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Brown vs. Board of Education
In May of 1954, the Warren Court in "Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas" unanimously declared segregation unconstitutional declaring it "Inherently unequal." This contradicted the court's earlier "seperate but equal" ruling allowing segregation in the "Plessy v. Ferguson" case. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition NY Times -
Vietnam Split at the 17th Parallel
In July of 1954, a multinational conference was held in Geneva, Switzerland. It was decided that Vietnam would be split at the 17th parallel. North Vietnam ended up to be communist, led by Ho Chi Minh, and the South was non-communist and pro-western, led my Ngo Dinh Diem. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition Talking Proud -
Rosa Parks is Arrested
In December of 1955, Rosa Parks, a college educated black seamstress, boarded a bus and sat in the "whites only" section in Montgomery, Alabama and then refused to give it up. She was arrested for violating the city's Jim Crow's Laws and sparked a black bus boycott lasting a whole year. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition Smithsonian -
The Election of 1956
The election of 1956 once again pitted Eisenhower against Adlai Stevenson. In this time of prosperity and peace, it was clear voters still liked Ike. With little against him, President Eisenhower won by a landslide with 35,590,472 votes to 26,022,752 in the popular vote and 457 to 73 in the electoral college. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition American Political Buttons -
Formation of the SCLC
On January 10, 1957, following the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Martin Luther King, Jr. formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (the SCLC). Black churches were the largest and best-organized black institutions and had been allowed to flourish. King formed the SCLC with the intent of mobilizing these black churches in favor of the Civil Rights Movement. PBS -
Civil RIghts Act is Passed.
On September 9, 1957, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, the first since the days of the Reconstruction. It set up a permanent Civil RIghts Commission to investigate violation of civil rights and allowed federal rulings to protect voting rights. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition CivilRights.org -
Integration at Little Rock
Although reluctant to promote integration, Eisenhower was forced to act in 1957 when Governor Orval Faubus called in the National Guard to prevent nine black stuedents from enrolling in Little Rock's Central High School. Eisenhower sent in troops to escort the children to around the school throughout the day. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition USHistory.org -
Launch of Sputnik I
The U.S.S.R. had successfully launched a sattellite into space weighing 184 pounds and orbitting the Earth as it beeped. A month later they sent Sputnik II into orbit weiching 1,120 pounds and carrying a dog. These breakthroughs shook American confidence, put doubt on the U.S.'s scientific superiority, and raised military questions. Coalwood, West VA -
NASA is Founded
America thought that if the Soviet Union could launch a sattelite into space, they could certainly reach America with interballistic missiles. Eisenhower established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and directed billions of dollars to missile development. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition NASA -
Greensboro Sit-In
NY TimesOn February 1, 1960 4 black college freshmen in Greensboro, North Carolina, demanded service at a white only lunch counter. The black waitress refused to serve them, but they kept their seats and returned the next day this time with 19 students. The next day they brought 85 students and by the end of the week, a thousand. The movement spread throughout the South leading to the formation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Kennedy, David M., The American Pagent 13th Edition -
Presidential Election of 1960
NY TimesIn 1960 John F. Kennedy decided to challenge Vice President Richard Nixon for the presidency. Although Kennedy was a Roman Catholic, Kennedy squeezed himself in with 303 electoral votes to 219 and won the popular vote by only 118,574 votes. Kennedy used the power of television to his advantage but most of all, America was ready for a change and found Kennedy's glamour and youth more appealing than Nixon's tired and pallid look.
