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Period: to
1954-1975
Over the years between 1954 and 1975, America experienced many hardships and major events that will survive throughout our country's history. -
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Born on October 14, 1890, Dwight Eisenhower was the 34th president from 1953 until 1961. He had previously been a five star general in the United States army and served as Supreme Commander of the Allied forces. One of his lasting achievements was the Interstate Highway System. His slogan while running for president in 1953 was "I like Ike." -
Brown v. Board of Education
Supreme Court ruled that sgregration in public schools is unconstitutional.This decision overturned the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson case ruling that, sanctioned "separate but equal" segregation of the races, ruling that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." This was a victory for NAACP attorney, Thurgood Marshall who later became the nation's first black justice. -
Operation Wetback
Eisenhower was opposed to illegal immigration into the United States. He believed it lowered the wages of the workers and led to corruption. The INS sent back 80,000 Mexican immigrants. -
14 year old killed
A 14 year old boy from Chicago, named Emmitt Till, was visiting family in Mississippi, when he was kidnapped, beaten, shot, and dumped in the river for whistling at a white woman. The case cause civil rights movements to boom. -
Rosa Parks is arrested
Rosa Parks, an NAACP member was sitting on the bus and refused to give up her seat at the colored section of the bus to a white man. She was arrested and African Americans began to boycott buses for over a year until the buses were desegregated. -
SCLC
Martin Luther King Jr., Charles K. Steele, and Fred L. Shuttlesworth created the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. It became a major force in organizing civil rights movements, and based its principles on non-violence and civil disobedience. -
Little Rock Refuses to desegregate
Nine black students were blocked from entering a school in Little Rock, Arkansas, by the orders of Governor Orval Faubus. Eisenhower sent federal troops and the national guard in order to help the students who became known as the "Little Rock Nine." -
Eisenhower backs Little Rock students
Nine students were trying to go to school in Little Rock, so Eisenhower sent federal troops to help them. He refused to put his personal feelings into the situation. He said that Supreme Court commanded it, so he was upholding the law. -
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States, and served from 1961-1963. He served in the Senate from 1953 until 1960 as a Democrat. At 43 years of age, he is the youngest to have been elected to the office, the second-youngest President (after Theodore Roosevelt), and the first person born in the 20th century to serve as president. -
JFK creates the Peace Corps
It is to promote world peace and friendship through a peace corps, which is to be made available to interested countries and areas men and women of the United States qualified for service and willing to serve abroad, to help interested countries meet their need of man power. -
Freedeom Riders
During the summer, students volunteered to take trips to the South to test new laws that prohibit segregation in interstate travel facilities. Several of these "Freedom Riders" were attacked by angry mobs along the way. -
Birmingham protests
During protests in Birmingham, Alabama, Eugene "Bull" Connor used fire hoses and police dogs on protestors. These actions were televised and helped blacks gain sympathy for their cause. -
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B Johnson became president after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. Johnson was greatly supported by the Democrats, and he got what he wanted by using his signature "Johnson treatment." Johnson escalated American involvement in Vietnam. He is well known for his "War on Poverty" and his health care reform. -
LBJ's "Great Society"
Lyndon B. Johnson called for a "Great Society." He claimed it would end all poverty and racial injustice. He was determined to bring aid to underclass Americans. -
Civil Rights Act
President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It prohibits discrimination of all kinds based on race, color, religion, or national origon. -
Malcolm X is shot
On February 21, 1965, black nationalist and founder of the Organization of Afro-American Unity was shot to death by members of the Muslim faith. -
March on Montgomery
Blacks began to march on Montgomery supporting voting rights, but were stopped at the Pettus Bridge by a blockade. Fifty protestors were hospitalized because of police brutallity. -
more troops for Vietnam
In 1965, LBJ sent 200,000 troops to vietnam to help the effort to win the war over communism. -
War on Poverty
LBJ had declared a war on poverty.He created to CAA to help coordinate all federal and state programs designed to help the poor. In 1964, Congress passed the Economic Opportunity Act. Overall government funding to the poor increased greatly. -
Tet Offensive
At the start of the lunar new year, the Viet Cong launched an all out offensive on the US embassy at Saigon. The US troops were caught oof guard and pushed back.They quickly regained lost territory. -
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until 1974. He is the only president to resign from office. He escalated the United States involvement in the Vietnam War, and also ended US involvement in 1973. He opened diplomatic relations with China. The Watergate Scandal forced him to resign in order to not be impeahced -
Cambodia
Nixon claimed that the United States troops would not cross the border of Cambodia because people would riot over the bombing of Cambodia. Nixon secretly commanded the bombing of Cambodia. -
space race
Kennedy initiated the "space race", saying that America will work to get a man on the moon. Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon in 1969. The moon landing inspired POWs in Vietnam. -
Troops begin to withdraw
By 1969, Nixon started to withdraw troops from Vietnam, He did so, in order to end the war faster and to please protestors and anti war movements. -
Gradualism
President Nixon had a policy of "gradualism". Gradualism placed its hopes in restricting the growth of the money supply to rein in the economic boom that occurred during Lyndon Johnson's last year in office. -
New Economic Policy
The detiorating economy pressured Nixon into action. He created the NEP, which violated most of his economic principles. The NEP was enormously popular. It dramatically turned around economic issues.He announced a wage-and-price freeze, tax cuts, and a temporary closure of the "gold window," preventing other nations from demanding American gold in exchange for American dollars. -
Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford was the 38th president of the United States, and served from 1974 until 1977. He was the first to be vice president and president without being elected by the electoral college. He pardoned Richard Nixon, which was a major controversy of the time. Ford presided over the worst economy since the Great Depression. -
Nixon is pardoned
Gerald Ford pardon Richard Nixon, which was a huge controversy. He said that Nixon had suffered enough. Ford worried that a trial would harm his ability to govern. Ford's popularity plummeted due to his pardoning of Nixon. -
WIN campaign
Gerald Ford started his "WIN" campaign in 1974. It stood for Whip Inflation Now. He urged people to wear WIN buttons as part of his campaign. He felt that controlling inflation would work to fix unemployment. He called for people to reduce spending and consumption.
