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G.I. Bill
Known officially as the Servicemen's Readjustment Act and more informally as the GI Bill of Rights, this law helped returning WWII soldiers reintegrate into civilian life by securing loans to buy homes and farms and set up small businesses and by making tuition and stipends available for them to attend college and job training programs. The Act was also intended to cushion the blow of 15 million returning servicemen on the employment market and to nurture the postwar economy. -
Period: to
1950s
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Period: to
Civil Rights
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Period: to
Cold War
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Marshall Plan
The response of the United States to the European financial crisis of 1947. It was Secretary of State, George C. Marshall's plan to provide economic assistance to all European nations that would join in drafting a program for recovery. Sixteen western nations participated. He proposed massive and systematic American economic aid to Europe to revitalize the European economies after WWII and help prevent the spread of Communism. For Europe to help rebuild post-war to prevent communism. -
Truman Doctrine
There was a Communist led uprising against the government in Greece, Truman asked Congress to give $400 million to assist them against the "totalitarian" regimes. It was first established in 1947 after Britain no longer could afford to provide anti-communist aid it pledged to provide U.S. military and economic aid to any nation threatened by communism, in which the I.S would support any democratic nation that resisted communism. In Greece and Turkey, this became successful. -
Fair Deal
It was Truman's 1949 message to Congress and was a program that called for improved housing , full employment, higher minimum wage, better farm price supports, new TVA's, and the extension of social security. Its only successes: raised the minimum wage, better public housing, extended old-age insurance to more people. Led by Truman, created projects to create jobs, build public housing, and end racial discrimination. Basically an extension of the New Deal importance.Congress rejected most it. -
Hollywood 10
When Hollywood producers and writers were called to testify, they refused to answer questions about their own political beliefs and those of their colleagues, they were sent to jail for contempt. Many movie industry people in Hollywood were called before the House to name Communists among their ranks. A group of actors, writers, and producers refused to cooperate and were known as the Hollywood 10. To appease Congress, Hollywood blacklisted these individuals from working in movies. -
2nd Red Scare
Shortly after the end of World War I and the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, the Red Scare took hold in the United States. A nationwide fear of communists, socialists, anarchists, and other dissidents following a series of anarchist bombings.peaked during the Korean War and declined soon thereafter, when the U.S. Senate censured Joseph McCarthy, who had been a major instigator of the hysteria. Innocent people were jailed for expressing their views, civil liberties were ignored. -
Beat Generation
The generation of writers who rebelled against American Culture for its conformity, blind faith in technology, and materialism. A group of who came to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena that they wrote about. 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 and criticized the conformity of American society and threat of atomic warfare -
Ike Turner
Ike Turner made a string of R&B hits with singer and wife Tina Turner. He struggled with drug addiction and died of an accidental cocaine overdose. An early pioneer of fifties rock and roll, he is most popularly known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s with his then-wife Tina Turner in the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. In the late 1940s, Turner started a group called the Kings of Rhythm. Their song, "Rocket 88," is considered by many to be the first rock and rock recording. -
Rock 'n' Roll
White performers transformed rhythm and blues into a new sound called rock and roll. The new music was sometimes condemned as corruptive of youth, and Elvis Presley would transform popular music into something parents regarded as dangerous and threatening. It was a genre of popular music that fused black rhythm and blues with white bluegrass and country styles, crossing the cultural divide that had separated black and white musical traditions. Became a defining feature of the youth culture. -
Jonas Salk
American doctor who invented the polio vaccine in 1953. Polio was a disease that had killed and crippled millions of adults and children worldwide, and the successful vaccine virtually eliminated it. In 1954, Dr Jonas Salk perfected the polio vaccine. The vaccine was then distributed freely in the nation's schools. He established the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in 1963 In 1947 he became head of the Virus Research Lab at the University of Pittsburgh, and he began research on polio. -
Alger & Ethel Rosenberg
American communist couple that was executed in 1953 after being found guilty of committing espionage against the American government. They were executed in 1953 as atomic spies for the USSR. Demonstrated the reality of the communist threat and almost justified the Red Scare. However, responses to their case showed how authorities exaggerated threats during the Red Scare. These two were Soviet spies sent to steal information and technology. They helped the Soviets developed the atomic bomb. -
