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World War I
World War I began on July 28, 1914. The U.S. joined the war 2 and 1/2 year later by declaring war on Germany in April of 1917. During the war the U.S. sent over 4 million military members overseas and we suffered about 110,000 deaths. Jobs in the U.S. increased because manufacturing and production had become necessities due to the war. The U.S. emerged as the world industrial leader and its economy was booming. -
Pearl Harbor
The Pearl Harbor attack was a surprise air raid by the Japanese on the U.S. Naval base in Oahu Island, Hawaii on December 7, 1941 killing over 2,400 people and injuring over 1,100 people. Relations in the U.S. where struggling with Japanese Americans and they were worsened with the attacks. America illegally forced Japanese Americans into concentration camps. America became the first and last country to use 2 nuclear weapons when they dropped bombs in Japan. -
The Cold War
The Cold War was an era of political, economic, and military tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union starting at the end of WWII in 1945 and ending in 1991 with the collapse of the USSR. The U.S. believed that capitalism was right while the Soviets believed in Communism. This war was important for the U.S. because lead to the invention of the microwave, space capabilities, spy satellites, and the Inter Continental Ballistic Missile. The U.S. also improved how it deals with foreign affairs. -
The Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a conflict between North and South Vietnam starting in Nov. 1955. The Soviets supported the north while the U.S. supported the south. The U.S. believed communism would be a bigger threat if it spread to Vietnam. The U.S. provided troops and air support to the South. About 58,000 American Soldiers died in this conflict. In 1973 the U.S. agreed to pull troops from Vietnam when they signed the Paris Peace Accords. In '75 the war ended when the North Army took control of Saigon. -
The Voting Rights Act
In August of 1965 the Voting Rights Act was a law approved by Congress and signed by President Lyndon Johnson to protect the right to vote for Black Americans. This Act was enforced to guarantee the voting rights of the 14th and 15th Amendments. Before the VRA was passed African Americans were not allowed the same rights while voting as the white people. Some southern states made it difficult for African Americans to vote by forcing them to take literacy test and enforcing a poll tax.
