Period 8

This course is a part of AP®︎ US History, a 11-course Topic series from Khan Academy.

The United States emerged from World War II as the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world. But staying on top isn't easy.

This course contains 14 segments:

The Cold War from 1945 to 1980

The United States emerged from World War II as one of two remaining superpowers. In the postwar era, the United States experienced unprecedented economic growth--and unprecedented fear of annihilation brought on by a 40-year Cold War with the Soviet Union.

The Red Scare

Economy after 1945

Culture after 1945

A time of affluence. A time of fear. During Eisenhower's eight years in office, the United States fought a war in Korea, fretted about communism in Hollywood, and began a space program.

Early steps in the civil rights movement, 1940s and 1950s

After World War II, African Americans worked to end segregation and discrimination in the United States.

America as a world power

The Vietnam War

The Great Society

The African American Civil Rights Movement, 1960s

The Civil Rights Movement expands

Youth culture of the 1960s

The 1960s might be the most tumultuous decade in American history, when simmering resentments boiled over into rage against the status quo. From the assassination of John F. Kennedy to the My Lai Massacre, after the bloody Sixties the United States would never be the same.

The environment and natural resources from 1968 to 1980

Society in transition

Continuity and change in Period 8