APUSH Unit XI

Post-War America
1945-today

By: Michael Kraft (1-4), Charles Basile (5-8), Brian Reitz (9-12), Eric May (13-16), Demi Adejuyigbe
(17-20), Ragini Mistry (21-24), Saud Ahmed (25-28), Tiffany Shieh (29-32), Gaby Trisna (33-36), Tom
Caligiuri (37-40), Justin Graver (41-44), Adam Stark (45-48), Igor Kushner (49-52), Nikhil (53-56),
Michelle Samadzada (57-60), Max Glover (61-64), Gokul Mani (65-68), Chris Russell (69-72)

*disclaimer*- There may be errors in this review. If you think something’s wrong, we suggest you look
it up. This is shared with others with the current understanding that it cannot be used to cheat in any
way. We do not authorize this review to be used for cheating of any kind.

1. Richard Nixon- Nixon had a varied presidency; he Nixon ended American fighting in
Vietnam and improving relations with the U.S.S.R. and China, but also oversaw
years of 'stagflation' and resigned after Watergate. In office 1968-1974, succeeded
by Gerald Ford. I kept this definition short because we have the last two day's
lecture notes to study for information about Nixon.
2. Revenue sharing/New Federalism- A series of policies that Nixon used to trade powers
between the states and the federal government. The states received large amounts of
federal money that they got to spend how they wanted; in return they allowed the federal
government to choose the drinking age (18) and maximum speed limit (55) of their roads.
3. Executive privilege- The president may use this to kept communications with
subordinates secret from the courts and Congress. Nixon used it to refuse
prosecutors audiotapes of conversations he and his colleagues had in the Oval
Office of the White House in connection with Watergate. The Supreme Court
confirmed the legitimacy of this doctrine in United States v. Nixon.
4. Spiro Agnew- Nixon's vice president who resigned from office in 1973 amid
charges of bribery and tax evasion. He was bribed while he was Maryland county
executive and governor, then evaded taxes on this transfer of money.
5. Kent State – May 4 1970, four students were killed and nine wounded one of which was
permanently paralyzed in a conflict between national guardsmen and students. The
shooting happened during a student protest against the invasion of Cambodia which
Richard Nixon had announced. Several of the students wounded were not participating in
the protest but were passing by or observing. The result being a student strike and
eventually reforms in crowd control equipment, as all the guardsmen had were M1
Garand, gas grenades and bayonets.
6. 26th Amendment – Extended voting rights to citizens who are 18 years old to vote.
Adopted in response to student activism against the Vietnam War, adopted July 1, 1971.
First proposed by Dwight D. Eisenhower, taken up by president Nixon in 1970, and
overturned Oregon v Mitchell
7. Environmental Protection Agency – Agency proposed by Richard Nixon and initiated in
December of 1970, by a congressional act. Its head is appointed by the president, with
18000 full time employees. Its purpose is to safeguard human health by preserving
environmental longevity.
8. Pentagon Papers – The pentagon papers were a document commissioned by the Secretary
of Defense, McNamara on the subject of America's involvement in Vietnam from 1945
until 1968. The Papers themselves were finished in 1969 and leaked by Daniel Ellsberg in
1971 to the New York Times. During the ensuing trial and proceedings Senator Mike
 Gravel entered them into the Congressional Records, which allowed them to be read and
published with out threat of a trial for treason.
9. Watergate- A general term to describe a complex web of political scandals during
President Nixon’s presidency. These scandals included campaign fraud, political, illegal
break-ins, improper tax audits, and much more. However, the most prominent of these
scandals referred to the breaking in of the Democratic National Convention headquarters
at the Watergate Hotel and Office Complex in Washington (hence the name). These
scandals would eventually lead to an indictment and conviction of President Richard
Nixon’s closest advisers and his subsequent resignation on August 8, 1974. Currently,
the term “Watergate” is synonymous with an abuse of power.
10. CREEP- Officially designated CRP and stands for the Committee to Reelect the
President (Nixon). In the Watergate Scandal, one of the five men arrested and convicted
of burglarizing the Democratic headquarters in the Watergate Hotel (James W. McCord,
Jr.) was Chief of Security for CRP.
11. Henry Kissinger- Served as Secretary of State from 1973 to 1977. His actions in office
helped to reduce the tension between the Soviet Union and the United States
tremendously. As a proponent of Realpolitik, he attempted to negotiate a settlement to
end the Vietnam War. This, however, was impossible, and he eventually called for a
retreat of all United States troops.
12. Daniel Ellsburg- a member of a research and development organization for the
government. Daniel Elsburg became disillusioned with the War in Vietnam and released a
classified paper, entitled History of Decision Making in Vietnam, 1945-1968, better known
as the Pentagon Papers, to the Washington Post and New York Times. Ellsberg's trial,
on twelve felony counts posing a possible sentence of 115 years, was dismissed in 1973
on grounds of governmental misconduct against him.
13. Title IX – a law enacted in the summer of 1972 that gave women in particular the ability
to become equal in all aspects of the education system. This primarily led way to
exponential growth in sports and other more extra-curricular for women. The law states
that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any
education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."

