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G.I Bill
The G.I Bill, or officially recognized as the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was enacted to assist soldiers returning from World War II assimilate back into society. It offered veterans low interest rates on homes, a paid-for college tuition, and loans available to open businesses and purchase homes. The Servicemen's Readjustment Act still remains active to this day. -
Period: to
Cold War
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Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift was a Western response to the Soviet Union's blockade of West Berlin during the Cold War. The US and its allies carried out a long year mission of shipping food and supplies to the impoverished West Berliners. The Soviets decided to let the planes carry through without interference in fear that their intervention would lead to future open conflicts with the West. Eventually, on May 1949, the blockade was lifted and West Berlin was free to reunite with it Eastern counterpart. -
Second Red Scare
The Second Red Scare was the mass paranoia of communism spreading throughout the United States. It took hold of America from 1950 to 1956. Senator Joseph McCarthy eventually became the face of this campaign through his wild and insistent accusations of communists in the public eye. His allegations turned to fuel the already fired up public. While some of his accusations turned out to be false, actors, government officials, etc. had lost their jobs in the midst of his denunciation. -
Domino Theory
The Domino Theory was former President Eisenhower's policy on Southeast Asia from the 50s to 70s, and in ways branches of the containment policy. According to the government, if one land came under the influence of communism, more would inevitably follow, similar to the popular game, dominoes. The United States used this theory as a mandate for their involvement in conflicts such as the Vietnam War. -
McCarthyism
Joseph McCarthy was a Wisconsin Senator paranoid of communism in America. He claimed to possess a list of "known communists" of members in the Department of State. In 1950, McCarthy began a campaign against communists ranging from entertainers to teachers, democrats, screenwriters, and government officials. Many of the accused ended up losing their jobs despite having no relation to the communist party. The term "McCarthyism" relates to the campaign against communists in America led by McCarthy. -
Period: to
1950s
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Korean War
The Korean War was not formally classified as a war, but as an official conflict. It was fought between North and South Korea, and started on the 25th of June, 1950 after North Korea invaded its southern counterpart. The United Nations with the U.S at its forefront came to South Korea's call for help and China with some help from the Soviet Union aiding the North. The aftermath of the Korean War resulted in the split of the former united peninsula into two regions with distinct governments. -
Duck and Cover
"Duck and Cover" was a defense mechanism based on a short film issued to the public from the US Federal Civil Defense Administration. During the making and release of the film, the Soviet Union was had begun engagement in nuclear testing the the U.S was in the middle of their involvement with the Korean War. Classrooms all over the country were required to play the film for schoolchildren's protection, even though it wouldn't have done anything. -
Bill Haley and the Comets
Bill Haley and the Comets were a rock and roll band in the 50s. Its leader, Bill Haley, was one of the earliest white musicians to record rock and roll and present it to white America. Their music was part of a tradition in jazz and rhythm and blues. Haley began his rock and roll career with a cover of "Rocket 88" in 1951. His biggest hit, and one of the most important records in rock and roll history was "Rock Around the Clock." It started slow but eventually sold 26 million copies. -
Fair Deal
The Fair Deal was implemented by President Truman and was created to help the average American gain the same liberties as their upper-class counterparts. At its core, it was a set of ambitious ideas. This included improvements in health care, public housing, education, and public works. The national minimum wage was also increased. But due to the outbreak in Korea, the anti-communist agenda of the country seemed more a priority, which as a result, scaled back the ambitions of the Fair Deal. -
Period: to
Civil Rights
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Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark Supreme Court case in which the justices ruled unanimously that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional. The court stated that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal," and was declared a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. This case is considered the foundation of the civil rights movement. -
Elvis
Elvis Presley was born to an impoverished family nearby an African American community which contributed to him adopting the rhythm and blues culture. He was most famous for his style of sexually suggestive dancing, causing him to be given the nickname "Elvis the Pelvis". He gained even more popularity through appearances on television shows such as that of Ed Sullivan. His modern way of singing, dancing, and sexual aura offended millions of older generation Americans. -
Television