Earl Warren Supreme Court
Court created when Eisenhower appointed the previously conservative Earl Warren as chief justice over William J. Brennan Jr. The court became a vehicle for social change and advocate for individual rights. He led the Court in far-reaching racial, social, and political rulings, including school desegregation and protecting rights of persons accused of crimes; presided over the Brown v. the Board of Education case. Segregated schools are unequal and prohibited by the 14th Amendment -
Fallout Shelters
Small structure usually underground, equipped with water and food and supplies, places to go for safety in case of a nuclear attack. Usually underground concrete structures, often stocked with food and water supplies, designed to withstand fallout from a nuclear attack. They were popular in the United States in the 1950's and 1960's.Its purpose was to protect occupants from the fallout from an atomic bomb. It was one of the effects of the Cold War due to a climate of fear of an attack. -
Elvis Presley
Early rock and roll artist; white male made famous to appeal black music to a larger crowd; kids loved him, parents hated his suggestive dancing and lyrics. He was a Memphis-born singer whose youth, voice, and sex appeal helped popularize rock 'n' roll in the mid-1950s. Commonly known using only his first name, he was an icon of popular culture, in both music and film. He fused rhythm and blues with bluegrass and country to form a new genre of music known as rock n' roll. -
Eisenhower Interstate System
Eisenhower's 20 yr plan to build 41,000 mi of highway. It was enacted on June 29, 1956, when Dwight D. Eisenhower signed this bill into law. Appropriating $25 billion for the construction of interstate highways over a 20-year period. It was the largest public works project in history.These highways did much to change the economic and social structure of America. They helped businesses and families move from downtown to suburbs. The money was handled in a highway trust fund that paid for 90% -
Sputnik
First artificial Earth satellite, it was launched by Moscow in 1957 and sparked U.S. fears of Soviet dominance in technology and outer space. It led to the creation of NASA and the space race. Humiliated, the U.S. reshaped the educational system in efforts to produce the large numbers of scientists and engineers that Russia had. To better make scientific advancements, NASA was created. It brought a national aeronautics agency to administer non military space research and exploration. -
Little Richard
Little Richard exploded the Fifties music scene with his thunderous piano and electrifying stage presence, setting the tone for the future of rock and roll. His unrestrained performances and visceral rhythms were unlike anything audiences had ever seen. He claims to be the “architect of rock and roll,” laying the foundation for rock and roll with his explosive music and charismatic persona. His road band, the Upsetters, has been credited with first putting the funk in the rock and roll beat. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
In 1957, this act created the United States commission on civil rights to investigate systematic discrimination in areas such as voting. Primarily a voting rights bill, was the first civil rights legislation enacted by Republicans (Eisenhower) in the United States since Reconstruction; set up a permanent Civil Rights Commission, hardly enforced. It made civil rights commission to investigate all violations to civil rights, while also authorizing protection of voting, obtain court injunctions. -
Period: to
1970s
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Southern Bloc
The term southern bloc refers to a coalition of southern Democratic representatives and senators who united with Republicans to advance shared legislative interests, principally to prevent federal involvement in race relations in the U.S. South. Were conservative southern Democrats who worked to block the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by relying on a filibuster in the Senate to postpone the legislation as long as possible, hoping that support for the legislation throughout the country would falter. -
Counterculture
White middle-class youths, called hippies. New Left, against Vietnam War, turned back on America because they believed in a society based on peace and love. rock'n'roll, colorful clothes, and the use of drugs, lived in large groups. A culture with lifestyles and values opposed to those of the established culture; "hippies" who accepted drugs and sexuality and lived unconnected to the past. It blatantly opposed traditional american ways, like women wearing trousers and men with long hair -
OPEC
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries; international cartel that inflates price of oil by limiting supply; Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and UAE are prominent members. It was was comprising of Middle Eastern states and Venezuela first organized in 1960. OPEC aimed to control access to and prices of oil, wresting power from Western oil companies and investors. In process it strengthened western powers. In order to secure an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consumers -
New Frontier
The campaign program advocated by JFK in the 1960 election. He promised to revitalize the stagnant economy and enact reform legislation in education, health care, and civil rights. He issued a challenge to the American people, calling upon them to make sacrifices to achieve their potential greatness; included medical assistance for the elderly, increased education spending, space exploration, public service initiatives, a commitment to civil rights and fiscal policies to revitalize the economy. -
