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Eisenhower Presidency (1952-1960).
President Dwight "Ike" Eisenhower personified the 1950s--Americans liked his winning smile and trusted and admired the former general and WWII hero. In a time of looming nuclear, civil, and communistic threats the nation longed for a leader who would reassure, and, frankly, lead. -
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1954-1975 Timeline APUSH
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Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.
This epochal decision remains one of the greatest yet most controversial in Supreme Court history.
Southern life was satiated with Jim Crow-ness and ruled by segregation's iron fist. The residing justices ruled that segregation in public schools was "inherently unequal," thereby unconstitutional--a decision remarkably reversing the Court's 1896 decision. Consequently, the Deep South waged war against this decision, employing ever more agressive tactics. -
The courageous Rosa Parks.
In the city of Montgomery, Rosa Parks, exhausted from a long day of work, took a seat in the "white only" section of a city bus--a fateful decision etched into history. She then, rightfully so, refused to give it up to a white man upon his shameful request, and, consequently, was arrested for her violation of segregation law. Her arrest ignited the Montgomery bus boycott, and enflamed white southerners embedded throughout the South. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Ignited by Rosa Parks' courage and determination, this nonviolent movement was led by one Martin Luther King, Jr., who soon would would emerge as an inspiring leader for civil rights. Beginning that December day and continuing into the months that followed, thousands of African Americans refused to transport themselves on buses in Montgomery. It lasted 381 days, culminating in a Supreme Court decision commanding the city integrate its buses. -
Interstate Highway Act
The most prominent and permanent legacy of the Eisenhower years was the passage of the Highway Act in 1956, which authorized the construction of 42,000 miles of interstate highways linking all the nation's major cities. -
Formation of SCLC under MLK, Jr.
In 1957, Martin Luther King, Jr., formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which organized ministers and churches in the South to get behind the civil rights struggle. The SCLC advocated boycotts and nonviolent protests in its early years, although it initally struggled to gain popularity among black churches. -
Little Rock Central.
States occupying the Deep South resented desegregation heavily--seen no clearer than in the crisis in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. Orval Faubus, the state's governor, mobilized the National Guard to prevent nine black students from enrolling in the capital city's Central High School. Eisenhower was thus confronted with a direct challenge to his federal authority--he was forced to act. He sent in paratroopers from the 101st to escort the students to their classes. -
Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960
These are significant in that they were the first Civil Rights legislation enacted by Congress since the days of Reconstruction--a chilling and ominous reality. Primarily voting rights bills, these attempted to ensure the enfranchisement of ALL Americans, a contrast to the all too often voting percentages in the Deep South, such as 15% of African-Americans registered to vote in an area of a 90% African-American populous. However, President Eisenhower did little else for Civil Rights. -
Kennedy Presidency (1960-63).
John F. Kennedy brought a new, youthful, and vivacious spirit to the White House--he was the youngest President ever to be elected. In his inauguration, he spoke of "the torch being passed to a new generation" and promised to lead the nation into a "New Frontier." However, his days were numbered--a trip to Dallas proved to be his last, and his life was cut short by an assassin's bullet. The date was November 22, 1963. -
Kennedy's New Frontier.
"We stand today on the edge of a New Frontier," barked Kennedy at the Democratic National Convention, "the frontier of unknown opportunities and perils, the frontier of unfilled hopes and unfilled dreams." This became synonymous with his domestic policy endeavors, including the call for aid to education, federal support of health care, urban renewal, and civil rights, but these programs languished in Congress. -
Southern Sit-Ins, followed by SNCC.
Without initial plans and no institutional support, four black college freshman in Greensboro, North Carolina, demanded service at an all white lunch counter. The next day, nineteen others joined. The day after, eighty-five. By the end of the week, a thousand. And, in April of 1960, the SNCC was formed by southern black students. It was known as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, -
Kennedy's date with the leaders in the Steel industry.
Kennedy had success with economic issues, one being the showdown between himself and big steel executives. He faced them down over an inflationary price increase and achieved a price rollback. However, this episode provoked a fiery fightback from big business on the New Frontier, but, after his announcement of a general tax-cut bill, he gained support from believers in free enterprise. -
James Meredith
James Meredith, a black student from Mississippi, was barred from enrolling into that states' university (Ole Miss). President Kennedy sent in 3000 troops to control mob violence and protect Meredith's right to attend school. -
The March on Washington
Led by Martin Luther King, Jr., over 200,000 black and white demonstrators descended peacefully upon Washington. It was, in essence, one of the largest and most successful demonstrations in U.S. history. The highlight was King's impassioned "I Have a Dream" speech, which garnered galvanizing support and appealed to the oppressors to cut away the chains of bondage. -
Lyndon Johnson's Presidency (1963-68).
