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Dwight D. Eisenhower
linkDwight Eisenhower was the commanding general of the triumphant U.S. forces in Europe during World War II. His military accomplishments furthered when he was appointed Supreme Commander of the troops invading France on D-Day in 1944. Eisenhower was the republican candidate in the presidential election of 1952. Being known as a war hero, he was wildly adored by the American people. As president, Eisenhower continued most New Deal and Fair Deal programs, emphasizing on balancing the budget. -
Brown v. Board of Education
linkIn the case of Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruled that state-sanctioned segregation in public schools was a violation of the 14th amendment and therefore a violation of the constitution. There was a lot of controversy following this decision. After the Court made its ruling, they instructed that the states to begin desegregation plans as quickly as possible. -
Murder of Emmett Till
linkWhile visiting relatives in Mississippi, 14-year-old Emmett Till innocently flirted with a white cashier. Little did he know, what he did would cost him his life. Four days later, two white men kidnapped Emmett, Beat and tortured him, then shot him in the head and dropped him in a river. These men were tried for murder but were let go by an all-white jury. At his funeral, they left his casket open so everyone could see the horrifying effects of what was done to him. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
linkThe Montgomery Bus Boycott was first sparked when Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus. Martin Luther King Jr. led a successful 13 month boycott, demonstrating the potential of a nonviolent protest of the masses to successfully challenge racial segregation. By December 5th, 90 percent of Montgomery’s African American citizens stayed off the buses -
Federal Aid Highway Act
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The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1954 established an interstate highway system throughout the United States. The final version of the bill passed through the Senate by a vote of 89 to 1. In the act, the interstate system was expanded to 41,000 miles. $25 billion was authorized for fiscal years 1957 through 1969. -
Eisenhower Doctrine
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Under the Eisenhower Doctrine, a country could request American economic assistance and aid from U.S. military forces if it was being threatened by a communist nation. The decision to issue this doctrine was influenced, in part, by increasing Arab hostility towards the West and the growing influence of the Soviet Union in Egypt and Syria. -
Little Rock Nine
linkOn September 4, Nine black students attempted to enter Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas, but were refused access by the National Guard put around the school by Governor Faubus. After this, the president ordered the withdrawal of the forces. On September 25th, The Little Rock Nine, under protection from federal troops, entered the school through the front entrance for the first time. Angry white mobs attacked officers. This event was seen throughout the world. -
Lunch Counter Sit-In
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At Woolworth's in Greensboro, North Carolina, four African American college students sat down at a lunch counter requested service. They were denied service and asked to leave. Instead of leaving, they remained in their seats and took a stand against the racial injustice. Their peaceful sit-in inspired a movement led by the youth made to challenge racial inequalities throughout the South. -
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Jonh F. Kennedy
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The young Democrat, John F. Kennedy, was elected president at age 43. He was assassinated in November 1963, becoming the youngest president to die in office. The television was very influential in Kennedy's election. He invoked a sense of security and spirit of idealism that reassured Americans of their nation's strength. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
linkThe Bay of Pigs invasion was planned under Eisenhower's presidency and executed under Kennedy's. It was developed to train Cuban exiles to invade their native. If executed properly, they had hopes of overthrowing Castro and setting up a non-communist government friendly to the United States. The Bay of Pigs very quickly turned into a disaster ending when 20 month prisoners of war in Cuba where finally sent home. -
Freedom Riders
linkJames Farmer, CORE director, led 13 Freedom Riders, 7 black and 6 white, out of Washington on public buses. Their plan was to ride through Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. Their final destination was in New Orleans, Louisiana. Most of the Riders were from CORE except for two who were from SNCC. They encountered a little bit of trouble as they travel through Virginia and North Carolina, but Lewis, Bigelow, and Hugh we beaten in Rock Hill, and others were later arrested. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
linkOn the island of Cuba, an American U-2 spy plane secretly photographed a nuclear missile site being built by the Soviet Union. In response, President Kennedy placed a naval blockade around Cuba in hopes of preventing the Soviet Union from bringing more military supplies. Both superpowers recognized the possibility of nuclear war. They both publicly agree to a deal where the Soviets would to dismantle their weapon sites as long as the United States promised not to invade Cuba. -
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Lyndon B. Johnson
linkIn the 1960 campaign, LBJ was elected Vice President as Kennedy's running mate. After JFK's devastating assassination, Johnson was sworn into the Presidency. He pledged support for the former President Kennedy's legislative agenda, including civil rights and education legislation. He won in the election of 1964 with 61 percent of the vote. He later surprised the nation when he withdrew as a candidate for reelection. -
March on Washington
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In hopes of gaining social equality and economic rights for African Americans, 250,000 people gathered in washington for a peacceful demonstration. many leaders stood up and spoke for the cause that day but the most memerable will always be Martil Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. -
Murder of Three Civil Rights Workers
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James Chaney, 21-year-old black Mississippian, Andrew Goodman, age 20, and Michael Schwerner, age 24, were murdered in Mississippi while working to register black voters. They were arrested while investigating the burning of a black church. Once nighttime hit, they were released into the hands of the KKK, who brutally beat (James Chaney worst of all) and murdered them. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
