Topic 2: Cold War

• Explain the continuities and changes in Cold War policies from 1945 to 1980
• Cold War Emergence
◦ Cold War: a conflict between two belligerents in which neither engages in
open warfare with the other
◦ these tensions emerged between the US and the Soviet Union after WWII
◦ the pivotal question centered on wether the world should embrace soviet
communism or democratic capitalism
• Strategies and Conflicts
◦ The mistrust between the US and the Soviet Union stemmed all the way back
yo the Russian Revolution of 1917
◦ The U.S. was against authoritarian communism and envisioned a world based
on democratic capitalism
‣ in response to the perceived threat, the US adopted a containment
strategy with the aim of preventing the spread of communism
• Truman Doctrine
• pledging support to nations threatened by communism
• Marshall Plan which provided financial aid to rebuild Europe
• Berlin blockade by the soviet union prompted the Berlin Airlift
which was an American-led initiative to end a Soviet takeover
• NATO represented a united military front to resist Soviet aggression
• National Secrutiy Act of 1947 led to the inception of the Department
of Defence
◦ Nuclear proliferation -> the concept of mutual assured destruction became a
deterrent against the actual use of these weapons
◦ Proxy Wars unfold -> each superpower backing opposite factions
• Korean War: Conflict and Containment
◦ was directly a consequence of ideological divisions and Cold War conflicts
‣ the invasion of South Kore by North Korean forces triggered US
intervention
‣ Chinese forces were indirect combat with US-led UN forces
‣ the outcome was seen as a testament to the effectiveness of Truman’s
containment policy, as South Korea remained out of communist hands
• Trumans Leadership and the Cold War Dynamics
◦ tackled racial discrimination head-on by establishing the Committee on
Civil Rights and desecrating the armed forces
‣ led to opposition, specifically southern democrats and Republicans in
Congress
◦ Fair Deal
‣ extending social security benefits
‣ Raising the minimum wage.
‣ Establishing national health insurance.
‣ Providing more funding for education and advancing civil rights
practices
• International Relations
◦ Breton Woods Conference
‣ led the creation of the international Monetary Fund and World Bank
Topic 3: The Red Scare
• a time characterized by heightened suspicion and anxiety over Soviet influence
and the existence of communist sympathizers in the United States
• Federal Measures and Labor Unions
◦ The Taft-Harley Act of 1947; lessened the ability for workers to engage in
strikes and advocate for their rights
◦ Truman’s Federal Employee Loyalty and Security Program; required civil
servants to take loyalty oaths and submit background checks to safeguard
the federal government
◦ House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC); pursued individuals in
Hollywood, flagging the film industry as a potential haven for communist
indoctrination
◦ Blacklisting and McCarthyism
‣ the Hollywood Ten became a symbol for the entertainment industry’s
clash with anti-communist fervor
‣ Senator Joseph McCarthy rose to infamy by capitalizing on the nations
communist paranoia, alleging he had a list of known communist within
the State Department
◦ Espionage Fears: The Rosenberg Case
‣ Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were charged with conspiracy to pass atomic
secrets to the Soviets
◦ Influence and Consequences of the Red Scare
‣ labor unions had their powers curtailed
‣ fostered a climate where fear overshadowed freedom and distrust
overshadowed dissent

Topic 4: Economy After 1945

• The Post-War Economic Surge
◦ post WWII experienced a wave of unprecedented economic growth
‣ increase in productivity was colossal during the war, laying the
foundation for an economic surge
‣ massive federal spending like the interstate highway system
◦ Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 which aided veterans to
‣ attend collage to gain higher education
‣ secure low-interest loans that bolstered housing acquisition
‣ start businesses, sets the stage for an entrepreneurial boost
• Population Explosion
◦ Baby Boom where over 50 million people were added to the population
‣ an escalated demand for housing and construction
‣ the establishment of suburbs, underpinned by the growing prevalence of
automobiles
• Migration and Transformation
◦ Suburbanization caused the cookie-cutter solution to housing, spurring
debates over uniformity
◦ The Interstate Highway Act of 1956 was a game-changer that birthed fast-
moving highways and a demographic shift
• Sun Belt, a region spanning the Southeast and Southwest of the US, witnessed
growth due to combination of factors like the warmer climate, lower taxes, and
the concentration of defense-related jobs
Topic 5: Changes in American Culture After 1945
• The Genesis of Mass Culture in Post-War America
◦ rise of mass culture post-1945
◦ pressure to conform during McCarthyism
◦ influence of television in 90% of American households
◦ Dominance of Few networks in TC content
◦ advertising industry thriving on increased disposable income
◦ introduction of credit cards enabled living beyond means
◦ rock and roll music as anthem for younger generation
• The Beta Generation: Voices of Dissent
◦ pockets of society pushed back against the growing conformity
◦ the Beat Generation was the embodiment of this rebellion, with beatnicks -
poets and artists who promoted a life of spontaneity and freedom
◦ J.D. Salinger’s “The Cather in the Rye” critiqued the “American Dream”