Similar to his immediate predecessor, LBJ's years in office were tumultuous. He responded with "a flashing display of backslapping, flesh-pressing, and arm-twisting that overbore friend and foe alike." As President, he was responsible for designing the "Great Society," and also waged a war on poverty. His success was shortlived, for the Vietnam debacle drowned his popularity, and he chose not to run for reelection in 1968. -
Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965
President Johnson declared, "No memorial oration or eulogy could more eloquently honor President Kennedy's memory than the earliest possible passage of the Civil Rights Bill for which he fought so long." It made segregation illegal in all public facilities, including hotels and restaurants, and gave the federal government additional powers to enforce school desegregation. The 1965 Act ended literacy tests and provided federal registrars in areas in which blacks were kept from voting. -
Tonkin Gulf Resolution.
In August of 1964, President Johnson used the naval incident that occured off the coast of Vietnam to secure congressional authorization for U.S. forces to go into combat. Allegedly, U.S. navy ships came under attack from the North Vietnamese, demanding immediate and swift U.S. response. However, evidence suggests this to be lofty accusations and likely nonexistent. Most importantly, it provided Johnson with a "blank check" to perform what he deemed necessary in the fight in Vietnam. -
LBJ's Great Society
This was LBJ's domestic package--it resembled FDR's New Deal, not surprisingly, though, for Johnson referred to Roosevelt as his political "Daddy." This included medicare, medicaid, new immigration laws, the founding of the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities, and increased funding for public housing. However, it contained critical errors and provided unrealistic promises to eliminate poverty. -
Malcom X Assassination
Malcom X, a brilliant and charismatic leader, he was the black movement's most controversial voice. However, in February of 1965, he was murdered by black opponents, cut down by those whom he once engaged and trusted. Toward the end of his life, though, he had begun to temper his more radical separatist beliefs. -
Vietnamization.
Immediately following Nixon was his policy of Vietnamization. Under this policy, U.S. troops in South Vietnam went from 540,000 in 1969 to under 30,000 in 1972. By 1970 the war had become "grotesquely unpopular" and Nixon sought, however prematurely, gradual pullout without the further spilling of American blood. -
Tet Offensive.
"Tet" was the Vietnamese new year, as well as the name of the communist all-out, surprise attack on almost every provincial capital and American base in South Vietnam. However, the attack was repelled, and the U.S. military counterrattacked. Yet, this American victory seemed irrelevant, for the Vietcong and North Vietnamese earned a political victory in demoralizing the American public. -
MLK Jr. Assassination.
On this fateful day in history, Martin Luther King, Jr. was murdered in the city of Memphis. "A martyr for justice" was he, and his death marked the end of one of the most inspirational persons in American history--sadly, outrage that followed resulted in the death of yet another 40 lives. -
The Nixon Presidency (January 20, 1969 – August 9, 1974)
In his inaugural address, President Nixon promised to bring Americans together after the turmoil of the 1960s. He quipped to Congress in early 1970, "America cannot--and will not--conceive all the plans, design all the programs, execute all the desicions and undertake all the defense of the free nations of the world." Starkly contrasted from Kennedy's plea, nonetheless the Cold War thawed, and his policy of detente proved doable and workable. -
Nixon's Economic Policies.
Following the recession of 1970, the U.S. economy suffered through a stalemated and stagnant economy, complete with ballooning inflation and unemployment. Nixon, in 1971, imposed a 90-day wage and price freeze, which ultimately improved the U.S. balance of trade with foreign competitors. -
The Watergate Disgrace.
Following Nixon's triumphant reelection, stories surfaced of his alleged involvement with a seemingly petty break-in of the Watergate building. A group of men were caught breaking into the offices of the Democratic national headquarters, and Nixon immediately denied any involvement. However, after further investigation, much was discovered of his political wrongdoings, which eventually led to his shameful resignation in 1974. -
U.S. Withdrawal from South Vietnam.
Following several weeks of intensified U.S. bombing, the North Vietnamese agreed to a cease fire in late January 1973. However, the armistice did not end the war between the North and South and left tens of thousands of enemy troops in South Vietnam. The war claimed the lives of over 58,000 Americans, and racked up a total of $118 billion, sacking the economy for the next several years. -
Ford's Investigation of the CIA
Throughout his brief stint as President, the Democratic Congress under Ford continued to investigate the CIA, especially the accusation of their engineering of many coup's of foreign leaders, including the Marxist president of Chile. -
President Ford (1974-1978).
Following Nixon's shameful scandals and resignation, Gerald Ford succeeded into the office of President of the United States. Never before had a President resided in the Oval Office whom had not been elected. From Michigan, he was "a likeable and unpretentious" man, but was questioned by many as to whether or not he could handle the highest office in the land. -
The Questionable Pardon of Nixon.
On September 8, 1974, President Ford grants Richard Nixon a Presidential pardon, freeing him of all crimes he may or may not have committed--a questionable decision. His explanation: To end the "national nightmare," instead of prolonging it. However, many believe in a "corrupt bargain" that may have taken place before the Nixon resignation, but no evidence has surfaced. -
The Fall of the South.
In April of 1975, two years after the American withdrawal, South Vietnam fell to the enemy, and Vietnam became one country under the rule of the Communist government in Hanoi. This marked a low point for American prestige both at home and overseas, and a military blunder in a country far from home.
