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The G.I. Bill
The G.I. Bill, also known as the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, aided war veterans in their return to society. It offered them low interest rates on houses, college tuition, and money to start businesses. This act still exists today to help the war veterans of America. -
The Iron Curtain
A physical barrier the Soviets erected across Eastern Europe described as the closing of the East to the trade and contact to the West. With the east side influenced by the communists versus the west influenced by the United States. -
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The Cold War
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The 1950s
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The Truman Doctrine
A foreign policy that represented the United States' desire to stop communism around the world. It was introduced to Congress by President Truman to provide economical and political assistance to the anti-communist governments around the world, beginning with Greece and Turkey. -
The Marshall Plan
The plan used to describe the United States' commitment to rebuild and fight communism in Western Europe after World War II. It is also known as the Economic Recovery Act of 1948, but was renamed after the Secretary of State George Marshall because he proposed that the US should offer aid to the West. -
The Fair Deal
The Fair Deal was President Truman's addition to Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. Truman focused on healthcare, public housing, education, public works, minimum wage, and telephone access. Due to his success, it kept most of the New Deal policies together. -
Atomic Bomb
An atomic bomb is a nuclear weapon that can cause mass destruction. The Soviets tests their first atomic bomb in 1949 and caused more tensions with the US. With the US surprised, they began researching a new type of bomb, the hydrogen bomb, that would mass destruction on a much larger scale than that of an atomic bomb. This fired up the Arms Race between the US and USSR. -
Rock 'n' Roll
Rock 'n' Roll was the African-American rhythm and blues and the term that referred to a slang for sexual intercourse. The first Rock n' Roll song was "Rocket 88" made by Ike Turner, however the song "Rock around the Clock Tonight" by Bill Haley and the Comets made Rock n' Roll popular. -
Beat Generation
The Beat Generation is described as a literary movement, which rejected all American values, including home ownership, careers, and marriage. The people of this movement were known as "beats" or "beatniks," they were artists, novelists, and poets. They were the start of the term "hippies" in later generations. -
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Civil Rights
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Joseph McCarthy
Joseph McCarthy was a Wisconsin Senator expressed that there were Communists within the federal government. He accused people of being communists without proof by waving a blank sheet of paper in the air at a Republican Club. He claimed that he knew 205 communists and fueled the fear of communism. However, he had gone too far and got called out by attorneys. -
North Korea invades South Korea
The leader of North Korea, Kim II-Sung, requested aid from the Soviets to invade the South in attempt to spread communism. In response to the surprise attack from the North, the United States immediately came to aid South Korea, while China came to aid North Korea, along with assistance from the Soviets. -
Julius & Ethel Rosenberg
Julius and Ethel were an American couple that was trialed and electrocuted for providing the Soviets with the US secret plans to build an atomic bomb. Julius was the actual spy while Ethel was innocent. -
Ike Turner
Ike Turner was a black american musician who joined the King of Rhythms band and led it until his death. They wrote the first rock 'n' roll song called "Rocket 88." -
Bill Haley and The Comets
They were an American rock 'n' roll band founded in 1952 that popularized African American rhythm and blues. They wrote the song "Rock around the Clock Tonight," which became the first song to make rock 'n' roll popular. -
Hydrogen Bomb
A hydrogen bomb is fusion weapon that is much more powerful and destructive than the atomic bomb. It was researched due to the pressure from the Arms Race against the Soviets. The first test was executed by the US in 1952 followed by the Soviet's first hydrogen bomb test in 1953. -
The Polio Vaccine
The polio disease was an illness that paralyzed a mass population in the United States, including one of the presidents, Franklin D. Roosevelt. This disease continued to ruin many lives, until Dr. Jonas Salk, created a vaccine to get rid of the disease. By 1961, an oral vaccine was established by Albert Sabin. -
Dr. Jonas Salk
Jonas Salk, an American medical researcher born on October 28, 1914, introduced a medical miracle. He developed a successful polio vaccine that saved numerous from a tragic paralyzed life. He obtained a medical degree from the New York University of Medicine and moved on to being a director of the Virus Research Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. This is when he was able to develop the vaccine that defeated paralysis for children and adults. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The Brown v. Board of Education court case established that segregated schools was unconstitutional. This case was brought to attention by Linda Brown's parents who wanted her to go to a school closer to home. It was within this case that Thurgood Marshall, the first black supreme court official, used psychological evidence to win the case, overturning the Plessy v. Ferguson case. -