Topic 6: Civil Rights Movement

• The Fight for Justice and Equality; president truman…
◦ Issuing Executive Order 9981 in 1948, which banned segregation in the armed
forces.
◦ Forming a committee on civil rights in 1946, which went on to recommend a
series of anti-discrimination measures including
‣ desegregating the armed forces,
‣ abolishment of poll taxes,
‣ and federal protection against lynching
◦ Urging the U.S. Congress to enact laws in line with these recommendations.
This eventually led to Congress proposing the 24th Amendment in 1962, which
abolished the poll tax in federal elections
• Brown v. Board of Education
◦ unanimous ruling declared that “separate educational facilities are
inherently unequal,” directly overturn Plessy v. Ferguson
◦ mandated that schools interstate “with all deliberate speed”
◦ Southern Manifesto criticized the Supreme Court’s decision as a “gross
abuse of power”
◦ Little Rock High at first had the national guard to bar integration of it
which led to the president to dispatch federal troops to uphold the rights
of black students

Topic 7: The United States as a World Power

• The Wave of Decolonization
◦ the US and the Soviet Union engaged in a geopolitical “chess game” trying
to shaped new independent states according to their own ideologies:
democratic capitalism or authoritarian communism
• Latin America
◦ Guatemala (1954).
‣ The CIA trained insurgents to depose President Jacobo Arbenz, who had
nationalized lands owned by the American United Fruit Company,
resulting in a pro-US military dictatorship.
◦ Cuba (1959)
‣ Initially under a military rule siding with the US, it experienced a
shift when Fidel Castro, leading to a communist regime in 1959
‣ The Eisenhower Administration backed the ill-fated Bay of Pigs
invasion, ultimately pushing Cuba closer to the Soviet Union and
sparking the Cuban Missile Crisis.
• Middle East
◦ Iran (1953)
 ‣ the CIA facilitated the overthrow of the democratically elected Prime
Minister, strengthening pro-US leadership under the Shah.
• Asia
◦ Vietnam
‣ Vietnam's division into North (under communist Ho Chi Minh) and South
(remaining democratic) served as a battlefield for US anti-communist
‣ With the domino theory as justification, President Eisenhower committed
substantial aid to South Vietnam to ward off communism.
• China
◦ The proclamation of China as a communist country under Mao changed the
geopolitical landscape. However, the US did not formally recognize
communist China until three decades later, in 1979.
◦ After his defeat, Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan and continued to assert
his rule over China, leading to political backlash in the US against the
Truman administration.

Topic 8: Vietnam War

• Geographical and Political Context
◦ North Vietnam: Communist, led by Ho Chi Minh
◦ South Vietnam: Democratic, with strong ties to the United States
• Eisenhower’s Domino Theory
◦ if south vietnam fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow,
creating a large communist bloc in the pacific
‣ U.S> foreign policy aimed at containing communism to prevent the domino
effect
• Eisenhower to Johnson: Increasing U.S. Involvement
◦ initially supporting france, the U.S. increased involvement post-French
withdrawal
‣ Kennedy and then Johnson escalated U.S. military presence, with the
infamous Gulf of Tonkin Incident granting Johnson broad powers to
escalate the war functionally
• Impact on American Society
◦ the war deepened national divisions
‣ hawks -> pro war
‣ doves -> anti war
◦ diverted funds and attention form the Great Society programs tarnishing
Johnson’s presidency
◦ anti-war protests, especially on collage campuses
• Emergence of New Movements
◦ Second Wave Feminism -> led to the National Organization for Women (NOW)
and campaigning for an Equal Rights Amendment
◦ Gay Rights Movement -> catalyzed by the Stonewall Riots in 1969, marking
the beginning of the modern movement for LGBT rights
◦ other movements include Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans
• Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: Congress & The House of Representatives granted the
president authority to use military force to protect American interests
without an official declaration of war form congress
• military engagement and public debate
◦ debates over the executive branch’s power in conducting foreign policy and
military action without congressional approval
• Tet Offensive
◦ a major surprise attack by north vietnam that contradicted us gov. claims
of nearing victory, increasing anti-war sentiment
• peace corps: established to send americans to assist in underdeveloped
countries
• alliance for progress; aimed for latin American economic development
• Bay of Pigs Invasion: failed attempt to overthrow Castro, leading to Soviet-
Cuban relations strengthening
• Grassroots Movements
◦ kept pressure for change
‣ sit-ins in greensboro, north carolina
‣ freedom rides by congress of Racial Equality (CORE)

