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Inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower
Picture[Information]( Kennedy, David., et al. The American Pageant. Thirteenth edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006)In 1952, the Democrats chose Adlai E. Stevenson, while the republicans chose World War II hero, Dwight D. EIsenhower to run for president. Kind-hearted Eisenhower was a war hero and liked by everyone, so he left the hard part of campaigning up to Nixon. Eisenhower-later called "Ike"-won easily with 442 votes compared to 89 votes for Stevenson. He was swarn into the presidency on January 20th, 1953. In his campaign, he promised to bring peace to the situation in Korea. -
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Presidents, Civil Rights, & Vietnam
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The Fall of Dien Bien Phu
Information & PictureThe battle of Dien Bien Phu was a struggle between French and Viet Minh forces over control of a small mountain outpost on the Vietnamese border. The French forces occupied the town of Dien Bien Phu in oder to cut off the Viet Nimh's supply. The French were confident in their strategy but were surprised to find 40,000 men using heavy duty weapons and machines surrounding the base. Even thought the US supplied strong aid, the base was overrun on May 7, 1954 by Viet Minh forces. -
Brown VS. Board of Education
PictureInformationIn Topeka, Kansas, an African American girl named Linda Brown had to walk more than a mile away to get to her all-black elementary school, while there was another elementary school just seven blocks away. Her father, along fought to desegregate the schools. When the schools wouldn't agree , he brougth the case to the supreme court. The ruling came to be that seperate education facilities were unfair. This decision undid the Plessy VS Ferguson ruling, where seperate schools were equal. -
Operation Wetback
Information & PictureIn 1954, operation Wetback was created by immigration and Naturalization service in order to protect migrant Mexican Bracero workers' rights. In 1954, before Operation Wetback began, over a million workers had crossed the US border illegally. The movement was a violation of labor laws. Disease, crime, and illteracy were all brought into the country. During the operation, illegal immigrants were sent back across the border by armed forces. About 1,100 immigrants were sent back per day. -
The Murder of Emmitt Till
PictureInformationEmmitt Till was 14 years old when he was visiting some relatives in Money, Mississippi. It was later reported that Emmitt Till, an african american boy, was flirting with a white cashier. A few days later, two white men kidnapped Till, brutally beat him, and shot him in the head right before dumping his body into the Tallahatchie River. His body was later discovered, but the two men were acquitted by an all white-jury. The incident sparked a revolution for the future civil rights movement. -
Montegomery Bus Boycott
PictureInformationOn December 1,1955, an african american woman named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat for a white man, when he said that she was sitting in the "white-only" section. She was later arrested and a historic movement began. The Montegomery Bus Boycott lasted for twenty days. For 20 days, African Americans refused to ride the local buses. The movement ended when the Supreme Court ruled that the segregated bus laws in Alabama to be unconstitutional in the December 1st case of Browder VS. Gayle. -
Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956
Information & PictureThe Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 was enacted on June 29th, 1956, when Dwight D. Eisenhowere signed the bill, making it a law. The US was in great need of a new transportation system, and it was the largest public works project in American history through that time period. The project was originally given 25 billion dollars for the construction of 41,000 miles of interstate; over a ten year long period. The travel time that it took to cross the country was cut down to 2 weeks. -
Sit-In Movement
PictureInformationThe "sit-in" movement started on February 1st, 1960 by four college students in Greensboro, North Carolina. Without a plan or support, they demanded service at a whites-only lunch counter. They were scorned by the black waitress, but returned the next day with 19 classmates, and by the end of the week, a 1,000. The movement spread all across the south and encouraged blacks to do a variety of "sit-ins". In April of 1960, southern black students formed SNCC to put more focus on their efforts. -
Inauguration of John F. Kennedy
Picture[Information]( Kennedy, David., et al. The American Pageant. Thirteenth edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006)At the 1960 Republican convention, the Republicans unanimously nominated Richard Nixon for president. Throughout the whoel campaign process, the television was probably the most influential. Throughout the television debates, Kennedy was able to appear more comfortable and confident in front of the camera. As one of the closest elections in US history, Kennedy grabed the win with a little over 100,000 more poular votes and about 303 electoral votes compared to Nixon's 219 votes. -
New Frontier
Information & PictureOn January 20, 1961, newly elected President, John F. Kennedy, gave his acceptance in the 1960 US presidential election and used the term "New Frontier" to get people to support him. The idea of a "New Frontier" was Kennedy's title for his domestic and foreign policies. It included the abolishment of American poverty and raising the American spirit through the space program. Some categories included the ecomony, taxation, welfare, civil rights, housing, crime, defense, education, and labor. -