Due to World War II, the introduction of televisions to the everyday lifestyle of Americans was delayed. However, by 1955, almost 75% of the nation had owned a monochromatic TV. Citizens were able to receive news in the comfort of their own homes, as well as watch shows that represent the ideal American family, like "I Love Lucy," and "Father Knows Best". Politicians, such as Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy were able to use the power of television to swing the citizens to their campaign. -
Beat Generation
The Beat Generation was a movement by artists, novelists, and poets, dubbed "Beats" or "Beatniks" whose works explored and influenced American culture post World War II. They turned from materialism and believed people shouldn't be held down by home ownership, marriage, or careers but instead turn to a freer life honed with psychedelic drugs, exploration, and sexual liberation. -
Polio Vaccine
By the 1950s, the severity of the polio outbreak had peaked. Polio, often called infantile paralysis is an infectious disease causing muscle weakness, paralysis, and even fatality. The first ever effective Polio vaccination was introduced in 1955 by Dr. Jonas Salk. An infamous case was President Franklin D. Roosevelt who suffered through his presidency with polio. -
Rock 'n' Roll
Rock 'n' Roll was a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940's and early 1950's. White teenagers from across the nation began to listen to this genre, creating a huge boom in music businesses. It was also linked to teens becoming increasingly rebellious against their parents which led to a leisure-time culture. Even though most white teens were listening to it, its origins stemmed from African American music that was cater to white teens. -
Emmett Till Tragedy
In 1955, 14 year old Emmett Till traveled to Money, Mississippi from his hometown, Chicago. During his stay, he had allegedly "whistled" at Carolyn Bryant, the wife of Roy Bryant. Four days later, Emmett Till would be abducted by Roy with his accomplice and driven down to a river where he suffered much abuse. His body was eventually dumped into a river and found 3 days later. At his funeral, his mother had requested to keep his casket open, so that the whole nation could see effects of Jim Crow. -
Rosa Parks
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was a civil rights activist, most famously known for her role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott where she refused her seat to a white male. In this age, if the white section only part of the bus was filled, white Americans had the right to demand seats from the black portion of the bus. However, Rosa Parks refused to obey the rules and was arrested shortly after. Although there were similar cases before hers, her refusal to abide set a spark for the civil rights movement. -
Little Richard
Little Richard's real name was Richard Penniman, and he helped to define the early Rock 'n' Roll era with his flashy sound. Little Richard got his first contract with the RCA in 1951, but the company failed in starting his career since they didn't let him use his preferred sound. However, in 1955, Richard signed with a Specialty Records producer and recorded "Tutti-Frutti" which would become an instant no.17 on the Billboard chart. He became a big influencer in Rock 'n' Roll. -
Little Rock 9
Following the ruling of the SCOTUS Brown v. Board of Education case, there were still segregation occurring in places such as Arkansas. Central High School was slowly integrating black and white students together for "halfway measure" purposes. In response, Governor Orval Faubus denied the entry of the nine African American students on their first day by sending in state troopers to block the school. But a mad President Eisenhower intervened by sending in the 101st Airborne. -
Politics (Nixon & Kennedy)
The presidential election of 1960 came at the appropriate time. The country was engaged in Cold War against Soviets, who had just taken the lead in the space race. In 1960, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon squared off in the first televised presidential debates in history. The Kennedy-Nixon debates not only had a major impact on the election’s outcome but ushered in a new era where painting a public image and taking advantage of media exposure became essential to successful campaign. -
New Frontier
"New Frontier" was a Democratic slogan to inspire American citizens to support John F. Kennedy's campaign. It would later develop into economic and social programs under Kennedy's presidency. It represented Kennedy's commitment to the betterment of the United States. He wanted to use the "New Frontier" to evoke a "new and rosy" future. He claimed it was a set of challenges for the country to overcome. It was also a set of promises and legislative agenda to pull the country up again. -
LSD
LSD, formally recognized as lysergic acid diethylamide, is a drug popularized for its psychological effects on the human body. Because it is a form of acid, to the user, it alters their awareness to their surroundings, perception, and sensations, making them feel like they're in a different universe. LSD, along with heroin, were very popular drugs in the 1960s and were popular with hippies. LSD use played a large role towards the 60s counterculture. -
OPEC
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Companies (OPEC), was a worldwide establishment that created on September of 1960 in Baghdad, Iraq. In modern times, this organization controls most of the world's oil supply. The United States was embargoed for supporting the state of Israel, creating extremely long lines for gas (used for cars) across the country. The embargo ultimately ended when president Nixon convinced the Israelis to give up some of their territories for American use. -
Space Race
