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CIA Overthrows Government in Guatemala
Guatemala was a democratic government under Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán. The richest landowners in Guatemala were the United Fruit Company. Arbenz took 400,000 acres from the company and then the company agents labeled Arbenz as a communist. After this a group of CIA-trianed mercenaries replaced Arbenz with a military dictatorship. This was important to American History becuase it showed that covert operations like this could be carried out with great success and with low cost. (Davidson, Pg 788) -
Montgomery Bus Boycott Begins
In December 1955 Rosa Parks was riding the bus home when the bus driver ordered her to give her seat to a white man. When she refused she was taked to jail and was fined $14. The bus boycott began the next Monday and the city lost over 30,000 fares a day. The campaign went on until November 23, 1956 when it was ruled that bus segregation was illegal. This was important because it was a huge victory in the civil rights movement.(Davidson,Pg 806) -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The target was Fidel Castro's communist regime in Cuba. In 1960 the Eisenhower administration secretely authorized the CIA to organize an invasion of that nation. The invasion turned into a disaster in April 1961. This was important in American History becuase the U.S. tried to overthrow the Cuban government to replace it with one that they liked and it did not work.(Davidson, Pg 794) -
Berlin Wall Built
Nikita Khrushchev demanded that East and West Berlin be reunited. He was mad that citizens from East Germany were going to the West side to escape communist rule. Then under the cover of night the Soviets put up a wall sealing off entry into West Berlin. Despite American protests the Berlin wall would remain until 1989 more that twenty years since it was built! This was important in American History becuase it showed that America did not stand for communism. (Davidson, Pg 795) -
Cuban Missle Crisis
President Kennedy had repeatedy said that the United States would treat any attempt to put offensive weapons in Cuba as an unacceptable threat. Through the summer the buildup of the missles went unnoticed by the Americans, but by October 14 American U-2 planes had revealed the missles. Kennedy was outraged. Khrushchev agreed to revome the missles if America did not invade Cuba. This was important becuase America had nuclear missles pointed at them. (Davidson, Pg 795) -
March on Washington
On August 28 around 250,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial. They did this to support civil rights. This is where MArtin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I Have A Dream" speech. While there King reminded people that the Declaration Of Independence was applied to all people not juse whites, or just blacks. This was important to American History becuase it was a huge step for the civil rights movement. (Davidson, Pg 810) -
Kennedy Assassinated
On November 22, 1963 the people of Dallas lined the streets for President Kennedy's motorcade. While he was riding in the back of an open car when a sniper fired several rounds into the president. Kennedy was fatally wounded. His assassin was caught several hours later. This was important to American History because there have been only four presidents assassinated in office and it was a hard time for Americans. (Davidson, Pg 810) -
Martin Luther King Jr. Assassinated
On April 4, Martin Luther King Jr. was in Memphis to support striking snitation workers. He was on a balcony of a motel when an escaped convict fired a sniper rifle and fatally wounded him. The violence that resulted in King's death ended his campaign of nonviolence. This was important in American History because Martin Luther King Jr. was the head of the covil rights movement and when he died is slowed everything down. (Davidson, Pg 836)