Social Security Act
PictureInformationOn May 8, 1961, President Kennedy signed Public Law 87-31; an act to change the "title IV" of the Social Security Act. It authorized the federal government to give aid to dependent children of umemployed parents, and for some other purposes. The new law included that the aid given to dependent children be expanded to include the children of needy unemployed parents, and children in foster care. It also included medical care for older people and training grants for people in public welfare. -
Children's Crusade
PictureInformationOn May 2nd, 1963, more than a 1,000 students gathered outside of the Sixteenth Baptist Church in order to march and order that all buildings become integrated. The students were told to march in small groups until they were arrested. The amount of children being arrested was too large for normal police cars. Unsure of what to do, Bull Connor order high-force water hoses and dogs onto the protesters. President Kennedy then ordered new pieces of civil rights legislation to be made. -
March On Washington
Information & PictureThe March on Washington, led by Martin Luther King Jr, was held on August 28th, 1963. About 250,000 people, a quarter of whom were white, came to march from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial in order to fight for freedom and equality. The march was not only a protest but a celebration too. Even with there being heavy police force present, the march was recognized for its peacefulness and civility. The march is known to be the biggest protest in the history of the nation's capital. -
16th Street Baptist Church Bombing
PictureInformationOn September 15th, 1963, a member of the KKK was reported to have set a box on the back steps of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Alabama, that held a bomb that exploded and killed four young African American girls. There names were Addie Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Denise McNair. The main suspect, Robert Chambliss was later charged but only found guilty for having dynamite without a permit. This act of terrorism marked a turning point in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. -
Inauguration of Lyndon B. Johnson
Picture[Information]( Kennedy, David., et al. The American Pageant. Thirteenth edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006)In the 1964 presidential election, Lyndon B. Johnson was chosen by the democratic party while his oppenent, Baryy Goldwater, was chosen by the Republican party. But when it came to election day, Johnson won with 486 electoral votes compared to Goldwater's 52 electoral votes.He was also able to grab about 42 million popular votes. Along with Johnson's win came many wins in the Democratic party as a whole, allowing him to pass his Great Society programs; which his campaign was based off of. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Information & PictureThe final draft of the Civil Rights Act was passed by the House of Representatives on February 10th, 1964. This document marks a turning point in civil rights legislation. The document prohibits any osrt of discrimination due to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 became the end of Jim Crow Laws and the belief that "seperate but equal" facilities was constitutional. The bill paved a way for future anti-discrimination legislation. -
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
Information & PictureOn August 2, 1964, the Maddox, an American destroyer, was collecting intelligence radar of the North Vietnamese when North Vietnamese torpedo patrol boats started attacking the Maddox. The captain of the Maddox was given orders to start firing rapidly into the night since the Maddox was supposedly "under attack". The Maddox and the C. Turner Joy started firing, along with help from American warplanes. But hours later, the captain said that there might not have been an actual strike. -
Selma to Montgomery March
Information & PictureAfter a 5-day, 54-mile march, Martin Luther King Jr. finally arrived at the steps of the capital in Montgomery, Alabama, along with thousands of non-violent protestors. The marchers included local African Americans, members of SNCC(Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee, and members of the SCLC(Southern Christian Leadership Conference); all to gain equal voting rights. The demonstrators recieved vicious attacks by the police, but they recieved the media coverage they were hoping for. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
PictureInformationThe Elementary and Secondary Education Act was passed as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's "Great Society" policy. It gives funds to prmary and secondary schools; also forbidding the creation of a national curriculum. It also makes equal opportunities involving education and creates high standards and accountibility. The bill also aims to provide each child with fair opportunites to an exceptional education. It has been the most far-reaching piece of legislation created involving education. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Information & PictureSeven months after the march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama, Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, making it a law. African Americans were faced with literacy tests, poll taxes, harrassment, humiliation, and intimidation when trying to register to vote. In the month of march, Johnson introduced the bill; which prohibited literacy tests, poll taxes, and gave the federal governemnet authority over voter registraion in areas where discrimination was present. -