Following the end of World War II, the world's two superpowers: the Unites States and the Soviet Union found another platform to one up each other-- space. Each was trying to prove its superiority in technology. Although it seemed like the Soviet Union had a unreachable lead with its launch of sputnik, the United States eventually caught up and surpassed the USSR after NASA sent its first man on the moon on the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. -
Period: to
1960s
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Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer-based program created in 1950 that run by the United States government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps consists of three major goals: to provide technical assistance to countries around the world, help people outside the United States understand American culture and help them adapt. It has served a total of sixty-eight countries. -
Freedom Rides
The Freedom Riders were approximately 400 black and white Americans who put their lives at risk traveling on buses through the Deep South in violation of Jim Crow segregation laws. It lasted for six months and started on May 4th, 1961. Along the way, they were met with violence and hatred by segregationists and members of the Ku Klux Klan. On September 22nd, 1961, the Interstate Commerce Commission issued a federal order to end segregation in buses, trains, and other forms of transportation. -
Bay of Pigs
The Bay of Pigs was a military invasion by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) into Cuba remove Castro from power. The CIA ordered 1,400 American-trained Cubans to invade the country. However, the invasion failed because they were greatly outnumbered by Castro's troops. The fight lasted less than twenty-four hours, and CIA's troops eventually surrendered. America entered because it wanted to show its seriousness about winning the Cold War. -
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald was infamous for his assassination of former President, John F. Kennedy. Oswald was a former American Marine who left with honorable discharge. He defected to the Soviet Union and lived in Minsk until he returned to the United States with his wife, Marina, in Dallas, TX. After eliminating the President, Oswald took refuge in a theatre but was caught and arrested. After two days passed since the assassination, Oswald was fatally shot by Jack Ruby on live television. -
Birmingham Bombing
On September 1963, a bomb was thrown inside of the 16th Street Baptist Church which was predominantly black in Birmingham, Alabama. It resulted in the death of 4 young African American girls: Addie Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson and Carol Denise McNair. Later on, officials found out members of the Ku Klux Klan were responsible because they were upset about Martin Luther King's march. The men, however, were not put on trial until almost 40 years later. -
Assassination of JFK
During his campaigning for re-election as the POTUS in Texas, John F. Kennedy was shot in his motorcade on the way to Dallas, TX. The assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald. As soon as Kennedy's car made a turn onto Elm Street, Oswald, positioned on the 6th floor of a nearby book depository made his five shots, two of which made their way into Kennedy's neck and head, slumping him onto his wife, Jackie's body. He was quickly immediately rushed to Parkland Hospital, where he would be pronounced dead. -
Daisy Girl Ad
The "Daisy Girl Ad" was a controversial political statement as a part of contender Lyndon B. Johnson's presidential campaign. The advertisement featured a toddler in a sun dress picking a daisy in an open field until an unsuspecting nuclear blast followed. Although the ad was grotesque, its messages reached his demographic, and the advertisement was considered as a defining factor in Johnson's victory over Barry Goldwater. -
Great Society
The "Great Society" was Lyndon B. Johnson's set of domestic programs catering to voters. In his campaign, Johnson made promises of raising national standards of education, standards of living, and nation-wide beautification. During his term, Congress passed LBJ's reform measures, and is the reason why we have programs such as Medicare, Civil Rights Legislation, and Federal Aid for higher education. -
Counter Culture
The Counter Culture was the generation seceding the Beat generation. Just like their predecessors, they rejected the modern societal values and renounced material possession. The counterculture consisted of very free-spirited people who often partook in psychedelics such as LSD and heroin to explore a different dimension. Their overall values were free love and peace. The older generation looked down on their lifestyle and criticized them for not being realistic. -
Malcolm X
Malcolm X was an African American nationalist and civil rights activist who had a great influence in the black community. In 1946, Malcolm was put in prison for burglary and discovered Islam while imprisoned. Malcolm believed that black people should fight for their rights in any way they could, even if they had to resort to violence. He also thought that black people should support one another by shopping in stores owned by black people. He criticized MLK's non violent civil rights movement. -
Cesar Chavez
Cesar Chavez was one of the center Mexican-Americans that led the start of the Chicano Movement. He protested in forms of strikes and marches for better working and living conditions for Mexican workers. He organized the United Farm Workers Union (UFW), which was a labor union for migrant farm laborers. Through his influence, seventeen million other Americans joined in his boycott of non-union picked grades. Because of him, conditions and wages were greatly improved. -