Topic 9: Lyndon Johnson The Great Society

• Lyndon B. Johnson Presidency Highlights
◦ war on poverty; introduced programs like the Head Start and Job Corps to
combat poverty
◦ immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
‣ eliminated nationality-based quotas, leading to increased immigration
from Asia and Latin America
◦ Great Society Initiatives
‣ Medicare - healthcare for those over 65
‣ Medicaid - healthcare for the poor and disabled
‣ education funding, increased federal investment i education
‣ environmental regulations; inspired by the effects of pesticides
revealed in “Silent Spring” led to Clean Air and Water Acts
◦ criticism & challenges
‣ cost/efficiency concerns and conservative backlash who opposed the
expansive welfare state envisioned by LBJ and JFK before him
• American Liberalism
◦ at a peak
◦ america was united under fear of communism
◦ believed that government intervention was necessary
• Warren Court Cases
◦ Gideon Vs Wainwright
‣ If a person is impoverished and cannot afford a lawyer the state must
provide
‣ Right to legal
◦ Griswold and Connecticut
‣ Laws banning birth control were unconstitutional
◦ Engel Vs Vitale
‣ The Regents prayer was a state mandated prayer that was required in
schools
‣ This was unconstitutional as it violated separation of church and state
◦ Baker vs Carr
‣ Voting District lines must be redrawn every few years to accuracy
reflect populations
‣ Old lines did not reflect population changes, and therefore were unfair
Topic 10: Civil Rights Movement
• Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955)
◦ Initiated by Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat
‣ End to segregation on public transportation in Montgomery, and the
emergence of Martin Luther King Jr. as a key leader
◦ Sit-in Movement
‣ Tactics: Occupying restaurant counters designated for white customers
to demand service.
‣ Results: National attention, mass arrests, and eventual policy changes
• Key Figures
◦ Martin Luther King Jr.
‣ advocated for nonviolent protest and became a leading voice for civil
rights through peaceful protests and civil disobedience
‣ “I Have a Dream”
•
◦ Malcom X and Black Panthers
‣ Represented a more militant branch of the civil rights movement
‣ Advocated for black separatism, and self-defense against racial
oppression
‣ Black Panthers founded by Huey Newton and Bobby seal in Oakland,
emphasize the need for African-American soft rule and was more militant
than other parts of the movement
• Radicalization of the civil rights movement
◦ Watts Riots, 1965, a key event, indicating growing frustration with the
slow pace of change
‣ another example of de jure/de facto segregation
• Civil Rights Act of 1964 - made discrimination based on race, religion or sex
illegal
• Voting Rights Act of 1965 - and racial discrimination in voting
◦ Also out loud literacy tests, and poll taxes
◦ Allowed federal oversight in regions with historically low black voter turn
out
• Loving vs Virginia (1967) - invalidated laws against interracial marriage

Topic 11: Civil Rights Movements

• Women’s Movement
◦ Seneca Falls Convention: pinnacle of the 19th century movement
• Betty Friedan’s “The Feminine Mystique (1963): Unveils the dissatisfaction of
suburban housewives, challenging the assumption that women preferred domestic
roles over professional or political engagement
• National Organization for Women (NOW)
◦ founded by Friedan in 1966, employing civil rights strategies
◦ aimed for professional equality and pay
• Ms. Magazine by Gloria Steinem: Furthered the dialog on women's rights.
• Title IX (1972): Prohibited gender discrimination in education, significantly
supporting women's sports.
• Equal Rights Amendment (ERA): sought to guarantee equality but was obstructed
by Phyllis Schlafly’s STOP ERA campaign
◦ was a conservative, misogynistic women who
opposed feminism
• Civil Rights Act of 1964
◦ signed by president Johnson, making segregation illegal in all public
facilities and establishing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
‣ banned discrimination in employment based on race, religion, sex, and
national origin
• Voting Rights Movement
◦ 24th Amendment: Outlawed poll taxes, a method, used to disenfranchise
African American voters
◦ Freedom Summer of 1964: focus on voter registration in Mississippi where
only 5% of eligible AA were registered to vote
• Latino Rights Movement
◦ Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta
◦ formed to United Farm Workers in 1962 to champion migrant workers’ rights
• American Indian Movement
◦ American Indian Movement(1968): aimed to reclaim heritage and achieve
self0determination
◦ Alcatraz Occupation (failed): asserted treaty rights, though federal
pressure eventually ended the 19-month occupation
◦ Self-Determination Act(1975): granted significant control over Indian
Lands, education, and law enforcement back to American Indian
• Gay Liberation Movement
◦ Stonewall Inn Riot (1969): marked a pivotal resistance against anti-gay
laws, sparking organized protests and advocacy for rights

