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In addition, the United States helped to establish NATO (North American Treaty Organization) which was an alliance of Democratic nations. (This was collective self-defense, for an attack on one of these nations would be perceived as an attack on all NATO member nations) Anyone who attacked a NATO country would The Soviet Union responded by forming the Warsaw Pact.
Senator Joe McCarthy: Many Americans feared the spread of communism (Red Scare).
McCarthy was on a committee to investigate communism. He was feared because he
had a list of people he claimed were known communists. The accusations became like a
witch hunt and he had to be stopped.
-
Explain how the following impacted the lives of Americans during the Red Scare of the 1950’s.
(HUAC) The House Un-American Activities Committee
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It was established in 1938 to investigate disloyalty on the eve of World War II.
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Black Lists
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A list of employees believed to be communists, who employers agreed not to hire.
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McCarthyism
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The fear and belief that there are Communists hiding in America and the search to find them. There was
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Arms Race (MAD- Mutually Assured Destruction
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The struggle between the U.S. and the Soviet Union to gain weapons superiority and world leadership.
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Cuban Missile Crisis
|
The Soviet Union was building missile bases on Cuban soil. Kennedy put a naval quarantine on Cuba, so the Soviet’s couldn’t get through. The Soviet’s agreed to pull back and stop building missiles if America ended the quarantine and stayed out of Cuba.
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“Eisenhower Prosperity”
-
Explain how the following affected American Society
-
GI Bill – Low-interest mortgages given to returning World War II Servicemen to purchase their new homes.
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Baby Boom – Births rates soared during World War II and continued because many people were working and making a better living than ever before.
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Levittown – New communities built in the suburbs, pioneering mass-production techniques to cater to the demand for housing.
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Interstate Highway Act – Provided $26 billion to build an interstate highway system more than 40,000 miles long. (1956).
XIII Challenging Segregation
African-American Civil Rights Movement
|
Brown v. Board
Of Education
1954)
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Overturned the Plessy case by declaring that segregated facilities were inherently unequal, and ordered the integration of the nation's public schools.
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Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955)
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Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in the front of a Montgomery, Alabama, public bus for a white rider, leading African-Americans to boycott public bussing.
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Little Rock Crisis
(1957)
|
After schools in Little Rock, Arkansas, refused to admit African-Americans to all-white schools, President Eisenhower authorized the U.S. Army to escort and protect African-American students.
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Freedom Rides
(1961)
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On May 4, 1961, a group of 13 African-American and white civil rights activists launched the Freedom Rides, a series of bus trips through the American South to protest segregation in interstate bus terminals. The Freedom Riders, attempted to integrate facilities at bus terminals along the way into the Deep South. African-American Freedom Riders tried to use “whites-only” restrooms and lunch counters, and vice versa. The group encountered tremendous violence from white protestors along the route, but also drew international attention to their cause. Over the next few months, several hundred Freedom Riders engaged in similar actions. In September 1961, the Interstate Commerce Commission issued regulations prohibiting segregation in bus and train stations nationwide.
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March on Washington
(1963)
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Martin Luther King and his SCLC organized a massive demonstration in Washington, D.C., where he delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
|
-
Explain how each of the following was a step toward achieving civil rights.
They were all peaceful protests that got the international attention.
-
Explain how the Civil Right Act attempted to outlaw discrimination.
By making it illegal, anyone discriminating would have to pay the consequences themselves.
African-American Civil Rights Law
|
Civil Rights
Act of 1964
|
Provides criminal penalties for discrimination in employment or voting and integrates most public facilities.
|
24th Amendment
(1964)
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Eliminated Poll taxes
|
Voting Rights
Act of 1965
|
Outlawed discriminatory voting practices such as literacy tests.
|
This successful civil rights reform movement inspired other groups to follow similar tactics in order to achieve similar results.
Women—Feminist Law
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Equal Rights
Amendment
(NEVER PASSED)
|
A Constitutional Amendment that would guarantee men and women equal treatment in all aspects of society. However, the states failed to ratify it.
