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G.I Bill
Offers WWII veterans low interest rates on houses & college tuition. The goal is to provide rewards for all WWII veterans and is still around this day. -
Iron curtain
It was the boundary that divided Europe into two areas from World War ll to the end of the Cold War. The Soviet Union blocked itself from contact with the West while the East had countries that were connected with the Soviet Union -
Truman Doctrine
Its the name given to a policy announced by U.S president Harry Truman which is supposed to strop the spread of communism and gives economic & military aid to countries under communistic threat. -
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Cold War
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Marshall Plan
Economic support to help rebuild Western European economies after the end of World War II. It was meant to restore the confidence in Europe and their economic future. -
Berlin Airlift
It Seals off border and Berlin gets divided same way Germany was. The Soviet Union blocked Western allies and access to the sectors of Berlin. U.S. & British planes supplied them with air shipments dropped from planes for almost a year -
Fair Deal
An addition to the New Deal by Truman. He wants to focus on health care, public housing, education & public works, minimum wage, electricity and telephone access. -
Hydrogen Bomb
America tested its first hydrogen bomb in the 1950s beating the Russians. The government encourages building fallout shelters below their houses. This new weapon was about 1,000 times more powerful than a regular nuclear device. -
Television
By 1955, 75% of American homes had a TV black & white. It was
the of way to entertain the people and news was a big part of it. Politicians also invoked the power of TV. -
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The 1950's
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Ike Turner
Ike Turner a black musician made the first Rock & Roll song “Rocket 88” He was a musician, songwriter, bandleader and a producer. He started a group called King of Rhythm and became a hit. -
Polio Vaccine
Polio debilitating thousands of American children every year. Its an infectious disease caused by a virus that lives in the throat and intestinal tract. Jonas Salk developed deactivated vaccine to combat disease. -
Brown V. Board
United States Supreme Court case in which the court declared the laws that established seperate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutionl. Separate schools, waiting rooms, restrooms, etc. are now illegal and they were forced to integrate. -
Rock 'n' Roll
African-American rhythm and blues. A genre of popular music
that evolved in the 1950's. White artists would rip off Rock & Roll songs from black artists -
Elvis
Also knows as "Elvis the pelvis" makes Rock & Roll a phenomenon. He adopts rhythm & blues from African Americans and melds it with gospel and country. He was regarded as the leading figure of rock and roll after many television appearances. -
Emmett Till Tragedy
He traveled to visit relatives and his mother wanted him to experience how segregation was like. He accepted a challenge from his friends to ask a white girl out then he was abducted and shot in the head. He was later found and this incident sparked the civil rights movement. -
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Civil Rights
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Beat Generation
They were radical, rebellious, experimental and had a way with words. They Rejected American materialism, culture, home ownership, careers, and marriage. They expressed individual freedom and pleasure -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
People started to boycott the bus system in Montgomery. Its success convinced them to continue until something happened. Former riders now start to carpool and buses start to lose business, this lasts for about a year. -
Eisenhower's interstate system
He links cities for multi-purpose use and its used for evacuation of cities in case of an attack and its a mobilization of the military. It was also meant to eliminate unsafe roads, inefficient routes, and traffic jams. -
Space Race
It was between the US and Soviet Union. They wanted to create a new generation of American scientists & astronauts and wanted to develop satellite technology. A race for supremacy in spaceflight capability. -
Sputnik
The First orbiting satellite that launched in Fall 1957. Size of a basketball and made beeping radio signal which made Americans more fearful of falling behind to the Soviets. -
Period: to
The 1960's
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Earl Warren Supreme Court
Most liberal SCOTUS in history by Chief Justice Earl Warren. It chopped conservative tenements down. This court expanded Civil Rights, civil liberties, judicial power, and the federal power. It also brought an end to racial segregation in the United States. -
Sit-Ins
Protesters went to white lunch counters and sit in seats only for whites they remained there and were denied service. They hurt white businesses and brought Civil Rights to everyday lunch counters. They would get beaten and thrown from the seats but never fought back. -
Politics (Nixon, Kennedy)
John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon went off in the first televised debate in history. It had a major impact on the outcome of the election and was a new era where a public image became a successful political campaign. -
Peace Corps
