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G.I. Bill
The G.I. Bill of Rights of 1944 provided for college and vocational education for post World War II veterans and including one-year of unemployment compensation. It also gave loans to returning veterans to help jump start their lives by buying homes.This bill gave veterans a safety net and encouraged others to join the military. Veterans are known to go homeless after serving, so this bill helps those who are in need. -
Period: to
1950's
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Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain was the name that Churchill gave to the divided land between West Europe and East Europe. The Democratic Western Europe wanted to not be rid the west of its communism, but Stalin had taken other countries in the name of the Soviet Union. The countries were Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia, Romania. To separate these two different governments, they created an "Iron Curtain". -
Period: to
Cold War
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Beat Generation
The Beat Generation was a group of Americans who became relevant in the 1950's, as well as the counter culture. Central elements of "Beat" culture include a rejection of mainstream American values, experimentation with drugs and alternate forms of sexuality, and an interest in Eastern spirituality. They hated traditional values like a nuclear family and saw that everyone is a part of a bigger family. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was developed by George Marshall, the Secretary of State of the United States and implemented from 1948 to 1951. This plan promised to aid in the economic recovery of Europe after World War II by offering certain European countries substantial funds to avoid communism by rebuilding their economy. The United States pushed for democratic values and this was their way to back up their idea. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine forced the commitment of the US to a foreign policy based off of Kennan's plan of the containment of communism. Truman wanted to see a stop to communism, and limit the power in countries where communism already existed. Underlying his policy was the assumption that the Soviet Union sought world domination. The United States believed it had to fight this effort, with aid as needed and with force if necessary. -
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift was a United States effort in trying to help the people caught in the middle of the Cold War. The containment of communism created borders and walls that blocked supplies and people from getting in and out. The United States pushed to supply helpless people with food and other essential goods. They went to West Berlin in airplanes to drop supplies in order to keep them alive and healthy. -
2nd Red Scare
The Second Red Scare was a time from 1950 to 1956 in the United States where communism was scaring US citizens. It was characterized by heightened political repression against communists, as well as a campaign spreading fear of their influence on American institutions and of espionage by Soviet agents. People then wrongly accused government workers and people in office due to the fear that communism will take over the US. -
Korean War
The Korean War is also known as the "forgotten war" because of the failure of signing a peace treaty. This war was a United States effort in the containment of communism in Korea. North Korea wanted to become communist while the South wanted to be democratic. These different values caused them to bash heads and fight. The United States intervened and pushed back the North Koreans to a spot at which the border lies today. -
Atomic Weapons
Atomic Weapons were the reason people lived in fear in the 1950's. The threat of a nuclear winter due to a nuclear war was always on everybody's mind. This invention was the reason why the Allied power was victorious, but also led to the Cold War after World War II. Efforts have been made to contain the formula to create this weapon, but the Soviet Union got a hold of the formula and started mass production. -
Bill Haley and the Comets
Bill Haley and the Comets was a band of remarkable singers and musicians. They had special properties to them like emphasizing guitars rather than saxophones like the original recording did or having a rhythmic feel more akin to western swing. They were wildly famous due to the excess amount of fame for their type of music. They were also known for censoring their songs to appeal to a wider audience. -
Fair Deal
The Fair Deal was an economic extension that was influenced by the famous New Deal proposed by Harry Truman that demanded for higher minimum wage, better housing and full employment. It promised to help the economy by distributing the money from the rich to the poor. This is also known as trickle down economics. It led only to the Housing Act of 1949 and the Social Security Act of 1950 due to opposition in congress. -
Dr. Jonas Salk
Dr. Jonas Salk was the person who developed the desperately needed polio vaccine. He became a hero to the world due to this discovery. The Polio vaccine helped save millions of lives and most importantly rid of all polio cases in the world. This term is cultural because the life expectancy was then greatly extended. Polio was a horrific disease that paralyzed an individual and cut their life expectancy to a low number. -
Period: to
Civil Rights
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Brown v. Board