Topic 12: Youth Culture in the 1960s

• Vietnam War and Youth Conflict
◦ Young American for Freedom (YAF)
‣ a conservative organization supporting America’s involvement in Vietnam
to contain communism
◦ Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)
‣ a group opposing the Vietnam War emphasizing participatory democracy
and direct government action
‣ Port Huron Statement: a manifesto by the SDS highlighting the
importance of democracy and opposing efforts to stop global communism
◦ Kent State Massacre (1970)
‣ Following days of protests against Vietnam War escalation, National
Guard was called in
• 4 students killed, 10 wounded when guardsmen opened fire during a
skirmish involving rock-throwing by students
• Counter Culture Movement
◦ young people aimed at dropping societal restraints and overturning norms
through
‣ rebellious clothing styles
‣ experimental drug use
‣ Iconic image: the hippie
‣ rejected traditional american culture through fashion and lifestyle
◦ Haughty Ashbury District; a hub for hippies in San Francisco
◦ Drug use, Informality, and music changed and increased
Topic 13: Environmental Policies
• Global Context: Oil Crisis
• OPEC Formation
◦ Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) formed by oil-
producing Arab nations
‣ aimed to control oil prices by regulating export quantities
• 1973 Oil Crisis
◦ reduction of oil exports to america and price hikes
‣ dramatic increase in fuel prices in the U.S. and significant shortages
◦ Impact in US Policy
‣ realization that U.S. energy resources were dependent on colitis
regions
• U.S. Domestic Environmental Policy
◦ Alternative Energy Debate
◦ Nuclear Energy Considerations
‣ Benefits: Abundance of Uranium, no greenhouse gas admissions during
processing
◦ Three Mile Island: Site of a partial nuclear meltdown in 1979, raising
safety concerns
◦ Environmental Movement Momentum
◦ Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” (1962)
‣ exposed issues with DDT (pesticide) use
• Environment al Protection Agency (EPA); to manage pollution and oversee
regulation of polluting industries
• Clean Air Act; EPA took over regulatory responsibilities
◦ Environmental Legislation and Awareness

Topic 14: Rise of Conservationism in America

• Roots of Conservative Backlash
◦ street protests against the Vietnam war
◦ changes in the traditional family structure due to the women’s movement
◦ civil rights advancements, unsettling to many southern, white conservatives
‣ all characterized the seismic shifts in american society in this period
• Conservatism: a political and social philosophy promoting traditional
institutions and values
• Emergence of Conservative Groups
◦ Young Americans for Freedom: a conservative collage student group
instrumental Barry Goldwater’s 1964 presidential campaign (New Rigth)
• john Birch Society
◦ advocated for limited government and anti-communism, spinning conspiracy
theories, including opposition to water fluoridation
• William F. Buckley and The National Review: Represented moderate conservatism,
denouncing more radical elements like the John Birch Society
◦ New Right: Refers to a coalition of conservatives opposing liberalism,
valuing religious beliefs, and adhering to transition gender roles
• Formation and Beliefs:
◦ Sparked by the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, which legalized abortion.
‣ Led by figures like Jerry Falwell, who founded the Moral Majority, and
James Dobson with his "Focus on the Family" radio program.
• Key Issues:
◦ Advocated for prayer in schools
◦ Opposed the expansion of gay rights
• National Events Influencing Conservatism
 ◦ Economic Turmoil:
‣ The 1970s oil crisis and stagflation leading to a recession.
‣ Failed government interventions decreased public confidence in
governmental problem-solving.
◦ Watergate Scandal:
‣ The scandal involving Richard Nixon's re-election committee led to a
further decrease in government trust.
• Conservative vs. Liberal Clashes
◦ Equal Rights Amendment (ERA): Failed ratification due to conservative
efforts led by figures like Phyllis Schlafly.
• Affirmative Action Controversies:
◦ Led to resentment among conservative whites.
◦ Noteworthy Supreme Court Case: Bakke vs University of California (1978),
ruled that racial quotas in college admissions violated the 14th Amendment,
though race could still be considered as a factor.