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Brown v Board of Education
This Supreme Court ruling saw the end of racial segregation in public schools. This decision also established the unconstitutionality of the "separate but equal" doctrine that was allowed by the precedent Plessy v Ferguson. This was a landmark decision because it allowed for a civil rights victory that brought desegregation in schools.
(KC 8.2I B) this is an example of the federal government becoming involved in desegregation. Due to Brown v BOE, greater racial equality was promoted. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott / Rosa Parks
This was a very influential event in the Civil Rights movement. The bus boycott was a protest campaign against the policy of racial segregation on the public transit system of Montgomery, AL. Rosa Parks was jailed for refusing to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man Dec 1, 1955. The boycott was organized by Martin Luther King Jr and was a success, the buses were desegregated after a year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABcXaN6OhEA
(KC 8.2I A) - activists combating discrimination -
Cuban Missile Crisis
13 day confrontation between the US & Soviet Union initiated by US discovery of Soviet ballistic missile deployment in Cuba. Often considered the closest the War came to escalating into full scale nuclear war. After the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion, an agreement was reached at a secret meeting between Khrushchev & Castro to place nuclear missiles on the island
(KC 8.1I C&E) this is an example of how the cold war fluctuated between confrontation and detente, and Cold War extension to Latin America -
Stand in the Schoolhouse Door
Gov George Wallace of AL attempted to block the entry of Vivian Malone and James Hood into the University of AL after it was desegregated following the Brown v BOE decision. Wallace stood in the way of the students, blocking them from entering the school to finish registering. In response, President John F. Kennedy issued Executive Order 11111 which sent the AL National Guard to get him to move. Eventually he did, and the students were allowed to pass. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WbLGlIzW88 -
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
JFK was riding in a presidential motorcade with his wife Jacqueline, Texas Governor John Connally, and his wife Nellie through Dealey Plaza in Dallas. He was fatally shot by Lee Harvey Oswald, a former US Marine, in ambush from a nearby building at 12:30 pm. He was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead thirty minutes after the shooting took place. Following his death, Vice President Lyndon B Johnson was sworn in as the new president. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This law brought an end to legal discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The legislation was proposed by President JFK in June 1963, but it was opposed by filibuster in the Senate. President LBJ pushed the bill forward following Kennedy's assassination, which in its final form was passed. The Act was signed into law by LBJ on July 2, 1964, at the White House https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaRUca7FyAc
(KC 8.2I B) - federal legislation that promoted racial equality -
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War began on Nov 1, 1955. The US becomes involved on March 8, 1965 in an attempt to stop the spread of communism. The domino theory was an American theory that if communism took hold in Vietnam, it would spread to other countries nearby. This theory and fear of communism spreading lead the US to joining in the Vietnam war, in an attempt to contain communism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfsFhQX7o3E
(key concept 8.1I B) -
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party was a political organization founded by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton in in Oakland, CA. The party encouraged African Americans to train and arm themselves, their main goal was to challenge police brutality. The Party also instituted a variety of community programs to address issues like food injustice, and community health clinics for education/treatment of diseases (sickle cell anemia, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS)
(KC 8.2I C) BP ideology clashed with MLK's nonviolent approach -
Moon Landing
Apollo 11 landed the first two people on the moon. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to walk the moon. Apollo 11 effectively ended the Space Race and fulfilled the national goal in 1961 proposed by JFK who said "before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth." The space race being concluded showed the world American power and technological advancement. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/apollo11.html
(KC 8.3I A) -
Kent State Massacre
Unarmed college students were participating in a protest against the bombing of Cambodia. This was one of many passionate anti war protests among young people that were taking place during the Vietnam War. As the war went on and details of the horrors that occurred were seen by Americans, public opposition to the war grew and protests, especially among the youth, took place. At Kent State, members of the Ohio National Guard fired on the students, injuring 9 and killing 4.
(KC 8.1II B) -
Iran Hostage Crisis
52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days, after a group of Islamist students and militants supporting the Iranian Revolution took over the American Embassy in Tehran. The crisis lasted from Nov 4, 1979 – Jan 20, 1981. President Carter attempted to end the crisis with Operation Eagle Claw, which failed and resulted in the accidental deaths of 8 American servicemen. The failure brought humiliation and damage to the US worldwide.
(KC 8.1II D) - one example of US involvement in the middle east -
Iraq invades Kuwait
In early 1990 Iraq accused Kuwait of stealing Iraqi petroleum. This lead to an invasion under Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Iraq occupied the country for 7 months following the invasion. United Nations authorized forces lead by the US were forced to intervene after they refused to leave by a deadline given by the UN. This conflict was the start of the Gulf war which continued until February 1991. https://abcnews.go.com/Archives/video/aug-1990-iraq-invades-kuwait-10538901