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Equal Employment Opportunity Act
(1972)
|
Required employers to pay equally qualified women the same as their male counterparts.
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Title IX of Educational Amendments Act
(1972)
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Gave female athletes the same right to financial support for individual and team sports as male athletes.
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Disabled American Law
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Education of All Handicapped Children Act (1972)
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Required states to mandate education for all students regardless of mental and/or physical disability.
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Americans With Disabilities Act
(1990)
|
Mandated construction codes, public access, and employment opportunities for the disabled.
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XIV The Achievements of the Modern Presidents
For Each modern President, write a brief summary of their programs, or event
John Kennedy’s Presidency (1961-1963)
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Kennedy and the New Frontier:
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Space Program: In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, a satellite into orbit around the earth. Soon after, the United States Congress created the National Aeronautical and Space Administration, or NASA to develop American space technology. This created the Space Race during the Cold War.
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Peace Corps: Program that would send volunteers abroad as educators, health workers, and technicians to help developing nations around the world (community service abroad).
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Kennedy and the Cold War:
-
Bay of Pigs: Fidel Castro (communist) had come to power. On April 1961 the U.S. started an air strike and sent people in to overthrow the government (Castro). It was unsuccessful and a complete failure.
-
Cuban Missile Crisis: The Soviet Union was building missile bases on Cuban soil. Kennedy put a naval quarantine on Cuba. The Soviets agreed to pull back and stop building missiles if America ended the quarantine and stayed out of Cuba.
“And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” ~ Kennedy
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How does the quote reflect Kennedy’s goals as President?
Kennedy wanted people to be supportive of the government and help one another.
Lyndon Johnson’s Presidency (1963-1968): Johnson hoped to carry on all of JFK’s plans for the nation
Johnson and the Great Society
Under President Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960s, the welfare programs of FDR were greatly expanded. It was during this expansion that created the modern American welfare state.
-
Goal of the Great Society Programs:
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Economic Opportunity Act: works to ensure fair treatment and hiring for minorities and women. The act proved to be one of the single greatest steps forward in the struggle for civil rights and equality in the 20th century.
-
Head start: Provided poor, disabled, and minority kids with extra academic assistance through pre-school in order to ensure educational success.
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Job Corps: Provided training for poor, minority inner-city youth in order to cultivate job skills.
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Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Established to oversee the nation’s housing needs and to develop and rehabilitate urban communities. HUD also provided money for rent supplements and low-income housing.
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Johnson and Vietnam
Event
|
What happened
|
Effect
|
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
|
Johnson said, North Vietnamese torpedo boats had attacked U.S. destroyers in international waters of the Gulf of Tonkin, 3o miles from North Vietnam.
|
Johnson used this to deepen American involvement in Vietnam.
|
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
|
This gave Johnson complete control over what the U.S. did in Vietnam, even without an official declaration of war from Congress
|
A gradual military escalation, or expansion, devoting even more American money and personnel to the conflict.
|
Tet Offensive
|
On the Vietnam New Year, January 30, Viet Cong and North Vietnamese launched a major offensive surprise attack on major cities and towns and American military cities, towns and U.S. military bases throughout South Vietnam.
|
It was televised in the U.S. and many people in the U.S. began to express reservations about U.S. involvement in Vietnam. President Johnson’s popularity plunged.
|
My Lai Massacre
|
A U.S. infantry company moved into the village of My Lai because it had gotten word that they were sheltering 250 members of the Viet Cong. There were only women and children there. Already having suffered heavy combat losses and worn down by the tensions, terrors, and frustration of fighting a guerilla war, some lost control and killed hundreds of the women and children.
|
This incident increases the feelings of anti-war and fueled the anti-war movement.
|
Napalm/Agent Orange
|
Chemical warfare: napalm- a jellylike substance that was dropped for firebombs. Agent orange: a herbicide that killed dense jungle landscapes to expose the Viet Cong hiding places.
|
Agent Orange also killed crops and was later discovered to cause health problems in livestock and humans.
