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Sexual Revolution
The public began to have a freethinking view towards sex. The younger generation was more common to jump on the sexual revolution bandwagon; teenagers and those in their early 20's did risky sexual acts. Women began to wear short shorts without pantyhose, wore shirts with revealing necklines and discarded their bras. Homosexuals who lived in secret came out of the closet, and casual sex was on the rise. -
NASA (Part 1)
The Space Race, initiated in 1957 the Soviet's Union launch of Sputnik, picked up speed when John F. Kennedy became president. On April 12, 1961 the Soviets launched the first man into orbit. On May 25th, 1961, the Kennedy Administration initiated the goal of sending a man to the moon and back safely. The Apollo Project began and after years of getting closer to the goal they had finally done it in 1969. -
NASA (Part 2)
Commander Neil A. Armstrong and his co-pilot Col. Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. safely and smoothly landed on the moon, then back on Earth near the southwestern shore of the arid Sea of Tranquility. -
Miranda Rights (Part 1)
In March, 1963, a kidnapping and sexual assault occurred in Phoenix, Arizona. On March 13, Ernesto Miranda was arrested in his home, taken to the police station, identified by the victim and taken into the interrogation room. He was not told his rights prior to the questioning, after two hours in the interrogation room officers received a signed confession by Miranda. -
Miranda Rights (Part 2)
Two weeks later at the preliminary hearing, Miranda was denied a counsel at his trial, however, he did have a lawyer whose objections to the use of Miranda's signed confession were overruled. Miranda was sentenced to a 20-year sentence for kidnapping and rape. In 1966, by a 5-4 margin, the court voted to overturn Miranda's conviction. -
Miranda Rights (Part 3)
United States Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren stated that it is the state's responsibility to demonstrate that "procedural safeguards effective to secure the privilege against self-discrimination." The Miranda Rights, stating that those suspected of a crime have the right to remain silent, anything they say can be used against them in a court of law, they have a right to an attorney, if the suspect cannot afford one, one will be appointed to them, were created. -
Immigration Act of 1965
In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed a bill that significantly changed the immigration process in America. The act allowed those from third word countries into the country, 170,000 immigrants from the Eastern Hemisphere are granted residency with no more than 20,000 per country, 120,000 immigrants from the Western Hemisphere with no "national limitations" are also granted residency. -
Immigration Act (Part2)
The significance of the bill was that immigrants were no longer welcome because of their origin, but because of their skills and/or professions. -
Americanization
In March 1965, the Vietnam War became an American conflict. The American military sent troops into South Vietnam. 3,500 troops make up the first American combat troop in Vietnam. -
Drug Use
The use of illicit drugs, primarily hallucinogens, marijuana and LSD, became widespread. Almost overnight the use of illicit drugs was common across the nation, especially in the younger generation. Many books were written to explain the phenomenon and to justify the use of marijuana and LSD. More harmful drugs, like heroin, cocaine, amphetamines and barbiturates, and the idea of using mind-expanding drugs to gain insight on the world gave way to recreational, dangerous use. -
My Lai Massacre
One of the most infamous events in the Vietnam War. On March 16th, 1968, Lieutenant William Calley and his troops were ordered to the village of My Lai, home to 700 innocent people, to search for members of the NLF. As the troops moved through the village they fired at the villagers. Hundreds were villagers were killed. The public was not aware of the massacre until November 1969, news of the massacre increased the number of anti-war protests. -
Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty
Negotiations known as the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks began in November 1969 and ended in January 1972 with the agreement on two documents; the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM) and the Interim Agreement on the Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms and Interim Agreement between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. froze the number of strategic ballistic missiles levels. -
Population Changes
In the 1970's the population decreased because of the economic problems. Baby-boomers born in the 50's and 60's realized they didn't want to have so many kids at a young age. -
Vietnamization
President Nixon began Vietnamization in 1970. Vietnamization was taking our American troops out of South Vietnam and letting them fend for themselves. On April 20th, 1970, 150,000 Americans were deported from South Vietnam. The total deportations was 265,000 on May 1st, 1971. -
Gender Equality
The women's movement of the 1960's and 1970's found inspiration from the civil rights movement. Feminism reached high tide in the early 1970's. In 1971, Journalist Gloria Steinem and several other women began publishing a magazine supporting the women's movement. In 1972, women's rights activists pushed for the Equal Rights Amendment and in 1973 the United States Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade sanctioned women's rights to abortion during the early months of pregnancy. -
Gender Equality (Part 2)
This was a significant victory in the women's movement. -
War Powers Resolution
On November 7th, 1973, the War Powers Resolution, also known as the War Powers Act, passed over President Nixon's veto. The policy states that both the Congress and President have to vote on sending troops into hostilities and that the President's powers as the Commander in Chief can only be exercised to a declaration of war, special authorization from Congress, or a national emergency created by an attack on the US. -
National Energy Act
