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The Civil Rights Movement
Black Americans had been granted their freedom after the Civil War only to find themselves denied equal rights (Ignitia.com Editors). The right of black Americans to vote was hampered by literacy tests, poll taxes, and intimidation by whites. An 1896 Supreme Court decision permitted the government to establish "separate but equal" facilities for whites and blacks (Ignitia.com Editors). The Civil rights movement was born the same year as the Brown vs Board decision in Montgomery Alabama. -
Berlin Crisis
Berlin, the divided capital of the defeated Third Reigh was still a major point of contention between the Soviets and their former allies when Kennedy was president (Ignitia.com Editors). For several years, Soviet Premier Krushchev had threatened to sign a treaty with communist East Germany that would formally end World War II and grant that country complete independence (Ignitia.com Editors). The treaty would have given East Germans access to Berlin (Ignitia.com Editors). -
The Kennedy Administration
John F Kennedy became the youngest elected President of the United States. His public appearance served him well in the 1960 campaign against Vice President Richard Nixon (Ignitia.com Editors). In Kennedy's inaugural address, he reiterated that America would do anything to assure that liberty remained (Ignitia.com Editors). His famous line "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country," was the beginning of Kennedy's domestic program "The New Frontier." -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The tensest episode of the Cold War began on October 14, 1962, when a United States U-2 spy plane taking routine photographs of Cuba discovered a missile launching pad under construction. The missiles themselves were on their way to Cuba from the Soviet Union (Ignitia.com Editors). The U.S. Navy would intercept any Soviet vessel carrying missiles to Cuba (Ignitia.com Editors). Kennedy announced that the United States would consider the launching of missiles from Cuba to be an attack by Soviets. -
Martin Luther King, Jr
Martin Luther King, Jr was the son of a Baptist pastor. He had a degree in divinity from Crozer Theological Seminary and a doctorate in theology from Boston University (Ignitia.com Editors). He advocated a non-violence resistance against the white authorities that opposed equal rights (Ignitia.com Editors). Blacks all over the south began to challenge segregation laws. Dr. king's commitment to non-violence was repeatedly challenged by bloody attacks on civil rights workers (Ignitia.com Editors). -
Nuclear Ban
In September of 1961, the Soviets resumed testing atomic weapons. The tests broke an unofficial test ban that had lasted nearly three years (Ignitia.com Editors). Shortly after the Soviets started testing so did The United States. Then, in April of 1962, the United States resumed testing in the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. In July of 1963, the Soviet Union and The United States signed a treaty banning atomic testing in the atmosphere, in outer space, and underwater (Ignitia.com Editors). -
The Nixon Administration
Richard Milhous Nixon had an undergraduate degree from Whittier College, a Quaker institution, in his native California. In 1934, he received a law degree from Duke University (Ignitia.com Editors). He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1946 and the Senate in 1950 (Ignitia.com Editors). Nixon lost the campaign against John Kennedy in 1960, Many analysts thought his political career was finished, but he confounded his opponents by winning the Presidency in 1968 (Ignitia.com Editors). -
School Desegregation
Desegregation became a new issue in the 1970s when the courts began trying to achieve racial balance in the schools. The Supreme Court ruled in 1969 that any remaining segregation in schools must end "at once" (Ignitia.com Editors). Many schools in the nation were and are predominantly black and white based on the racial makeup of the surrounding community (Ignitia.com Editors). School districts were ordered to create racially-balanced schools within each district. -
The Space Program
America launched an orbital space station called Skylab in 1973 (Ignitia.com Editors). Crews brought up Apollo missions over the next two years and conducted zero-gravity experiments, including the effects of living in a weightless environment. The station was unable to maintain its orbit and disintegrated as it fell to earth in 1979 (Ignitia.com Editors). The last Apollo mission was a joint Soviet-American venture into orbit. The mission was part of improve relations. -
Our Nation Saw Evil
Terrorists launched a surprise strike that took more lives than any other foreign-led attack on U.S. soil. American Airlines Flight 11 was the first hijacked commercial jet to reach its target (Ignitia.com Editors). The Boeing 767 slammed into the World Trade Center's North Tower between floors 94 and 98 at a speed of about 490 miles per hour (Ignitia.com Editors). At 9:03 a.m., a second commercial jet, traveling about 590 miles per hour, hit the South Tower of the Trade Center.