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Dwight D. Eisenhower Inaugurated as President
Eisenhower defeated the Democrat Adlai Stevenson in the 1952 election for the presidency. Eisenhower won by a landslide. The people knew him as the man who led the important D-day invasion in Normandy, France that began the end of World War II. A common slogan was "I like Ike." -
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
President Eisenhower consolidated the administration of welfare programs by creating department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) under Orveta Culp Hobby, the first woman in a Republican cabinet.
HEW -
Dien Bien Phu
In the siege of Dien Bien Phu in North Vietnam, the North Vietnamese pushed France back. France asked for US's intervention but Eisenhower denied it. The French Garrison surrended on May 7.
surrender -
Brown vs. Board of Education
Warren's CourtIn Brown vs. Board of Education consisted of five cases. Warren's Court, under Supreme Court Justice Warren, unanimously decided that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." The case desegregated schools and claimed that segregation of school is illegal. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott began when Rosa Parks, an African American woman, refused to give up her seat on the bus for a White man. She was arrested, but spurred a monumental peaceful protest that did not end until December 20, 1956. African Americans boycotted buses by walking everywhere they could or carpooled if a friend owned a car.
Bus Boycott -
Interstate Highway System
President Eisenhower authorized the construction of 42,000 miles of interstate highways linking all the nation's major cities. US became a model for the rest of the world and it created thousands of jobs. The highways were also for quick movement of nuclear weapons.
Highway Act -
Dwight D. Eisenhower Inaugurated as President, again
Eisenhower defeated Adlai Stevenson again for the presidency. He won by a landslide, for the second time in the 1956 election. During his second term, Eisenhower made monumental strides for African Americans and their fight for Civil RIghts. -
Little Rock Central High School Integration Crisis
Nine African American students, known as the Little Rock Nine, were denied entrance into the integrated high school. Govenor Orval Faubus used police forces to keep the nine out of the school, so President Eisenhower used US Army's 101st Airborne division to escort students into school.
Little Rock Nine -
"Sit-in" movement
Four college students in North Carolina tried to be served at the lunch counter and were refused. As a peaceful revolt, they sat down. The next day, more kids joined them. The day after that, more kids. A "sit-in" movement surged across the nation, peacefully revolting against segregation.
Sit-in movement -
John F. Kennedy Inaugurated as President
JFK barely beat Richard Nixon in the Election of 1960. His elegance and charm swayed the American people during the televised debates between JFK and Nixon. JFK was the youngest President elected to date. -
Robert Kennedy attacks Organized Crime
Under JFK, his younger brother, Robert Kennedy, attourney general, launched an attack on organized crime. By September 1963, organized crime convictions had increased from 4 in 1961 to 373 in 1963.
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Attack on Steel Industry
Kennedy attacked big steel industry, forcing a roll back of price increases which he declared unfair. Although the big companies did not comply with the President at first, eventually they agreed to lower the prices and keep it fair.
Steel -
Children's Crusade
More than 2,000 children skipped school and gathered at the 6th Street Baptist Church where they left as a group on a peaceful march. Blacks used children because then the adults would not have to miss work so the Children's Crusade was not an economic strain. Bull Connor sent police to break up the march using fire hoses, dogs, and force.
Children's Crusade -
March on Washington
In March 1941, A. Phillip Randolph planned a similar movement. There were about 200,000 Black and White demonstrators in attendance. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famed "I have a dream" speech on the Lincoln Memorial.
March on Washington -
16th Street Baptsist Church Bombing
A white male, later identified as a part of the KKK, placed a package underneath the stairwell of the 16th Street Baptist Church. The package exploded, killing four young girls and injuring many more. Mistrials pushed the conviction of the guilty until 2000.
Bombing -
Linden B. Johnson becomes President
LBJ was sworn into the Presidency aboard Airforce One with JFK's body. He demanded that Jackie Kennedy was next to him. Sarah Hughes swore him in, the first woman to swear in a President. -
JFK Assassination
JFK was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald during a parade in Dallas, Texas. The country was shocked and devastated by the young President's death. He was burried at Arlington National Cemetery. -
Great Society
The "Great Society" was LBJ's way of showing the people he could be a great president and win the elections of 1964. It was a continuation of New Deal-like programs that especially helped the poor. The main four areas it affected were education, welfare programs, immigration reform and voting rights.
