AP US HISTORY |
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The Marshall Plan
Provided massive and systematic American economic aid to rebuilt post-WWII Europe and revitalize their economy.
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The Truman Doctrine
A doctrine of international resistance to Communist aggression.
Pledged to provide aid to countries resisting Communist take-over. |
THE KOREAN WAR
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THE VIETNAM WAR
(1959-1975)
FRENCH SUFFER A DEFEAT AT DIEN BIEN PHU CAUSING US TO STEP IN AFTER THE GENEVA CONFERENCE (Geneva Accords 1954) KENNEDY: Military Advisors These advisors were intended to "train" the South Vietnamese in order to obtain victory against the Viet Cong. JOHNSON: Escalation Gulf of Tonkin: The North Vietnamese fire upon 2 US ships in international waters (August 2nd and 4th, 1964). Congress responded with the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which gave Johnson the authority to escalate involvement, hence "escalation." Fighting for US forces was extremely difficult 1.) they were fighting in ominous terrain 2.) they couldn't distinguish the enemy from the friend (Mai Lai Massacre) Tet Offensive: The Viet Cong launches a surprise offensive attack on South Vietnam. This offensive leads America to realize the strength of their enemy. This was a major turning point because the support of the American people slowly dwindled. President Johnson had to decided to stop escalating the war in Vietnam. NIXON: Vietnamization When Nixon assumed presidency in 1969, he claimed he had a plan to end US involvement in the Vietnam War. Vietnamization was a process to remove all US troops, beginning in July of 1969. Once most of the troops were withdrawn, the North Vietnamese launched one more assault, called the Spring Offensive. The Paris Peace Accords: January 27th, 1973 produced a cease-fire. Essentially, the Vietnam War was neither "won" nor "lost" by the United States, but produced many harsh feelings socially. |
BAY OF PIGS
April 17th, 1961
Fidel Castro = dictator of Cuba who had a relationship with Nikita Khruschev (SU); United States becomes suspicious of this relationship. CIA has a plan to train Cuban exiles to invade Cuba, and in return, overthrow the Castro regime/communism. The plan called for two aerial strikes and a surprise attack. However, when launched, the bombers missed many of their targets. When the force came upon shore, they were immediately met with Cuban opposition. This was considered critical blow to the Kennedy Administration. |
THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
13 DAYS: OCTOBER 1962
American spy plane photographs nuclear missile sites in Cuba. Kennedy, upon gathering this information, meets with advisors. They plan a naval blockade to "quarantine" the island; this was to prevent the SU from bringing in any more supplies to further their construction. Kennedy brings this to public attention on October 22nd, leaving the door wide open for a SU response. The SU response was positive for the United States. Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles if the United States would promise to refrain from invading Cuba. The United States also agreed to remove their own missiles from Turkey. This negotiation was Kennedy Administration success and prevented impending possible nuclear warfare during the Cold War years. |
THE RED SCARE AND MCCARTHYISM
Senator Joseph McCarthy was a strict anti-communist and dedicated most of his time to finding, militantly, communists within the United States. Hollywood 10: Many members in the film community were called to testify against their "communist" views, but they refused to answer any questions. They came to be pegged the "Hollywood 10" and were sent to jail. Blacklisting: people who were put on the "black list" were normally people accused of being communist. They were refused job opportunities and barred from employment. House Un-American Activities Committee: a committee dedicated to seeking out Communists in America. |
Plessy vs. Ferguson
PREFACE: June 7th, 1892 Homer Plessy is jailed. Why? For sitting in the "white" section of a railroad car.
A black civil rights organization decides to challenge this position, arguing that this violated the 13th and 14th amendment. The Supreme Court decided that "separate but equal" facilities were constitutional. |
Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, KS
PREFACE: 1954 Many schools were racially segregated, due to the ruling in Plessy vs. Ferguson. NAACP Lawyers (Thurgood Marshall being one of them) brought forth lawsuits on behalf of children in Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia, and Delaware. In this particular case, Oliver Brown said that the segregation violated the 14th amendment (equal protection clause). Thurgood Marshall was the lawyer assigned to this case.
The Supreme Court overrules the jurisdiction made in Plessy v. Ferguson and claims that "separate but equal is inherently unequal." |
Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine refers to a group of students enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Arkansas governor Orval Faubus prevented the students from entering the racially segregated school. President Eisenhower intervene, allowing the students to enroll.
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Greensboro Sit-Ins
Sit-ins are a form of non-violent resistance that occurs when one or more people occupy an area for protest. They were an important tactic used to end racial segregation. One of the most famous began in Greensboro at a local restaurant.
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Freedom Riders
CORE (Congress for Racial Equality) decided upon a new route of action for desegregating public transit. A group of protestors rode buses bound for the Deep South. They wanted to test the ruling that declared segregation in interstate transit unconstitutional. These members encountered tremendous opposition. Many buses were burned and many members were mauled. President Kennedy intervened to oppose the horrendous violence.
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One of the most brutal terrorist attacks on American soil.
Militants associated with an extremist group hijacked four American planes; 2 were flown into the World Trade Center in New York City, one hit the Pentagon outside of Washington D.C., and the 4th crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. RESULT: George W. Bush creates initiatives to combat terrorism. The "War on Terrorism" essentially begins. |