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party was a paramilitary organization originally founded in Oakland, California. To symbolize power, they were often dressed in all black commando attire. The main goal of this organization was to teach self-defense to black people, promoting a more violent form of protest, unlike Dr. Martin Luther King, who wanted the civil rights movement to be civilly disobedient. Many white civilians feared the black panthers because reliance on aggressiveness. -
Death of MLK
Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in a motel in Memphis, Tennessee by James Earl Ray. King was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital and was pronounced dead around 7:00 pm. His assassination led to an out pour of anger among African-Americans. Activists were rioting in 100 cities across the nation, and a period of national mourning helped speed the way for an equal housing bill that would be the last significant legislative achievement of the civil rights era. -
Earl Warren Supreme Court
The Earl Warren Supreme Court was the era of the supreme court ruled by Chief Justice Earl Warren. He was considered the most liberal SCOTUS of his time and created a new era of liberalism. He shot down cases that held conservative tenements, such as Engel v. Vitale and Brown v. Board of Education. His new ways of thinking brought about ideas such as interracial marriage, right to privacy concerning contraceptives, and free counseling for the accused. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
In 1961, East Germany built a wall between East and West Berlin. The purpose of this wall was to prevent Western fascists from entering East Germany but instead bred many resulting problems among both sides of the nation. The wall stood until November of 1989. On the 9th of November, mobs crowded against the wall and some crossed into W. Berlin while others picked at sections of the wall in a collateral effort to being the wall down. -
Phyllis Schlafly
Phyllis Schlafly was an anti-feminist and an advocate in the defeat of the Feminist Movement. She organized other conservative women that had the same ideals as her to help counter the ongoing feminist rallies. Along with these women, she also gained the support of other conservatives across the country, men, and women alike. She feared equal rights would reduce the rights of wives and harm the ideal nuclear family life. An example of her battles were unisex bathrooms and women in the military -
Period: to
1970s
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Watergate
The Watergate scandal was one of the two most recognized political predicaments to encounter the twentieth century. Five of President Nixon's "plumbers" illegally intercepted important campaign information through a broken wiretap at the Watergate Hotel. They were caught by a security guard, who arrested them. Though Nixon initially denies the situation, the Watergate scandal comes back to him during the trial of the plumbers, which reveals that he had in fact bugged the room. -
War Powers Resolution Act
The War Powers Resolution Act was directly passed following the Gulf of Tonkin Incident under the Johnson administration. This federal law limited military operations by the President to sixty days, after which, the approval of Congress would be needed. It was created in order to ensure the POTUS would not have too much power in committing the U.S. to any armed conflict and increased the efficiency of the President's role during a war. The contents of this act are still intact today. -
Roe v. Wade
The Roe v. Wade case continues to remain controversial and still applies to the current generation of Millennials. As feminism rose to in attention, protests to legalize abortion began to popularize as well. At the time, most states made the aborting of infants illegal, though there were still a few exceptions, like being a danger to the mother. Eventually, SCOTUS had ruled that the outlawing of abortion was unconstitutional. -
Nixon's Resignation
Following Watergate, SCOTUS ruled Nixon could not withhold information in his wrongdoing . On August 5th or 1974, the unedited version of his tapes was released, revealing his hidden guilt. Just three days later, Richard Nixon becomes the first president to resign from office, though it was more of a forced decision. His VP, Gerald Ford, was to take over the remainder of his term. Even today, the Watergate scandal's aftermath resulted in Americans' distrust of presidents. -
Decline of the Industrial Midwest
While the overall manufacturing of goods exponentially increased, the U.S. steel production increased to 14% of the world production. Foreign competition begins to become an issue, causing factories to find or create new and cheaper methods of producing their products. Steel Mills that were once located in the Midwest were not relocated to manufacturing companies in the South due to cheap labor and the creation of Air Conditioning. This resulted in "rust belts" and new "sun belts." -
Camp David Accords
The Camp David Accords were an agreement between Israel and Egypt signed on September 1978 that led to a peace treaty between the two. This was the first ever treaty between Israel and any of its Arab neighbors. Influenced by U.S. President Jimmy Carter between Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President. The agreements became known as the Camp David Accords because the negotiations took place at the U.S. presidential retreat at Camp David in Maryland. -
The Moral Majority
The Moral Majority was a form of a religious movement that took place in order to "regain the moral conscience of Americans." Its founder, Jerry Falwell, was an evangelical preacher who believed in pro-life, pro-family, pro-American, and pro-morality. A few of his more prominent follows/leaders were Falwell, Pat Robertson, and Oral Roberts, who all advocated for a conservative ideology of the world. -
