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Development of Multiculturalism
The term used to describe new awareness in the growing diversity of American society. The 1990s saw developments in diversity within American society, in which demand for group recognition and calls for diversifying the educational curriculum began to grow in demand. The goal of the movement was to reflect the growing American diversity into all aspects of American society. -
Americans With Disabilities Act
An act that banned discrimination against people with disabilities in the workplace. The act aimed to fix the long-standing discrimination those with disabilities face in the workplace. It specifically banned discrimination in hiring and promotion against workers with disabilities, as well as required public entrances to be redesigned to allow for easier access for the disabled. -
Gulf War
A conflict that took place after the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq forces. Known as the first Post-Cold War international crisis following the invasion and annexation of Kuwait by Iraqi forces. Due to fears that Iraq would attack Saudi Arabia a long-time ally of the United States and the violation of international laws, the U.S. and UN quickly responded in defense of Kuwait and put an end to the invasion with Operation Desert Storm. -
New World Order
A speech given by George Bush that emphasized America’s involvement in the Post Cold War world. Bush addressed the shift caused by the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold war. He aimed to address America’s military and economic role in what he described as a “new world order”. -
Ethnic Cleansing
The process of the forced expulsion of a specific ethnic group from a country or region. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, 5 new states would form from the dissolution of Yugoslavia. This resulted in ethnic tension within the region that cultivated in anti-Bosnian policies at the hands of the Bosnian Serbs. -
Balkan Crisis
A International crisis caused by the murder of more than 100,000 Bosnians at the hands of the Serbs. By using cruel military tactics such as mass murder and rape as a method of what is now known as “ethnic cleansing”, Serbian extremists aimed to drive Muslims and Croatians out of Bosnia. By the end of 1993, over 100,000 Bosnians had perished at the hands of the Serbs. -
Culture Wars
A series of battles waged involving moral values during the 1990s.Throughout the 1990s groups such as the Christian Coalition waged battles against what they believed went against the moral values of their religion such as gay rights and abortion. These battles would continue to take place as those who supported traditional values and those who supported modern cultural values would continue to disagree. -
Oslo Accords
A proposed plan for peace within the Middle East, in which Israel recognized the Palestine Liberation Organization as legitimate. Despite the belief that progress was being made to bring peace to the Middle East through the recognition of the Palestine Liberation Organization neither side was willing to implement the agreement fully, and not long after violence returned to the region with the failure of another attempt at a peace treaty at Camp David. -
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
A revision of the military’s formerly strict anti-gay soldier policy. Clinton modified the Military’s ban on gay soldiers to prevent officers from seeking out gay soldiers in order to dismiss them from the military. This was done to limit the discrimination gays faced within America. -
North American Free Trade Agreement
A treaty that negotiated a free-trade agreement between Canada, the United States, and Mexico. NAFTA allowed for free trade between all North American countries and provided an economic boost to all of the involved countries. Soon America began to take advantage of this agreement by moving a large number of factories to Mexico, where they could take advantage of an absence of Minimum wage laws. -
Rwandan Genocide
A series of tribal massacres that took place in Rwanda that resulted in the death of over 800,000 Rwandans and 2 million refugees fleeing Rwanda. Brought forth from long-standing tensions between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes in Africa. Hutu tribesmen proceeded to murder thousands of Tutsi’s creating an atmosphere of chaos and death within the country. Over the span of 3 months from April to July 1994, over 800,000 Tutsis were killed at the hands of Hutu extremists. -
Contract with America
The promise to reduce government taxes, and economic and environmental regulations, overhaul welfare and end affirmative action. Proposed by Newt Gingrich who served as a spokesman for the House. It served as a platform in which a series of promises were made in order to improve the government and address complaints made by citizens. The contract was aimed at helping to further endorse the Republican party as at the time they won control of both houses of Congress. -
Defense of Marriage Act
An act that barred gay couples from receiving spousal benefits provided by the federal government. With many conservatives upset with the small number of victories over what they deemed as “immoral” acts, Conservatives passed the Defense of Marriage Act which aimed to prevent gay marriages from receiving the same benefits as “moral” marriages. However, it would later be ruled unconstitutional in 2013. -
Globalization
The process in which people, investments, goods, information, and culture are transferred across borders. With the development of new technologies such as the internet it was now possible for information and ideas to spread all across the globe. Many deemed that a new era had begun, one which included open trading, a borderless economy, and a global civilization. -
Family Values
The decline of traditional values resulted in an increase in divorce and pre-marriage intercourse. Studies showed that traditional values were becoming less and less important with 50 percent of all marriages ending in divorce, 40% of all births being to unmarried women, and for the first time fewer than half of the households consisted of married couples. This highlighted the shift from traditional values to more modern culture. -
Bush V. Gore
A court case that made its way to the supreme court which resulted from the disputed election that took place between George H. W. Bush and Al Gore in 2000. Known as one of the most disputed elections in American history. Victory in the electoral college depended on the candidate who won Florida. In December 2000, the court ordered the end of the recount in Florida. This allowed for Bush’s brother who was the state governor to determine that Bush had won the election.