Lecture Notes: Key Historical Events and Movements

Double V for Victory Campaign

• African Americans fought on two fronts:
  1. Victory Abroad: Protecting American democracy from fascism.
  2. Victory at Home: Eradicating racial discrimination.

Executive Order #8802

• Mandated that racial discrimination is illegal in war-related industries.
• Established the Fair Employment Practice Committee (FEPC) to investigate racial discrimination complaints.
• Marked the first significant federal initiative since Reconstruction to protect Black rights.

The Four Freedoms

• Freedom of Speech
• Freedom of Worship
• Freedom from Want
• Freedom from Fear

Bracero Program

• Agreement between U.S. and Mexico to allow Mexican immigrants to work in domestic and agricultural sectors during WWII.
• Temporary program extended until 1964.
• Highlighted limitations in citizenship pathways for Mexican immigrants.

Korematsu vs. United States (1942)

• FDR's Executive Order 9066 led to the forced relocation of Japanese Americans to internment camps during WWII.

McCarthyism and the Red Scare

• Loyalty-Security Program (1947): Investigated "subversive" activities within the U.S.
• Marshall Plan: Economic policy that boosted the U.S. economy post-WWII and supported European economic recovery to prevent communism.

Truman's Doctrine and Containment

• U.S. supported anti-communist regimes to curb Soviet influence.
• Containment policy shaped American foreign policy until the 1980s.

GI Bill

• Aided returning soldiers in transitioning to civilian life.
• Offered free college tuition, expanding the educated workforce.

The Kitchen Debate

• Illustrated American consumerism as a critique of Soviet communism.
• Debate between Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev.

Levittown and Suburbanization

• William Levitt's mass production of affordable homes transformed the suburban housing market.
• Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insured home mortgages, making home ownership accessible.

The Feminine Mystique

• Critique by Friedan of women's roles in the postwar era.
• Highlighted dissatisfaction with limited opportunities and "cult of domesticity."
• Sparked second-wave feminism.

Stokely Carmichael and SNCC

• Carmichael shifted from nonviolent strategies to advocating for armed self-defense.
• SNCC focused on nonviolent civil disobedience and recruited Northern and Midwestern students for activism.

Brown vs. Board of Education (1954)

• Overturned "separate but equal" doctrine, mandating school integration.
• Spurred civil disobedience and nonviolent resistance.

A. Philip Randolph and Civil Rights Legislation

• Influential in the march on Washington and Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965) targeting poverty and racial injustice.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and Vietnam War

• Authorized U.S. military action without formal war declaration.
• Tet Offensive increased opposition to the war and diverted funds from domestic programs.

Bay of Pigs (1964)

• Failed U.S. attempt to overthrow Castro in Cuba.

Equal Rights Amendment

• Proposed amendment to ensure equality under the law regardless of sex.

Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health (2022)

• Viewed Roe vs. Wade as federal overreach, triggering long-term opposition from the religious right.

The "Moral Majority" and "Silent Majority"

• Critiqued American immorality and government expansion.

Milliken vs. Bradley (1974)

• Supreme Court decision negated busing policies for school integration.

Ryan White and AIDS Awareness

• Ryan White's lawsuit highlighted AIDS was not a "gay disease" and spurred educational efforts.

The War on Terror

• Emphasized the clash between majority-based democracies and minority-imposed authoritarianism as articulated by President Truman.