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The Civil Rights Act was not an easy one to pass; it was put through the Senate multiple times before going through. The act outlawed segregation in businesses, restaurants, and hotels. It also banned any discrimination in jobs and ended segregation in public places such as swimming pools, libraries, and public schools. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
linkIn the Gulf of TOnkin Resolution, congress gave the approval for expansion of the Vietnam War. Earlier that year, military advisers had developed a detailed plan for major attacks on North Vietnam, but at that time President LBJ and his advisers feared that the public would not support an expansion of the war. On August 2nd, Two U.S. destroyers reported that they had been under attack, LBJ quickly authorized reglatory air strikes against the North. -
The Great Society
[link](Kennedy, David., et al. The American Pageant. Thirteenth edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006)
President LBJ announced a "war on poverty" with his plan for the Great Society. It was made up of New Dealish economic and welfare measures aimed at changing the American way of life. At this time 20-40 percent of the American population suffering in poverty. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
[link](www.history.com/topics/operation-rolling-thunder)
From March 1965 all the way through October 1968, the United States military attacked North Vietnam with strategic bombing campaigns. This was intended to put pressure on the North Vietnamese leader. This led to increased U.S. involvement in the war. By the end of the war, the U.S. military had dropped 4.6 million tons of bombs on Vietnam, killing an estimated 2 million Vietnamese. -
Voting Rights Act
[link](www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=100)
Before the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965, African Americans faced large obstacles when trying to vote including poll taxes and literacy tests. They were often also held back by harassment, intimidation, and physical violence when they tried to register to vote. Immediately after the Voting Rights Act was passed, a quarter of a million black voters were registered -
Tet Offensive
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Under General Vo Nguyen Giap, about 70,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launched the Tet Offensive. This was a coordinated series of fierce attacks on more than 100 cities and towns in South Vietnam. It was also intended to intimidate the United States into scaling back its support of the Saigon regime. The news coverage of the Tet Offensive furthered the American people's feelings against the war. -
My Lai Massacre
linkThe My Lai Massacre was one of the most horrific incidents of violence in the Vietnam War. Against innocent civilians, a company of American soldiers killed the majority of the population of the town of My Lai in South Vietnam. As many as 500 people were killed in the My Lai Massacre. This tragic event only further divided the nation over the continuing the American efforts in Vietnam. -
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Richard Nixon
linkAfter his defeat in the election of 1960, he returned victoriously as the Republican choice for the election of 1969. As President, his accomplishments included revenue sharing, the end of the draft, new anticrime laws, and a broad environmental program. In addition, he opened the door Peoples republic in China. Unfortunately, he lost America's trust after the Watergate Scandal, forcing him to finally resign his presidency on August 8 1974. -
Watergate Scandal
[link](Kennedy, David., et al. The American Pageant. Thirteenth edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006)Seven men were taken into custody after police caught them breaking into the offices of the Democratic National Committee. They had been setting up equipment used to eavesdrop and photograph important documents. After Nixon's reelection, officials in his administration pleaded guilty to several crimes. People started to wonder if Nixon had been a part of this. When asked to show his tapes of the conversations held in his office, he declined. This obstruction of justice led to his resignation. -
Paris Peace Accords
[link](Kennedy, David., et al. The American Pageant. Thirteenth edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006)Throughout 12 days of the most concentrated bombing in world history, called the Christmas bombing, American planes dropped 35,000 tons of bombs in North Vietnam. In a mere two weeks, 25 percent of North Vietnam's oil reserves and 80 percent of its electrical capacity were destroyed. During this time the U.S. lost 93 air force men. When talk of peace resumed, Nixon was quick to sign on it. -
Keyes v. School District No.1
linkThe parents of both Latino and African American students who attended schools in Keyes sued the school board. They said that officials were intentionally making the schools racially segregated. The parents took it to court in hopes of having the school district desegregated. Keyes was the first desegregation case that involved both large Latino and African American populations. -
War Powers Act
linkThe War Powers Act was passed in responce to Congressional opposition of the increaseing power of the president to rule over decisions concerning war.This act was passed over President Nixon's veto. It required the president to report to Congress within 48 hours after sending troops to a foriegn country. If Congress did not agree to the president's actions, he would have to remove the troops within 60-90 days. -
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Gerald Ford
[link](Kennedy, David., et al. The American Pageant. Thirteenth edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006)
Gerald Ford was the first man made president solely by vote of Congress when he was sworn into presidency following Nixon's resignation. Ford was not very popular after he granted Nixon a complete pardon regarding his scandal. He acted to stop the trend towards Government intervention and spending as means of solving problems of the American society and economy. -
Complete Pardon Granted to Nixon
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Just thirty one days after his inauguration, President Ford granted a full pardon to former president, Richard Nixon. This was the first and last time a president had pardoned another. President Ford's pardon shocked the country. It led to the idea that there had been a backroom deal between Nixon and his Vice president, exchanging his job for a free pass. -
Operation Babylift
[link](www.pbs.org/itvs/preciouscargo/babylift.html)
The end of the war caused thousands of South Vietnamese to flee the country in fear. This plan, made under Ford, sent military airplanes to fly several thousand children from orphanages to the U.S.. He approved two million dollars for the 30 flights. More than 2,700 children were flown to the United States and about 1,300 children were flown to Canada, Europe and Australia.