Hippies
Believed in anti-materialism, and the free use of drugs, they had a casual attitude toward sex and anti-conformity. Practiced free love and took drugs, they flocked to San Francisco because of the low rent/interracial and for the easier access of drugs, they lived in communal "crash pads", smoked marijuana and took LSD which was believed to expand the mind. Included a sexual revolution, and new counter culture, Were part of the protesters who influenced US involvement in Vietnam. -
Period: to
1960s
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Peace Corps
A federal agency created by President Kennedy in 1961 to promote voluntary service by Americans in foreign countries, it provides labor power to help developing countries improve their infrastructure, health care, educational systems, and other aspects of their societies. Part of Kennedy's New Frontier vision, the organization represented an effort by postwar liberals to promote American values and influence through productive exchanges across the world. Volunteers brought American skills over -
Albert Sabin
The oral polio vaccine was developed by Albert Sabin and came into commercial use in 1961. They are on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most effective and safe medicines needed in a health system. It made widespread vaccination even easier. early 1960 polio had been virtually eradicated. Research led Sabin to realize that some people had resistant antibodies in their blood to polio, that they had been infected with a weak strain of the virus. -
Freedom Rides
Organized mixed-race groups who rode interstate buses deep into the South to draw attention to and protest racial segregation, beginning in 1961. This effort by northern young people to challenge racism proved a political and public relations success for the Civil Rights Movement. Their efforts were frequently met with protests and violence; when southern officials failed to come to their aid, JFK dispatched federal marshals to protect the riders. Traveled across the South to end segregation -
John Glenn
Colonel John Herschel Glenn Jr. was a United States Marine Corps aviator, engineer, astronaut, and United States Senator from Ohio. Before joining NASA, Glenn was a distinguished fighter pilot in World War II, China and Korea. John Glenn became the first American to orbit the globe. NASA later introduced the Gemini program, whose specific spacecraft could carry two astronauts at once. He made the first orbital rocket-powered flight by a United States. Glenn flew the Friendship 7 mission -
Sam Walton
He created Wal-Mart. Famous for his pep talks to associates. Proposed whenever customers approach, the associates should look them in the eye, greet them, and ask to help. Had associates execute a pledge. Combined both individual and group goals .Walton was a rich man who funded Walmart which is a discount store and he changed american industry because imports were cheaper than discount store. It's success was attributed to the strong and pervasive culture at the company -
Lee Harvey Oswald
Sniper who assassinated John F. Kennedy,, in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. Oswald was a former U.S. Marine who defected to the Soviet Union in October 1959. He lived in the Soviet Union until he returned to the United States. Oswald was initially arrested for the murder of police officer who was killed approximately 45 minutes after President Kennedy was shot. Oswald would later be charged with the murder of President Kennedy as well but denied shooting, claiming he was a patsy. -
Jack Ruby
Jack Ruby was the murderer of Lee Harvey Oswald who shot John F. Kennedy. He was a local bar owner. He pretended to be a reporter when he shot Oswald. He shot Lee Harvey Oswald as he was being transported to jail live on national television, who proclaimed to be avenging the death of JFK. The event was witnessed by millions of Americans on live television. Ruby was convicted of murder. He claimed he had acted out of grief and denied any involvement in a conspiracy. The conviction was overturned -
Birmingham Bombing
An act of white supremacist terrorism which occurred at the African-American 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama when four members of the KKK planted a minimum of 15 sticks of dynamite attached to a timing device beneath the front steps of the church. The killed four girls and injured 22 others. The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing marked a turning point in the United States 1960s Civil Rights Movement and contributed to support for passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. -
Chicano Mural Movement
Began in the 1960s in Mexican-American barrios throughout the Southwest. Artists began using the walls of city buildings, housing projects, schools, and churches to depict Mexican-American culture. This movement was an expression of Mexican American culture. It led people to higher appreciation of Mexican-American culture. Younger Mexican Americans were impatient with the MAPA, or Mexican American Political Association, so about 1,500 proclaimed a new term, Chicano, to replace Mexican American. -
Cesar Chavez
Farm worker, labor leader, and civil-rights activist who helped form the National Farm Workers Association, later the United Farm Workers. He helped to improve conditions for migrant farm workers and unionize them. Non-violent leader of the United Farm Workers from 1963-1970. Organized laborers in California and in the Southwest to strike against fruit and vegetable growers. Unionized Mexican-American farm workers. Helped form the National Farm Workers Association, later the United Farm Workers. -
