Policies
What is containment?
This U.S. policy aimed to prevent the spread of communism.
What is Berlin? (What happened there? Why was it important?)
This European city was the focus of a U.S. airlift due to a Soviet blockade.
Who is Joseph McCarthy?
This senator led a series of accusations against alleged communists in government.
What is the baby boom?
This term refers to the large increase in birth rates after WWII.
What is the GI Bill?
This act provided educational and housing benefits to returning WWII veterans.
What is the Marshall Plan?
This U.S. financial aid plan helped rebuild European economies after WWII.
What is the Korean War? (Why did it start?)
This Asian conflict began in 1950 and involved U.S. troops fighting to stop the spread of communism.
What is the House Un-American Activities Committee?
This committee investigated suspected communist influence in industries across the US, including the film industry.
What are Levittown's?
These neighborhoods became symbols of postwar suburban growth and conformity.
What is the Federal Highway Act?
This 1956 act funded a nationwide road system and contributed to suburbanization.
What is the Truman Doctrine?
This 1947 policy pledged support to countries resisting communism, especially Greece and Turkey.
What is Sputnik?
This 1957 Soviet satellite caused panic in the U.S. and sparked the space race.
What is the Red Scare?
The fear of widespread communist infiltration in America was known as this.
What is television? (How was it important during the 50s?)
This new invention became central to 1950s American entertainment and culture.
What is the Marshall Plan?
This economic plan was meant to promote European recovery and limit communist appeal.
What is brinkmanship?
Eisenhower's policy of threatening massive force to deter war was called this.
What is the Iron Curtain?
The term used by Winston Churchill to describe the division between free and communist Europe.
What is McCarthyism?
This term describes false or exaggerated accusations of communism.
What is rock and roll? (Which groups of people liked and didn't like it?)
This popular music style was seen by many adults as rebellious and dangerous.
What is the Peace Corps?
An organization started by Kennedy that encouraged American youth to help countries in need by joining and volunteering.
What is NATO?
This military alliance was created in 1949 to protect Western Europe from Soviet aggression.
What is the Warsaw Pact?
This 1955 alliance was the Soviet Union’s response to NATO.
What is the Loyalty Review Program?
These loyalty programs were introduced by Truman to ensure federal employees were not communists.
What is "duck and cover"?
A common 1950s drill meant to prepare students for nuclear attacks.
How were minorities supported in federal and state programs?
They were largely unsupported. African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and poor rural communities struggled despite the success of other groups. These groups did not see many positive policies to help their communities.