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Civil rights movement
Throughout her history, America has struggled with a race problem. This came to a head throughout the 50s and 60s in what would eventually become known as the civil rights movement. Perhaps the most widely known figure in the Civil rights movement was Martian Luther King Jr. He was a shining example of a Christian Reformer, and an example for all Americans to follow. Through mostly peaceful protests, large and lasting change was effected. -
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Space race
The U.S. and the U.S.S.R. were in a steady state of tense competition for decades. It only follows that they would want to one-up each other wherever they got the change. Both countries were playing with the idea of reaching outer space, but the Russians got an early lead by successfully launching Sputnik, which was the first artificial satellite. However, the U.S. caught up and won the space race by being the first the land on the moon. -
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Us involvement in the Vietnam war
The Conflict in Vietnam was a major drag on American interests and prosperity. At first, America only offered funding and general aid, but eventually things escalated into full blown armed conflict. The country of Vietnam was divided between a communist North and the democratic south. The North effectively utilized gorilla warfare; sustaining a war of attrition until the U.S. lost the will to fight. This was perhaps the greatest defeat for the U.S. in the Cold War. -
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The Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was marked by what was perhaps the greatest tension between the two powers. It is also the closest the world ever came to true nuclear war. After the failure of the Bay of Pigs incident, Russia had begun to establish relations with Castro socialist Cuba. They agreed to create missile launch sites in Cuba to... dissuade the U.S. from attempting an invasion. Obviously, the US didn't like that too much. Fortunately, cool heads prevailed, and we aren't all dead. Hooray? -
JFK is Assassinated
Near the end of his first term, John F. Kennedy was preparing to campaign for reelection in Texas when disaster struck. Lee Harvey Oswald shot the President in the head from a rooftop across the street. Lyndon B Johnson, Kennedy's vice President took over for the President. -
MLK is assassinated
Martin Luther King Jr. was in Memphis Tenn. to support sanitation workers who where going on strike when he was killed. He was standing outside on the balcony of his hotel room when he was shot in the head by a man named James Earl Ray. Luther was the leader of the Civil rights movement for years, and a wave of violence broke out upon his death. -
moon Landing
The winner of the space race would be determined by who could put a man on the moon first. It was a tight race with many close calls, but the U.S. got there first. This was a clear victory for America in the cold war, and also served to place more pressure on the Soviets. -
Watergate scandal
In what is perhaps the greatest scandal in the history of the office of the President of the United States, Richard Nixon was ruined by what became known as the Watergate scandal. Five associates of president Nixon were caught breaking in to the office of political enemies of the President. Nixon attempted to cover this up, but incriminating details continued to surface. Eventually the President was impeached, and Nixon resigned from the Presidency.