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Module 6 Note Guides
6.01: The Fifties and Sixties: The Big Ideas
Briefly describe the postwar economic boom.
What were the causes and effects of the “Baby Boom” of the 1950s?
How did television change the U.S.? (Hint: Be sure to include the social, economic and political changes.)
How did life change for African Americans in the 1950s?
How were women affected by the postwar boom?
How did the Beats influence the Baby Boomers?
People
Events (Describe the event, its causes and effects)
Teenagers (What was life like for them in the 1950s)
Rock n Roll becomes popular
Beats (How would you describe them?)
Friedan writes The Feminine Mystique
Vocabulary (fill in effects from the lesson where possible or put the definition in your own words)
Baby Boom – a period characterized by a high birth rate, specifically in the United States from 1946–1964
Baby boomers – those born during the baby boom that occurred from 1946 through 1964
Beats – a group of writers and their followers who expressed ideas and attitudes counter to the prevailing culture
of the United States in the 1950s
Complacency – a state of being satisfied with one's self or with what one has
Conformity – fitting one's attitudes and behavior to the standards of others
GI Bill of Rights – a federal law passed during World War II to help returning veterans secure education and access
to home purchases at government expense
Interstate Highway System – a system of high-speed, limited access roads funded by the U.S. government in the
1950s
Juvenile delinquents – lawbreakers under the age of 16; a phrase popular in the 1950s to describe teens who
broke the law or who imitated the style of lawbreakers
Materialism – a value system that emphasizes material possessions and economic self-interest
Religious Revival – special worship services or efforts made to awaken or heighten interest in religion, or a period
characterized by increased interest in or practice of religion
Module 6 Note Guides
6.02: The Early Cold War: The Big Ideas
Briefly describe the Nuremberg Trials.
What precedents did the Nuremberg Trials set? (Hint: Think about how war criminals tried to defend their actions.)
How did the relationship between the U.S. and the Soviet Union change after WWII?
Briefly describe the differences between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
What did the United States do to prevent the spread of communism?
What were the major alliances of the Cold War era?
People
Mary McLeod Bethune (What was she known for?)
Events (Describe the event, its causes and effects)
Dumbarton Oaks Conference
Berlin Airlift
President Truman (How did he believe the U.S. should
fight communism?)
Marshall Plan
Vocabulary (fill in effects from the lesson where possible or put the definition in your own words)
Arms race – militarization between the competing superpowers of the United States and Soviet Union during the
Cold War
Berlin Airlift – the event that stemmed from the Soviet blockade of roads and railways to West Berlin in 1948,
which forced the United States and Britain to use aircraft to supply the city
Big Three – nickname for the leaders of the major Allied powers in WWII – Roosevelt (USA), Churchill (Great
Britain), and Stalin (Soviet Union)
Cold War – the state of hostility that arose between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II
Containment – an act or policy of restricting the territorial growth or influence of another, especially a hostile
nation
Dumbarton Oaks Conference – international peace conference in Washington, DC, where the plan was made to
create the United Nations
Iron curtain – phrase used by Winston Churchill to describe the imaginary line that separated Western and Eastern
powers during the Cold War
Marshall Plan – economic aid sent by the United States to European nations after World War II to help rebuild
their economies and win their loyalty
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – defensive military alliance formed by the United States and its allies
in 1949
Nuremberg Trials – trials held after World War II that focused on Nazi leaders and their actions during the
Module 6 Note Guides
Holocaust; trials were held at the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany, and were organized by
the United States, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union
Truman Doctrine – American policy of providing aid to any country whose welfare was deemed essential to the
safety of the United States
Universal Declaration of Human Rights – an expression of the rights of all people made by the United Nations
Warsaw Pact – a military alliance between the Soviet Union and seven other communist nations from Eastern
Europe during the Cold War
6.03: The Cold War at Home: The Big Ideas
How did the Cold War cause the Red Scare?
How did Americans respond to the threat of communism?
How were Fuchs, Gold, Greenglass, and the Rosenbergs connected?
What was McCarthyism and how did it affect the U.S.?
How did McCarthy finally lose his power?
How did the arms race affect Americans?
People
President Truman (How did he respond to the threat
of communists in the government?)