Great SocietyT -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act banned racial discrimation in most private facilites open to the public. It also strengthened Federal government's power to end segregation in public places and created federal Equal Employment Oppurtunity Commission to end discrimination in hiring. Conservatives tried to squash the bill but it backfired and passed, with an article banning sexual discrimination also.
Civil Rights -
Civil Rights Legislation
Under LBJ, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were passed. These acts were huge steps for African Americans and their fight for equality. LBJ followed Kennedy's lead of helping out with the civil rights movement and made a very impacting effort.
Rights -
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
Two US warships reported being "attacked" by North Vietnamese ships. On August 4, US claimed there was another attack, but it was never proven. These incidents led to greater US involvement in the Vietnam war.
Gulf of Tonkin Incident -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
President LBJ recieved a blank check from Congress for the Vietnam War and to assist any Southeast Asian country against Communism. The blank check resolution was in response to the announcement of the "attacks" against American ships by North Vietnam.
Resolution -
Linden B. Johnson Inaugurated as President
LBJ took the oath of office. He defeated Barry Goldwater for the Presidency, with the biggest gap in the popular vote in history. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed under Linden B. Johnson. It outlawed literacy tests and sent federal voter registrars into Southern states. Blacks all over the south were intimidated or forced out of voting; this act made any means of denying voting illegal.
Voting Rights Act -
Watt's Riots
Five days after the Voting Rights Act was passed, peaceful protests, on behalf of the Blacks, became militant. Blacks became especially violent during the Watt's Riots in California. Blacks were tired of waiting for Whites to see them as equals and were frustrated with the discrimination. -
Tet Offensive
North Vietnamese army and Viet Cong forces joined for surprise attacks all over South Vietnam during the ceasefire for the holiday, Tet. Although pushed back quickly in many places, the Northern forces overtook Saigon and the US embassy which took a couple weeks to retake. US won militarily but were shocked by the strength of the North and the war escalated.
Tet -
Shift in War
President LBJ announced on television that he would scale back the bombings and send no more troops to Vietnam. In doing this, he compromised between the hawks and doves. Also, North Vietnam agreed to negotiate at Paris.
LBJ Scale Back -
Richard Nixon inaugurated as Preseident
Nixon defeated Hubert Humphrey and George Wallace for the Presidency. He is known for his foreign policy and presidents after him, up until his death, consulted him about foreign affairs. -
New Federalism
Nixon's domestic policy of "New Federalism" began at the beginning of his presidency. Congress approved giving local governments $30 billion in block grants over five years to address local needs as they saw fit. This shifted the responsibility for social programs from federal to states and local levels.
New Federalism -
Biracial State Committees
Beginning in 1969, Nixon set up biracial committees to plan and implement the desegregation of schools. It started in Mississippi and moved across the south. By the end of 1970, with little violence only 18% of black children in the south attended all black schools, compared to 70% when he took office.
Nixon -
Nixon reelected into the presidency
Nixon beat Democratic candidate George McGovern by one of the widest margins in history because of his "Great Society" and emphasis of foreign affairs. His second term would prove to be much messier than his first. -
Nixon Resigns
Nixon resigns as President after fighting a losing battle against the Watergate Scandal and impeachment attempts. Later, President Ford pardons him. He is the only President to have resigned. -
Gerald Ford takes the Oath of Office
Ford was chosen by Congress to be the Vice President after Nixon's running mate resigned. After Nixon resigned, Ford became the only president to be chosen by Congress. -
Pardoning of Nixon
President Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon after he took office because of Nixon's resignation due to the Watergate Scandal. Even though it caused much controversy, Ford was trying to put the "nightmare" behind America and move forward.
Pardoning -
Return of Draft Dodgers
Ford, trying to heal America's wounds from Vietnam and internal chaos, announced that anyone who had gone to Canada to avoid the draft could come home without any consequences. Ford was just trying to make the US one again and heal wounds.
Draft