Brown vs. Board of Education was the SCOTUS decision that overturned the Plessy vs. Ferguson decision, which was led by Chief Justice Earl Warren. The Court then ruled that "separate but equal" schools for blacks were inherently unequal and thus unconstitutional. The decision energized the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950's and 1960's. This ruling led to the little rock 9 and sadly more hate for black citizens in the US. -
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks is famously known for her actions in order to fight for civil rights and represent not only black citizens, but women in the United States. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white individual whom was demanding her seat in the front of the bus. Black people were known to have to give up their seat to a white person, but Rosa Parks refused and was then arrested. She helped spark the movement. -
Emmett Till
The Emmett Till tragedy was a sad event that took place in the South. Emmett Till was a 14 year old boy who was visiting the South to see what it was like and was caught up in trouble due to some miscommunication. He was thought to be "sexually assaulting" a white women and was then later kidnapped. Emmett was beaten up and killed and was tied to a windmill with barbed wire. This act sparked the movement. -
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War has a reputation that circles around controversy. It was an effort to stop the spread of communism in Vietnam and help the South. The North wanted to take over the South and convert it's democratic policies to communist. The draft led to a lot of controversy because it forced people to serve in Vietnam. A lot of people fled the country or hid in the jungle to avoid the war in general. -
Elvis
Elvis Presley was an amateur artist who rose from the bottom with major classics and made a name for himself and a name for his style of music. He famously created originals in music and his dancing style was mimicked due to its sexual aura. He was seen as a bad man because of the conservative old people was used to nice and innocent style of music. Girls around the globe fell for Elvis Presley. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was an effort made by black citizens in order to claim their civil rights in the United States of America. When Rosa Parks refused to give her seat to a white man and was arrested and this resulted in the boycott of Montgomery buses for a year. The majority of the company's passengers were black so they lost 65% of their revenue. The boycott actually worked and lasted for two years. -
Space Race
The Space Race was a passive aggressive battle that was influenced by the Cold War to see which country is the best at everything. The launch of Sputnik was seen as a major defeat for the United States of America. The US then thought of a plan to defeat the Soviet Union. The US wanted to send the first man to the moon and back and successfully achieved that. This crushed the Soviets and was a major victory for the US. -
Little Rock 9
The Little Rock Nine was a group of black kids who attended a white school. The governor ordered troops from Arkansas National Guard to prevent them from entering the school. The next day as the National Guard troops surrounded the school. Eisenhower immediately ordered the US Army to send troops to Little Rock to protect and escort them for the full school year. This plan to integrate white schools brought a lot of attention towards racism in the US. -
Little Richard
Little Richard was a famous musician who came into light in the late 1950's. He played piano at church where he learned the basics of music. Little Richards father was killed outside a local bar when Little Richard was 19 years old. Little Richards real name was Richard Wayne Penniman, and he was the 12th kid in his large family. Little Richard was featured in a movie following his huge success in music. -
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon was the elected President in 1968 through 1972 representing the Republican party. He was responsible for getting the United States out of the Vietnam War, which was the withdrawal of 540,000 troops from South Vietnam for an extended period. He was responsible for the Nixon Doctrine. Was the first President to ever resign, due to the Watergate scandal. The scandal led to the impeachment of Nixon's presidency. -
Ike Turner
Ike Turner began playing piano and guitar when he was eight, forming his group, the Kings of Rhythm, as a teenager. He employed the group as his backing band for the rest of his life. His first recording, Rocket 88, credited to Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, in 1951 is considered a contender for first rock and roll song. Relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1954, he built the Kings into one of the most renowned acts on the local club circuit. -
New Frontier
The New Frontier was a plan developed by President John F. Kennedy's legislative program, which included proposals to provide medical care for the elderly, to rebuild blighted urban areas,to aid education to bolster the national defense, to increase international aid, and to expand the space program. The New Frontier was a plan influenced by the New Deal hence the similarity of the name and plan itself. -
John F Kennedy
president during part of the cold war and especially during the superpower rivalry and the Cuban missile crisis. Kennedy was the president who went on TV and told the public about the crisis and allowed the leader of the soviet union to withdraw their missiles. Other events, which were during his terms was the building of the Berlin wall, the space race, and early events of the Vietnamese war. -
Period: to
1970's