Events (Describe the event, its causes and effects)
HUAC investigations
Alger Hiss case
Blacklisted Americans (What happened to them?)
Vocabulary (fill in effects from the lesson where possible or put the definition in your own words)
Blacklist: a term used to describe people, especially in the motion picture industry, who were unable to find work
after being accused of communist sympathies
Federal Employee Loyalty Program: program created in 1947 by President Harry Truman to investigate all federal
employees in order to establish their loyalty to the United States
House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC): a committee formed by the House of Representatives to
investigate people thought to be disloyal to the United States, especially those believed to be communist or
communist sympathizers
McCarran Act: legislation passed by Congress in 1950 over President Harry Truman’s veto that that required
Communists to register with the federal government, outlawed any group from making a plan to create a
dictatorship, and prevented Communists from obtaining a passport or from entering the United States
McCarthyism: the name given to Senator Joseph McCarthy’s tactics of spreading fear of communism through false
charges of radical activities
Module 6 Note Guides
6.04: The Korean War: The Big Ideas
How did the Korean War begin?
Why did the United Nations intervene in the situation in Korea?
How did the U.S.’s fear of communism lead them to support involvement in the Korean War?
Briefly explain how the Korean War was like a see-saw.
How did the Korean War end?
What is the relationship like between North and South Korea today?
People
President Truman (Explain his thoughts about the
Korean war. Why did he fire MacArthur?)
General MacArthur (Why did he want to push his
troops into China?)
President Eisenhower (How did the Korean War help
lead to his election?)
Events (Describe the event, its causes and effects)
Landing of troops at Inchon
Chinese army becomes involved in the war
MacArthur is fired
Vocabulary (fill in effects from the lesson where possible or put the definition in your own words)
38th Parallel – international boundary between North Korea and South Korea in 1945 established at the end of
World War II
Amphibious – military operation that involves forces landed from the sea
Cease-fire – a cessation of hostilities while a peace treaty is negotiated
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) – area where no military activity is permitted
Domino theory – the theory that events that happen in one country will make them more likely to occur in
neighboring countries
Korean War – Cold War conflict between North Korea and South Korea that included the United States, Soviet
Union, and China
Module 6 Note Guides
6.05: The Cold War: The Big Ideas
What were some effects of the nuclear arms race?
How did the cold war lead to the space race?
How did Kennedy handle the Cold War?
How did Cuba become a communist nation?
Briefly explain the relationships among Cuba, the U.S. and the Soviet Union in the early 1960s.
Briefly describe the events surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis. (Who was involved? What actions were taken?
How did it end?)
What happened on November 22, 1963 and how did it change the U.S.?
People
Fulgencio Batista (What role did he play in Cuban
history?)
Events (Describe the event, its causes and effects)
Launch of Sputnik 1
Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev (What role did he
play in the Cuban Missile Crisis?)
Bay of Pigs invasion
President Kennedy (How did he shape U.S. actions
during the Cold War?)
Discovery of Soviet missiles in Cuba
Vocabulary (fill in effects from the lesson where possible or put the definition in your own words)
Annihilation – complete destruction
Astronauts – American term for anyone trained for travel in space
Embargo – a restriction on trade between nations
Guerilla – describing a war conducted by a non-regular force that harasses the enemy with quick strikes,
or a fighter in such a force; from the Spanish for "little war"
Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) – a missile capable of being aimed at a target at a distance of 5,000
miles (8,000 km) or greater
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) – American government agency that directs
programs relating to space exploration and science
Module 6 Note Guides
Nationalizing – taking control of a privately owned business or industry by a government for the public
benefit, generally with compensation to the owners
Reconnaissance – in military usage, an examination or survey of an enemy's strength and position
Space race – the competition between the U.S. and U.S.S.R over achievements in space technology and
exploration
U-2 – a high-altitude U.S. aircraft used for taking aerial photographs
6.06: Vietnam War: The Big Ideas
How did the US support South Vietnam from 1957 to 1963?
How did President Johnson increase US involvement in Vietnam?
Briefly describe the type of war fought in Vietnam. What tactics and weapons were used? How did this affect
American soldiers?
How did Americans react to the Vietnam War?
How did the media (television, news, radio) affect the way Americans saw the events in Vietnam?
