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Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was created to control the spread of communism. It led to the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO) which was designed to control Soviet forces in Europe. -
McCarthyism
The name was given to the time period of when Joseph McCarthy became a U.S. Senator. During his time in office, he believed that the government was corrupted by communist infiltration. He conducted investigations and hearings to expose this. He ultimately created fear in the nation called the Second Red Scare. -
Korean War
The Korean War was caused by North Korea invading South Korea. North Korea wanted to unite both countries under communism. The War ended in a stalemate with both places still being divided. -
Brown v. Board of Education
A Supreme Court case that ruled that racial segregation in schools is unconstitutional. It was a pivotal moment for the Civil Rights Movement. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of desegregation. This case overturned the precedent of “separate but equal,” from the Plessy v. Ferguson case. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
This was a mass protest against segregation in Montgomery, Alabama. It started after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man which led to her arrest. African Americans then went on to protest public transportation.The Supreme Court would then go on to say that racial segregation on public transportation as unconstitutional which ended the boycott after one year. -
Sputnik
Sputnik was the first artificial satellite launched into orbit. This action was done by the Soviet Union. It orbited the Earth for three months and set signals back to Earth. It had huge significance because it marked a huge development in the space age. This triggered the United States and started the Space Race. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
This was a thirteen day standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union. The U.S. had control of Cuba before Fidel Castro overtook the government. The Soviet Union began a relationship with Cuba and began building missiles there. The U.S. soon discovered this and became fearful and quite angry because of Cuba’s close distance. The issue was later resolved and the Soviets pulled out of Cuba. -
March on Washington
The March for Jobs and Freedom was a civil rights demonstration in Washington D.C. It was organized by multiple civil rights leaders and organizations. It features the famous “I Have A Dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr. It contained almost 300,000 of people with its aim to fight for civil rights, end segregation, and fight for economic justice. The march was very memorable and influential and pushed President Kennedy to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 -
JFK Assassination
The cause of JFK assassination is unknown. Multiple have their own conspiracies as to why it occured. They blamed it on his role in the civil rights movement, the mafia, the CIA, other political parties, and more. His death stopped all future presidents from riding in cars with open tops. Also, when Lyndon B. Johnson became president, he chose to honor Kennedy’s legacy and pushed his legislation. He also decided to uphold his support for the Civil Rights Movement. -
Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act was signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson. This was not too long after Kennedy’s assination and the famous March on Washington. The Civil Rights movement had gained great national attention. The Civil Rights Act bans discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It ended segregation in public places and in the workplace. It also addressed racial issues in voting legislation. -
Tet Offensive
This was a chaij of surprise attacks by North Vietnam on South Vietnam. The attacks happened during the Tet holiday which is significant in Japan. This weakened U.S. support in the war effort. Even though they won this battle, the U.S. slowly started to retreat after this. -
MLK killed
Similar to JFK’s assassination, MLK’s assassination is also controversial. He was murdered by James Earl Ray who claims it was due to racism. However, conspiracies say that he was just the messenger and the real culprits could be the FBI or white supremacists groups. His assassination caused a nationwide uproar and accelerated the Civil Rights Movement. -
RFK Killed
Like the previous assassinations mentioned, this one has many doubts and questions. RFK was assassinated shortly after winning the California Democratic Party by Sirhan Sirhan. He claims it was due to RFK’s strong support of Isreal. His death defeated hope in change and it stalled progressive movements. -
Moon Landing
This was a pivotal point in U.S. history, the Apollo 11 mission. Neil Armstong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon. This mission was to fulfill Kennedy’s desire to land a man on the moon. This was a pivotal point for science and discovery. -
Watergate Break In
This was an infamous scandal in history. Five officials of President Nixon’s reelection campaign broke into the Democratic National Committee. They were arrested for trying to wiretap the telephone lines of DNC officials. To save themselves, his campaign initiated a coverup which actually involved Nixon. After the trial, arrests were made and Nixon resigned before his eventual impeachment. He stands as the only President to resign and the first to face impeachment. -
Roe v Wade
A Supreme Court case that made abortions legal. Jane Roe, who was pregnant at the time, challenged a state law that made abortion illegal except in life or death matters. She claimed that this violated her right to privacy and personal liberty. The Supreme Court ruled in her favor making abortions legal in the first trimester, a few regulations in the second, and illegal in the third. -
Vietnam War
This war took place from 1955 to 1975. It was North Vietnam and its communist allies against South Vietnam and its allies. The U.S. had strong support for South Vietnam during this time. This took place during the Cold War when the spread of communism was pressing issue. The U.S. eventually pulled out of the war and Vietnam was joined back together under communism. -
Iranian Hostage Crisis
Iranian students captured the U.S. embassy in Iran and held 66 Americans hostage for 444 days. This occurred during the Iranian Revolution and they overthrew the pro-American Shah.The Revolution was led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini who saw the U.S. as oppressors. This hurt President Carter’s reelection campaign and led to his defeat. President Nixon won the election and the hostage were released minutes after his inauguration.