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OPEC
OPEC or the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Controls Middle Eastern natural resources was a group of countries who regulated and controlled the prices of oil throughout the world. The members are Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Qatar, Indonesia, U.A.E, Nigeria, Ecuador, Angola, Algeria. OPEC decides how much oil will be put out and who much for one gallon. OPEC also controls the drilling portion. -
Period: to
1960's
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Peace Corps
The Peace Corps was created in 1961, to help impoverished countries in Africa and Asia, to promote world peace & friendship, for young volunteers help countries help themselves through teaching and technical aid. Plenty of volunteers offered their time and dedication to push world development in foreign countries. It involved 44 countries and over 220,000 volunteers were trained. It was an astonishing program. -
Earl Warren
Earl Warren was the chairman of the Warren commission, which was formed to investigate the assassination of JFK, one of the most influential supreme court justices. He is best known for the liberal decisions of the Warren Court, which outlawed segregation in public schools and transformed many areas of American law, especially regarding the rights of the accused, and ending public school prayers. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a fearful event where people thought a nuclear war was going to break out. President John F Kennedy found photos of missiles in Cuba which was supplied by the Soviet Union. US efforts to control this situation backfired and the United States ended up blockading Cuba. A treaty was signed where the US promised that they would not invade Cuba after Soviet aid ended. -
JFK Assassination
The JFK Assassination was one of the darkest moments in US history. Lee Harvey Oswald was responsible for the assassination. President Kennedy was murdered at the height of the Cold War, just a year after the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world to the brink of nuclear disaster. While the mythology of a lost Camelot developed in the years since his death, the Kennedy era was marked by a variety of tensions and crises. -
Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater was known for his Libertarian ideology. In 1964, LBJ was opposed by this Republican Arizona senator who attacked the federal income tax, the Social Security system, the Tennessee Valley Authority, civil rights legislation, the nuclear test-ban treaty, and the Great Society. As regards racial issues, Goldwater was not racist but believed that racial prejudice was a matter of heart and not of the law. -
Great Society
The Great Society was President Johnson's version of the Democratic reform program. In 1965, Congress passed many Great Society measures, including Medicare, civil rights legislation, and federal aid to education. Medicare was a federal insurance program for persons over the age of 65 and qualified disabled or blind persons regardless of income. Medicaid was a entitlement program that benefits low-income families. -
Daisy Girl Ad
The Daisy Girl Ad helped LBJ win the Election of 1964. Republican Barry Goldwater campaigned on a right-wing message of cutting social programs and aggressive military action. Goldwater's campaign suggested a willingness to use nuclear weapons in situations when others would find that acceptable, something which Johnson sought to capitalize on. The Daisy Girl Ad was seen as something controversial. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed under the Johnson administration, which outlawed segregation in public areas and granted the federal government power to fight black disfranchisement. The act also created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to prevent discrimination in the work place. This act was the strongest civil rights legislation since Reconstruction . -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 invalidated the use of any test or device to deny the vote and authorized federal examiners to register voters in states that had disenfranchised blacks; as more blacks became politically active and elected black representatives, jobs, contracts, and facilities and services for the black community, encouraging greater social equality and decreasing the wealth and education gap. -
LSD
LSD was used by hippies to connect with their spiritual selves and is a psychedelic drug known for its psychological effects, which may include altered awareness of one's surroundings, perceptions, and feelings as well as sensations. It is used mainly as a recreational drug and for spiritual reasons. LSD is typically either swallowed or held under the tongue. -
Hippies
Hippies were a part of the counter culture who opposed a lot of things and were against mainstream ideals. They were against the Vietnam war and the Christian faith. They were all for love, peace, and personal freedom and were open to ideas of different types of sexuality and relationships. They were also into music and created the Wood Stock festival, but when it became mainstream, they slowly left. -
Malcolm X
Malcolm X was a Black Muslim minister in the Nation of Islam and an influential black leader who moved away from King's non-violent methods of civil disobedience who was assassinated due to his political views. He split with the Black Muslim movement and formed the Organization of Afro-American Unit which attracted thousands of young, urban blacks with its message of socialism and self-help. -
Watts Riot
