AP US History: Period 8 Key Terms

Introduction

• Focus on Period 8 key terms for AP US History.
• Terms align with College Board framework.
• Useful for starting the unit or reviewing for exams.

United Nations

• Agreed upon at Yalta Conference during WWII.
• The US is a permanent member, located in New York.
• General Assembly: Includes all member nations.
• Security Council: 5 permanent members (US, Soviet Union/Russia, China, France, Great Britain) + 7 rotating positions.

Containment Policy

• US Cold War policy to prevent the spread of communism.
• Truman Doctrine: Support free peoples resisting communism; aided Turkey and Greece.
• Marshall Plan: Aid to Western Europe to prevent communism.
• NATO: Military alliance to counter Soviet aggression.
• Domino Theory: US concern of communism spreading if one country falls.
• NSC 68: Strategy document for the Cold War.

Cold War and Domestic Impact

• Fear of communist infiltration in the US.
• House Un-American Activities Committee: Investigated suspected communists.
• McCarthyism: Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist crusade.
• Nuclear Fear: Constant fear of nuclear conflict.

Eisenhower's Foreign Policy

• Focus on US influence in the Middle East for oil.
• De-escalation of nuclear tensions.
• Military-Industrial Complex: Warned against excessive government military spending.

Space Race

• Competition with the Soviet Union in space exploration.
• Launch of Sputnik by the USSR in 1957.
• US response: Increased STEM education, commitment to moon landing.

Cuban Missile Crisis

• Soviet missiles in Cuba led to a standoff.
• US-Soviet negotiations led to dismantling missile sites.

Suburbanization

• Influenced by the Interstate Highway Act and mass production of housing.
• Racially homogenous, predominantly white suburbs.
• Beats/Beatniks: Rebelled against conformity, famous figures include Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac.

Baby Boom

• Post-WWII increase in birth rates.
• Shift in parenting influenced by Dr. Spock.

Sun Belt Migration

• Movement to southern US states for jobs and climate.
• Bracero Program: Legal migration for Mexican seasonal workers.

Civil Rights Movement

• Gains and setbacks from 1950s-60s.
• Brown v. Board: Desegregation in schools.
• Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965.
• Movements led by Cesar Chavez and AIM (American Indian Movement).

Feminist Movement

• NOW (National Organization for Women): Advocated for women's rights.
• Equal Rights Amendment: Failed due to opposition.
• SDS (Students for a Democratic Society): College activism for various rights.

Great Society

• Johnson's programs to alleviate poverty.
• Included Medicare, Medicaid, and education initiatives.

Vietnam War

• Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: Increased US involvement without war declaration.
• Pentagon Papers: Eroded public trust in government.
• Vietnamization: Failed policy to reduce US troop levels.

Nixon's Policies

• Silent Majority: Term for conservative Americans supporting Nixon.
• Détente: Easing of tensions with the USSR and engagement with China.

Environmentalism

• Movement beginning in the 1960s.
• Influenced by Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" and environmental disasters.
• Legislation included Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and EPA establishment.

Deindustrialization

• Decline of manufacturing in the Northeast and Midwest.
• Factories moved to less regulated areas domestically and abroad.

War Powers Act

• Limited presidential military powers without Congress approval.
• Context of Vietnam War and Watergate scandal.

Economic Stagnation

• Stagnant growth and inflation in the 1970s.

Affirmative Action

• Policies to counteract past discrimination.
• Focus on equal opportunity for minorities and women.

This summary captures the critical aspects of Period 8 in AP US History, focusing on major domestic and international developments.