Vocabulary

  1. “Iron Curtain”- military, political, and ideological barrier established between the soviet bloc and western Europe from 1945 to 1990; a barrier that prevented free exchange of ideas and information.
  2. Baby Boom- a large, sustained increase in birthrate
  3. Blacklists- a list of people or organizations that are under suspicion or are to be boycotted or otherwise penalized
  4. Cold War- a state of political tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their allies during World War II
  5. Containment- action of the United States to prevent the Soviet Union from expanding.
  6. Cult of Domesticity- The idea that women are meant to project purity in all aspects of living, and that the home is meant to keep the family safe from the harsh conditions of the outside world
  7. Domino Theory- The idea that if one nation comes under communist control, the neighboring nations will soon follow.
  8. Eisenhower Doctrine- promised military and economic aid to anticommunist governments.
  9. Fallout Shelters- a structure that creates some protection against fallout radiation and other effects of a nuclear explosion. AKA radiation shelter
  10. G.I. Bill- any of various congressional bills enacted to provide funds for college educations, home-buying loans, and other benefits for armed-service veterans
  11. HUAC- “House un-American Activities Committee”; a committee of the U.S house of representatives that conducted investigations into alleged communist activities in the United States.
  12. Martin Luther King Jr. -United States charismatic civil rights leader and Baptist Minister who campaigned against the segregation of blacks and whites.
  13. Korean War- war fought between North Korea, aided by communist China and South Korea supported by the U.S and other members of the UN
  14. Levittown’s- An unincorporated community of the Southeast New York on western Long Island northeast of Hempstead.
  15. Little Rock Nine- a group of African American students who were enrolled in Little RockCentralHigh School in 1957. They were initially unable to enter the school because of the racial segregation. It is considered to be one of the most influential movements in black history.
  16. Marshall Plan- United states program of economic aid for the reconstruction of Europe named after George Marshall.
  17. Massive Retaliation- a strategic doctrine championed by U.S Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, calling for the countering of aggression of any type with tremendous destructive power, mostly with nuclear force in retaliation to any provocation serious enough for military action.
  18. McCarthyism- the practice of publicizing accusations of political disloyalty; the use of unfair investigatory methods in order to suppress opposition
  19. Montgomery Bus Boycott- A mass protest by African American citizens in MontgomeryAlabama against segregation policies on the city’s public buses.
  20. NATO- (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) an international organization with Canada, US, Great Britain, and a number of European countries for collective security. It aimed for peace in order to make a pact to combine alliances with the former Warsaw Pact countries. Russia, Hungary, Poland and the CzechRepublic became full NATO members.
  21. Parks, Rosa- United States civil rights leader who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. This triggered the national civil rights movement.
  22. Red Scare- the round up and deportation of hundreds of immigrants because of the radical political views by the federal government in 1919 and 1920. The “scare” was caused by communist views in the United States after the Russian Revolution.
  23. SEATO- (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization) an organization formed in Manila, compromising Australia, Great Britain, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United States for collective aggression in Southeastern Asia and the Southwestern pacific. Abolished in 1977
  24. Segregation- the policy or practice of segregating people of different races, classes, ethnic groups- in schools, housing, and public/commercial facilities- as a form of discrimination.
  25. Sit-ins- an organized protest demonstration in which participants seat themselves in an appropriate place and refuse to move.
  26. Space Race- the informational competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to launch unmanned satellites, send people into space and land them on the moon.
  27. Sputnik- Any of a series of Soviet satellites sent into Earth’s orbit- especially the first which was launched on October 4th, 1957
  28. Suburbs- a residential area or community that is outlying the city borders.
  29. The Warren Court- the Supreme Court of the United States when Earl Warren was Chief Justice. Made some of the most dramatic changes in judicial power and philosophy. It expanded civil rights, judicial power, and federal power.
  30. Truman Doctrine- President Truman’s policy of providing economic and military aid to any country threatened by communism.