AIDS Crisis
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), is a disease that had initially affected thousands of homosexuals for years. It refers to a set of symptoms and illnesses that start to occur at the very final stage of HIV infection through blood transfusions, it increasingly spreads to the heterosexual community. Conservatives used AIDS to prove disapproval for the gay people is justified. Eventually, the spread of AIDS reached the heterosexual community and caused a panic. -
Entertainment
For the first time ever, cable television programs were available, opening up an even wider range of shows and channels the average American family could access. Among the most popular were news channels that still remain relevant today like CNN, ESPN, and MTV. Because the younger generation had the most free time, they contributed to the entertainment portion of the economy the most. During this time, rap music, videos games, and video arcades became especially popular with young people. -
Period: to
1980s
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Election of 1980
The 1980 election was between Democrat Jimmy Carter and Republican Ronald Reagan. The economy at the time was bad due to a recession and high inflation. Reagan campaigned to cut income taxes and to reduce government spending while increasing defense spending to challenge the Soviet Union. Carter fought for more government programs and mentioned the importance of human rights and preventing nuclear war. Ronald Reagan's victory resulted in Republicans gaining more power for the next few decades. -
Iran Hostage Crisis
The Iran Hostage Crisis occurred when a group of militant Iranian students stormed the U.S. Embassy in Teheran and took 53 American hostages. The Iran Hostage Crisis arose following Iran's Islamic Revolution by supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini and the forced exile of the Shah of Iran. In 1979, President Carter made the decision to allow the exiled Shah into the United States for medical treatment and this action resulted in Iran Hostage Crisis with demands to extradite the exiled Shah. -
Reagan Presidency
Ronald Reagan was the 40th American President and served in office 1981 to 1989. The Presidency of Ronald Reagan spanned in the period in United States history that surrounds the events of the Cold War Era and the age of the Space Race and the Cold War Arms Race. President Ronald Reagan represented the Republican political party which influenced the domestic and foreign policies of his presidency that included Reaganomics, the economic policies introduced during the Reagan administration -
Sandra Day O’Connor
Sandra Day O' Connor was the first female Supreme Justice to take a seated position in the Supreme Court. The opportunity was open to her when President Ronald Reagan nominated her after serving as a judge in Arizona. Her political approach held a more moderate view, even though she usually sided with the conservatives of the court. Later on, however, she will increasingly side with the liberals. In 2006, O' Connor retired due to her husband's declining health. -
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) “Star Wars”
President Ronald Reagan's proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative, also known as "Star Wars," which called for a land-or space-based shield against any possible nuclear attack by countries such as the Soviet Union. As space technology increasingly grew advanced, fear for the destruction of space time tech became even greater. Although this strategy was criticized as unfeasible and in violation of the Anti-ballistic Missile Treaty, Congress approved billions of dollars for its development. -
Discount Retailing
The creation of discount stores began the 1960's, but didn't reach its prime establishment time until the 1980's. A discount store is a store that sells a variety of different brands in one place, which causes each of those product's prices to be reduced. Popular ones at the time include K-Mart, Home Depot, and Best Buy. Later on, other innovations would be added, like giving out free samples and timed inventory in order to make products more appealing to Americans. -
Sam Walton’s Just-in-Time Inventory
Sam Walton, founder of Walmart and Sam's Club, was the pioneer of the “just-in-time” inventory. This stocking method eliminated the need for storage at each store that he had owned. Instead, the local distribution center can know, via satellite, when a given store is nearly out of a product and can begin to restock more product immediately. These products are simply stored in the semi-trailer until the night crew can offload the truck and restock the shelves which also helped gett rid of waste. -
Iran Contra Affair
The scandal of the Iran Contra Affair arose due to President Ronald Reagan's foreign policies regarding the change of government in the two countries of Iran and Nicaragua. In Nicaragua, a militant socialist movement seized power and the U.S. provided financial backing to the contras, who were attempting to overthrow the new regime. The US scandal of the Iran Contra affair became a secret arrangement to provide financial aid to the Nicaraguan contra rebels to gain by selling arms to Iran. -
Challenger Explosion
On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart during its take-off into outer space after about 73 seconds, killing all seven of its passengers. Before the disaster, the Challenger has flown 9 successful missions starting in 1983, most of them lasting around one week. After a thorough investigation by a commission appointed by President Ronald Reagan, they discovered that a part called an "O-ring" seal on the rocket booster has failed largely due to the cold temperatures. -