14. Equal Rights Amendment- a proposed amendment in 1972 for the constitution that states
that all of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by
any state on account of sex, and that congress had the obligation to enforce this
amendment. It was not passed however due to the fact that not enough support in all of
the states was seen (mainly south and western states), thus the 7 year window closed.
There are still parties trying to ratify this amendment today.

15. Gloria Steinem – one of the most prominent figures in the women’s rights movement of
the 60s and early 70s. She came to notability after her report on how the women of
playboy were poorly treated. After this she became an outspoken advocate for such things
as the Equal Rights Amendment also gave the “Address to the Women of
America”speech which symbolized not only the issues of sexism, but also noted other
social issues like racism and class differentials.

16. National Organization of Women –Formed in 1966 by such advocates like Betty Friedan
and Shirley Chisholm the groups focus was to bring women on the same stage of
importance in society on the level as men had at the time. Highly promoted the Equal
Rights Amendment even after its failure, and has brought vast amounts of changes to
women in America as it is still the largest feminist group in The United States.
17. Betty Friedan - Founded the National Organization for Women in 1966, an organization
that tried to bring women into the limelight of American society, in order to establish a
fully equal partnership with men.
18. Cesar Chavez - He organized California grape pickers into the first effective and
enduring migrant worker union in the United States. He became general director of the
Community Service Organization in 1958 but grew increasingly dissatisfied as the CSO
attracted more and more middle-class liberals and fewer and fewer poor farmworkers.
Then the CSO refused to support him, he resigned and founded the National Farm
Workers Association.
19. United Farm Workers - An organization that worked to organize farm workers though
negotiations and consumer boycotts. The UFW was formed through the National Farm
Workers Association, led by Cesar Chavez, by merging the NFWA with the Agricultural
Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC).
20. American Indian Movement - Formed by Native Americans as a response to the social
dominance of white people in the US. The AIM sought to advance their rights as Native
Americans, and succeeded in restoring public consciousness of Native Americans in the
1970s.
21. Rachel Carson – Published Silent Spring in 1962 which questioned the absolute good of
all technology. She questioned the health consequences (or lack thereof) associated with
industrialization. Smog, polluted water and soil led to a surge in environmentalism. This
surge led to an increased amount of legislation that focused on environmental protection.
22. Gerald Ford – He became president after Nixon resigned, but later offered Nixon a
pardon. He was a Republican and was well liked without scandal. Under his presidency,
the economy went into decline and asked for tax cuts to stimulate business. He was
president when South Vietnam fell to North Vietnam.
23. Stagflation – When inflation and economic stagnation occur at the same time and
remains unchecked. Often coincides with unemployment. Future prices of goods were
expected to go up so people bought more. The increased demand led to the need of
increased wages and the whole process keeps getting worse. Jimmy Carter tried to
combat the economic troubles by increasing government spending, and established
voluntary wage and price guidelines to control inflation.
24. Roe v. Wade – (1973) one of the most influential cases of the 20th century. It stated that
most laws regarding abortion violated the constitutional right to privacy. The case was led
by Justice Harry Blackmun. It stated that a mother may abort her child for any reason up
until the fetus is viable (can be aborted before 24-28 weeks).
25. Jimmy Carter: Best known for a policy of détente with USSR, strategic arms planning,
and his EPIC failure at alleviating the Iran Hostage Crisis, which he personally pledged to
not involve the military in.
26. Energy crisis/OPEC: Embargo enacted by the Organization for Petroleum Exporting
Countries, basically the Middle-East. Saudia Arabia called for a complete embargo on
America, because America was supporting the Israelis in their occupation of Arab lands.
By the end of 1973 (started in October) the price of oil had increased three-fold.
27. Shah of Iran: Monarch who supported western policies until his overthrow by the Shi’a
movement in 1979. In his “White Revolution”, he pushed for Feminine suffrage, western
culture, and technological modernization. While Muslim himself, he disapproved of the
shi’a beliefs, which he found to be very extreme. This would lead to his downfall.
28. Ayatollah Khomeini: Political leader and extremist Religious leader of the Shi’a sect who
rose to the rank of Supreme Leader after the Iranian revolution. Though internationally
perceived as a dangerous influence, he was loved by the Iranian people, which gave him
all the power he needed. Spent many years in Iraqi exile for speaking out against the
Shah.
29. Détente- As the courses of the cold war followed a period of relaxation developed in the