Public Broadcasting Act
PictureInformationThe Public Broadacsting Act of 1967 set up public broadcasting in the US, which established the Corporation of Public Broadcasting(CPB). The act charged the CPB with encouraging and facilitating progrma diversity and the development of non-commerical broadcasting. The CPB would be granted with funds to help local stations create postive programs and educational television. The US House of Representatives passed the bill with a 266-91 vote. -
Tet Offensive
Information & PictureOn January 31, 1968, about 70,000 north Vietnamese and Viet Cong Forces launched the Tet Offensive. The Tet Offensive was a series of vicious attacks on more than 100 cities and towns in South Vietnam. Led by General Vo Nguyen Giap, the offensive was planned in order to both build rebellion among the South Vientnamese people ang to encourage the US to cut back on its Communist attacks. Despite the large number of casualties, the North Vietnamese earned a strategic victory, -
The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act
PictureInformationIn the 1960s, the United States was experiencing a nationwide increase in crime. In May of 1965, Americans listed crime as the most important problem facing the US. To prevent crime and to insure better safety of the people of the United States, the Law Enforcement Assistance Adminstration(LEAA) was established. The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 marks the boundary between the cause of crimes and the solutions to crime. -
Vietnamization Begins
PictureInformationAfter taking office in 1969, President Richard Nixon proposed a new strategy called Vietnamization. It was aimed at ending American involvment innthe Vietnam War by shifting all military responsibilities to South Vietnam. Nixon hoped to build up the South Vietnamese army in order to remove US troops out of Vietnam. He believed he could help the South Vietnamese prepare to take full responsibility for their own defense against the Communist North Vietnamese. The removal of troops began in 1973. -
Inauguration of Richard Nixon
[Information]( Kennedy, David., et al. The American Pageant. Thirteenth edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006)PictureOn June 5, 1968 Robert Kennedy was shot to death by an Arab immigrant leaving the presidential candidates to be Richard Nixon, George Wallace, and Hubert Humphrey. Nixon was for the Republican party with a platform that called for vicotry in Vietnam and a strong policy against crime. Although Nixon had lost to Kennedy in 1960, he won in 1968. He recieved 301 electoral votes and 43.4% of the popular votes, which was close to the 42.7% that Humphrey recieved from the toal popular vote. -
Environmental Protection Agency
PictureInformationThe Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) was founded after a proposal was made by President Richard Nixon. It was a result of the public alarm over environmental pollution due to a large population and the industrial growth. The EPA was not only created to try and reverse years of abuse toawrds the environment but to make sure that the government would take better care of the world around it. It was trying to protect nature, along with the public health as well. -
Inauguration of Gerald R. Ford
Picture[Information]( Kennedy, David., et al. The American Pageant. Thirteenth edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006)Gerald R Ford was the first man ever to become president solely due to the vote of congress, after Nixon resigned due to the Watergate scandal. He was the first in line for the presidency after his name was submitted by Nixon after Spiro Agnew resigned due to a bribery scandal while he was governor of Maryland. Shortly after becoming president, Ford gave Nixon a complete pardon for the crimes he might have comitted while he was in office. -
Tax Reduction Act of 1975
PictureInformationThe economy focus began to change as the country faced the worst recession since the Great Depression, four decades earlier. The focus of the Ford administration became to fix the increasing number of unemployed Americans. Ford proposed a one-year tax redcution of 16 billion dollars to stimulate the economy in January of 1975. In March of 1975, Congress passed the Tax Reduction Act of 1975. This resulted in a federal deficit of about 53 billion dollars for 1975 and 73 billion dollars for 1976. -
The Fall of Saigon
Information & PictureOn the morning of April 30, 1975, the South Vietnam's Presdient, Duong Van Minh, surrendered to the Vietcong, which ended years of violence between North and South Vietnam. Only a few hours before the announcement made by President Minh, the last US soldiers were flown out from the US Embassy. Sadly, hundreds of South Vietnamese begged for a spot on one of the helicopters. Two hours after the announcement, South Vietnamese soldiers marched to give up their weapons. The North Vietnamese had won. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
PictureInformationThe Education for All Handicapped Children Act was signed by President Gerald Ford on November 29, 1975 after a 83-10 vote by the Senate. The act required all public schools that were accepting federal funds to provide equal acces to education and one free meal a day to children with physicla or mental disabilities. It also required schools to help parents of disabled children to create an eduactional plan that would be as close as possible to the educational plan of a non-disabled child.