The Watts Riot gave black civil rights activist a bad reputation because of the violence it showcased. As a crowd on onlookers gathered at the scene of Frye's arrest, strained tensions between police officers and the crowd erupted in a violent exchange. For several days, rioters overturned and burned automobiles and looted and damaged grocery stores, liquor stores, department stores, and pawnshops. -
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party was an African-American organization established to promote Black Power and self-defense through acts of social agitation. The Black Panther Party achieved national and international presence through their deep involvement in the local community. The Black Panther Party was an auxiliary of the greater movement, often coined the Black Power Movement. -
Anti-War Movement
The Anti-War Movement was a student protest that started as the Free Speech movement in California and spread around the world. All members of the Anti-War Movement shared an opposition to war in Vietnam and condemned U.S. presence there. They claimed this was violating Vietnam's rights. This movement resulted in growing activism on campuses aimed at social reform in the middle class. -
Phyllis Schalfly
Phyllis Schalfly was a new right activist that protested the women's rights acts and movements as defying tradition and natural gender division of labor; demonstrated conservative backlash against the 1960's. She is known for her opposition to modern feminism and for her campaign against the proposed Equal Rights Amendment. -
Period: to
1980's
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Equal Rights Amendent
The Equal Rights Amendment saw that each sex was treated as equal in accordance to jobs and political views. This helped the feminist movement and saw that women were to be a bigger part of society. They wanted equal treatment as in equal pay and equal views. This Amendment was largely supported by people across the globe. The amendment was pushed by men and the government. -
Watergate
The Watergate Scandal was one of the worst scandals in US history. The events and scandal surrounding a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in 1972 and the subsequent cover-up of White House involvement, leading to the eventual resignation of President Nixon under the threat of impeachment. This led to the distrust in the US government which still exists today because of the lies that were told under oath. -
Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is considered to be one of the most influential conservative research organizations in the United States. During Ronald Reagan's presidency, conservative american think tank in Washington D.C promotes conservative public policies based the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional american values and a strong national defense. -
Gerald Ford
President Gerald Ford was Nixon's Vice president during the Nixon Presidency and was the only person not voted into the White House. He was appointed vice president by Nixon and famously became the president of the United States by the impeachment of Nixon. -
Jimmy Carter
President Jimmy Carter was previously governor of Georgia and peanut farmer, who stressed human rights, who created the Department of Energy and the Department of Education. He was then criticized for his return of the Panama Canal Zone and weakened presidency due to Iran hostage crisis, energy crisis, and inflation. He was a great president, but due to the wrong timing, was seen as bad. -
Moral Majority
The Moral Majority was a political organization of the United States which had an agenda of evangelical Christian-oriented political lobbying. Formed by Jerry Falwell, this organization made up of conservative Christian political action committees which campaigned on issues its personnel believed were important to maintaining its Christian conception of moral law. -
Black Entertainment Television
The Black Entertainment Television or BET became a huge televised channel which featured black people. This channel was huge and saw that black people were in TV shows too. The creator became the first black billionaire which was an amazing goal for black history. It showed that black people can become successful in times of hard work and dedication. -
Robert Johnson
Robert Johnson was the first black billionaire which was a huge achievement at the time due to racial discrimination. He proved white supremacists wrong and that black people could become very successful with a lot of hard work and dedication. He was the creator of the Television channel "Black Entertainment Television". His channel was a major success as it featured black entertainers. -
Three Mile Island
The Three Mile Island incident was the site of a nuclear disaster, the worst in American history. A combination of mechanical failure and human error combined to permit an escape of radiation over a 16 mile radius. While it was ultimately not terrible, it harmed the public perception of nuclear power. The radiation still lingers in the area today and standard precaution has been set to ensure the safety of workers. -
Iran Hostage Crisis
The Iran Hostage Crisis was a huge shock to the citizens of the United States of America. Iranian protesters seized the US embassy in Tehran and held 66 American diplomats hostage for 444 days. Carter was unable to free the hostages despite several attempts. To many this event symbolized the paralysis of American power in the late 1970's. This event brought down the Carter presidency. -
AIDS
