-
Happy Days (Under Eisenhower)
On February 8, 1950 the first credit card charge was made on what was then called a "Diners Club Card". Under Eisenhower the economy was prospering and the world was becoming more and more materialistic. Many families started purchasing their very own televisions, rock and roll was all the rage, and Elvis was every teenage girl's idol. PC: http://www.ushistory.org/us/53.asp -
McCarthyism (Under Eisenhower)
At a time where the US was in a panic over communism, radical conclusions were jumped to. Senate Joseph McCarthy accused asian specialists in the state department, as well as many other Americans, as being communists. These asian specialists could've provided a different outcome of Vietnam for us. PC: http://zakgriffiths.edublogs.org/2010/11/19/mccarthyism-1950s/ http://www.ushistory.org/us/53a.asp -
Period: to
Domestic Policy & Problems in the US
-
Eisenhower
Eisenhower took office in January of 1953 and left in 1961. With a military background and the experience of leading D-Day in WW2, Eisenhower served as president for two terms. Eisenhower oversaw issues such as the Cold War, and he helped stengthen Social Security. However, Eisenhower did not do a great job in supporting Civil Rights during his time as President. PC: http://www.visitingdc.com/president/dwight-eisenhower-picture.htm http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/dwightdeisenhower -
Period: to
Presidents
-
Brown v. Board of Education
The Supreme Court officially ruled in the case Brown v. Board of Education that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. This decision overturned the case of Plessy v. Ferguson which ruled that "separate but equal" was indeed constitutional. PC: http://www.gq.com/style/blogs/the-gq-eye/2012/02/your-morning-shot-thurgood-marshall.html http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html -
Period: to
Civil Rights Events
-
Rosa Parks & the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks, a member of the NAACP, refused to give her bus seat in the colored section up to a white man. Rosa Parks was arrested and as a result of her arrest, the black community took part in the Montgomery Bus Boycott which lasted for about a year, until buses were finally integrated on December 21, 1956. http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html PC: http://www.vibe.com/article/rosa-parks-become-first-african-american-woman-statue-capitol-hill -
Little Rock Nine
LR9The Little Rock Nine was a group of nine black students who were determined to attend Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Governor of Arkansas at the time was a man named Orval Faubus, who was determined to prevent the Little Rock Nine from attending the high school. President Eisenhower sent in troops and the national guard to protect the students. 8 of the 9 students finished school & Earnest Green became the first black student to graduate from Central High School.
PC: see link -
Kennedy
On November 8, 1960 John F. Kennedy became the youngest President to have been elected. JFK continued to lead America through the Cold War & through the Cuban Missle Crisis. JFK was also the man in charge of the Bay of Pigs invasion. JFK succeeded in creating organizations such as the Peace Corps in 1961, which still exists today. On November 22, 1963 JFK was assassinated. PC: http://airows.com/airows-icon-john-f-kennedy/john-f-kennedy/
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/johnfkennedy -
Freedom Riders
Students volunteered to be a part of the "Freedom Riders" in the spring and summer of 1961. The group was sponsored by CORE and SNCC. The "Freedom Riders" worked together to challenge the segregational laws of the south and faced many mobs along the way. The "Freedom Riders" proved that even the young people could get involved and take a stand. PC: http://www.core-online.org/History/freedom rides.htm -
Space Race (Under JFK)
After Sputnik was launched in 1961 by the Soviets, the "space race" between the US and the Soviets had officially began. On February 20, 1962 John Glenn Jr. became the first American to have orbited Earth. On July 20, 1969 Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. and his fellow Apollo 11 astronauts landed on the moon and returned back to earth safe and sound. Although JFK wasn't alive to see it happen, it was still a victory in his name. PC: http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/Space-Program.aspx -
JFK v. Big Steel (Under JFK)
At the end of 1962 a deal was cut between JFK and the major steel firms. The steel firms promised that their workers would receive no wage increase but would get expanded fringe benefits. However, two weeks later the president of US Steel announced that there would be a price raise of $6 a ton. Kennedy felt betrayed, and the steel companies backed down and changed their prices back. PC:http://www.whokilledjfk.net/jfk vs. u. s. steel.h http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3468302218.html -
James Meredith
James Meredith became the first black student to enroll at Ole Miss (University of Mississippi). James Meredith's enrolement caused an uproar and a massive riot that lead to JFK sending in 5,000 federal troops. On August 18, 1963 James Meredith graduated from Ole Miss. PC: http://mpbonline.org/News/article/412fifty_years_after_meredith_integrated_ole_miss http://www.biography.com/people/james-meredith-9406314 -
March on Washington
Over 200,000 people gathered in DC to march from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial. The march was extremely peaceful and the marchers listened to many famous civil rights speeches, including Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech. PC: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/eduwonkette/2008/01/remember_mlk_day_1.html http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html -
Johnson
Johnson was sworn in on November 22, 1963 immediately following the assassination of JFK. LBJ pushed for many of his "Great Society Legislation" through Congress, including the creation of medicare. Johnson also pushed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, that had been blocked in Senate under JFK through. When Johnson left office in 1969, peace talks were being arranged with Vietnam. PC: http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/lyndonbjohnson -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
President Johnson pushed for many pieces of Civil Rights Legislation, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This law allowed the federal government to enforce desegregation and prohibited discrimination as a whole--including color, religion, race, and national origin. PC: http://www.congresslink.org/print_basics_histmats_civilrights64text.htm http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html -
