-
Period: to
Cold war
Cause: Power struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Effects: Arms race, space race, proxy wars, division of the world into two. -
Truman Doctrine
Cause: Response to Soviet expansionism, particularly in Greece and Turkey.
Effect: Established the policy of containment, provided aid to countries threatened by communism. -
Period: to
Korean war
Cause: North Korean invasion of South Korea.
Effect: Armistice agreement, division of Korea along the 38th parallel, heightened Cold War tensions. -
Period: to
McCarthyism
Cause: Fear of communist infiltration in the US government and society.
Effect: Witch-hunts, blacklisting of suspected communists, erosion of civil liberties. -
Period: to
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Cause: Rosa Parks's arrest for refusing to give up her seat.
Effect: Ended segregation on Montgomery buses, catalyzed the civil rights movement. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Cause: Fear of communist infiltration in the US government and society.
Effect: Witch-hunts, blacklisting of suspected communists, erosion of civil liberties. -
Period: to
Vietnam War
Cause: Containment policy, desire to prevent communist expansion.
Effect: Massive loss of life, war protests, division in American society. -
Sputnik
Cause: Soviet launch of the first artificial satellite.
Effect: Increased US investment in science and education, sparked the space race. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Cause: Soviet placement of missiles in Cuba.
Effect: Closest point to nuclear war, heightened tensions, led to a period of détente. -
March on Washington
Cause: Advocacy for civil rights and economic equality.
Effect: Raised awareness, pressured government to pass civil rights legislation. -
JFK assassinated
Cause: Civil rights movement activism.
Effect: Prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. -
Tet Offensive
Cause: North Vietnamese surprise attack.
Effect: Changed public perception of the Vietnam War, increased anti-war sentiment. -
MLK Killed
Cause: Assassination by James Earl Ray.
Effect: Shock, fueled riots in many cities, loss of a key civil rights leader. -
RFK Killed
Cause: Assassination by Sirhan Sirhan.
Effect: Further shock, dashed hopes for progressive change. -
Moon landing
Cause: NASA's Apollo program.
Effect: Technological achievement, boost in American morale, enhanced US prestige. -
Watergate break-in
Cause: Attempt to bug the Democratic National Committee offices.
Effect: Political scandal, Nixon's resignation, erosion of public trust in government. -
Roe v. Wade
Cause: Challenge to abortion laws.
Effect: Legalized abortion nationwide, sparked ongoing debate on reproductive rights. -
Period: to
Iranian hostage crisis
Cause: Iranian Revolution, US support for the Shah.
Effect: Deterioration of US-Iran relations, hostage crisis lasted 444 days, weakened Carter's presidency.