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Oklahoma City Bombing
The Oklahoma City bombing was a domestic terrorist attack carried out on April 19, 1995, by Timothy McVeigh and his accomplice Terry Nichols. A truck bomb exploded outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 people, including 19 children. One of he deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history. Grasped attention to the growing threat of right-wing extremism and white nationalist militias. It led to new anti-terrorism legislation and put more security at federal buildings. -
Impeachment of Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton was Impeached on December 19th, 1998. Clinton had an affair with Monica Lewinsky while she was a White House intern and it became a scandal that was all over the news. Under oath in a previous sexual harassment lawsuit from a former Arkansas state employee, Paula Jones, Clinton lied about the affair with Lewinsky and was impeached for perjury and and obstruction of justice."I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky." Clinton later admitted to the affair. -
Bush v. Gore the 2000 Election Dispute
The Presidential election was so close that it came down to Florida's decision. The supreme court declared a recount which led to George W. Bush taking office. This was the exact moment as a crisis of democratic legitimacy and an example of how trust in institutions was breaking down. Americans thought the system was deeply flawed and this took a turn on U.S presidential elections. This set a standard for how electorial disputes might be handled in the future. -
9/11 Terrorist Attack
A horrific large-scale terrorist attack on the U.S. "The events of that one day-so significant it became universally known by the shorthand "9/11" (Kruse and Zelizer, 22). Changed U.S foreign and domestic policy drastically while also representing a challenge to its national security institutions. This attack changed the U.S forever and helped to improve more advanced protection on our country. Led to the War of Terror which led to widespread skepticism and debate. -
War in Iraq
The was on Iraq was initiated by President George W. Bush and it not only had significant foreign policy implications but also deepened domestic political polarization. Contributed to the growing fault lines in American politics, as citizens became increasingly divided over issues of national security, foreign intervention, and executive authority. Dramatized and publicized the attacks, "The military brass kept the media on message with daily briefings from its Coalition Media Center" (Kruse,266 -
LGBTQ+ Rights
President George W. Bush opposed same sex marriage. In 2004, he supported a constitutional amendment to define marriage as strictly between a man and a woman. This stance came as a response to states like Massachusetts legalizing same-sex marriage. The Religious Rights' biggest fear came true and to solve this a constitutional amendment campaign came into place, marriage is between man and a woman. Did not go through. Bush was forced to abandon his hands- off approach to LGBTQ+ rights(Kruse,273) -
Hurricane Katrina
A massive 5 category hurricane causing destruction from Texas. New Orleans was hit hard as it was hit when the hurricane was at its fiercest. Proved to be the most expensive natural disaster in America and had up to $108 billion worth of property damage. "It was one of the deadliest hurricanes in American history as well with 1,833 deaths attributed to the storm and the subsequent floods" (Kruse and Zezlier, 280). -
Election of Barack Obama
Obama's presidential election was a very important time in history.His presidency also sparked significant backlash, particularly among segments of the population who felt isolated by the rapid social and demographic changes the country was going through. This backlash manifested in various forms, including the rise of the Tea Party movement, which opposed many of Obama's policies and questioned his legitimacy as president -
Rise of the Tea Party
The movement was a grassroots conservative backlash that expressed anger over government spending, taxation, and perceived federal overreach. was critical in winning back the House of Representatives while also shifting the Republican Party further to the right. Marked a new era of deep skepticism toward the federal government. Laid the foundation for the rise of Donald Trump, whose 2016 campaign had many of the same anti-establishment and nationalist sentiments. -
Affordable Care Act (ACA)
ACA often referred to as "Obamacare", President Obama signed the ACA to expand health care access and to regulate the insurance industry. Became a flashpoint in partisan conflict and Republicans strongly opposed it as "socialism" while Democrats strongly wanted the reform. This battle symbolized larger divides over the role of government, individual responsibility, and economic fairness. Over 20 million Americans had health insurance because of this act while also becoming a issue inh elections