early 1970s and became known as "Détente," a French word meaning "release of
 tensions." This was hoped that the new relationship would place a permanent
improvement in relations between the U.S. and Soviet Union, but differences in the
outlook led to an increasing number of conflicts. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in
1979 effectively closed that chapter of the Cold War.
30. Cambodian incursion- also known as the Cambodian Campaign was a series of military
operations by the armed forces of the United States and the Republican of Vietnam that
were conducted in the Eastern Cambodia during the Vietnam War.
31. SALT I & II-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks refers to two rounds, kinds, of talks for
corresponding international treaties the Soviet Union and the United States on the issue
of armament control. SALT II was to replace the Interim Agreement with a long-term
Treaty providing broader limits on strategic offensive weapons systems.
32. Helsinki Accords- The final act of Conference of Security and Co-operation Europe held
in Finland during July and August of 1975 which was an attempt to improve the relations
between the Communist block and the West.
33. Anwar Sadat – Third Egyptian president, serving from October 15, 1970 to October 6,
1981 (assassinated). He was part of the Free Officers group that overthrew the
Muhammad Ali Dynasty in the Egyptian Revolution of 1952.
34. Camp David Accords – The product of negotiations held from September 5 to 17, 1978
between Egyptian president Anwar Sadat and Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin. It
established an agreement by which the two countries could work to secure peace in the
Middle East. Hosted by President Jimmy Carter at his presidential retreat, Camp David,
Maryland.
35. Iranian Hostage Crisis – Between 1953 and mid-1970s, the United States was a
supporter and ally of Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi's government in Iran. By 1978,
political opposition to the shah's regime grew, both within Iran and outside. Violent
demonstrations increase and in January 1979, the shah fled Iran and ended up in the
United States. Ayatolla Khomeini, fundamentalist Islamic leader, returned to Iran and
became the real ruler of the country. Bitterness increased among militant Muslims
centered on the United States, for interfering with Iran's politics. On November 4, 1979,
students overran the U.S. Embassy in Tehran; some Americans escaped, but 52 became
hostages. President Carter declared a national emergency and imposed a trade embargo
and a freeze on Iranian assets in the United States. Oil purchases from Iran was blocked
and a suit was brought in the International Court of Justice. Iranian diplomats were
expelled, Iranian students were required to have their visas checked, and other
diplomatic pressure was brought against Iran to force the release of the hostages.
36. “malaise” - is a feeling of general discomfort or uneasiness, an "out of sorts" feeling,
often the first indication of an infection or other disease. Malaise is often defined in
medicinal research as a "general feeling of being unwell". (APUSHWISE- example:
"economic malaise" refers to an economy that is stagnant or in recession.)
37. Ronald Regan
38. Reaganomics/supply-side economics
39. Religious Right
40. Moral Majority
41. Right-to-life vs. pro-choice
42. Yuppies
43. Oliver North
44. Iran-Contra
45. Immigration Reform & Control Act
46. Geraldine Ferraro
47. Sandra Day O’Connor
48. George Bush
49. Mikhail Gorbachev
50. Perestroika and Glasnost
51. Strategic Defense Initiative
52. Sandanistas
53. George Bush
54. Saddam Hussein
55. Norman Schwarzkopf
56. Bill Clinton
57. Hillary Clinton
58. Newt Gingrich
59. Monica Lewinsky
60. Kenneth Starr
61. “Family Values”
62. “Ethnic Cleansing”
63. Persian Gulf War
64. Americans with Disabilities Act
65. Twenty-seventh Amendment -- was originally proposed by James Madison in 1789 as one of
the provisions of the Bill of Rights. It states that “No law, varying the compensation for the
services of the senators and representatives shall take effect, until an election of
representatives shall have intervened” or simply limits congressional pay raises.
66. “New Democrats”
67. Contract with America-- contract promised a series of legislative reforms if Republicans
secured control of the U.S. Congress in the November 1994 elections. Although the
Republicans did indeed capture control of both houses of Congress in the November
elections, they enjoyed only limited success in enacting the reforms enumerated in the
Contract with America, being hindered by bickering within their own party and opposition from
Democratic president Bill Clinton.
68. NAFTA-- was designed to remove barriers and increase trade among the United States,
Canada, and Mexico, although its passage was the source of heated political debate for many
months, with both lawmakers and the public divided in their support for the agreement.
NAFTA, along with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, is considered a continuation
of the federal government's effort since the end of World War II to promote free trade between
the United States and other nations.
69. World Trade Organization
70. George W. Bush
71. Osama Bin Laden
72. September 11, 2001