Developments in America

Since 1975 Vocabulary

  1. Peace in the Middle East – Land area in Southwest Asia where much conflict has occurred over land rights; the US has tried to work with the countries to bring peace to the area.
  2. Persian Gulf War – The US was protecting its oil interests by driving Iraq forces out of Kuwait in 1990.
  3. War on Terrorism – George W. Bush (Son) declared this in response to Sept. 11 attacks; goal was to find terrorists and come up with plans to prevent future attacks.
  4. September 11, 2001 – The US was subject to terrorist attacks in NYC, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania; #1 suspect behind hijackings was Osama Bin Laden
  5. Soviet Union Collapse – Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev opened up freedom of speech and many people began speaking out against communism; Berlin Wall gates were opened in 1989; December 25th, 1991 – USSR collapsed and became Russia & 15 other independent countries; most are democratic now.
  6. Computers & Internet – Computers changed American society when they were brought into homes in the late 1970s; the internet is a global computer network that allows people to play games, research topics, buy things, etc.
  7. Coalition – is a group of allies that work together to achieve a goal.
  8. Free-trade agreement - is a treaty designed to increase trade by removing taxes or tariffs.
  9. George W. Bush (the son) – Was president during the 9/11 attacks. He planned on finding the people that attacked America. He also wanted to protect America from future terrorist attacks.
  10. George H.W.Bush (father) – Was the President of the United States during the Persian Gulf War.
  11. Osama Bin Laden – the terrorist responsible for the September 11th, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
  12. Saddam Hussein – Dictator of Iraq during the Persian Gulf War.
  13. Tariff – A tax that is paid on imported or exported goods.
  14. Coalition – is a group of allies that work together to achieve a goal.

Geography Vocabulary

  1. Grand Canyon – Northwestern Arizona, a deep gorge that is 277 miles long and 18 miles across; formed by the Colorado River over millions of years.
  2. Salton Sea – A saltwater lake located in southern California; formed by the Colorado River flooding over; 376 miles
  3. Great Salt Lake – A saltwater lake located in northern Utah; largest lake in the western US and largest saltwater lake in western hemisphere; 1700 miles
  4. Mojave Desert – Most lies in southeastern California, but portions run through Arizona, Nevada, & Utah; 25,000 miles; temperatures reach 120 degrees in summer.
  5. Chisholm Trail – Route from Texas to Kansas; used by cowboys in the late 1800s to herd cattle to railroad cars.
  6. Pittsburgh, PA – Pennsylvania city that is one of the world’s largest steel manufacturing centers
  7. Gettysburg, PA – A town in Pennsylvania where a famous Civil War battle took place; turning point in the war because the Union’s victory ended the Confederates’ hopes of invading the North.
  8. Kitty Hawk, NC – Town along the coast of North Carolina; Wright Brothers made the first powered airplane flight here in 1903
  9. Pearl Harbor, HI – U.S. Naval base in Hawaii; bombed by the Japanese and caused the US to enter World War II.
  10. Montgomery, AL – City in Alabama that received national attention during the Civil Rights Movement; Martin Luther King, Jr. lead a famous protest here called the Montgomery Bus Boycott; lasted for a little more than a year until the Supreme Court ruled segregation on the city’s public transportation unconstitutional.