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The Cold War
Link Text The Cold War wasn't really a war because it had no fighting. It was tensions between the Soviet Union and the United Stated after World War II. It had many causes, American fear of a communist attack, USSR's fear of the American's atomic bomb, and USSR's dislike of capitalism, etc. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Link text Brown v. Board of Education was a Supreme Court decision led by Chief Justice Earl Warren. It overturned the Plessy vs. Ferguson decision from 1896 which ruled "separate but equal" public facilities constitutional. In this case, the Court ruled that "separate but equal" schools for blacks were unequal and unconstitutional. This decision encouraged the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. -
The Vietnam War
Link text The Vietnam War was a military conflict fought in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The U.S. got involved allied with South Vietnam to stop the communist rule of North Vietnam. -
The Stand in Schoolhouse Door
The Stand in Schoolhouse Door was at the University of Alabama in 1963. Alabama Governor George Wallace showed his opposition to the Brown v. Board of Education court ruling and desegregation of schools by literally standing in the doorway of the school. In his inaugural speech, he famously stated, "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever." -
President Kennedy's Assassination
Link Text President John F. Kennedy served as the 35th President of the United Sates. Shortly after noon as he rode in a car through downtown in Dallas, Texas, he was shot Lee Harvey Oswald. Although there are doubts that Oswald acted alone, he was also shot to death by Jack Ruby. -
The Black Panther Party
Link Text The Black Panther Party was an African American revolutionary organization. Members believed in putting a stop to racism and treating blacks equal to whites. -
The Hippie Movement
Link text The Hippie Movement occurred in the U.S. where members rallied to stop the war in Vietnam. The youth population started to appear among this group as their main belief was anti-sentiments towards the Vietnam war. They also embraced sexual liberation, use of drugs explore one's consciousness, and opposed nuclear weapons. -
The Watergate scandal
Link text The Watergate scandal was a break in by 5 former CIA an FBI agents into the Democratic National Committee headquarters. They listened to classified phone lines and stole confidential papers. President Richard Nixon was tied to this crime and took part in the attempt to cover it up. It led to his resignation to avoid impeachment. -
The OPEC Oil Embargo
Link Text When the U.S. supported Israel in the Yom Kippur War, Arab members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cut off their oil supply as a protest. It led to a worldwide oil shortage, gas to be more costly, and long lines at gas stations in the U.S. -
President Nixon's Assassination Attempt
A man named Samuel Joseph Byck was an American hijacker. He attempted to hijack a plane leaving Baltimore/Washington International Airport and hoped to crash into the White House and kill U.S. President Richard Nixon. -
President Nixon's Resignation
Link Text After his involvement in the Watergate scandal, President Richard Nixon resigned. He was about to be impeached by the Judiciary Committee as many votes supported it. Gerald Ford became president after his resignation. -
HIV/AIDS Outbreak
HIV is a virus that causes AIDS which is a syndrome. AIDS weakens the body's immune system to fight off illnesses. It was present in the mid to late 1970s but broke out and spread to 5 continents by 1980. It was so controversial that people didn't even want to kiss each other on the cheek.