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Bay of Pigs Invasion
NY TimesThe CIA had been secretly training Cuban exiles with the goal of invading Cuba in 1961. They were to rally all of the people and take down Castro. Although Kennedy had agreed to aid the attackers, he called of the airstrike at the last minute. JFK took full responsibility for the attack which actually boosted his popularity. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition -
Cuban Missile Crisis
NY TimesAerial photos taken by U-2 spy planes showed evidence that the U.S.S.R. was putting nuclear missiles in Cuba. There would be Soviet nukes just 90 miles from Florida. This could not stand. Kennedy set up a blockade of Cuba. Khruschev promised to run the blockade but he backed down and Soviet ships turned back. Kennedy agreed to remove the U.S.'s nukes in Turkey in return for the removal of those in Cuba. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition -
Martin luther King, Jr. Is Assassinated
On April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennesee, James Earl Ray shot and Killed Martin Luther King, Jr. He was killed at the Lorraine Motel just one day after his public appearance at the Mason Temple. <ahref='http://http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/04/the-murder-of-martin-luther-king-jr/' >Murder of Martin Luther King, Jr.</a> TIME -
Birmingham March
PBSThe SCLC had started the Birmingham Campaign in the Spring of 1963 and on May 2, in Birmingham, Alabama, African-Americans of all ages joined together in the Birmingham March. It was a peaceful protest in attempt to crack the city's racial barriers. Protesters were met by police with attack dogs and electric cattle prods and worst of all, high pressure water hoses with enough force to rip the bark off of trees. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition -
A "Moral Issue"
History ChannelIn contrast to Eisenhower's aloofness to the civil rights movement, in a televised speech, President Kennedy declared the racial question a "moral issue" and committed himself and his presidential power to finding a solution. Kennedy declared that the issue "is as old as the Scriptures and is as clear as the American Constitution." Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition -
The March on Washington
NY TimesIn August of 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., led 200,000 demonstrators, both black and white, on a peaceful march on Washington in support of Kennedy's newly proposed civil rights legislation to protect African-Americans. Here, King gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition -
President Kennedy's Assassination
TIMEAs President Kennedy rode through downtown Dallas, Texas in an open limousine, a concealed rifleman, Lee Harvey Oswald, shot Kennedy in the brain and he died within seconds right next to his wife, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition -
Johnson Sworn In
NY TimesAfter the news of Kennedy's assassination spread, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was promptly sworn in as the new president on a waiting airplane and flew back to D.C. with Kennedy's body. Johnoson mistrusted "the Harvards" but ended up keeping most of the bright Kennedy team. Johnson pledged to continue with Kennedy's policies. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition -
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
TIMEOn August 2 and 4 two American destroyers were alledgedly fired on by North Vietnamese torpedo boats unprovoked. -
Presidential Election of 1964
nprJohnson was nominated for presidency by the Democrats in 1964 and the Republicans nominated Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona. Goldwater attacked the federal income tax, Social Security, the Tennesee Valley Authority, civil rights legislation, te nuclear test-ban treaty and the Great Society promptig the Democrats respons "in you guts you know he's nuts." Johnson won the popular vote by 43,129,566 to 27,178,188 and the electoral vote by 486 to 52. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th -
The Great Society
Mises.orgAs LBJ was brought into presidency, he brough his idea of "The Great Society" with him. Holding FDR as his hero, LBJ instituted many New Deal like programs. With many Democrats in Congress, much Great Society legislation was on its way. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition -
LBJ Institutes "Operation Rolling Thunder"
U.S. Navy MuseumPresident Johnson began full-scale bombing attacks against North Vietnam involving some 184,000 American troops most of which were searching for geurillas through the jungles and rice paddies of Vietnam. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition -
The Tet Offensive
The U.S. Army In VietnamIn January of 1968, North Vietnam launched a "Tet Offensive," an attack against Southern Vietnamese cities during Tet, the Vietnamese new year. They attacked 27 key South Vietnamese cities including Saigon, the capitol. Although the U.S. beat the North Vietnamese, the U.S. suffered heavy losses and the attack showed that the war could not be won with Johnson's strategy of escalation. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition -
Presidential Election of 1968
Presidency ProjectRobert Kennedy was thought to be the Democratic nominee but was shot and killed so the Democrats nominated Hubert Humphrey. The Republicans nominated Richard Nixon. Kennedy was "scorched by the LBJ brand" and Nixon won. He had 301 electoral votes to 191 and 31,785,480 popular votes to 31,275,166. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition -
Nixon's Vietnamization
Nixon brought his policy of "Vietnamization" along with him to the white house. He planned to gradually remove troops from Vietnam and hand over the responsibility of the war to the South Vietnamese. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition HerndonAPUSH -
Vietnamization Begins
Nixon started to gradually remove troops from Vietnam and slowly hand over the war to South Vietnam. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition U.S. Army in Vietnam -
The Watergate Scandal
NY TimesMen were discovered spying on the Democratic party's headquarters. They were found with cameras and electronic hearing equipment attempting to bug the office and, what looked like, to take pictures of files. They were discovered by a piece of ducttape covering a door latch. Nixon denied having knowledge of the incident before it happened. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition -
Nixon's Tapes
NY TimesAfter the Watergate Scandal it was revealed that Nixon tape recorded all coversations in his office. Nixon claimed "executive privelege" and refused to give up the tapes. The supreme court declared his executive privelege did not apply here and on June 23rd he gave up the tapes, but it was discovered that 18 minutes had been erased and that he had tried to cover up that he knew right after the break-in. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition -
Evacuation of South Vietnamese
NY Times On April 29, 1975, helicopters came to the soon-to-be closing U.S. Embassy in Vietnam. The helicopters were sent to evacuate as many South Vietnamese as possible after the U.S. had finally left Vietnam. Kennedy, David M., The American Pageant 13th Edition