Great Society Legislation (Under Johnson)
Johnson passed a number of bills under his "Great Society Legilation", including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Johnson declared a "war on poverty" creating medicare and programs such as the WPA, which helped save land. PC: http://blogs.dickinson.edu/hist-118pinsker/2010/12/01/great-society/ http://www.ushistory.org/us/56e.asp -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
On August 1964, Johnson reported to the American people that US ships had been attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin by the North Vietnamese. Congress then gave Johnson a "blank check" to protect US interests. By the end of 1965, there were over 200,000 troops in Vietnam. PC: http://ows.edb.utexas.edu/site/lindseys-site/gulf-tonkin-background-information http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/timeline/index4.html -
Period: to
Vietnam
-
Selma March
Blacks began their march from to Selma to Montgomery to support voting rights, but were stopped on the Pettus Bridge by a police blockade. The march resulted in fifty marchers being hospitalized, but was considered a huge push for the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to be passed. PC: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abernathy_Children_on_front_line_leading_the_SELMA_TO_MONTGOMERY_MARCH_for_the_RIGHT_TO_VOTE.JPG http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html -
Voting Rights Act
In 1965, congress passed the Voting Rights Act which made the process of allowing blacks to vote easier. In addition, poll taxes, literacy tests, and other things aimed to prevent blacks from voting were made illegal. PC: http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=100 http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html -
Watts Riots (Under Johnson)
On August 11, 1965 an African American motorist by the name of Marquette Frye was pulled over by a white cop for suspicion of driving while being intoxicated. Onlookers of the arrest were angered and broke out into violence. This violence lead to the Watts Riots which lasted for 6 days in South Los Angeles. The riots left 34 dead and over 1,000 reported injuries. PC:http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/on-this-day/July-August-08/On-this-Day---Watt http://crdl.usg.edu/events/watts_riots/?Welcome -
Tet Offensive
On the Vietnamese holiday of Tet, the Vietcong sprung a surprise attack on the US troops. Not only did the US lose about 2,500 men, but Tet destroyed the moral and lost public support. PC: http://www.onthisdeity.com/31st-january-1968-–-the-tet-offensive/ http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/timeline/index4.html -
MLK Jr. is assassinated
On April 4, 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. He was shot on his hotel balcony by an escaped convict and racist, James Earl Ray. MLK Jr. foresaw his death, as he was constantly put in danger. PC: http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2013/04/45th-anniversary-of-dr-mlk-jrs.html http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html -
Nixon
On January 20, 1969 Richard Milhous Nixon takes office. In 1970 Nixon passed a bill that would help sign the Occupational Safety and Health Administration into law. Nixon also helped release tension between the USSR and China. However after the Watergate Scandal Nixon chose to resign on August 8, 1974 knowing he was going to face impeachment. PC: http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/richardnixon -
Nixon extends the war to Cambodia
When the South Vietnamese troops attack Cambodia, Nixon feels the need to react and two days later US forces (about 30,000) are sent into Cambodia. However, Nixon tells the Americans people that we were not in Cambodia even though we were. PC: http://olive-drab.com/od_history_vietnam_cambodia.php -
Regulation and Social Legislation (Under Nixon)
On December, 29 1970 OSHA (Occupational Science and Health Administration) was signed into law and created by Nixon. OSHA was created to ensure a safe and healthy environment in the workplace. Other social legislation that was passed includes the EPA and NOAA. Nixon was said to have passed as much economic imposed legislation since the New Deal. PC: http://mccharlie.wordpress.com/2010/03/22/summary-of-osha-paper/ http://millercenter.org/president/nixon/essays/biography/4 -
Watergate (Under Nixon)
On June 17, 1972 the Democratic Party's National Committee office was broken into. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein from the Washington Post helped uncover what really happened at Watergate. Nixon denied knowing inside information about Watergate, but eventually it was discovered that Nixon was involved with the Watergate cover-up. Nixon gave his resignation speech on August 8, 1974 forseeing his impeachment. PC: http://watergate.info/ -
Cease-Fire Agreements
Otherwise known as the Paris Peace Accords, a cease-fire agreement was reached to ensure peace in Vietnam. PC: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Peace_Accords http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/timeline/index4.html -
Ford
Gerald Ford took office on August 9, 1974 knowing he had been the first VP to become President, who had not been elected as VP. Ford granted a full pardon to Nixon for his crimes. Ford's main objective was to prevent a new war in the Middle East, and he did so by providing aid to Israel and Egypt. After running for a second term and losing to Carter, Ford left office in 1977. PC: http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/geraldford -
Pardoning Nixon (Under Ford)
On September 14, 1974 Ford officially pardoned Nixon of his crimes, meaning that any potential charge that might be brought to Nixon will not be allowed. There is no specific reason as to why Ford and his administration pardoned Nixon, but Ford stated that Nixon had suffered enough. PC: http://byinvitationonlyoc.com/blog/tag/nixon/ http://watergate.info/1974/09/08/ford-pardons-nixon.html -
Whip Inflation Now (Under Ford)
On October 8, 1974 Ford addressed Congress with a plan that he called WIN (Whip Inflation Now). Ford proposed that a temporary 5% tax hike would be put into place, and that federal spending would be cut, along with creating WIN. PC: http://conservatives4palin.com/2010/11/qe2-that-70s-show-redux-updated-the-late-milton-friedman-explains-how-bad-monetary-policy-causes-inflation.html http://millercenter.org/president/keyevents/ford -
Vietnam War ends
Two US marines who are killed in a rocket attack, are the last US men to die fighting in Vietnam. In a matter of hours, North Vietnamese tanks enter Saigon, and end the war. PC: http://blogs.sacbee.com/photos/2010/04/looking-back-at-the-vietnam-wa.html http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/timeline/index4.html