Emmett Till Tragedy
This tragic occurrence was the even that sparked the civil rights movement. This started when Emmett was sent to Chicago by his mother because she wanted him to understand the segregation of the South. There, he was dared to ask a white girl on a date. After having done so, her husband and some others abducted him at night. They brought him to a plantation, beat him up, then took him to a river where they stripped and shot him in the head. He was dumped into the river and found 3 days later. -
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman, who was known as Little Richard, was an African American singer and song writer that became and influential member in the Rock 'n' Roll culture. His famous song was "Tutti Frutti" and it influenced many later generation bands, such as the Beatles. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man and was arrested for it. After Jo Ann Robinson heard of the arrest, she made 35,000 flyers and told others to boycott the Montgomery Bus. The bus company couldn't stay in business without black riders, so the boycott was successful. After a year, it was established that segregated buses were unconstitutional, thus integration, and by 1956, the black riders could sit anywhere they wanted to. -
Elvis Presley
Presley was born extremely poor, so he adopted the rock 'n' roll and melded it with gospel and country. With this, he made rock 'n' roll a phenomenon. He was known as "Elvis the Pelvis" due to his sexually suggestive dance style that he created, which offended many others. -
Eisenhower Interstate Highway System
The Eisenhower Interstate Highway System was established when President Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. It was modeled after the Autobahn in Germany and had the original purpose of mobilizing the military. The system became of more use to the citizens of the US as time passed for transportation and evacuation of cities in case of an attack. -
The Little Rock 9
The Little Rock 9 was a case of integration in a high school. Little Rock, Arkansas decided to integrate Central High School, starting with nine African-American students. Upon entering the school they faced verbal and physical abuse by the other students up to the point where they needed to be escorted to and from school. By the end of the year, eight out of the nine students graduates from Central High. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
The Civil Rights Act was instituted by President Eisenhower on September 9, 1957. It was created with the purpose of displaying African-Americans' right to vote across the United States. The whites in the South, however, strongly opposed black vote rights, so it got filibustered. It doesn't last too long though because the Civil Rights Act eventually got enough support and was enacted. -
Sputnik
Sputnik is the first orbiting satellite launched by the Soviets. It was the size of a basketball that made a beeping radio signal. This gave rise to more tensions between the US and the USSR, thus the Space Race. -
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration was established by the US in response to the Soviets satellite launch and the Space Race. It was created with the purpose of forming a new generation of American scientists and astronauts. -
Earl Warren Supreme Court
Earl Warren was born on March 19, 1891. He grew up to become the 14th Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court that was known for the "Brown vs. Board" Case. This case was important because it established that separate educational institutions for blacks and whites was unconstitutional. Thanks to Warren, the court was able to reach the decision that the separate schools violated the 14th amendment. Warren also pursued to establish equality in criminal justice and in defense of human rights. -
Hippies
"Hippies" is the term for the people who were a part of the counterculture that rejected middle class values. The counterculture generation seceded the beat generation. Hippies denied the value of material possession and experimented with drugs and acid, such as LSD and heroin. These people were all about peace, love, and living in the moment. They rejected things such as cars, homes, and jobs. -
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The 1960s
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The Peace Corps
The Peace Corps was founded by President Kennedy in 1961 with the purpose of spreading capitalist ideals to other countries, especially those developing. This foundation motivated college students to work in the poor countries as volunteers and to learn about other countries' cultures. -
The Birmingham March
Martin Luther King Jr. wanted to desegregate not just the buses, but the whole city, however, he got arrested. African-American teenagers had volunteered to march through Birmingham and on the second day, Bull Connor, made it so that they would be attacked by fire hoses and vicious dogs. As a turn of events, the media broadcasted the violent treatment of blacks to the whole country, earning the support of whites from the North. -
The March on Washington
Martin Luther King Jr. decided to march on Washington to fight the Southern Bloc and bring more support to civil rights. The day of the march also happened to be the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. Upon King's arrival at the Lincoln Monument, he gave his famous "I Have A Dream" speech that was watched live around the world. Through his speech, he inspired many to fight for civil rights and earned the support he desired. -
