Flashcards: 50s and early 60s
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Created by:
HistoryofCrawford on April 20, 2011
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Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 arms race | Race to get the most powerful weapons between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. |
| NATO | Organization formed by the U.S. and western Europe in 1949 to guard against potential Soviet attack. |
| Sputnik | First artificial satellite, it was launched by Moscow in 1957 and sparked U.S. fears of Soviet dominance in technology and outer space. It led to the creation of NASA and the space race. |
| Mao Zedong | This person led a successful communist revolution in China in 1949. |
| Truman Doctrine | President Truman's policy of providing economic and military aid to any country that stands against Communism. |
| Douglas MacArthur | American general from WWII and the Korean War. Famous for his public argument with Truman. |
| Red Scare | Period marked by widespread suspicion of communism and fear of widespread government infiltration of Communists. |
| Joseph McCarthy | Senator who accused many citizens of being Communists. |
| blacklist | List that circulated among employers during the Red Scare containing the names of persons who should not be hired because they were suspected of being Communists. |
| G.I. Bill | Paid for college for U.S. Veterans. |
| baby boom | Period after WWII when many children were born. |
| consumerism | Idea that purchasing items increases the value of a person. |
| franchise | A business that contracts with a large parent company to offer certain goods and services. McDonald's is a prime example. |
| Beats | Counter-culture group in the 1950s known for its literary works, such as Alan Ginsberg's "Howl." |
| Fidel Castro | Communist dictator of Cuba. |
| Bay of Pigs | Landing area on Cuba's south coast where an American-organized invasion by Cuban exiles was defeated by Fidel Castro's government forces April 17-20, 1961. |
| Cuban Missile Crisis | The 1962 confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union over Soviet missiles in Cuba. |
| Limited Test Ban Treaty | The U.S. & U.S.S.R. agreed to stop testing missiles in the air or the ocean. |
| Camelot | Nickname given to JFK's presidency, derived from a popular Broadway musical. |
| Peace Corps | U.S. volunteers who fight poverty in the third world, thus helping prevent the spread of Communism. |
| Great Society | LBJ's proposals to relieve poverty, aid education, health care, allotting rights, and several other major legislative initiatives. |
| Warren Court | Supreme Court that extended individual rights and freedoms. Specific cases include Brown v. Board of Ed & Miranda v. Arizona. |
| Silent Spring | A book written by Rachel Carson out of concern over pesticide use on nature. Increased concern for the environment. |
| Miranda Rights | Police must inform suspects of their Constitutional protections. |
| Betty Friedan | American feminist, activist, and writer. Author of The Feminine Mystique. |
| Equal Rights Amendment | This amendment would have prevented all gender-based discrimination practices. However, it never passed the ratification process. |