Exit Level Social Studies TAKS Review Part IX: Cold War to 1960

Courtesy of George Blair’s site to assist students at Samuel Clemens High School in Schertz, Texas — from his Big Stick Social Studies site — a review of things you need to know for the Cold War through 1960, which should help get you through the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) for Social Studies (11th grade, or Exit Level):

Cold War to 1960

GI Bill of Rights	1944 law providing financial aid to World War II veterans entering college, starting a business, buying a home, preference in government jobs.
Truman Doctrine	President Truman’s position after World War II that US would aid any nation threatened by the Communists, part of US containment policy against Soviet Union and communism
George C. Marshall	US Army general who helped develop US plans to win World War II, created “Marshall Plan” to rebuild Europe after World War II, organized Civilian Conservation Corps
Marshall Plan	US economic aid program that rebuilt Western Europe after World War II; proposed by Secretary of State George Marshall; part of US containment policy against communism
NATO	North Atlantic Treaty Organization (1949); a mutual defense pact among Western European nations and United States; further enforced containment of communism
Korean War	Conflict arising in 1950 from post-WW II division of Korea at latitude 38 degrees north, between North (Communist) and South Korea; President Truman sends in US troops (police action) to help South Korea; General Douglas MacArthur head of United Nations forces; Korean War ends in stalemate armistice in 1953
McCarthyism	Named after US Senator Joseph McCarthy; part of fear of communism scare after World War II in the 1950’s; practice of unproven accusations of disloyalty; Sen. McCarthy’s downfall – accusing Army of harboring Communists and being seen on TV as a bully
Joseph McCarthy	US Senator from Wisconsin 1950, conservative, believed communists were trying to take over US from the inside, called many famous people to testify before Congress to prove their loyalty and reveal names of suspected spies, responsible for McCarthyism
Sputnik I	Launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, the world’s first space satellite; showed that US was behind in education, big push to improve science and math education, “Space Race” began
International trade	Trade between countries from all over the world, trade usually benefited both countries involved, but sometimes benefited the dominant country more.
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka	US Supreme Court decision (1954) overturning “separate but equal” idea of racial segregation (separation/discrimination), led to integration of US public schools.