Barry Goldwater
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. Platform included lessening federal involvement, therefore opposing Civil Rights Act of 1964; lost by largest margin in history. A conservative Republican whose crushing defeat opened the way for the liberal Great Society programs. -
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
American Destroyers Maddox and Turner Joy claimed to have been attacked by North Vietnamese gunboats. A couple days later, they reported having been attacked again, a claim that raised questions on its accuracy, but President Johnson used it to justify the use of air strikes on targets in North Vietnam. In retrospect, it is clear that there was an "attack" and that the US boats were not in international waters as claimed. It was a minor incident that Johnson used as a pretext for war. -
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 etc. Primarily a middle-class movement. Condemning US presence there. as violation of Viet rights and US imperialism. -
Great Society
President Johnson called his version of the Democratic reform program the Great Society .In an attempt to win, he set a few goals, including the great society, the economic opportunity act, etc. Congress passed many Great Society measures, including Medicare, civil rights legislation, and federal aid to education. It instituted federally sponsored social welfare programs. Expanded federal govt power, brought many out of poverty, heightened the deficit, and brought conservative backlash. -
Selma March
Martin Luther King Jr. organizes a march in Selma. Tens of thousands of black protesters petition for the right to vote outside of the city hall and are ignored. They then marched to the governor's mansion in Montgomery. Police meet them with tear gas and clubs. "Bloody Sunday" is highly publicized and Americans in the North are shocked. It was a march that was attempted many times to protest voting right. Johnson passed as a result of many peace protests the Voting Rights Act in August 1965, -
Malcolm X
Minister of the Nation of Islam, urged blacks to claim their rights by any means necessary, more radical than other civil rights leaders of the time. Malcolm X converted to Islam while he was in prison. He split with the Black Muslim movement and formed the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) which attracted thousands of young, urban blacks with its message of socialism and self-help. He initially advocated nationalism, self-defense, and racial separation. Was assassinated in New York. -
Watts Riot
The first large race riot since the end of World War II. In 1965, in the Watts section of Los Angeles, a riot broke out. This was the result of a white police officer striking a black bystander during a protest. This triggers a week of violence and anger revealing the resentment blacks felt toward treatment toward them. The six-day riot resulted in 34 deaths, 1,032 injuries, 3,438 arrests, and over $40 million in property damage, was one of the most severe riot in the city's history. -
Tet Offensive
A campaign by the Viet Cong to attack twenty-seven South Vietnamese cities. It ended in a military defeat for the Viet Cong, the Viet Cong in South Vietnam launched a major offensive, hoping to provoke widespread rebellion in the country. The effort failed, but the psychological impact on South Vietnam and the United States made it a great victory for the Viet Cong and North Vietnam. The United States reversed its policy of escalation and began a policy of Vietnamization of the war. -
Stonewall Riot
police officers raided this Inn, which was a gay nightclub in New York, and began arresting patrons for attending the place. Gay onlookers taunted the police and then attacked them. Someone started a fire in the Inn, almost trapping people inside. This marked the beginning of the gay liberation movement. New organizations also began to rise up, like the Gay Liberation Front, which was founded in New York. First time the gay community strikes back, refused police presence in the bar. -
Warren Burger Supreme Court
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 1969 to 1986, he was responsible for bringing the Court somewhat back to the right after the Earl Warren years. He presided over major cases involving abortion, affirmative action, the death penalty, and school desegregation. A conservative jurist appointed by Nixon that nonetheless continued the judicial activism of the Warren Court as seen by Roe v. Wade; this was due to the other members of the court rather than his own liberal beliefs -
Stagflation
During the 60's and 70's, the U.S. was suffering from 5.3% inflation and 6% unemployment. Refers to the unusual economic situation in which an economy is suffering both from inflation and from stagnation of its industrial growth. It was a period of slow economic growth and high unemployment (stagnation) while prices rise (inflation). Presidents Nixon, Ford, and Carter had difficulty dealing with stagflation. Nixon attempted to solve the problem by implementing his New Economic Policy -
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
A governmental organization signed into law by Richard Nixon in 1970 designed to regulate pollution, emissions, and other factors that negatively influence the natural environment. The creation of the it marked a newfound commitment by the federal government to actively combat environmental risks and was a significant triumph for the environmentalist movement. this agency made notable progress in reducing automobile emissions and cleaning up waterways and toxic dump sites. -
Period: to
1980s
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Title IX
