1954-1975

Dwight Eisenhower

Period: Jan 20, 1954 to Jan 20, 1961

Dwight Eisenhower was a popular Republican President for 2 terms, from 1953-1961.He had promised to bring an end to the Korean War, and in July 1953, a ceasefire was signed. During his second term he became increasingly involved in Middle Eatern affairs. He attempted to bring an end to nuclear war. Eisenhower brought family income up by 20% and created the Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare. He also supported U.S.'s largest public works program, the Interstate Highway Act of 1956.

Geneva Conference

Apr 26, 1954

The Geneva Conference was a gathering of The People's Republic of China, Great Britain, United States, Soviet Union and the French to solve Asia's problems. Vietnam defeated the French, leading to the agreements being signed signed to temporary divided at the 17th parallel. pending eletions, and to wait 2 years to reunite Vietnam. Source

Brown VS Board Of Education

May 17, 1954

A lawsuit against Topeka, Kansas to desegregate public schools. Chief Jusitice Earl Warren helped the COurts come to the unanimous conclusion that segregation of schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Ammendmment. Source

Rosa Parks

Dec 1, 1955

Rossa Parks sat behind the 10 seats reserved for whites on a Mongomery Bus on December 1st. The bus began to fill up and soon all the seats were full. A white man asked Rosa for her seat and she said no because she was tired. SHe was arressted and convicted for breaking "Jim Crow laws". Sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Source

Montgomery Bus Boycott

Dec 5, 1955

There had been plans for a bus boycott against the Jim Crow laws before Rosa Parks. Martin Luther KIng Jr. and Jo Ann Robinson were inspired by Rosa Parks and dedicated one day, Dec 5th, to boycotting the bus system. 90% of African American citizens stayed off and later that evening MIA, lead by MLK, voted to continue the boycott. Source

Interstate Highway Act

Jun 29, 1956

Eisenhower signed the bill that authorized 25 billion . dolloars worth of construction to build 41,000 miles of highway in a 10 year period. It was the largest public works project at that time. Source

SCLC

Jan 10, 1957

The Montgomery Bus Boycott triggered the formation of the SCLC. Martin Luther King, the leader, based their principles on nonviolence and civil disobedience. They lead the Birmingham campaign. Also joined the SNLC at the Albany movement.Source

Civil Rights Bill

Sep 9, 1957

Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Bill, making it a law, and the first civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. It was primarily a voting bill. There was a lot of resistancce against blacks after, such as Little Rock Nine, where Eisenhower had to send troops in to help students get to school. Source

SNCC

Apr 1, 1960

The SNCC Was sparked by a group of 4 students sitting in at a lunch counter top in Greensboro, North Carolina. The students in this group were very must apart from Kings and the SCLC decisions, planning their own events. Reflected the same nonviolence principles as SCLC. Source

First Televised Debate

Sep 26, 1960

The first presidental election was view by over 65-70 million viewers, and many credit Kennedy winning the election becuse of this. Source

Jonh F. Kennedy

Period: Jan 20, 1961 to Nov 22, 1963

John F Kennedy was the youngest and first Catholic to become president. The tv played a vital role in him winning his election against Repub. Nixon. He created the Pace Corps. He asked Congress for a 22 billion dollars for Project Apollo during the race against Soviet Union. He prevented a nuclear war by successfully stopping the Cuban Missle Crisis. By June 1963 he passes a Civil Rights Bill to end rasicm. On Novemember 22nd he was assassinated.

Peace Corps

Mar 1, 1961

At an improvised speech on October 14 1960 Kennedey asked 10,000 students if they were willing to serve abroad and got a petition with 1,000 signatures as a response. The isnpired the Peace Corps, which was established months later and lead by JFL's reluctant borther-in-law, R. Sargent Shiver. Source

Freedom Rides

May 4, 1961

Sponsered by CORE, this was a test on the recent ruling of the desegregation of inerstate bus and trains. At first there was only minor hostility, which soon grew into severe beatings. The severe beatings and jail senetences only further inspired freedom riders to continue. Source

Birmingham Campaign

Apr 3, 1963

A series of protest and sitins to help emphasize the importance of desegregation. Led to hundreds of arrests. KIng was arrested at one of the events. Eugene Connor ordered to stop the protests in anyways and ended up setting dogs and pressure hoses on protestors. Paved the way to the establishment of the Civil Rights Act. Source

March On Washington

Aug 28, 1963

Planned by A. Phillip Randolph, the March On Washington's, which included 200,000, main goal was to promote civil rights and equallity for African Americans. The marchers were very diverse, white, black, rich and poor. The march was very successful and credited for helping pass the Civil Right Act and Voting Right Act. Source

Lyndon B Johnson

Period: Nov 22, 1963 to Jan 20, 1969

Johnson, JFK's VP, took the role of president after JFK's assasination. He signed the Civil Rights Act and the Economic Oppurtunity Act. His foreign policy consisted of 4 key parts: deterring and resisiting aggresssion, promoting economic and social progress, cooperation between nations and reconiliation with communist world.