Assassination of JFK
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 when he was travelling through downtown Dallas in an open hood vehicle. It was said to have been Lee Harvey Oswald, an ex-marine, that was the only shooter. There were a total of 5 shots fired and 2 of them had struck the President in vital areas. He was quickly rushed to the hospital but died within an hour. His assassination was said to have been a conspiracy due to the direction of the hits. -
Lee Harvey Oswald
The young Lee Harvey Oswald was an ex-marine recognized as the alleged shooter of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. After having been caught, he was arrested and brought to the Dallas police station. On November 24, he was moved to the basement of the police station for a secure relocation, however, Jack Ruby, a Dallas nightclub owner, shot Oswald to death before he could be trialed. -
Ascendancy of Lyndon B. Johnson
Following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, the vice president, took his place as President and put forth his "Great Society" policies. He was a crude person that had put forth more acts than any other president in exception of Franklin D. Roosevelt. His "Great Society" promised education, improved living standards, and beautification. -
Jack Ruby
Jacob Rubenstein, also known as Jack Ruby, was a Dallas nightclub owner that shot Lee Harvey Oswald dead two days after the Kennedy assassination, claiming that it was done for the deceased President. Four years later, he died of cancer in the hospital on January 3rd, before the second trial could occur. -
The Warren Comminssion
The Warren Commission was established by President Lyndon B. Johnson, who ascended Kennedy, in 1963. The original purpose was to investigate Kennedy's assassination on November 22. They came to a conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald was the sole shooter in the assassination and no one else was involved. Even with these results, many people still believed that it was a conspiracy based on the evidence. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was originally proposed by deceased President Kennedy, but enacted by Johnson regardless of the opposition towards it. This act banned segregation in businesses and public places and made it illegal to not hire someone based on race, religion, and/or ethnicity. -
Daisy Girl Ad
The Daisy Girl Ad was a famous ad that was aired during Johnson's presidency that caused turmoil within the minds of Americans about the Cold War. The ad was a response to Goldwater's NATO comments, and although it was famous, it only ran once. -
The Great Society
The Great Society consists of programs instituted by Lyndon B. Johnson. It promised education, improved standards of living, and beautification, and it advanced further than the New Deal. Johnson wanted to end poverty by providing funds to educate society, increase healthcare for the elderly, public housing, and beautification of highways. He had a way of making people feel uncomfortable and pressured when dealing with others, this was known as "The Treatment." -
The Selma March
On March 7, 1965, 600 marchers planned to walk 50 miles to Montgomery under the leadership Martin Luther King Jr., until they were stopped by the police force that was waiting for them at the end of a bridge in Selma. They were told to go back or force would be necessary in stopping them. As a response, the marchers sat down and prayed as they were beaten into pulps by the police. This became known as "Bloody Sunday." -
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was introduced by President Johnson after he saw the violence of Bloody Sunday on television. It gave everyone equal voting rights and prohibited literacy tests, poll taxes, and other discriminating laws. -
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1970s
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The Space Shuttle Program
The Space Shuttle Program launched its first space shuttle on April 12, 1981. In 1983, the first American women, known as Sally Ride, took flight into space using the space shuttle that was launched on mission STS-7. -
Nixon Tapes
During the trial of the "plumbers," it was sought out that the White House paid the "plumbers" to keep them quiet. It was revealed that Nixon had recorded his conversations during meetings because he wanted them for the future presidential book. So, during the investigation, Nixon was demanded to turn over the tapes, however, he refuses claiming that it is his right. Thus, he ended up giving the investigation committee an edited version of the tapes. -
Watergate
Watergate was a major political scandal where 5 of President Nixon's "plumbers" stole campaign information from the Watergate Hotel, which was the headquarter for the democratic party. They were arrested by a security guard after having been caught. -
The Roe v. Wade
The Roe v. Wade case made abortion legal after years of protesting. Women believed that it was their right to abort their child or not. The majority of states outlawed abortion, but sometimes allowed it if the mother's life was at stake. This case started when Norma McCorvey sued Texas for her right to abort under the name of Jane Roe. -
The Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 required Fish and Wildlife Service to list species of plants and animals that are threatened with extinction so that further steps could be taken to protect them. The wildlife was threatened by industrialization and poison within the environment. -
Stagflation
