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Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was a Supreme Court case in which the justices determined that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional. -
National Interstate and Defense Highways Act
Signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, this act authorized the building of highways throughout the nation and expanded the interstate system to 41,000 miles. The law was important because it was the beginning of a new era, the automobile era. The interstate highways increase mobility in urban areas by reducing travel times for cars, buses, and trucks, while lessening traffic congestion on non-interstate roads. The addition of the interstate also allowed cities to expand their physical size. -
Little Rock Nine
As a result of the Brown V. Board of Education, the US military escorted 9 African American students to desegregate Little Rock Central High School, that previously didn't allow them to attend. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was a failed military landing operation on the southwestern coast of Cuba. The invasion began when a group of Cuban refugees (directed by the US government) lands in Cuba and attempts to overthrow the communist government of Fidel Castro. -
I Have a Dream Speech
A public speech given by African American civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr. His firm belief in racial equality, civil rights and justice for all was part of what made his speech so powerful in the civil rights movement.