How did the Vietnam War end? What happened to the country of Vietnam?
How did the Vietnam War change the US?
People
Ho Chi Minh (What were his goals? How did he try to
reach them?)
Events (Describe the event, its causes and effects)
Geneva Accords
Ngo Dinh Diem (Why did he receive US support for a
time? Why did he lose US support?)
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Vietcong (Who were they and why did they fight?)
Tet Offensive
Module 6 Note Guides
Veterans (What difficulties did they face after the
war?)
My Lai Massacre
President Nixon (What did he do to get elected? How
did he respond to the war?)
26th Amendment
Vocabulary (fill in effects from the lesson where possible or put the definition in your own words)
Agent Orange – an herbicide used to remove the leaves from trees during the Vietnam War that later caused
health problems for soldiers
Conscientious objector – people who refuse to fight in a war, usually because of religious or moral beliefs
Deferment – permission to postpone or avoid military service
Doves – people who opposed U.S. military involvement in Vietnam
Geneva Accords – peace treaty ending the Indochina Wars between France and Vietnam; established North
Vietnam and South Vietnam under separate governments and called for free elections soon after
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution – Congressional act granting the president the power to send U.S. troops into battle
without a formal declaration of war
Hawks – people who supported U.S. military involvement in Vietnam
Napalm – flammable jelly-like substance used in some bombs and flamethrowers
Tet Offensive – a series of coordinated attacks launched by communist forces against U.S. and South Vietnamese
forces during the Vietnamese New Year, which is known as Tet
Vietcong – South Vietnamese communists who fought against U.S. and South Vietnamese troops with help from
the North Vietnamese
Vietnamization – process of shifting control of the war from the U.S. military to the South Vietnamese military;
President Nixon's policy of training South Vietnamese forces to take over combat, allowing the withdrawal of U.S.
troops
War Powers Act – law required the president to consult with Congress within 48 hours of committing U.S. troops
to foreign conflicts
6.07: Disillusionment: The Big Ideas
How did the Vietnam War change people’s ideas about the US government?
What actions did Nixon take in Vietnam? How did the war end?
What were the Pentagon Papers? How did they change Americans’ feelings about Vietnam?
How were the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the War Powers Act related?
Module 6 Note Guides
Briefly describe the Watergate Scandal. How did it affect Americans’ beliefs about their government?
What were the effects of the Watergate Scandal?
People
Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein (How were they
related to the Watergate Scandal?)
Events (Describe the event, its causes and effects)
Tinker v. Des Moines
New York Times v. United States
Gerald Ford (How did he become president?)
United States v. Nixon
Vocabulary (fill in effects from the lesson where possible or put the definition in your own words)
Credibility Gap – a term used to describe the difference between government statements and news reports
regarding the Vietnam War
Disillusionment – being confronted with reality after believing in a false ideal
Executive privilege – the right of the executive branch to keep certain information secret
Impeachment – a process of making a formal accusation of misconduct against a public official
Pentagon Papers – secret government documents about U.S. involvement in Vietnam that were leaked to the
press in 1971
Vietnamization – process of shifting control of the war from the U.S. military to the South Vietnamese military;
President Nixon's policy of training South Vietnamese forces to take over combat, allowing the withdrawal of U.S.
troops
War Powers Act – law required the president to consult with Congress within 48 hours of committing U.S. troops
to foreign conflicts
Watergate Scandal – scandal that resulted from a politically motivated break-in and government cover-up that led
to the resignation of President Nixon
Module 6 Note Guides
The Korean and Vietnam Wars took place half a world away from the U.S. and several decades ago.
Many people often get the details of the two wars confused. Complete this chart to help you remember
the similarities and differences between the conflicts.
Korean War
Dates and Locations
Countries and/or Groups
Involved
Reasons for Fighting
US Leaders
(Government, Military, etc.)
Foreign Leaders
(include country represented)
Major Battles
(include reason for importance,
outcome, effect on the war)
US Public Opinion
(How did Americans feel about the
conflict?)
New Policies
(What new political or military
policies were created because of the
war?)
Vietnam War
Module 6 Note Guides
Outcome
(How did the conflict end? Include
names of specific documents if
possible)
Other Details
(Include any other important facts
or events)
Module 6 Note Guides