Stagflation is the term that described high unemployment and rising prices during the Recession of 1974. This only happened in the United States during the 1970s because the federal government tried to expand their funds and restricted the supply of products at the same time. -
The Panama Canal
The Panama Canal was under the control of the United States until President Carter decided to sign a treaty and transfer the control over to Panama. The handover was completed in 2000. -
Camp David Accords
The Camp David Accords was a treaty signed by the the Egyptian President, the Israeli Prime Minister, and President Carter to establish peace in the Middle East. As a result, Israel withdrew from Sinai Peninsula, Gaza, and West Bank and stops settling West Bank. This, however, doesn't last forever because conflict arose later on. -
The Moral Majority
The Moral Majority was founded by a Baptist minister Jerry Falwell. He was basically pro everything, pro-life, pro-family, pro-American, and pro-morality. Falwell and others preached this movement and formed a conservative political bloc in the late 70s lasting until the early 80s. -
Black Entertainment Television (BET)
The Black Entertainment Television (BET) was established by Robert Johnson who was the first black billionaire. It features music and stories from the African-American community that attracted other African-Americans and influenced them. -
The Iran Hostage Crisis
The Iran Hostage Crisis was a situation in which 52 Americans were taken hostage from the American embassy in Tehran. This was due to that fact that President Carter allowed the Shah of Iran to enter the United States for cancer treatment. A special forces team had to be sent to rescue the hostages that were released on January 20, 1981. -
Entertainment
For entertainment in the 1980s, there were cable television, rap music, video games, video arcades, and VHS players. Popular shows were starting to air and celebrities were becoming more famous during this era. -
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1980s
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Robert Johnson
Robert L. Johnson was the first black billionaire responsible for the foundation of BET, Black Entertainment Television. It was a television channel that targeted and attracted many African-American viewers. It was eventually sold to Viacom in 2003. -
The Election of 1980
The Election of 1980 was between Republican Ronald Reagan and Democratic Jimmy Carter. Reagan, a former governor of California, defeated Carter who was brought down by the Iran Hostage Crisis. -
A.I.D.S. Crisis
The A.I.D.S. Crisis was one that affected thousands of homosexuals and had spread to the heterosexual community through blood transfusions. A.I.D.S. is an Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome that killed many throughout the 1980s. -
Music Television (MTV)
Music Television (MTV) was very influential in the music industry because it revolutionized the industry and became a source of pop culture and entertainment. The channel was available to not only the United States, but also other countries around the world influencing their cultures. -
Sandra Day O’Connor
Sandra Day O’Connor was nominated by President Reagan and became the first female Supreme Court Justice official. She was a moderate who took the side of conservatives in the court, but later supported the liberal members. Due to her husband's health disease, Alzheimer's, she retires in 2006. -
The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) “Star Wars”
The Strategic Defense Initiative was a missile shield defense against the Soviets incoming missiles. There were satellites with lasers that shot down incoming missiles, however, SDI was a failure for the United States. The Soviets spent a lot of resources trying to develop one as well and they started hating communism because they didn't have enough food. The US had hoped that they would go bankrupt but they rose to that challenge instead. -
The Reagan Doctrine
The Reagan Doctrine was a foreign policy to get rid of Communism rather than to contain it. It also expressed that the United States supports guerrilla groups fighting communists, opening the door for capitalism. The purpose was also to try and make the Soviets back off from influence countries with communism. -
The Iran-Contra Affair
The Iran Contra Affair was a scandal that the United States participated in by secretly and illegally providing weapons to the Contras who were against the Sandinistas who were pro-communist. Reagan's administration earned money through selling weapons to Iran in exchange for the release of American hostages. -
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1990s
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The Persian Gulf War / 1st Iraq War
The war between Iran and Iraq in the 1980s ended up in a stalemate and the US and Arab nations lent Iraq billions of dollars. The Saddam Hussein blamed the Arab nations for providing cheap oil and invaded Kuwait claiming that they were part of Iraq earlier in history. In fear that Hussein would start invading other countries, President Bush deployed troops to Saudi Arabia and got the UN involved. -
The Rodney King Incident
Rodney King was an African-American who was chased by the Los Angeles police for 78 miles. After the chase had ended, he was brutally beaten by the police and was caught on tape. There were riots for 4 days and Asian shops were looted for discrimination. -
The Election of 1992
The Election of 1992 consisted of William "Bill" Jefferson Clinton as the Democratic candidate, George H. W. Bush as the Republican candidate, and Ross Perot as the Independent candidate. Candidate Clinton won 43% of the votes because third party Perot split the votes for Bush. -