Internet
The internet is a web system that was originally created in the 1960's as a simple way for the government and universities to commute information. In the late 1980's, the term for this electronic connection was renamed as the "Internet". The world wide web was created in 1990 and was used to send graphics and multi-media across the globe from country to country. By 1993, the first browser was created, and years later, computers would be accessible to more than 75% of the United States. -
Black Entertainment Television (BET)
The Black Entertainment Television (BET) was an American cable television network and multimedia group providing news, entertainment, and other programming developed primarily for African American watchers. The channel flourished in the 1990s with several news programs including Our Voices and Lead Story. The founder, Robert L. Johnson, launched the media company as a public corporation located in Washington, D.C. The channel was later sold to Viacom Inc. for three-billion dollars. -
Period: to
1990s
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Persian Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War, or the First Iraq War, was an armed conflict involving Iraq and 34 other countries in the Middle East region, led by the United States. It began with the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq and ended the following spring when Iraq's armies were defeated. Many of the problems caused by this war were never resolved. There were two special operations that were prominent to this war: the Operation of Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. The war ended on February 28, 1991. -
Rodney King Incident
Rodney King was an African American that was brought to fame through his victimization of police brutality. Video footage was taken of a Las Vegas police officer beating him up after a 115-mph chase throughout LA ended with him allegedly lunging at one of the officers. King received a total of 56 blows from nightsticks while a dozen other officers stood by and watched. Americans around the country found this to be a controversial matter and the fight to end police brutality was sparked. -
Election of 1992
The United States presidential election of 1992 resulted in Democratic nominee Bill Clinton defeating the current executive officer holder Republican President George Bush. A third-party independent candidate, Ross Perot, managed to secure nearly 19 percent of the votes, the highest percentage of any third-party candidate in a U.S. presidential election in almost 80 years. Many Americans watched this election intensely due to the close knit competition. -
Health Care Reform
The health care reform plan was proposed by President Bill Clinton and developed by a force headed by First Lady Hillary Clinton. The goal of the reform plan was universal health care for all Americans, and required each United States citizen to be enrolled in a health insurance plan. All employers would be required to contribute toward the costs of insurance premiums for their health plans that would compete for their enrollment, with the expectation that most would choose managed care plans. -
World Trade Center Attack 1993
A terrorist bomb exploded in a parking garage of the World Trade Center in New York City, causing the collapse of concrete floors. Although the terrorist bomb failed to damage the main structure of the skyscrapers, six people were killed and more than 1,000 were injured. After the attack, authorities evacuated 50,000 people from the buildings, hundreds of whom were suffering from smoke inhalation. A truck bomb was detonated below the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. -
NAFTA
President Bill Clinton created the world's largest free trade zone by signing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The purpose of the NAFTA agreement was designed to increase trade among United States, Canada, and Mexico by eliminating restrictions on commerce life tariffs. NAFTA also eased restrictions on immigration and travel. To the modern day, the elimination of trade barriers and the opening of markets has led to economic growth and rising prosperity in all three countries. -
Anti-War Movement
Throughout the late 1960s, even though the Vietnam war was allegedly drawing to an end, there was still large discontent about the war effort. Many Americans saw the war as a waste of resources and unnecessary. But with the rise of protesters, came the rise of counter-protesters as well. These people were for the war and would even cover the anti-war protesters with fire extinguishers. The war was violent both out and in home. -
Jimmy Carter's Presidency
Jimmy Carter who was elected as the 39th president of the United States achieved the pardoning of the Vietnam War draft evaders. The Camp David Accords in which peace talks between Egypt and Israel were mediated by Jimmy Carter during the Arab-Israeli Conflict. The Iran Hostage Crisis when 53 American hostages were taken from the United States Embassy in Teheran. Domestically, U.S. nuclear power plant operating history occurred during the Three Mile Island incident. -
Lewinsky Affair
Monica Lewinsky was an intern for President Clinton and had a sexual affair with him during his term in office. Her blue dress became infamous because it contained Clinton's semen. She lied about the affair during depositions in the Paula Jones lawsuit and was included in the indictment of Clinton. Though he lied under oath, most Americans didn't want Clinton to be removed from office, or impeached, because they approved of his performance in his presidential office but not his moral values. -