CIvil Right Act

Jul 2, 1964

Kennedy had been pushing for Congress to push the Civil Rights Act because of bomibng at Birmingham, but he died before the process happened. Johnson who took officce after JFK's assination coninued to push for it until it passed in July. Source

Gulf Of Tonkin

Aug 2, 1964

Vietnamese war ships attacked US on two seperate occassions, according to Lyndon B Johnson, unprovoked. One attack really happene, U.S.S Maddoxx, and the other is falso, and included a broke sea radar. Lyndon B Johnsons calims lead to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution being created by Congress. <href='http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=1598' >Source</a>

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Aug 7, 1964

A resolution made in response to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. The resolution gave Lyndon B Johnson authorization to delcare war without a formal recognition from Congress.It also gave him authority to assist any member of the Southeast Asia Collective Defensive Treaty. Source

Voting Rights

Aug 6, 1965

One of LBJ's main priorities was civil rights. 2 days after "Bloody Sunday" in Selma, LBJ sent the Voting Bill to Congress. The bill banned illiteracy test for the elligability to vote. Source

Black Panther Party

Oct 15, 1966

Huey Newton Bobby Seale founded the Black Panther Party. The first orgnization of the US to practice militant self-defense struggles for minorities. Malcom X's ideals were a major part of their ideals. The Black Panther Party stood up for their rights and literally fought for their rights and for equallity. Source

Tet Offensive

Jan 30, 1968

This was a military campaign launched by Viet Cong against US. The attacks happened during Tet Lunar New Year Celebration, which there had been a prior agreement to ceasefire. The images broadcasted on TV destroyed American morale and sealed Americas fate to defeat. Source

Richard Nixon

Period: Jan 20, 1969 to Aug 9, 1974

Richard Nixon began the withdrawal of US troops from South Vietnam. He recognized the People's Republic of China, establish a policy of detenete with the Soivet Union, and created the Enviornment Protection Agency. He was very paranoid and had 5 members of his administartion break into Watergate to gather information during his 2nd campaign. Leading to his resignation onAugust 9, 1974.

Enviornmental ProtectionAgency

Dec 2, 1970

Richard Nixon creapted EPA to to correct the inneffective enviornment laws created by states. The EPA was mainly incharge of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and the Enviornment Pesticide Control Act.Source

Watergate

Jun 17, 1972

5 men that were apart of Nixon's CREEP were caught sneaking into the Deomcratic partys HQ, stealnig information. Nixon onstructed justice and failed to obey a subpoena, leading to his resignment from office. THis scandal start AMerica's lack of faith in the government. Source

Paris Peace Accords

Jan 27, 1973

The Paris Peace Accords were designed to bring the Vietnam War to an end. There were early deadlocks in the late 1960s. There was a break threw in the early 1970s.The agreement, signed by North Vietnam, South Vietnam, US, and PRG was not ratifified by the Senate.Source

Gerald Ford

Period: Aug 9, 1974 to Jan 20, 1977

Gerald Ford became the first unelected President after Nixon resigned. He had to run his term almost entirely based upon vetos He vetoed 66 times, only 12 were overridden. He created the Whip Inflation Now program to help boost the economy. He signed the Privacy AXt of 1974.

Pardoning Nixon

Sep 8, 1974

One month after coming into office Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon of all charges from his Watergate scandal. Many thought that there was a deal between Nixon and Ford becuse of this. Many American's wanted Nixon punished and were very angry and Ford for doing this, but he needed to end the controversy and focus on his presidency, rather than drag out the ordeal. Source

Whip Inflation Now

Oct 8, 1974

Whip Inflation Now was created by Gerald Ford to fight against inflation by encouraging US citizens to save money and watch their disipline their spending habits. The program didn't work as he wanted it to nd inflation remained a problem throughout Regans presidency also. Source

Little Rock Nine

Apr 22, 2013

At Centeral High in Little Rock, Arkansas, a white mob, including Governor Orval Faubus, trying to prevent black students from entering the school.MLK sent Eisenhower a letter describing the scene, who then ordered troops to escort the students to class. After the year ended Orval closed all schools rather than continue desgregation.Source