Bill Clinton Presidency
Under Clinton's Administration, he enacted the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that allowed gays to participate in the military. It was also under him that health care underwent a reform, however, it failed. In terms of welfare, he made it so that single mothers received support. In regards budget balancing, he wanted to cut back on government spending to make money rather than lose money. He achieved his goal by 2001 when heleaves office. -
The Health Care Reform
The Health Care Reform was a part of the Clinton Administration. President Clinton wanted a nationalized health care system and gave the task to his wife, Hillary Clinton. The Health Care Reform fails up until 2009, where President Obama establishes it. -
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
The North American Free Trade Agreement was between the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The purpose of it was to remove barriers in trading goods and services with each other. Therefore, the three became free trade zones among each other. -
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy
The Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy was a part of the Clinton Administration. It was his policy that allowed homosexuals to participate in the military without telling anybody because the old policy did not allow gays. -
The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
The Defense of Marriage Act is the federal law that defines marriage between a man and a woman, so states don't necessarily have to accept gay marriages. However, in 2011, the courts determined that it is unconstitutional. -
The Lewinsky Affair
President Bill Clinton was rumored to have had an affair with the White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. The prosecutor, Kenneth Star, was informed about the affair from Linda Tripp who got her information from Monica, herself, in confidence. The media was then alarmed by the story and it spun out of control. Clinton tried denying the story and then testified that he did nothing wrong under oath, leading to his impeachment. -
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2000s
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The Election of 2000
The Election of 2000 was between three parties, the Democrats, represented by Al Gore, the Republicans, represented by George W. Bush, and the Independents, represented by Ralph Nader. This was one of the closes elections in American history. It was decided that Bush won because he won in electoral college cotes. -
The Bush v. Gore (SCOTUS case)
The Election of 2000 came down to Florida's votes and after it was announced that Bush won the state votes, Al Gore took it to Court. In court, it was decided that Bush won 5-4 even though Gore won popular vote by half a million because he won the electoral college votes instead. -
The 9/11 Attacks
9/11 was a tragic event that affected everyone at the time. There were 19 al-Qaeda hijackers that boarded 4 planes, 2 hit the World Trade Center, 1 hit the Pentagon, and the last on dove into the people. This horrendous event had a casualty of about 3,000. Some of those that had died were found, but some were never found. -
The Patriot Act
The USA Patriot Act of 2001 permitted extensive use of telephone and e-mail surveillance of suspected terrorists. The USA PATRIOT is an acronym for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism. It led to more security, resulting in detaining immigrants, monitoring bank accounts, and wiretapping suspicious callers. -
No Child Left Behind Education Act
The No Child Left Behind Education Act was created with the purpose of improving academic progress of students. It's a federal law that promises to provided funding in return for better academic scores on tests. President Bush put this in action because of the declining schools across the country at the time. -
The Hurricane Katrina Disaster
Hurricane Katrina struck the United States' Gulf Coast destroying everything in its path. President Bush completely mishandled the disaster in New Orleans, leaving it flooded and destroyed. This occurrence led to his unpopularity as well. -
The Election of 2008
The Election of 2008 candidates consisted of Barack Obama of the Democratic party and John McCain of the Republican party. Barack Obama won 53% the votes and became the first African-American president of the United States. He received the majority of the support mainly because he, himself, was African-American. -
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known just as the Recovery Act, was created to fight the Recession of 2008 during his election. There was $700 billion in government spending that was used to fight recession, create new jobs, save existing jobs, and spur economic growth. -
Sonya Sotomayor
Sonya Sotomayor was nominated by Barack Obama to become an official of the Supreme Court of Justice. She became the first Hispanic Justice in history. -
The Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as "Obamacare," was passed to reform private health care insurance, which now required everyone to have insurance or pay a fine. It was created with the purpose of increasing health insurance quality and affordability while lowering the uninsured rate. -
The Silent Majority’s Involvement in Politics
The Silent Majority were mostly Caucasians who disliked the programs that aided minorities, but wanted the New Deal programs at the same time.Thus, President Nixon cuts the budget for the Great Society programs to court the angry voters.
