-
George W. Bush election
The 43rd presidential election was one of the most controversial elections. Al Gore (Democrat) vs. George W. Bush (Republican). Al Gore won the popular vote by 500,000 votes, but Bush won the electoral votes 271-266. In this election, one member of the Electoral College refused to vote. -
9/11 Terrorists Attacks
The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 were caused by Al Queda. American planes were hijacked by 19 hijackers. The planes were flown into the Twin Towers in New York, the Pentagon in Washington D.C. and the others crashed in a field due to the passengers fighting back. This was the largest terrorist attack on Americans which altered the way most view their lives and safety. More than 3,000 people died that day, including police officers and firefighters. -
President Bush Ground Zero Speech
George W. Bush spoke through a bullhorn at the exact place that the 9/11 planes hit. Bush thanked the citizens in the effort to find the survivors in the rubble and said whoever caused the destruction was going to pay. The Ground Zero speech highlights Americans patriotism and willingness to come together when in crisis. -
War with Afghanistan
American and British soldiers began airstrikes in Afghanistan in order to find the leader of Al-Queda. The Taliba refused to release Osama Bin Laden, who had released tapes declaring war on any non-Muslim country. America defeated the Taliban, but continued hunting for Bin Laden who was hiding. -
Anthrax Scare
The capitol of Washington D.C. shut down due to the possibility of Anthrax. Anthrax is a fatal bacteria used in bioterrorism. Many believed that Anthrax was being sent to them directly through mail from Afghanistan. George W. Bush called for $1.5 billion to fight chemical attacks and weapons. -
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act is an update to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. The Act requires all states to test children in grades 3-8 in reading and math and once in high school. Law makers believe that fair, equal opportunities to high quality education can be achieved through standardized tests. -
US Congress Authorizes Declaration of War with Iraq
In October of 2002, Congress gave the military permission to use force for security and safety. Americans knew that Iraq had weapons capable of mass destruction and that they had to destroy them before they were used. Iraq was a threat to the safety of our country and lives, which is why we went to war and more troops were deployed. -
Space Shuttle Columbia Self Destructs
Columbia was carrying 7 astronauts and teachers who were planning to go into space. People watched from all over the country, not expecting the shuttle to explode. Columbia self-destructed and killed all 7 passengers. The explosion was only the second loss of a shuttle out of 113. -
Bush-National Address-Declare war on Iraq
During this speech, Bush promised that all efforts would be made to spare innocent lives of American citizens. America went to war with Iraq to avoid the threat of Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction and ties to terrorism. Our goal was to kill Saddam Hussein, and we would not accept anything other than victory. -
Operation Red Dawn
The war with Iraq took place in Ad-Dawr, Iraq and resulted in the capture of Saddam Hussein. Operation Red Dawn was the result of a 9 month man hunt. Task force 121 soldiers were given the location of possible Taliban members are eventually found Hussein. According to a witness, he put his hands up and said "I am Saddam Hussein, the president of Iraq and I am willing to negotiate." -
9/11 Commission Report
The 9/11 Commission Report is the final copy of the events that led up to the terrorist attacks o 9/11. The book is a non-fictional book that follows the story of the hijackers on the plane, the people the attack affected and the results of the crashes. -
George W. Bush relection
Bush ran against John Kerry, a democratic senator from Massachusetts. Bush was faced with little competition on the Republican side, while Kerry had multiple individuals to overcome. George focused on the rollback of taxes on the wealthiest Americans and securing our border. Bush received 50.7% of the popular vote and 53.2% of the electoral votes- allowing him to continue his presidency for a second term. -
Chief Justice Roberts
Following the retirement of Sandra Day O'Connor, President George W. Bush elected john Roberts to the Supreme Court. Only a couple months later, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist passed away. Bush repealed John Roberts as a member of the Supreme Court and filled the Chief Justice chair with John Roberts. Roberts is a Republican with similar views to those of George W. Bush. -
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was the most devastating natural disasters in American history. The hurricane was formed in the Gulf Coast and hit the Louisiana coast at its strongest time- destroying homes, businesses and the environment. over 1,800 people were killed in the 2 day span and the damages were rounded up to about $108 billion. -
Saddam Hussein Found Guilty
On November 5th, Hussein was found guilty for the Dujail massacre and sentenced to death by hanging. Hussein was also charged with premeditated murder, imprisonment, forced deportation and torture. Hussein was also known to take part in campaigns which caused thousands of civilians to be murdered. -
Democrats Take Control of Both Houses
Nancy Pelosi, the first female speaker of the House, was nominated in 2006. Along with Harry Reid, the two led the Democratic party and took control of the House of Representatives and the Senate. This was the first time in 12 years that both houses consisted of majority Democrats. -
Former President Gerald Ford Dies
Gerald Ford was the 38th president of the United States, following the resignation of Richard Nixon. Ford served as the 40th Vice President and as a former representative leader. Gerald Ford was a member of the Republican Party. Ford died on December 26, 2006 due to cardiovascular disease. -
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi was the first female speaker of the House. She is a representative for California and is a member of the Democratic party. The year that Pelosi was elected, the House of Representatives was controlled by the Democrats. -
New troops in Iraq
On January 11, President Bush announced that he would be adding 20,000 more troops to Iraq. The goal of the mission would be to secure civilians around Iraq and ensure safe neighborhoods away from the war and that Baghdad would have the support that it needed. Bush received hate from Americans that were not in favor of the deployment of more troops, while Bush insisted that America could not afford a failure. -
Obama election
Barack Obama was awarded with the presidency after receiving 365 electoral votes out of the 538 total. Obama also won 52.9% of the popular vote, a first for any black politician in America ever. Obama was elected president on the 135th year anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the first ever black United States president.