The National Energy Conservation Policy Act of 1978 directed the United States Department of Energy to set Minimum Energy Performance Standards to replace those set by the Energy Policy and Conversation Act of 1975. The new standards were now mandatory, not voluntary. -
Nuclear Freeze Movement (Part 2)
Over the course of 1986-87 the People's Peace Appeal was signed by 500,000 Americans and millions of Soviets. -
Nuclear Freeze Movement
In 1980 the idea of "nuclear freeze" began. The Nuclear Freeze Movement's goal was for the United States and Soviet Union to, "adopt a mutual freeze on testing, production, and deployment of nuclear weapons and of missiles, and new aircraft designed primarily to deliver nuclear weapons." The Freeze campaign culminated in the 1982 rally at the United Nations, the 1982 ballot referendums, and the 1984 race for the Democratic presidential nomination. -
Iran-Iraq War
On September 22, 1980, Iraqi troops launched a full-scale invasion on Iran, thus beginning the Iran-Iraq war. The United States became involved in the war in hope of controlling the region's oil resources. -
Ronald Reagan
On January 20, 1982, Ronald Reagan took office. While Reagan was in office he made the United States a prime mover behind the Montreal Protocol, which required the phasing out of ozone-depleting chemicals. Reagan got legislation from Congress to stimulate economic growth, curb inflation, increase employment and strengthen national defense. In 1986, Reagan eliminated many deductions and exempted millions of people with low income. While in office, Reagan got the country back its self-confidence. -
Supply-Side Economics
Better known as Reaganomics, supply-side economics is the controversial idea, made popular by President Ronal Reagan, that greater tax cuts for investors and entrepreneurs provide incentives to save and invest and produce economic benefits that trickle down into the overall economy. -
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
The treaty between the United States and Soviet Union on the elimination of their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range missiles. The treaty was signed in Washington December 8, 1987. -
Persian Gulf War
Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion and occupation of neighboring Kuwait in early August 1990. Alarmed by these actions, fellow Arab powers such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt called on the United States and other Western nations to intervene. Hussein defied United Nations Security Council demands to withdraw from Kuwait by mid-January 1991, and the Persian Gulf War began with a massive U.S.-led air offensive known as Operation Desert Storm. After 42 days of relentless attacks by the all -
Persian Gulf War
After 42 days of relentless attacks by the allied coalition in the air and on the ground, U.S. President George H.W. Bush declared a cease-fire on February 28; by that time, most Iraqi forces in Kuwait had either surrendered or fled. Though the Persian Gulf War was initially considered an unqualified success for the international coalition, simmering conflict in the troubled region led to a second Gulf War–known as the Iraq War–that began in 2003. -
Bill Clinton
Clinton was elected president in 1992. Six years later, in 1998, he was impeached by the House of Representatives, but was acquitted by the Senate in 1999. During the administration of William Jefferson Clinton, the U.S. enjoyed more peace and economic well being than at any time in its history. He was the first Democratic president since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win a second term. He could point to the lowest unemployment rate in modern times, the lowest inflation in 30 years, the highest home -
Bill Clinton
unemployment rate in modern times, the lowest inflation in 30 years, the highest home ownership in the country's history, dropping crime rates in many places, and reduced welfare rolls. He proposed the first balanced budget in decades and achieved a budget surplus. As part of a plan to celebrate the millennium in 2000, Clinton called for a great national initiative to end racial discrimination. -
Fighting Terrorists
Terrorism is the biggest concern of Foreign Service employees and their families assigned to posts overseas. Fighting terrorism abroad requires major effort and great coordination between DS program managers and regional security officers at U.S. embassies. -
Barack Obama
He was elected the 44th President of the United States on November 4, 2008, and sworn in on January 20, 2009. Obama is trying to create the jobs of tomorrow here at home. President Obama is investing in education, research and technology to grow the economy for the long term. He is working to reform the tax code to create jobs and pay down our deficit. Obama is trying to end wars and rebuild America. President Obama responsibly ended the war in Iraq and will end the war in Afghanistan in 2014—no -
Barack Obama
and will end the war in Afghanistan in 2014—now is the time to rebuild America. Investing in clean energy made here in America. Education is the surest path to the middle class. President Obama is making historic investments in education to create opportunity for all Americans. To help students better afford a college education, President Obama ended billions in subsidies wasted on banks and used the savings to double investments in Pell Grants. -
Barack Obama
He established a college tax credit for students and their families worth up to $10,000 over four years of college. He set a goal to lead the world in college graduates by 2020, and cut the growth of college tuition and fees in half over the next 10 years, a goal that will save the typical student thousands of dollars a year, and proposed bringing together community colleges and businesses to train 2 million Americans for good jobs that actually exist now and are waiting to be filled. -
Barack Obama
President Obama is fighting to help state and local governments save the jobs of hundreds of thousands of teachers and to provide states with resources to reward and attract great teachers while taking strides to improve teacher effectiveness. In health care, he worked on lowering costs for families .
