Period 8 Recap and Study Guide

Preparing for the Lecture

• Print the Free Speed Review Sheet: Use it to follow along with the lecture.
• Focus Areas: Identify and circle people, events, and vocab you need to focus on.
• Confidence Check: Once you understand a topic, check it off and move on.

Post-World War II America

• Economic Growth:
  • GI Bill: Provided education and home-buying opportunities for veterans.
  • Baby Boom: Result of improved economic conditions.
  • Sunbelt Growth: Region experienced economic and population growth.
  • Interstate Highway Act: Improved connectivity and popularized road trips.
  • Suburbanization: Rise of neighborhoods like Levittown offering affordable homes.
  • Television’s Influence: Shaped culture and family life.

Cultural Movements

• Conformity and Rebellion:
  • Conformity: Families gravitated towards similar lifestyles.
  • Rebellion: Teens embraced rock and roll; critiques like “The Affluent Society” emerged.

Cold War Developments

• Tensions with Soviet Union: Led to Cold War.
• Containment Policy:
  • Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan: Aimed to contain communism in Europe.
  • Proxy Wars: Korean War as a containment success.
• Eisenhower’s Policies:
  • Eisenhower Doctrine: Military aid to Middle Eastern countries.
  • Brinkmanship: Use of military force as a threat.
  • Military-Industrial Complex Warning.
• Cuban Missile Crisis: Brought US and USSR close to nuclear war.

Domestic Impact of the Cold War

• Second Red Scare:
  • Fallout Shelters and Drills.
  • McCarthyism: Anti-communist witch hunts.
  • Space Race: Investments in defense and space research.

Civil Rights Movement

• Key Developments:
  • Brown v. Board of Education: Declared school segregation unconstitutional.
  • Little Rock Nine: Faced resistance during school integration.
  • Peaceful Protests: Led by figures like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr.
  • Legislative Victories: Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Vietnam War

• Escalation:
  • Domino Theory: Fear of communist expansion in Asia.
  • Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: Led to increased US involvement.
• Public Sentiment:
  • Tet Offensive and My Lai Massacre: Shifted public opinion.
  • Pentagon Papers: Revealed government deception.
• Nixon’s Vietnamization: Gradual withdrawal of troops.

Great Society

• Johnson’s Domestic Agenda:
  • War on Poverty: Medicare, Medicaid, education reforms, HUD.
  • Great Society Programs: Compared to FDR’s New Deal.

Nixon’s Foreign Policy

• Détente Strategy:
  • SALT Treaty: Limited nuclear arsenals.
  • China Diplomacy: Reopened communication and trade.
• Arab-Israeli War Impacts: Led to OPEC oil embargo.

Watergate Scandal

• Nixon’s Resignation: Following illegal activities and cover-up.
• Gerald Ford: Pardoned Nixon; faced economic challenges.

Environmental Movement

• Rachel Carson’s Influence: “Silent Spring” inspired environmental awareness.
• Legislation: Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, creation of EPA.

Other Social Movements

• Feminism:
  • The Feminine Mystique: Sparked second-wave feminism.
  • Equal Rights Amendment: Faced conservative opposition.
• LGBTQ+ Rights:
  • Stonewall Riots: Pivotal moment in the fight for rights.
• Latino and Native American Rights:
  • Cesar Chavez and Chicano Movement: Advocated for farm workers.
  • American Indian Movement: Focused on sovereignty and cultural preservation.

Exam Preparation

• Key Themes:
  • Causation: Effects of Cold War.
  • Comparison: Civil rights leaders’ tactics.
  • Change and Continuity: Shifts in American foreign policy post-WWII.

Additional Resources

• APUSH Ultimate Review Packet: Includes timeline study guides and essay practice.
• Video Subscription: Like and subscribe for more educational content.

Additional notes

conformity in post-World War II America refers to the tendency of families to adopt similar lifestyles and cultural norms. This was a time when many families embraced a similar way of life, often centered around suburban living, television, and shared cultural values. (1950s)

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was a resolution passed by Congress that gave President Johnson the authority to use military force in Vietnam. This was in response to an alleged attack on US Navy ships in the Gulf of Tonkin. The resolution significantly escalated US involvement in the Vietnam War.