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Rock n' Roll
Also written as rock and roll, is a genre of music that originated that evolved in the United States. This style of music uses the beat of blues rhythm with an accentuated backbeat, the latter almost always provided by a snare drum. The lead instruments are often electric guitars, a double bass or string bass or an electric bass guitar, and a drum kit. Rock and roll may have taken a part in the civil rights movement, both African-American and the white American teens enjoy the music. -
House-Select Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)
This was established with the purpose to reign in Nazi spies and investigate alleged disloyalty and subversive activities on any American suspected of having communist ties. The committee also looked at communist and former communist party members. They eventually moved to Hollywood actors and directors, and the high-ranking government officials. -
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The Second Red Scare
The 2nd Red Scare occurred after World War II, it preoccupied with perceived national or foreign communists infiltrating or subverting U.S. society or the federal government. The 2nd Red Scare was also known as "McCarthism" for its popular supporter Joseph McCarthy. The 2nd Red Scare initiated the threat between the two poles, Communist Party and Democracy.This episode lasted longer and was more pervasive than the 1st Red Scare. -
G.I. Bill
Also known as the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, the G.I. bill was the law that provided a wide range of benefits for World war II veterans. It offered low-interest rates on houses and college tuition, and as well as money to start businesses for the returning veterans. The law is still active today. -
Beat Generation
Also referred to as "Beats" or "beatniks", it was a literary movement occurred after WWII that was influenced by a group of authors whose work explored American culture and politics. They rejected American materialism and culture, rejected home ownership, careers, and marriage. They inspired and laid foundation for war protests in the latter 1960s. Beats borrowed slang from black communities. -
Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain was a name coined by Winston Churchhill. It is boundary that divided the Eastern and Western Europe into two separate areas. To the east of the Iron Curtain were the countries that were under the control of the Soviet Union. The other countries to the west of the Iron Curtain were under the influence of democratic government. -
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Cold War
The Cold War is the name given to the relationship between the U.S and the Soviet Union in their competition to become more dominant around the world. Both sides had become interested in making accommodations in order to create a more stable and predictable international system. There was no violent fighting directly between the two sides, however, there were major regional wars, known as proxy wars, between the two sides. -
Truman Doctrine
A foreign policy developed by Harry Truman to stop the forestall communist domination and stop the spread of Soviet imperialism. He asked for U.S. assistance in helping Greece and Turkey out of communism because British has announced they would stop furnish the economic and military assistance to the two nations. This also established the help to the countries around the world that want to fight communism. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was established by George Marshall during his presidency. This was an American initiative to aid the Western Europe in their economic needs. The plan offers loans to rebuild Europe and restores Western Europe's faith in capitalism. This also spreads American labor, farming and manufacturing practices to W. Europe. The plan's goal was also to stop the spread of Communism. -
The Berlin Airlift
This was the U.S. and British response to the Berlin blockade. The Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' access to railway, road, and canal to the sectors of Berlin under Western control. As a result of this, U.S. & British planes supply West Berlin with air shipments dropped from planes for almost a year. Up to 200, 000 flights are made in one year. The Soviets did not disrupt the airlift for they fear this might lead up to a conflict. In the end, Stalin gave up and reopen the border. -
Alger Hiss
Alger Hiss was a man who was accused by Whittaker Chambers of the House Un-American Activities Committee of being a secret communist spy. Before he was convicted, he was served as a U.S State Department official and as a U.N. official. This case of Alger v. America was referred to as "the trial of the century." -
Fair Deal
A plan proposed by President Truman that focused on health care, public housing, education and public works. It offered new proposals to continue the New Deal liberalism, but with the Conservative Coalition controlling Congress. It set up the minimum wage and provided electricity and telephone access. The deal forced to scale back because of Korea and anti-communist agenda. -
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1950s
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Korean War
The Korean War marks as one of the proxy wars, however, it was officially a conflict and not a war. The conflict was between the North Korea, which was aided by China and supported by the Soviet Union, and South Korea, aided by the U.S. The conflict escalated when Kim Il-Sung (North) got support from Stalin to invade the South. The two regions remained split at the 38 parallel with separate governments until today, and the two regions are technicaly still at war. -
Julius & Ethel Rosenberg
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were a married couple who was put on trial and executed for giving the Soviets secrets to the atomic bomb, which were of value to the Soviet nuclear weapon program. They were charged with the crime of "conspiracy to commit espionage against the United States." -
Bill Haley and the Comets
Bill Haley was a famous American singer and songwriter and he was considered to be the father of rock and roll. In 1952, he and his band The Comets were found and it was the earliest group of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of America and around the world. -
Ike Turner
Ike Turner was born on November 5, 1931, in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and grew up playing the blues. Being a musician, bandleader, songwriter, arranger, talent scout, and record producer, Ike was one of the Rock and Roll legends. After working together, he got married to Tina Turner. The two became the Ike & Tina Turner Revue and created several R&B hits. -
Polio Vaccine
Polio was an infectious disease that debilitated thousands of American children every year. Also known as Poliomyelitis or Infantile paralysis, the disease is caused by the poliovirus, which results in the inability to move. After the disease ran its course many people left paralyzed for the rest of their lives. However Dr. Jonas Salk developed a deactivated vaccine to combat the disease. The oral vaccine was made availale in 1961. -
The Domino Theory
The Domino Theory is a theory speculated that if one country in a region came under the influence of communism, then the surrounding countries would follow. President Eisenhower described it as a row of dominoes. The theory was established on how to combat communism. U.S. looked at Vietnam and Southeast Asia as dominos. -