AIDS or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome was a horrible disease. Huge deadly outbreak in the 1970's started with gay men and was labeled the "gay plague" but soon began to affect drug users, hemophiliacs, and minorities. It was expensive to treat with no cure. Everett Koop caused government to spend 1.3 billion on AIDS assistance. -
Election of 1980
The Election of 1980 was between two different people. The Republicans nominated Ronald Reagan, against re-nominated Jimmy Carter, who nobody not even his own Democrats liked. Reagan won easily and was very popular, Carter won only six states and the District of Columbia, putting the Republicans back in control for the first time in 25 years. Carter was defeated with dignity though, and was well meaning but had a lack of managerial skills. -
Space shuttle program
The Space Shuttle program was founded in 1958 to compete with Russia's space program. It gained prestige and power with Kennedy's charge to reach the moon by the end of the 1960's. It was important in competing in the Cold War with the Soviet Union and was successful beat the Russians in the race. However, there were major set backs like Apollo 13 and the challenger explosion. -
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor is a retired Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from her appointment in 1981 by Ronald Reagan. Considered a federalist and a moderate conservative, O'Connor tended to approach each case n without arguing for sweeping precedents. She most frequently sided with the court's conservatives. Her unanimous confirmation by the Senate in 1981 was supported by most conservatives. -
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan ran on a campaign based on the common man and populist ideas to gain the attention of the common people. He served as governor of California from 1966-1974, and he participated in the McCarthy Communist scare. Iran released hostages on his Inauguration Day in 1980. While president, he developed Reaganomics, the trickle down effect of government incentives. -
Reaganomics
Reaganomics were the economic policies of Ronald Reagan were also called supply-side economics. Reagan hoped to promote growth and investment by deregulating business, reducing corporate tax rates, and lowering federal tax rates for upper and middle income Americans. This was supposed to have a trickle down effect and boost the economy for the poor and balance for the rich. -
Reagan Doctrine
The Reagan Doctrine was a way for the United States to support anti-communist movements. They United States were open about it and supported freedom fighters who were fighting Soviets. It was somewhat triggered by Afghanistan, aiding mujaheddin to hurt Soviets. -
Iran Contra Affair
The Iran Contra Affair was an incident that ruined the Reagan presidency. The scandal erupted during the Reagan administration when it was revealed that US government agents had secretly sold arms to Iran in order to raise money to fund anti - communist Contra forces in Nicaragua. Those acts directly contravened an ongoing US trade embargo with Iran as well as federal legislation limiting aid to the Contras. -
Challenger Explosion
The Challenger Disaster was a fearful event killing 7 people in the process. The space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds into flight, killing all aboard. The explosion was caused by a faulty seal in the fuel tank. The shuttle program was halted while investigators and officials drew up new safety regulations, but was resumed in 1988 with the flight of the Discovery. -
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is best known for her multi-award-winning talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show, which was the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011. She was named the Queen of all Media and she has been ranked the richest African-American of the 20th century and the greatest black philanthropist. -
Period: to
1990's
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Persian Gulf War
The First Persian Gulf War was after Iraq invaded Kuwait where the United States invaded Iraq to liberate Kuwait. Iraq set Kuwait's oil fields on fire so the Americans couldn't gain the oil. This conflict caused the United States to set military bases in Saudi Arabia which is also called Operation Desert Storm.The invasion led the Saudi Arabians angry with the United States and led to futures of war. -
Rodney King Incident
The Rodney King Incident shocked Americans due to its racial discrimination and hate. The video footage was taken of the police beating an African american after a 115-mph chase throughout Los Angeles and ended with him allegedly lunging at on of the officers. He received 56 blows from nightsticks while a dozen other officers stood by and watched. This created a lot of controversy in the US. -
Election of 1992
The election of 1992 was a very close election. Republicans chose Bush for another election and J. Dan forth Quayle as his running mate. Third candidate Ross Perot added color to the election by getting 19.7 million votes in the election, but Clinton won, 370 to 168 in the Electoral College. Democrats also got control of both the House and the Senate. -
Bill Clinton presidency
Bill Clinton was the president of the United States in 1993 with Hillary Clinton being his first lady. He entered off in January 1993, as the first democratic president since Jimmy Carter and a self-proclaimed activist. He had a very domestic agenda. When in office he had a lot of controversial appointments. One of the reasons he became so famous was because of his affair with Monica, the intern. -