Balkans Crisis
The Balkans Crisis began when the Serbian dictator Solodan Milosevic started to carry out a series of armed conflicts to suppress independence movements in the former Yugoslav provinces of Slovenia, Croatis, and Bosnia and in Kosovo. This event proves to be the worst conflict Europe had been apart of since its participation in World War II and were a troubling reminder of how World War I had started. NATO forces led by the United States conducted aerial bombardment to prevent more killings. -
2000 Election Controversy
The controversy arose because electoral votes did not reflect the popular vote. In Florida, there were recounts because of the voting machines. These machines were inaccurate because they were punch cards and if not punched thoroughly the vote is not counted. So recounts were demanded frequently. The Secretary of State for the Republican campaign at the time was Katherine Harris. She refused to authorize the recounts and declined to extend a deadline for making an official certification. -
Period: to
Contemporary
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2000 Election
The Election of 2000 was between Democratic Party's nominee Al Gore, who had served as vice-president for both of President Bill Clinton's term and the Republican Party's nominee, George W. Bush, a governor of Texas and son of former President George Bush. He campaigned on a platform of a strong national defense and an end to questionable ethics in the White House. The election was very controversial. In the end, George Bush emerged victorious and became the 43rd POTUS. -
9/11 Attacks
9/11 was a series of coordinated suicide attacks by al-Qaeda, a terrorist group, upon the United States on September 11, 2001. On that morning, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners, putting all of the passengers at risk. The hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, killing everyone on board and more than 3000 others working in the buildings. -
USA PATRIOT Act
The USA PATRIOT Act was a law that was passed in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. This new law was created in order to help prevent further terrorist attacks by allowing the United States government to have a greater range of access to personal civilian electronic communications and other information about the average citizen. Many Americans criticized this new law's approval because they felt like it was violating civil liberties and an invasion of personal property. -
Second Iraq War
The 2nd Iraq War was fought between Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, and United States forces from March 20, 2003 to December 18 of 2011. Conflict in Iraq erupted just weeks after the Gulf War had ended. Iraq broke the peace terms by failing to comply with UN weapons inspectors and relinquish weapons of mass destruction. Saddam Hussein refused to step down and in March 2003 US troops led the invasion of Iraq. The U.S. formally declared an end of Iraq War and its withdrawal in December 2011. -
Hurricane Katrina Disaster
Hurricane Katrina was a major hurricane that destroyed New Orleans and the golf region back in August 2005. Over 1,800 people died, and many others were hurt or left without a home for many years. The lack of response from the government and compassion sparked much debate about the poverty and race issues in America. President Bush's administration was accused of not showing enough compassion to those who were affected by the massive storm, which caused he popularity to steeply decline. -
The Great Recession
The Great Recession was a major financial crisis, the worst one since the Great Depression. It became prominently visible in September 2008 with the failure, merger or conservator-ship of several large United States-based financial firms. The causes leading to the crisis had been reported in business journals for many months, with commentary about the financial stability of leading U.S. and European investment banks, insurance firms and mortgage banks consequent to the subprime mortgage crisis. -
Election of 2008
In the election of 2008, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama fought for the Democratic nomination, while John McCain was the only Republican nominee. Obama, the only African-American nominee, ran a grassroots campaign that tried to engage the young voter population and the black community into the political world to vote for him. At the centerpiece of his campaign/ election was the current failing economy. Obama's ideas for bringing up the economy helped him to win the election of 2008. -
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, more commonly referred to as the "Stimulus Bill", was a spending bill passed by the U.S. Congress in 2009. It was one of the early things Barack Obama did as president. Despite Obama trying to get Republicans as well as Democrats to vote for the bill, only three did. The bill gave more money to unemployed people, cut taxes for workers, students, and the middle class, gave more money to Medicaid and funded to build infrastructure. -
Affordable Care Act (ACA) “Obamacare”
Before the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, was put into place, over 50 million Americans did not have any kind of health insurance. This created a risk for the country as a whole, with an enormous population that risked bankruptcy if they fall ill and require medical attention. The act overall features three key characteristics, which includes: new customer protections, improvement of healthcare quality and lowering it's cost and increasing the affordability of essential care.
