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Three main events contributed to the end of the Cold War including the fall of the Berlin Wall, Germany reuniting, and the Soviet Union being dissolved. The East German government would create openings so more people could cross to the West. After the fall West and East Germany were able to reunify because the East no longer was under the control of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union dissolved after Gorbachev became powerless and the United States was the top power and the Cold War was over. -
During the 1992 election Democrat Bill Clinton won over Republican George H. W. Bush who was the former president. This election was important because it was the first time a Democrat held office after 12 years in the White House. The loss of the presidency of George Bush followed the economic recession where employment recovery was slow, gas prices high, and the stock market was overvalued. Clinton had plans for fixing the $60 billion of debt the United States had built up by limiting spending. -
The 1996 welfare reform limited families with dependent children by cutting benefits after two years and then lifetime benefits being cut after 5 years. Individuals without children could now only collect food stamps for 3 months in a 3-year span. During this time it is important to note the limitation of rights because the reform took away benefits from legal immigrants. The overall goal was to encourage individuals to find work, get married, and then have kids in a two-parent household. -
Clinton the 42nd president of the United States was impeached and guilty of "high Crimes or Misdemeanors." At the time this was the second impeachment trial ever had in the US. Clinton was being sued for sexual harassment and accused of having a relationship with his former intern, which he later admitted to. Eleven impeachable offenses were brought to light; however, The House of Representatives approved two. Clinton had lied under oath and was removed from office because of his crimes. -
George W. Bush won the presidential election of 2000 following the impeachment of Bill Clinton. It was the closest election in the history of America and basically came out to be a tie with only a couple hundred votes determining Bush's win over Al Gore. Many were angry and civil rights activists brought about lawsuits because of the problems with the voting machines; however, the constitutional system did not waver and Bush remained as the Republican winner. -
On September 11th, 2001 al-Qaeda attacked the US with four organized terrorist suicide attacks that would leave forever lasting impacts on the country. Two planes flew into the twin towers, one into the Pentagon, the fourth crashed in a field for civilians were able to attack the hijackers saving lives for the common good and sadly ending theirs along with the other 3,000 lives lost that day. These tragic attacks instilled a sense of nationalism in America and strict precautions were instilled. -
During the 2001 Recession (The Dot-Bomb Recession); which lasted 8 months and had a loss of 1.6 million jobs, Bush and his cabinet advisors campaigned for tax cuts to help revive the economy. In response to Bush, Congress granted the most significant tax cuts American history had ever experienced. The war on terrorism in combination with the tramendous tax cuts led to a significant increase in the federal deficit. Following the recession came the longest economic expansion in the United States. -
When Hurricane Katrina hit in New Orleans, Louisianna, over 1,500 people lost their lives as the water flooded the city. Along with those who passed, 2/3 of New Orleans residents were displaced from their homes. FEMA lacked the resources to deal with the damages of Katrina and Bush seemed unaware of how much damage was caused despite how televised the event was in the media. For his response Bush lost respect and recieved heavy critism. Bush had a significant decrease in his popularity rating. -
The causes leading to the 2007 Recession include the housing bubble burst and the value of homes sharply declining. The federal deficit and major tax cuts brought about by the Bush administration made problems worse. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan did not help either for they were extremley costly. By 2008, the deficit reached the highest in American history totaling $455 million. Americans were not only scared about their economy but the future generations to come as well. -
Barack Obama was elected as the first African American President in 2008. Many voted for him because he seemed genuine to want to help the average middle-class American citizen because that is the world he and his wife came from. Obama also had a calm, cool, and collected attitude throughout his entire campaign process that made him a diirable leader. It is also important to note that being the first black President was a huge step in tackeling the onging struggle or race and equality for all.