Founded by President Kennedy that inspired young college graduates to work in poor countries. Kennedy wanted to involve Americans in the cause of global democracy, peace, development, and freedom. However, he didn't get much done in his years of presidency. -
Bay of pigs
Eisenhower approves operation to overthrow Castro and uses Cuban exiles. Became a failed military invasion and Kennedy publically takes the blame for it but privately blames the CIA. -
Albert Sabin
A medical researcher who is best known for developing the oral polio vaccine. It was effective in preventing most of the complications in polio. The Sabin vaccine is easier to give than the earlier one developed by Salk and the effects last longer. -
Freedom Rides
Whites & blacks traveled on interstate buses together into the deep South. They challenge Southern resistance to SCOTUS cases and
wanted Southerners to violently clash with them. The government was forced to take action towards this. -
Feminism
Many women split from Civil Rights and looked towards Feminism.It was an empowerment through sexuality and encouraged women to explore their sexuality as well. They focused on equal treatment, opportunity & pay. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
It was a political and military standoff over the installation of nuclear armed Soviet missiles on Cuba. The Soviet Union secretly sends troops & medium range ICBMs to Cuba; the U-2 spy planes found missile sites in Cuba -
I have a dream speech
MLK takes Civil Rights to Washington D.C. to battle Southern Bloc. 500 thousand people descend on Washington to walk to the Lincoln Monument and MLK gave his I Have a Dream Speech. His speech called for civil and economic rights and for an end of racism in the U.S. -
Birmingham Bombing
A bomb hurled inside the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham 2 weeks after MLK’s march and 4 girls were killed in the incident and many were injured. The KKK was behind it and people were this brought attention to the hard-fought and dangerous struggle for civil rights. -
Assassination of JFK
Kennedy flew to Love Airfield in Dallas and he planned on travelling through downtown. Oswald was waiting on 6th floor of book depositor and five shots were made and hit his head, an hour later he was pronounced dead. -
Warren Commission
It set up by President Johnson to investigate the assassination. They came to the conclusion that Oswald acted alone with no one else. Kennedy’s final blow looked as if it came from the side and not from behind but many believed this to be conspiracy. -
Freedom Summer
They force the government to intervene and give experience to activists & feminists. The media ignored black only protests so whites go to Mississippi to get rural blacks to register to vote.The federal government ends up stepping in to make equality a reality -
Civil Rights Act Of 1964
Johnson gets through this legislation despite resistance. It Banned segregation in businesses & places open to the public and made it illegal not to hire based on race, religion or ethnicity. This guaranteed all citizens equal protection of the laws under the 14th amendment. -
Daisy Girl Ad
It was a 3 year old girl in a simple dress counting as she plucked petals and her words were followed by a nuclear blast. This ad plays to the fears of the Cold War mentality. Its a response to Goldwater’s NATO comments commanders to have the authority to use nuclear weapons. -
Counter Culture
A culture of those whose values and behavior differ from society. Many viewed hippies as out-of-touch and strict new drug laws were passed. Hippie culture became commercialized and they embraced creativity in many works. -
The Great Society
A set of programs by Lyndon B. Johnson which was meant to eliminate poverty and racial injustice. The program addressed education, medical care, urban problems, rural poverty and transportation was launched during this time. It tried to resemble to the New Deal by FDR. -
Hippies
They were about peace & living the moment without inhibition. Rock music was a catalyst in spreading the counterculture. They rejected middle class values and expressed free love and peace. Hippies believed in doing what made them happy instead of what others think they should do. -
Cesar Chavez
He headed the United Farm Workers Union and used strikes & marches for better working & living conditions for Mexican workers in California. They boycott their work & workers conditions & wages increased. He also believed in non violent protests. -
New Frontier
President John F. Kennedy used this to describe his goals and policies which are to raise the minimum wage, relieve overcrowded schools, and he believed in cutting taxes for business from 90%. He didn't say it was a promise but they are a set of challenges. -
Warren Burger Supreme Court
Nixon appoints Warren Burger as Chief Justice of SCOUTS he wants Burger to scale back desegregation and he goes forward with integration. White kids bused across town for integration purposes and silent majority was angry. In the North Conservative SCOTUS overturned forced busing and inner city schools became mostly all black -
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The 1970's
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Equal Rights amendment
It is designed to guarantee equal rights for all citizens regardless of gender; its meant to end the legal distinctions between men and women in terms of divorce, property, employment, and other matters.Goes to states for ratification but it fails by 3 states in 1979. -
Watergate Hotel
5 of Nixon’s “plumbers” stole campaign information trying to cover it up and fixed a broken wire tap but got caught by a security guard and they were arrested. When the conspiracy was discovered bu congress it lead to a constitutional crisis. -
