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The 15th Amendment
-Gave the right to vote to African Americans (males).
-Even though there was an amendment allowing blacks to vote, they were still largely unable to do so for almost another 100 years.
-The voting rights bill of 1965 got rid of a lot of barriers to equal voting rights. -
The completion of the Panama Canal
-Commissioned by Theodore Roosevelt.
-He considered it his greatest accomplishment.
-This changed the world because it cut the distance from the pacific to the Atlantic by months. -
Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
-Was the start of WWI.
-Ferdinand was the arch duke of Austria/Hungary.
-Serbian student nationalists were responsible for the assassination. -
U.S. entry into WWI
-The Zimmerman telegram was intercepted by the British and given to the united states. This was trying to convince Mexico to attack the U.S.
-The Germans sank the Lusitania, a British passenger ship with 102 American passengers on board.
-The Germans also kept on sinking US merchant ships.
-Wilson launched a major propaganda campaign making the Germans seem like rats and convinced US citizens it was a good idea to go to war. -
Treaty of Versailles
-Treaty to end WWI.
-Said that Germany had to take responsibility for WWI.
-Germany could not have an army, return land gained in war, forced to pay 33 billion $ to allies.
-The US didn’t sign the treaty, relieving them of responsibility when Hitler violated the treaty. -
The 19th Amendment
-Granted women the right to vote.
-Passed in 1920, goes into effect in 1921.
-Woodrow Wilson was president when this passed, even though he didn’t support women’s rights. -
Hitler invades Poland
-This can be considered the trigger that started WWII.
-Because of alliances, this erupted into a world war.
-Hitler comes to power because of the desperation in Germany. -
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor
-Hideki Tojo was in charge of the military and responsible for this.
-declared war against Japan and started WWII.
-Japan, Italy, and Germany were the axis powers, US France and Great Britain were the allies. -
Executive order 9066
-Ordered the Japanese Americans from the west coast to be relocated to secure camps during WWI.
-Because of Pearl Harbor, Franklin D, Roosevelt thought the Japanese Americans were a threat to national security.
-Began to be released in 1943, almost all were released before the end of the war.
-They could also choose to join the military to get out of the camps.
-In 1980 every remaining person who was in the camp was given 20,000$ for reparations. -
U.S. drops first Atomic bomb in Japan
-Bombed Hiroshima then Nagasaki to end WWII.
-US were brought into the war because Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
-Instantly killed 100,000 and another 100,000 in the following days from radiation burning and cancer.
-President harry Truman made the decision to use the bomb. -
U.S. drops second Atomic bomb in Japan
-Bombed Nagasaki.
-This brought the surrender of Japan and ended WWII.
-These cities were targeted to see the true effect of the bomb and the untouched city. -
First U.S. military advisors were sent into Vietnam
-Sent by Dwight Eisenhower.
-He feared that if Vietnam became communist, other countries would follow (domino effect).
-This is after the U.S. had been supporting the French financially fighting in Vietnam -
First combat troops sent to Vietnam
-JFK sent first combat troops with intent to bring them home rapidly.
-Feared the domino effect (the spreading of communism).
-The United States was never successful in this war- in the end 60,000 US soldiers were dead and Vietnam became communist anyway. -
March on Washington
-Where martin Luther K. Jr. gave famous “I have a dream speech”.
-The largest civil rights gathering in history- about 250,000 people.
-The civil rights bill was passed the following year.
-MLK was pressing for equality and voting registration. -
John F. Kennedy assassinated
-Lee Harvey Oswald was blamed for the assassination, but he was killed before he could stand trial.
-JFK wanted to withdraw from Vietnam after sending in advisors.
-He started the civil rights bill and voting rights bill.
-He was the only catholic president. -
Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated
-Leader of the civil rights movement.
-Gave his famous “I have a dream” speech- march on Washington-august 1963.
-He was a Christian minister.
-He believed in non-violent protests and civil disobedience.
-Wrote “letter from Birmingham jail” – trying to convince fellow ministers to join the cause for civil rights. -
Vietnam War ends
-Richard Nixon is credited with ended this war.
-Two years after the US withdraws the north takes over the south and Vietnam becomes communist anyway.
-About 60,000 US soldiers die; the vast majority is under 19 years old. -
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U.S. supports Afghanistan from invasion of the Soviet Union (U.S.S.R)
-The united states supported rebels against the invading soviets.
-One of the rebel groups eventually became al qaeda
-Another example of how the fear of communism had long lasting unintended consequences.
-The rebels successfully drove the soviets out of Afghanistan. -
U.N. resolution 678
-Said Saddam Hussein must leave Kuwait by janurary 15, 1991 or be removed by force.
-When Hussein did not leave, this was the start of the Persian Gulf War.
-Hussein invaded Kuwait for the oil because he needed money to pay off his debt he incurred during Iraq’s 8 year war with Iran.
-Iraq believed Kuwait was actually part of Iraq. -
Period: to
U.N. declares victory in the Persian Gulf War
-Saddam Hussein was trying to get oil from Kuwait.
-Saddam Hussein wanted needed the oil from Kuwait to get out of debt.
-Started when Iraq refused to leave Kuwait (U.N. resolution 678).
-The U.S. took the lead in removing Iraq from Kuwait. -
U.N. begins bombing against Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait
-Begins operation desert shield, because Hussein refused to withdraw from Kuwait.
-About a month long war.
- Kurds in northern Iraq wanted help from the US to get rid of Saddam Hussein, but the US decides it’s not in their best interest.