A part of the Education Amendments which prohibited sex discrimination in any educational programs or activities that are funded by the federal government. It also opened sports and other areas to women. It created opportunities for girls' and women's athletics at schools and colleges, giving birth to the new "Title IX generation" that would reach maturity in the 80's and 90's and help professionalize women's sports. Discrimination over gender in higher education was illegal. -
Roe v. Wade
Landmark Supreme Court decision that forbade states from barring abortion by citing a woman's constitutional right to privacy. Seen as a victory for feminism and civil liberties by some, the decision provoked a strong counter-reaction by opponents to abortion, galvanizing the Pro-Life movement. Norma McCorvey lied about being raped, since in Texas, if raped and pregnant In the end it was rule in favor of Roe since preventing a woman from terminating her pregnancy went against the Ninth Amendment -
Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation, a public policy that promotes the principles that made America great: free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense. Issued policy proposals and attacked liberal legislation and the permissive culture they claimed it had spawned; Conservative think-tank ideological interest group. attacked liberal legislation and the permissive culture they claimed it had spawned. Envisioned themselves as crusaders, -
Endangered Species Act
Identifies threatened and endangered species in the US, and puts their protection ahead of economic considerations, protected threshold and endangered species and directed the FWS to prepare recovery plans; Recognizes the value of species habitat. It authorizes designation of critical habitat and calls for recovery plans for listed species. Legislation designed to protect species in danger of extinction. It puts their protection ahead of economic considerations. Enacted by Nixon. -
The New Right
Outspoken conservative movement of the 1980s that emphasized "social issues". Helped to get Reagan elected. Movement, partly in response to counter-cultural —evangelical Christian groups, social issues denouncing abortion, pornography, homosexuality, feminism, and affirmative action. This revived republican party, revived confidence in free markets and called for a smaller government role in economic regulation and social welfare. Not content with Jimmy Carter's direction liberalism -
Moral Majority
Moral Majority was a political group made up of fundamentalist Christians. Did not accomplish much, showed that Americans were starting to worry about the moral fabric of society. Formed by Jerry Falwell. Organization made up of conservative Christian political action committees which campaigned on issues they believed were important to maintaining its Christian conception of moral law. This group pressured for legislation that would ban abortion and ban the states' acceptance of homosexuality. -
Election of 1980
Republicans nominated Ronald Reagan, against re-nominated Jimmy Carter, who nobody, not even his Democrats liked. Reagan won 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.. By this time, the Republican party was ready to challenge the Democrat's hold on the White House. As Americans were not pleased with Jimmy Carter's administration,and the "ABC" (Anybody but Carter) movement gained steam -
Reaganomics
Policy based on the theory that allowing companies the opportunity to make profits, and encouraging investment, will stimulate the economy and lead to higher standards of living for everyone. Argued that tax cuts can be used stimulate economic growth. Move money into the hands of the people and they will invest, thus creating prosperity.These policies combined a monetarist fiscal policy, supply-side tax cuts, and domestic budget cutting. To stimulate economic growth while reducing fed gov -
Music TV MTV
Launched in 1981 for music TV, a generation of kids grew up watching television, started the careers of several famous musicians. Music television, known as MTV, inspired a revolution in television broadcasting. MTV was designed to appeal to young adults with lots of disposable income. The success of MTV and other forms of niche marketing contributed to the fragmentation of public culture. The American public was no longer watching the same shows because of so many shows to choose from. -
Sandra Day O'Connor
A retired Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from her appointment in 1981 by Ronald Reagan until her retirement in 2006. She was the first woman to be appointed to the Court. Prior to O'Connor's appointment to the Court, she was an elected official and judge in Arizona serving as the first female Majority Leader in the United States as the Republican leader in the Arizona Senate. She announced her intention to retire effective upon the confirmation of a successor -
A.I.D.S. Crisis
The Reagan administration was slow to respond to the "AIDS Epidemic," because effects of virus were not fully understood and they deemed the spread of the disease as the result of immoral behavior. There was a global spread. Caused by the HIV virus and leaves people susceptible to deadly infections and cancers. It spread through the exchange of blood or bodily fluids Was originally perceived as a "gay man's disease". Ended the era defined by penicillin and the pill which made sex safe and okay -
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) “Star Wars”
Reagan's proposed Strategic Defense Initiative in 1983, also known as "Star Wars," called for a land- or space-based shield against a nuclear attack. Although SDI was criticized as unfeasible and in violation of the Anti ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, Congress approved billions of dollars for development. Reagan described it as an "astrodome" shield over America; scientifically impossible and astronomically expensive, the initiative was part of Reagan's plan to force the Soviets' hand. -