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Escalation
|
Expansion of the war devoting more American money and personnel to the conflict.
|
As more men were sent to Vietnam, more deaths occurred. This increased the feelings of anti-war.
|
Draft
|
During the draft, many protested, burned draft cards, went to Canada, and self-immolated themselves.
|
This increased the feelings of anti-war.
|
Living Room War
|
People at home in the U.S. were able to see what was going on in the war.
|
Images of brutality and bloodshed made American television viewers question U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
|
Kent State
|
A college protest against the war turned ugly when the students started throwing rocks and empty tear gas containers at the Ohio National Guard who began firing on them.
|
These attacks horrified Americans and caused a division in the nation.
|
Richard Nixon’s Presidency (1969 – 1974)
-
Explain why each of the following was either a success or failure for Richard Nixon.
Accomplishments
|
Failures
|
Ending the Vietnam War
-Vietnamization: Removing American forces and replacing them with South Vietnamese soldiers. Opposition to the war in the U.S. declined.
-War Powers Act: The president can send troops anywhere he wants but must notify Congress within 48 hours. Within 60 days of sending troops he has to ask Congress about keeping them there. Congress can put an end to troops’ involvement by passing its own resolution.
Diplomacy with China: Normalizes relations with China, lifts restrictions with China, and is the first present to visit China.
SALT: Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty- US / USSR agreement on limits to long-range missiles.
Détente: Initiates dialog and easing of tensions with USSR
26th Amendment: Lowered the voting age from 21 - 18
|
Pentagon Papers (NY Times vs U.S.): New York Times publishes classified documents from the Pentagon on Vietnam. This showed that Nixon lied to the American people.
Watergate Scandal (Nixon vs U.S.): Nixon's resignation followed months of investigation into the Watergate scandal, during which Nixon and his aides tried to cover-up their involvement in the 1972 break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters located at Washington D.C.'s Watergate hotel.
|
The Legacy of Vietnam
-
How did the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution lead to the passage of the War Powers Act?
Johnson had too much power in involving the U.S. in the Vietnam war.
Jimmy Carter’s Presidency (1977 – 1981)
Triumph and Failure in the Middle East
Camp David Accords
|
OPEC and the energy crisis
|
Iranian Hostage Crisis
|
In September 1978, Carter assumed the role of peacemaker between Egypt’s Anwar el-Sadat and Israel’s Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David in Maryland. Here they agreed on a framework for peace.
|
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries: It is an organization of major oil producing nations of the world. They cooperate with each other and control the price and amount of oil produced. The U.S. had backed the Israelis in war against the Arabs. The Arab countries were mad and imposed an embargo. This caused high gas prices, a shortage of gas, and long lines at the pumps.
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American’s were supporting Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was trying to modernize and westernize Iran. A revolution broke out by Muslim fundamentalists who wanted to bring back traditional ways and liberal critics who wanted more political and economic reforms. He fled the country. Carter let the exiled shah enter the country for medical treatment. Many Iranians were outrages and seized the American embassy in Tehran. They took 66 American hostages. Carter tried many approaches for their freedom but failed. After the Shah died negotiations were made, but they were not released until Carter left office.
|
Ronald Reagan’s Presidency (1981 – 1989)
-
Economic Policy—Supply Side Economics: Focused on the supply of goods instead of the demand for goods. It predicted that cutting taxes would put more money into the hands of businesses and investors. The theory assumed that businesses would then hire more people and produce more goods and services, making the economy grow faster. Encouraging business leaders to invest would create and promote greater national economic abundance and prosperity would “trickle down” to the lower levels of the economy.
-
Iran-Contra Affair: Reagan sold weapons to Iran and gave the profits to the Contras.
-
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI): “Star Wars” – A satellite shield in space to intercept and destroy incoming Soviet Missiles.
What was the purpose of Reagan’s SDI? He wanted to strengthen both the conventional military forces and nuclear arsenal to be strong than the “evil empire,” Soviet Union.
