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Montgomery Bus Boycott
The boycott took place after Rosa Parks, a black woman, would not give up he seat like the Jim Crow Laws say to a white man on a bus. During the boycott the bus company was "losing over 30,000 fares a day." (Davidson 806). The boycott was a success and ended on November 23, 1956, "when the Supreme Court ruled that bus segregation was illegal." (806). -
Interstate Highway Act Of 1956
In 1956 President Eisenhower and congress passed the National Interstate and Defense Highway Act. This was "the largest public works project in history." (Davidson 776). This was paid for by special taxes on certain items like cars, gas, tires, and other automibile parts. This act increased the annual driving by "400 percent" (776). -
Eisenhower Doctrine
The Eisenhower doctrine Gave the president permission to send military help to any middle eastern country that was attacked by a communist force. This gave himm the power "in times of crisis to preempt congresses power to declare war." (Davidson 789). -
Castro Takes Over power in Cuba
Fidel Castro was a middle-class lawyer in Cuba who did not agree with what the current dictator Fulgencio Batista was doing. He "gained the support of impoverished peasents in Cuba's mountains," and drove Bautista out of power (Davidson 789). At first americans liked and agreed with Castro taking power then he "had filled key positions with communists," and they started to oppose his rule (789). -
Cuban Missile Crisis
In May of 1962 Khrishchev of the Soviet Union felt threatened and told high ranking officials to start secretly building a nuclear base in Cuba. This went undetected by americans until "U-2 spyplanes revealed the offesive missile sites." (Davidson 795). After debate and secret meetings President Kennedy decided that a naval blockade was the best option. Soviet and American leaders agreed on a treaty that said the U.S. would not invade Cuba if the Soviets removed the weapons. -
March On Washington
In Washignton on August 28, 1963 over 250, 000 people came together at the Lincoln memorial " to march and sing in support of civil rights and racial harmony." (Davidson 810). This was where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I have a Dream" speech/ -
Tonkin Gulf Incident
In the Gulf of Tonkin the U.S. was "supporting secret South Vietnamese raids against the North." (Davidson 831). On August 2 the U.S. ship Maddox exchanged fire with North Vietnamese patrol boats. Another incident occured to days later but could not determine what actually happened. President Johnson was still upset and "ordered retaliatory air raids on North Vietnam." (831) This incident cemented our status in the war in vietnam. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Martin Luther King Jr. put pressure on the president to pass a bill by using demonstrations like a "54-mile walk from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama," to try and get legislation started.(Davidson 810). The Act was signed on August 6, 1965 and suspended literacy tests and "authorized federal officials to supervise elections in many southern districts." (810) -
Vietnam Peace Treaty
On This date the Vietnam Peace treaty or the Paris Peace Accord was signed. According to History.com, it "included a cease-fire throughout Vietnam," and "the withdrawal of all U.S. troops and advisors."(History.com). It also agreed on the 17th parallel as the dividing line of north and south Vietnam,