Reagan Doctrine
Under the Reagan Doctrine, the U.S. provided overt and covert aid to anti-communist guerrillas and resistance movements in an effort to "rollback" Soviet-backed communist governments in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The doctrine was designed to serve the dual purposes of diminishing Soviet influence in these regions, while also potentially opening the door for capitalism (and sometimes liberal democracy) in nations that were largely being governed by Soviet-supported socialist governments. -
Iran Contra Affair
The foreign policy problem in which the Reagan administration was accused of selling arms to terrorists and using the money to illegally aid a rebel group. Happened after the Reagan administration sold weapons to Iran in hopes of freeing American hostages in Lebanon; money from the arms sales was used to aid the Contras who were anti-Communists in Nicaragua, even though Congress had prohibited this assistance.The presidential aides took the blame for the illegal activity. -
Challenger Explosion
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 resumed with the flight of the Discovery. The space shuttle broke apart because gasses in the external fuel tank mixed, exploded, and tore the space shuttle apart. The external fuel tank exploded after a rocket booster came loose and ruptured the tank. -
Period: to
1990s
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Persian Gulf War / 1st Iraq War
After Iraq invaded Kuwait, the US 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 US to set military bases in Saudi Arabia; also called Operation: Desert Storm. The coalition invaded Iraq in response to their invasion and annexation of Kuwait. Saddam Hussain of Iraq invaded Kuwait and threatened Saudi Arabia. By taking over these regions, Hussain would have been able to control much of the world's oil. -
Rodney King Incident
Video footage was taken of the police beating an African american after a 115-mph chase throughout LA 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.A brief account of the six days of rioting which set Los Angeles aflame following the acquittal of four police officers who were in the filming. ended with two of the officers found guilty and sent to prison and the other two officers acquitted. -
Election of 1992
President George Bush ran for a second term. Democrats nominated Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas. The key issue was the economy plagued by high unemployment and the large deficit. Clinton won with only 43% of the vote. Democrat Bill Clinton won over Republican George H.W. Bush because of the economy's problems after the Gulf War ended as Independent Ross Perot split Republicans votes allowing Clinton to win the presidency with less than 50% of the vote with a campaign focused on the economy. -
Ross Perot
Ran on the independent ticket for the 1992 Presidential election. Harped on the problem of the federal deficit and made a boast of the fact that he had never held any public office. Reflected pervasive economic unease and the virulence of the throw-the-bums-out national mood. Earned 20 percent of the popular vote. Won no electoral votes but 19.7 million popular votes. Perot helped bring a record voting turnout and had the strongest showing for a third party candidate since Teddy Roosevelt. -
Balkans Crisis
Bosnian Muslims, Serbs, and Croats were killing each other by 10,000s, Clinton eventually was forced to intervene, US led NATO forces launched a massive aerial bombardment of Servia. Area of southeastern Europe where Greece, Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia, etc. are today. This is where World War I started, due to ethnic rivalries in the area. In the 1990's, similar ethnic rivalries led to war and "ethnic cleansing" as the Serbs attempted to rid their country of other groups through mass-murder. -
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
Signed in 1993. Established by President Clinton. It opened free trade with Canada and Mexico and allowed the flow of increased goods, services, and jobs across the international borders by lessening and eliminating tariffs. It was strongly criticized by organized labor and conservative groups who viewed it as selling American jobs to cheap labor across the border and that it compromised America's sovereignty. A free trade plan initiated in the Bush administration. Established a common market. -
World Trade Center Attack
Terrorists drove a truck bomb underneath it and detonated it. terrorists drove a rental van into a parking garage under the World Trade Center’s twin towers and lit the fuses on a homemade bomb stuffed inside. Six people died and more than 1,000 were injured in the massive explosion, which carved out a crater several stories deep and propelled smoke into the upper reaches of the skyscrapers. At the time, it was one of the worst terrorist attacks ever to occur on U.S. soil. -
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy
The act prohibits any homosexual or bisexual person from disclosing his or her sexual orientation or from speaking about any homosexual relationships, including marriages or other familial attributes, while serving in the United States armed forces. The "don't ask" part of the policy indicates that superiors should not initiate investigation of a service member's orientation in the absence of disallowed behaviors, though mere suspicion of homosexual behavior can cause an investigation. -