How did it help to bring an end to the Cold War?
Since the Americans developed a system to eliminate the missiles, the Soviets weren’t a threat. In addition, the amount of money Regan spent made it impossible for the Soviet’s to keep up with the Americans.
George H.W. Bush (1989 – 1993)
Operation Desert Storm – Persian Gulf War
-
Causes – Iraq lead by Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. He justified it by citing centuries-old territorial claims. He really wanted Kuwait’s oil wealth. It would yield riches and stir up patriotic support.
-
Results—UN forces with the help of the U.S. forces liberated Kuwait.
George Bush – “READ MY LIPS! NO NEEW TAXES!” This was the real undoing of his serving a second term. There was a recession that started in the Reagan years. Unemployment climbed again. The job rate reached 7 percent. Bush countered by slowing spending for social programs and finally agreeing to include new taxes. This broke his campaign promise and led to public fury.
Bill Clinton (1993 – 2000)
-
Economic Success: Clinton took over during an economic slump, but soon managed to climb out due to increased free trade through NAFTA and the bull markets of the 1990's caused in part by the startup of hundreds of .com businesses. The economy took an upturn due in part to many companies starting a business on the internet.
-
NAFTA: North American Free Trade Association - Free trade expanded with the passage of NAFTA. It was created by the United States, Mexico, and Canada in 1993. Its purpose was to provide free trade between the three nations, by eliminating trade barriers like tariffs. Many feared a loss of America jobs as companies moved to Mexico where it is less expensive to do business. Instead, Mexico has faced problems due to the influx of inexpensive American products.
-
Impeachment: Clinton, to a grand jury under oath, denied having sexual relationships with an intern. Afterward, he admitted to having an inappropriate relationship with her and misleading his family and the country. On December 19, 1998, the House voted to impeach Clinton on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. On February 12, 1999 the Senate voted to acquit Clinton on both charges.
What do President Andrew Johnson and President Bill Clinton have in common? They were both impeached.
George W. Bush (2001 – 2009)
-
Attack on World Trade Center: On September 11, 2001, 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda hijacked four airliners and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Often referred to as 9/11, the attacks resulted in extensive death and destruction, triggering major U.S. initiatives to combat terrorism and defining the presidency of George W. Bush. Over 3,000 people were killed during the attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., including more than 400 police officers and firefighters.
-
U.S. Patriot Act: (United and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act). An act signed into law on October 26, 2001 due to the terroristic actions on the World Trade Center. It violates the search and seizure amendment because it allows the government to monitor persons suspected of endangering national security.
-
War in Iraq: We invaded Iraq in 2003 because we thought there were Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs). This was a result of 9/11 and the war on terrorism.
Barack Obama (2010 – 2018)
-
Used the government positively/reactively to stabilize the economy.
-
Started Obamacare: affordable health care for families
Modern Issues
Domestic Issues
Obama care was created to give families without insurance a low cost health care program, since many could not afford it. The fee for insurance is based on income levels.
The first ten years of the 20th century (1901-1910) and the last ten years of the 20th century (1991-2000) have the most influx of immigrants. In the beginning of the century most immigrants came from Europe.
The internet has been an integral part of advancements, cultural diffusion, and communication. The advancement in technology has helped the U.S. hone in on terroristic activities. Satellites and drones are useful in locating areas of concern in the Middle East.
-
Alternative Sources of Energy/Protecting the Environment
Solar energy, wind power, and nuclear energy are alternate sources of energy.
Due to medical advancements, people are living longer. Because of this the baby boomers are placing a big strain on social security.
Foreign Policy
After 9/11, Bush created Homeland Security to try and make sure there are no other acts of terrorism on American soil. Americans have fought in the middle east to try and control terrorism.
Works Cited
"9/11 Attacks." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 06 June 2015.
Cayton, Andrew R. L., Elisabeth Israels. Perry, Linda Reed, and Allan M. Winkler. America: Pathways to the Present. Needham, MA: Prentice Hall, 2000. Print
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