Heritage Foundation
Non-profit lobbying group that promoted conservative policies such as free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, values, strong national defense. It is considered to be one of the most influential conservative research organizations -
Stagflation
Its a slow economic growth with high rates of inflation. There is also a high unemployment and prices start to rise. Trying to solve the high rates of unemployment made inflation worse and made deficits rise and taxes decrease -
OPEC
During this decade OPEC rose to international prominence and its member countries took control of their domestic oil industries. The prices on petroleum also start to rise as a weapon against Israel and its allies. However this ended up causing an energy crisis in the U.S and Europe -
The New Right
The New Right was a combination of Christian leaders who claimed environmental and labor regulations were undermining the competitiveness of America in the global market. They wanted a smaller government and industrial jobs back. The south also starts to vote republican. -
Panama Canal
It is an artificial 48-mile waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. The biggest ships and subs couldn’t fit in the Canal. The U.S. still controlled Panama Canal but Carter signed a treaty to give the Canal to Panama and it was completely handed over in 2000. -
Three-Mile Island
It was a partial nuclear meltdown that started with failures in the non nuclear system that allowed a large amount of nuclear reactor coolant to escape. Then a nuclear radiation leaked out into nearby town however no one was sickened but Americans were weary of nuclear power after this -
Moral Majority
Founded by Jerry Falwell who is an evangelical preacher he is pro-life, pro-family, pro-American and pro-morality. They were a group to further a religious agenda, including allowing a prayer in schools and strict laws against abortion. -
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The 1980's
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Entertainment
The 1980s was a decade preoccupied with success and image. Cable TV like CNN, ESPN, MTV boosted careers of Madonna and Michael Jackson. Robert Johnson was the 1st Black billionaire and founded BET. Rap music became popular as well as video games & video arcades. -
Sam Walton Just-in-Time Inventory
Products arrive at the precise time in they are needed the computers track inventory and there is no need for large in-house stock. It raised the bar for companies, competitors and their suppliers to up their game. It focuses on customer results in a way that minimizes waste and time -
Election 1980
Ronald Reagan (Republican) and Jimmy Carter (Democrat). Reagan was a former governor of California and testified before HUAC about communism. Carter is haunted by a bad economy the hostage crisis in Iran brought down his popularity and Reagan defeats Carter -
Sandra Day O'Connor
First female Supreme Court Justice President Reagan nominates her. She is a moderate who sided with the conservatives of the court and sides with the liberals members later on. Then retires in 2006 due to her husband’s declining health -
A.I.D.S Crisis
Starts affecting thousands of homosexuals and then spreads to heterosexual community through blood transfusions. The number of cases and deaths among people with aids increased rapidly because people didn't know where and what the disease was. -
Music Television (MTV)
In MTV’s early days, its programming consisted of basic music videos.Initially it was available only to households in parts of New Jersey. MTV went on to revolutionize the music industry and become an influential source of pop culture and entertainment in the U.S and other parts of the world. -
SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative) “Star Wars”
Missile shield defense against Soviet incoming missiles, satellites with lasers shoot down incoming missiles and intended to give Soviets the same technology. Hoped they would go bankrupt in doing so however SDI was a failure for the U.S. and the soviets start resenting communists. -
Discount retailing
They sell products at prices that are lower than the typical market value for example K-Mart, Home Depot, Best Buy was part of discount retailing. Sam Walton Created a chain of stores offering it as well. They were more popular than the average super market or department stores -
Reagan Doctrine
The doctrine served as the foundation for the Reagan administration’s support of “freedom fighters.”The U.S. supports guerrilla groups fighting communists. It was also a global influence of the Soviet Union in an attempt to end the Cold War. -
Iran Contra Affair
Sandinistas overthrow pro-American dictator in Nicaragua in (1979) then Regan secretly arms Contras. Congress finds out and people in Reagan’s administration continued to illegally support the Contras. The Administration got money by selling weapons to Iran exchanged for the release of American hostages in Lebanon -
Period: to
The 1990's
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Persian Gulf War/ 1st Iraq War
U.S. & Arab nations lend Iraq billions of dollars but the Iraq leader Saddam Hussein blames Kuwait for flooding the world with cheap oil and end up hurting Iraq. They invade Kuwait when they refuse to forgive the debt and eventually claimed Kuwait historically part of Iraq. -
Entertainment