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton was the first lady during the Bill Clinton Presidency of 1993. Prominent child care advocate and health care reformer in Clinton administration; won U.S. senate seat in 2000 director of a task force charged with redesigning the medical-service industry. She was seen as one of the most productive first lady in america right next to Elinor Roosevelt. -
NAFTA
NAFTA or The North American Free Trade Agreement, was a trade agreement that included Mexico, Canada, and the United States. It was a symbol of the increased reality of a globalized market place. The free enterprise led to less jobs in Mexico due to the cheap production and cost of American goods. The lost of jobs led to Mexicans crossing the border to find jobs in american leading to the lost of jobs for Americans. -
Lewinsky Affair
The Lewinsky Affair involved president Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. High profile scandal involving Clinton's sexual relationship with a young White House intern; although he repeatedly lied about the affair, he eventually was forced to admit to his relationship, leading the House Republicans to pass two articles of impeachment on the basis of perjury and obstruction of justice. -
DOMA
DOMA or the Defense of Marriage Act, Declares that states are not obligated to recognize any same sex marriages that might not be legally sanctioned in other states. It also mandates unequal treatment of legally married same-sex couples, depriving same-sex couples of protections and responsibilities that marriage triggers at the federal level. This was discrimination towards gays and created controversy in the government. -
Period: to
Contemporary
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Election of 2000
The Election of 2000 was a very close election which was solely on the Floridian decision on who would eventually win. Democrats chose Vice President Albert Gore. He had to balance aligned with Clinton's prosperity and against his scandals. The Green Party chose consumer advocate Ralph Nader. Republicans chose Texas governor George W. Bush. -
PATRIOT act
The PATRIOT act or the The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 was passed due to 9/11 attacks.Hoped to prevent further terrorist attacks by allowing greater government access to electronic communications and other information. However, it was criticized by some as violating civil liberties. -
George W Bush
George W Bush was the Republican nominee in the election of 2000. He was the eldest son of George H. W. Bush. Many people found him to be reckless and more of a divider. He challenged research on global warming, didn't support abortions, limited research on embryonic stem cells, and allowed Vice President Cheney to hammer out his administration's energy policy behind closed doors. -
9/11
9/11 was the nickname for a eye opening terrorist attack on the United States that occurred on September 11, 2001, in which 19 militant Islamist men hijacked and crashed four commercial aircraft. Two planes hit the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, causing them to collapse. One plane crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, DC, and the fourth, overtaken by passengers, crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania. -
No Child Left Behind
The No Child Left Behind Act was an education bill created and signed by the George W. Bush administration. Designed to increase accountability standards for primary and secondary schools, the law authorized several federal programs to monitor those standards and increased choices for parents in selecting schools for their children. It led to controversy on the funding of schools. -
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina is considered to be the one crisis of the Bush administrations second term and in is inefficiency to deal with the crisis. It destroyed 80% of New Orleans and more than 1300 people died, while the damages were $150 billion. George W Bush received a lot of backlash for the way that he handled it. People moved to get away from the disaster as homes were destroyed. -
Election of 2008
The Election of 2008 surprised all of america as the first black president of the United States was inaugurated. Barack Obama vs. John McCain. 365 electoral votes to Obama, 173 electoral votes to McCain, *Then-Senator Barack Obama of Illinois was the Democratic nominee, and Senator John McCain of Arizona was the Republican nominee George W. Bush was ineligible for re-election & Vice President Dick Cheney declined to run for the office. -
Obama Presidency
The Obama Presidency was a huge success.He was the first African American president of the US. He created health care bills like Obama Care and aided in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster. He ordered a huge stimulus package to combat the great recession and removed troops from Iraq. Obama repealed the Don't Ask Don't Tell act and achieved a treaty with Russia. -
Sonia Sotomayor
Sonia Sotomayor was the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice. She was appointed by President Obama in 2009. While on the court, Sotomayor has supported the informal liberal bloc of justices when they divide along the commonly perceived ideological lines. During her tenure on the Supreme Court, Sotomayor has been identified with concern for the rights of defendants. -
Obama Care Act
The Affordable care act was an expansion of Medicaid. Most of employers must provide health insurance, have insurance or face surtax. It prevents rejection based on preexisting condition. Also referred to as Obamacare, which was signed into law in 2010. By 2016, the uninsured share of the population had roughly halved, with estimates ranging from 20–24 million additional people covered during 2016.
