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End of WWII and the Double V Campaign
African American soldiers and civilians during WWII pushed for victory for their country and victory against racial inequality. The “Double V” campaign called for victory against fascism and racism. This set post-war civil rights activism into place. -
The Creation of the United Nations
The UN was founded to promote international cooperation, peace, and security after WWII. The UN has played a big role in addressing global conflicts, human rights, and development issues since it was created. -
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Korean War
Key conflict in early stages of the Cold War. North Korea, supported by the Soviet Union and China, fought against South Korea, supported by the US and UN forces. The war ended and left Korea divided into North and South. -
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Civil Rights Movement
Led to social and legal changes. Includes 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling, 1963 March on Washington, and the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The US Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was wrong and overturned the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The US Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education ruling in 1954 declared that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional. This decision overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and lead to more desegregation efforts in the US. -
Murder of Emmett Till
Started because Rosa Park was arrested after she refused to give her seat up for a white man. The boycott was a year long and ended with the Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public transportation was unconstitutional. -
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Montgomery Bus Boycott
Started because Rosa Park was arrested after she refused to give her seat up for a white man. The boycott was a year long and ended with the Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public transportation was unconstitutional. -
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Vietnam War
The Vietnam War escalated in the 1960s and the US wanted to prevent the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. The war ended in 1975 and Saigon fell to communism under the rule of Vietnam. The war was very controversial and dividing and had an effect on US politics and society. -
Little Rock Nine
Nine African American students were escorted into Little Rock Central High School by federal troops after Arkansas’ governor tried to stop them from enrolling. They challenged segregation in schools. -
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The Space Race
The Cold War rivalry between the US and Soviet Union spread to space exploration. The Soviets launched Sputnik in 1957, then the US launched NASA and put the first man on the moon with Apollo 11 in 1969. -
Resistance to Batista’s Regime
Cuban Revolution overthrew Batista’s regime which ended years of political repression and with Cuba working with the Soviet Union, which weakened the influence the US had in the Western Hemisphere. -
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Cuban Revolution and the Cuban Missile Crisis
Fidel Castro overthrew the Cuban government in 1959, and this created a communist regime with the Soviet Union. In the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 the Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles in Cuba and brought the world to the beginning of nuclear war but ended with an agreement with the US for the Soviet Union to remove the missiles. -
Sit-ins
Four African American students sat at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, starting a wave of nonviolent sit-ins across the South. -
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The Feminist Movement and Women’s Liberation
The second-wave feminist movement grew in the 60s and 70s and fought for gender equality in employment, education, and reproductive rights. Important moments were the publication of books that prohibited sex discrimination in eduction. -
Freedom Rides
Civil rights activists rode interstate buses to challenge segregated bus terminals. They faced violent resistance, but eventually federal enforcement of desegregation. -
Resistance to Segregation: Freedom Rides
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March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
Over 250,000 people came to Washington D.C. where MLK Jr. gave his “I have a dream” speech that called for racial equality and economic justice. -
Birmingham Campaign
led by MLK Jr. and the SCLC. A series of protests in Birmingham, Alabama which led to violent responses from police, making the country realize how brutal segregation is. -
16th Street Church Bombing
A bombing that killed four African American Girls in Birmingham, Alabama, made the movement bigger and caused national outrage. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
A landmark law that prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, marking a major victory in the fight for racial equality. -
Freedom Summer
A campaign to register African American voters in Mississippi. 3 civil rights workers were murdered during this and it showed the violence and resistance to Black voting rights. -
Selma to Montgomery Marches
A series of marches, including the violent “Bloody Sunday” event which was led by activists like John Lewis and MLK Jr., calling for voting rights. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
A federal law that banned racial discrimination in voting, protecting the voting rights of African Americans, especially in the South. -
Watts Riots
A violent uprising in Los Angeles, caused by tensions over racial inequality and police brutality, showing how frustrated African Americans were in urban areas. -
Opposition to Soviet Control
A reform movement was led to loosen Soviet created restrictions on free speech, press, and political activity. (The Prague Spring) -
Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Happened in Memphis, Tennessee. Brought the civil rights movement into a new phase and created a lot of mourning. Caused people to fight more for racial justice. -
Opposition to US Involvement
Kent State University protest against Vietnam War -
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The Watergate Scandal and Resignation of Richard Nixon
The break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and the cover-up of this by members of the Nixon administration, leading to President Richard Nixon resigning in 1974. This marks a major crisis in American politics and government trust. -
Resistance to gender inequality
Marches and books were published to fight for gender equality. US Supreme Court legalized abortion in Roe v. Wade.