Many people start to create different types of entertainment like BET (Black Entertainment Television) Started by Robert Johnson features music & stories from the African-American community. Oprah Winfrey creates a well known talk show about issues and trends of the day. -
Rodney King Incident
Rodney King is chased 78 miles in his car by the police and they were filmed beating taxi driver Rodney King after a pursuit through the streets of Los Angeles.This incident forever changed the conversation about police and race in America. Riots later take place 4 days after the occasion. -
Balkans Crisis
The government of the Yugoslav republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina declared its independence from Yugoslavia. Civil War broke out between Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia. Serbian forces murder thousands of Muslim Bosnian's and was one of the worst acts of genocide since WWll -
Election of 1992
William “Bill” Jefferson Clinton (Democrat) vs George H.W. Bush (Republican). Independent candidate Ross Perot secured nearly 19 percent of the vote which is the highest percentage of any third-party candidate in a U.S. presidential election in many years. Clinton ends up winning 43% of the vote -
Bill Clinton Presidency
Clinton had administrations such as "don't ask don't tell" and healthcare reforms. He served from 1993 to 2001 and was the 42nd president of the U.S. During his time in the White House, America enjoyed an era of peace and prosperity, because of low unemployment, declining crime rates and a budget surplus. -
World Trade Center Attack
Terrorists explode massive car bombs in the basement parking garage of the World Trade Center. Terrorists hoped to collapse the building but it only left a six story hold in the ground. It killed six people and injured more than 1,000. -
NAFTA
An agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. Rules are put in place for several industries like agriculture and technology. Americans lose many jobs from NAFTA and it stopped Mexican knock-off products. -
Technology
Personal Computers became affordable for millions in the early to mid-1990s. The computer industry flourishes and becomes very lucrative. The internet is now in millions of homes by this time and changes start to occur in business and lifestyle. Also Cell phones are starting to replace landlines. -
DOMA
it defined marriage for federal purposes as one man and one woman, also allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages granted under the laws of other states. It passed the House and Senate then president Bill Clinton signed the act into a law. -
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Contemporary
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Bush v. Gore
Its the United States Supreme Court decision that resolved the dispute of the 2000 presidential election. Gore takes it to SCOTUS and they decide 5-4 that Bush won. The judges couldn’t be told how to count votes. Gore wins popular vote by half a million but Bush won the electoral college -
9/11 Attack
19 al-Qaeda hijackers boarded 4 planes. 2 planes hit the World Trade Center buildings, 1 hits the Pentagon, and the 4th plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Over 3,000 people were killed in New York City and Washington, D.C., including more than 400 police officers and firefighters. -
Patriot Act
It expands government’s law enforcement powers. It also Detained immigrants and monitored bank accounts however, many opposed it because of executive overreach in power. The act threatened individual liberties and invaded a personal privacy. -
Compassionate Conservatism
Its a political philosophy that emphasizes using traditionally conservative techniques to improve the welfare of society. Bush promised to use private industry, charity and religious organizations to help poor. It highlighted that the government cannot solve every problem, but it can encourage people to help themselves and others. -
2nd Iraq War
The invasion consisted of 21 days of major combat operations, in which a combined force of troops. U.S troops would be in Baghdad in 3 weeks and Iraq will fall soon after. The Iraqi Army was told to stand down and Saddam was captured by the end of the year then executed by Iraqis for war crimes. -
Hurricane Katrina
When the storm hit the category 3 rating brought winds of 100-140 mph and stretched. The storm made a lot of damage but the aftermath was worse. Massive flooding and the government was slow to help the people affected by the storm. It caused $100 billion in damage. -
The Great Recession
The economy declines in the middle of the campaign. Falling home prices, poor lending habits by banks, and risky investments lead to a greater downfall. The government was forced to bail out failing banks, brokerage houses & insurance companies -
Election 2008
Barack Obama (Democrat) vs. John McCain (Republican). After a campaign that lasted about two years, Americans elected Illinois senator Barack Obama their 44th president winning the popular vote and electoral college. He became the first African American president -
First Hispanic SCOTUS judge Sonya Sotomayor
President Barack Obama nominated Sotomayor to the supreme court and her nomination was confirmed by the Senate. In 2009, she became the first Latina Supreme Court Justice in the U.S. She has been identified with concerns of rights and calls for a reform on the criminal justice system. -
Obamacare
Obama gets passed reforms for private health insurance and everyone is required to have insurance or pay a fine. Obama Care’s goal is to give more Americans access to affordable, quality health insurance and to reduce the growth in U.S. health care spending.
