954 conference, when referring to communism in Indochina -
Jonas Stalk
Jonas Stalk was an American medical researcher and virologist. He developed the first successful polio vaccines. Salk tested this vaccine on about one million children, who were known as the "polio pioneers". This testing started in 1954, and the vaccine was announced as safe on April 12, 1955. -
Interstate Highway Act
The Interstate Highway Act enacted on June 29, 1956, and signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. This highway cost about $25 billion for the construction of 41,000 miles. This project was supposed to be 10 years longs; it was the largest public works project in American history. -
Sputnik
Sputnik was the first man made satellite. The Soviet Union launched it into Earth orbit on 4 October 1957. This took America by surprise and triggered the "Space Race". The launch had many purposes such as new political, military, technological, and scientific developments. -
John F. Kennedy
JFK was the 35th President of the United States (elected on January 20, 1961).Kennedy was president during many events such as the Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis, Moon landing proposal, Berlin Wall Crisis, and Limited Test Ban Theory. During the Cuban Missile Crisis the military officials tried to push Kennedy to start a war but he took a much peaceful route. On November 22, 1963 Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. -
Bay of Pigs
The Bay of Pig was a failed military invasion of Cuba by the CIA-sponsored paramilitary group Brigade 2506 on 17 April 1961.This group intended to overthrow the increasing communist government of Fidel Castro. They launched from Guatemala and Nicaragua, the invading force was defeated within three days by the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces. -
Space Race
The "Space Race" was a competition between the U.S. and Soviet Union in space.This started when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik into space in 1957 and launched the first man into space on April 12, 1961. In effort to beat the Soviets President Kennedy announced that the U.S. would to land men on the moon on May 25, 1961 and accomplished that mission on July 20, 1969 with the Apollo 11. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day situation between the U.S and the Soviet Union concerning American missiles deployment in Turkey following with the Soviet missile deployment in Cuba. After a long period of negotiations, an agreement was reached between John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev that the Soviets would dismantle their offensive weapons in Cuba and the U.S. would dismantle all U.S. built in Turkey and Italy. -
Betty Friedan
Betty Friedan was an American writer, activist, and feminist. She published The Feminine Mystique which was on February 19, 1963. This book is credited by sparking the second wave of American feminism in the 20th century. Friedan was elected the first president of the National Organization for Women in 1966. -
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson was the 36th President of the United States from November 22, 1963 - January 20, 1969. Johnson became president due to JFK being assassinated. Like JFK Johnson was President during many events such as the Cvil Rights Act of 1964, Tet Offensive of 1968, Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, Voting Rights Act, etc. -
Great Society
The Great Society was programs in the United States launched by President LBJ in 1964 to 1965. They were launched in an attempt to end poverty . The term "Great Society" was used during a speech at Ohio University on May 22, 1964, then it was officially announced at the University of Michigan. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was a compromise signed by congress in 1964, which was signed as a result from the Gulf of Tonkin incident between North Vietnam and us .After a while it was proven that the accusations against North Vietnam firing the torpedo's were false. -
Anti-War Movement
During the time of war , the American citizens weren't really pleased about our involvement in an unnecessary war. The Anti-war movement went on through out the duration of the war , from peaceful college protests to street extremists. -
Tet offensive 1968
The Tet offensive was a military campaign that occurred during the Vietnam War. This was launched by Viet Cong forces and the vietnamese people's armyIt was a campaign of surprise attacks against military and civilian command and control centers throughout South Vietnam. -
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon was the 37th president of the United States , and was the first president to resign from office. He was also a senator and representative of California. He was attempting to ease tension because us and the soviet union he even enforced a plan called Dententé. -
Vietnamization
Vietnamization was a policy by president Richard Nixon that disowned our involvement in the Vietnam war and also to expand , equip , and train South Vietnam forces and also reducing the number of U.S. combat troops. -
Moon Landing
The moon landing was the achievement of astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin for being the fist man on the moon. The Rocket that was used , was known as Apollo 11 and this whole event was televised for the general public to viewThe mission duration was a total of 8 days, 3 hours, 18 minutes, and 35 seconds. -
Rust belt vs Sun belt
The Rust belt refers to a region in the midwest, and displays in a decline economically that is a cause of a shrinking industrial sector. The sunbelt is the total opposite, with saying that, it is enriched with an amazing climate, and with many resources it makes industry development easier. -
26th Amendment
The 26th Amendment entitled 18 year olds to vote in the United States. This amendment was big during the draft , where the soldiers could serve at 18 but they could not vote at 18. Some were really upset prior because this was unfair to some people -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was a defense treaty against the soviet union and communist support countries.This was made into reaction after the integration of West Germany in NATO. The War Powers Resolution was passed by both the House of Representatives and Senate but was vetoed by President Richard Nixon. -
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War occurred in Vietnam and Laos and was the second of the indochina wars and was fought between north Vietnam and south Vietnam. This war, especially back in the United States, seemed like a useless war to be fighting and almost every person opposed it. There wasn't really a said "winner" of the war , because no sides were supreme -
Cold War
The Cold War was a series of tension between the soviet union and the United States. During the cold war there wasn't actual fighting, but there were such events as the Korean War and Vietnam war that both sides were backing. The cuban missile crisis was another result of the cold war between Russia and the United States.