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
This was signed into law under President Bill Clinton It mandates unequal treatment of legally married same-sex couples, selectively depriving them protections and responsibilities. Under this, married same-sex couples are denied a long list of important protections and responsibilities, including Social Security survivor benefits, immigration rights, family and medical leave, and the ability to pool resources as a family without unfair taxation. It was ruled unconstitutional in 2013. -
Lewinsky Affair
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; after midterm elections reduced the House Republicans' majority and public opinion swayed in favor of keeping Clinton in office, he was found not guilty. Eventually led to the impeachment -
Bush v. Gore (SCOTUS case)
Because of the closeness in the election of 2000, Gore ordered that ballots be recounted in Florida because of a potential mistake. The Florida Supreme Court authorized a recount in all counties. Result: Such a recount is unconstitutional because there is no standard set in the Constitution to do such nor does the state of Florida have the right to set up a new election law. The Florida Supreme Court may not create a new national election law. The ruling meant Bush would win election. -
No Child Left Behind Education Act
Meant to fix a broken public education system; linked federal money to state action requiring states to have high standards for all students; evaluation of progress was through standardized testing. It was a 2001 law that set high standards and measurable goals for education most recent iteration of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, the major federal law authorizing federal spending on programs to support K-12 schooling. ESEA is the largest source of spending. -
Patriot Act
Act passed by Congress under the Bush administration that allowed the government to take a more active role in surveillance and security after the 9/11 attacks. Sought to prevent further terrorist attacks by allowing greater government access to electronic communications and other information; criticized by some as violating civil liberties. permitted extensive telephone and email surveillance and authorized the detention and deportation of immigrants suspected of terrorism. -
9/11 Attacks
Terrorist attacks 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. Nearly 3000 people were killed in the worst case of domestic terrorism in American history. Commonly reffered to as 9/11. -
2nd Iraq War
Invasion of Iraq by a multinational force led by troops from the US and UK. Saddam Hussein was overthrown.The USA went to war with Saddam Hussein because Hussein kicked out UN weapons inspectors, he was building weapons of mass destruction, he didn't obey the no-fly zones limitations, he was a savage dictator. President George W Bush convinced the congress to declare war on the dictator in 2003. Within a few weeks the dictator was overthrown but an insurgent war started that lasted until 2011. -
The Great Recession
Officially began in December 2007 and ended in mid-2009, has had long-term lingering effects on unemployment, and was preceded by the largest housing bubble in US history, caused by short term economic thinking, speculation, and irresponsible spending. Due to the pop of the housing bubble and bank's risky investment into loans, the banks also began to falter. Wages and jobs decrease, creating a downward spiral. It was the country's worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. -
Housing Bubble
Sales of new homes in the United States went on a roller-coaster ride, rising by 60 percent between January 2000 and July 2005, before falling by 76 percent between July 2005 and January 2009. The Federal Reserve lowered interest rates in response to the end of the technology surge, encouraging investors to purchase real estate, causing another "bubble" and increased housing prices. Many Americans bought houses they couldn't afford using tax credit and adjustable rate mortgages. -
Sonia Sotomayor
Nominated by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009, Sonia Sotomayor became the first Latina Supreme Court Justice in U.S. history. She graduated from Yale Law School and passed the bar in 1980. She became a U.S. District Court Judge in 1992 and was elevated to the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals in 1998. In 2009, she was confirmed as the first Latina Supreme Court justice in U.S. history. She is recognized as a somewhat controversial and outspoken candidate yet she is distinguished. -
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Among the earliest initiatives of the Obama administration to combat the Great Recession. Called for increased government spending to offset decreased private spending in times of economic downturn. The act was controversial, passing with no Republican votes in the House and only three in the Senate, and helping to foster the "Tea Party" movement to curb government deficits, even while critics on the left argued that the act's $787 billion appropriation was not enough to turn the economy around. -
Affordable Care Act (ACA) “Obamacare”
It is a US federal statute signed into law by Obama. Together with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act amendment, it represents the most significant regulatory overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. It was enacted to increase the quality and affordability of health insurance, lower the uninsured rate by expanding public and private insurance coverage, and reduce the costs of healthcare for individuals and the government -
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Contemporary
