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Dred Scott Decision
The Supreme Court declared that all blacks, slave as well as free, could never become citizens of the United States. Dred Scott, although he lived in the free state of Illinois and Wisconsin, lost the case and was not granted freedom. -
Lincoln's Assassination
Lincoln's Assassination
While attending the comedy, "Our Cousin," President Abraham Lincoln was shot in the head.The assassin, John Wilkes Booth, jumped from the balcony, shattered his leg and ran out of Ford's Theater. He disappeared into the night.
The bullet paralyzed Lincoln and he was carried to a boarding-house where he died a few hours later.
Booth was found in a barn and was shot and killed. -
Social Security
Socail Security was established as part of Roosevelt's New Deal and was motivated by the events of the Great Depression. It is a program that uses public funds to provide a degree of economic security for the public, including the elderly and disabled. -
Brown v. BOE
The United States Supreme Court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. It ended segregation and overruled the "separate but equal" principle set forth in the Plessy v. Ferguson case. -
Gideon v. Wainwright
Gideon was charged with a crime and had to defend himself without an attorney because he couldn't afford one. He was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison. While in prison, Gideon appealed to the Supreme Court and claimed his conviction was unconstitutional becuase he didn't have a defense attorney. The Court realized he didn't have a fair trial and granted him a second one with a lawyer. Gideon was found innocent. Now, all defendants have the right to an attorney. -
Medicare
Medicare is a national social insurance program, administered by the U.S. federal government. It guarantees access to health insurance for Americans ages 65 and older and younger people with disabilities. The program helps with the cost of health care but does not cover all medical expenses. -
Watergate Affair
Several burglars were arrested inside the office of the Democratic National Committee located in the Watergate building. They were connected to President Nixon's reelection campaign and were found wiretapping phones and stealing secrete documents. In August 1974, Nixon resigned before getting impeached. Gerald Ford, pardon Nixon from all of his crimes he committed while in office. -
Reagan's "Tear Down this Wall" Speech
President Ronald Reagan gave a speech challenging Soviet leader Mikahil Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall. The wall was built by Communists in August 1961 to keep Germans from escaping Communist-dominated East Berlin into Democratic West Berlin. By tearing it down, the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe became more prosperous and peacful. -
Clinton Impeachment
Bill Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives for perjury and obstruction of justice. On February 12, the Senate voted on whether to remove him from office. The prosecution needed a two-thirds majority, but failed. -
9/11/01
19 al-Qaeda members hijacked four airliners and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Over 3,000 people were killed in the attacks.
