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Oklahoma City bombing
This was a domestic terrorist attack killed 168 people at the Alfred P. Murrah federal building. It was a Ryder truck filled with homemade bombs. The attack was caused by Timothy McVeigh. This revealed a growing threat of anti government extremism. It led to new federal anti terrorism laws and raised questions about internal radicalization. The new act in place was the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. (Kruse and Zelizer, 224) -
Welfare Reform Act
There was a major shirt away from the new deal era welfare policy president Clinton signed the personal responsibility and work opportunity reconciliation act. The bill ended the federal guarantee of assistance to poor families. It created strict work requirements and lifeline limits on benefits. Some people argued that this increased hardship for vulnerable families. (Kruse and Zelizer, 173) -
Bill Clinton Impeachment by the House
The house of representatives voted to impeach President Bill Clinton because of charges for perjury and obstruction of justice which relates to his affair with a White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Clinton was acquitted by the senate and remained in office. The impeachment did expose deep partisan divisions and shifted the tone of political discourse. The event was a turning point in how personal behavior is entangled with national politics. (Kruse and Zelizer,182-184) -
September 11 Terrorist Attacks
On September 11th al-Qaeda operatives hijacked four planes that crashed into the twin towers and one into the pentagon and the fourth in Pennsylvania. Almost 3,000 people died. This was one of the worst terrorist attacks to have happened. The federal government passed the Patriot act created the department of homeland security and then began a war on terror that led to a lot of military in Afghanistan and Iraq. (Kruse and Zelizer, 204) -
Invasion of Iraq
The U.S invaded Iraq under the claim that Saddam Hussein had weapons and ties to terrorism. Even though there is little evidence the bush administration argued the war was necessary because of national security. No WMDs were found. The war destabilized Iraq and led to the rise of insurgent groups and lots of lives were lost. (Kruse and Zelizer, 224) -
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast and left most of the city underwater. Over 1,800 people died and tens of thousands were displaced. The federal response revealed major failures in emergency preparedness. This is especially towards poor and black communities. This became a turning point in the bush administration. (Kruse and Zelizer, 237) -
Election of Barack Obama
Barack Obama was the first elected African American president who won on the platform of hope and change during a finical crisis. His win was a big milestone in history because it was a shift in national identity. His presidency intensified partisan division especially with the rise of the tea party and racial tensions. His election was seen as progress and some bad which set the tone for political and cultural conflicts that would continue (Kruse and Zelizer, 255) -
Obamacare
President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act the largest healthcare reform since medicare. The law was aiming to expand coverage and prevent discrimination for pre existing conditions and to make insurance more affordable. It helped millions have access to care it became a controversial topic and crested intense national debate about governments role in healthcare. The ACA is one of the most impactful policies. (kruse and Zelizer, 269) -
Osama Bin Ladan Killed by U.S Navy Seals
after a very long time of searching the U.S navy seals found and killed Osama bin Laden who was behind the 9/11 attacks. They found him on his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Obama had requested this and it became a victory in the war of terror and brought closure to many Americans. It was a very big turning point in U.S efforts to dismantle al-Qaeda. (Kruse and Zelizer, 273-274) -
Black Lives Matter movement begins
After the man who killed Trayvon Martin who was 17 was found not guilty many around the country spoke out on racism and violence toward black Americans. This led to the start of Black Lives Matter movement. This was created by 3 woman who wanted to fight injustice. The movement grew fast online and became a force in raising awareness about police violence and racial inequality. (Kruse and Zelizer, 285)