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Civil Rights
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Brown v. Board of Education
Also known as the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. The case resulted in the abandonment of separate public schools for black and white students. It all started when 7-year-old Linda Brown's parents wanted her to go to a closer school instead of having to walk one mile to get to her black school. NAACP lawyer Thrugood Marshall uses psychological evidence to win the case. -
Television
The invention of televisions created a new source of entertainment for people. After WWII, an improved form of black-and-white television broadcasting became popular in the U.S. and Britain. People used TVs for news, it was the primary medium for influencing public opinion. Politicians invoked the power of TV. -
Emmett Till Tragedy
Emmett Till accepted a challenge from his friend to ask a white girl out in a country store using vulgar language. The girl told her husband, and four days later, Emmett was kidnapped, brutally beaten, shot, and dumped into the Tallahatchie River by Roy Bryant and John Milam. Milam and Bryant went on trial for the murder, both sell their story to a journalist for 4k admitting that they had committed the crime. Emmett’s death, mutilation helped transform the Civil Rights movement -
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Vietnam War
Also known as the American War, it was fought between North Vietnam and the government of South Vietnam. The North Vietnamese army, was supported by the Soviet Union, China, and other communist allies. The South Vietnamese army was supported by the United States, South Korea, Australia, Thailand and other anti-communist allies. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a political and social protest campaign against racial segregation on the public transit system. Rosa Parks was arrested because of her refusal to give her seat up to a white man. Jo Ann Robinson heard of Rosa's arrest and made 35K flyers, she told others to boycott the bus system in Montgomery. Its success convinced them to continue until something happened. Bus company needed black riders to stay in business -
Elvis Presley
Born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis Presley came from very humble beginnings and grew up to become the "King of Rock and Roll". His music career began after he moved to Tennessee in 1954. Presley was an early popularizer of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country music and rhythm and blues. -
Eisenhower Interstate System
President Eisenhower took a cross-country trip and realized that U.S. needed more advanced highways. The Interstate System is a 20-year plan to build 41, 000 miles of highway. It did much to change the economic and social structure of America. The system also helped businesses and families move from downtowns to suburbs -
Space Race
The Space Race was the competition between the Soviet Union and the United States for supremacy in spaceflight capability. It began with the missile-based nuclear arms race between the two nations that occurred after World War II. The Space Race provided many technologies advances for both nations, it spawned pioneering efforts to launch artificial satellites, unmanned space probes of the neighboring planets, and human spaceflight in low Earth orbit and to the Moon. -
Little Rock 9
Little Rock 9 was a white resist integration at Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock. Little Rock decided to "slowly" integrate Central High School. Arkansas opposed integration due to fears of intermingling. Governor Orval Faubus ordered state troops to stop 9 black students from entering the High School. Eisenhower intervened and ordered the US Army to send troops to Little Rock to protect and escort them for the full school year -
Sputnik
Sputnik is the first orbiting satellite launched by the Soviet Union in the fall of 1957. The world's first artificial satellite was about the size of a beach ball, weighed only 83.6 kg, made beeping radio signals, and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path. The launch ushered in new political, military, technological and scientific developments. -
NASA
NASA is the abbreviation for National Aeronautics and Space Administration established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. It is an independent agency of the executive branch of the U.S. federal government responsible for space programs, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. Most U.S. space exploration was opperated by NASA, including the Apollo Moon landing missions, the Skylab space station, and later the Space Shuttle. -
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1960s
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Counter Culture
The Counter-culture seceded the Beat Generation. They rejected American values and explored their inner selves. Hippie culture became commercialized (rock, music, marijuana). The hippies made heroin and LSD so popular that strict new drug laws passed in the 70s. The movement gained momentum as the American Civil Rights Movement continued to grow. -
Sit-ins
Protesters went to white lunch counters and sit in seats only for whites. Non-violence goes from schools to other public places, more whites could see the struggle. The first sit-in was in Greensboro, North Carolina, it started a movement across the country. Protesters were thrown from seats and beaten, but they never fought back (civil disobedience) Police in Nashville, Tennessee began to arrest protesters, they sat in jail and filled up space until it ran out. -
Earl Warren Supreme Court
Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren was a former California governor who also took part in the investigation of JFK assassination. He was the most liberal SCOTUS in history, he chopped conservative tenements down. Some of the cases he took part in was the Engel v. Vitale (prayer in school), Brown v. Board (Jim Crow), Loving v. Virginia (interracial marriage), Gideon v. Wainwright (free counsel for the accused), and Miranda v. Arizona (right to remain silent when arrested). -
New Frontier
The New Frontier was established by President John F. Kennedy. Kennedy was the youngest elected president in American history. Some of the goals of the New Frontier were to raise the minimum wage, relieve overcrowded, cutting taxes for business from 90 percent, and increase spending to alleviate a downturn. Kennedy also challenged the U.S. to land a man on the moon. -
OPEC
OPEC is the abbreviations for Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, it controls much of the world's oil, like Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Qatar, Indonesia, U.A.E, Nigeria, Equador, Angola, and Algeria. The organization places an oil embargo on U.S. for supporting Israel. President Nixon convinces Israelis to give up some territory. -
LSD
LSD is the abbreviation for lysergic acid diethylamide, it is a type of psychedelic drug known for its psychological effects. The youth countercultures in the 60s adopted the use of this type of drug. In both music and art, the influence of LSD was widely seen. Musicians began to refer to the drug and attempted to reflect the experience of taking the drug in their music. -
Feminism
Many white women (women in general) split from Civil Rights, they looked towards Feminism. The movement focused on equal treatment, opportunity and pay. Helen Gurley wrote "Sex and the Single Girl" to encourage women to explore their sexuality and wait to get married when looks started going away. Betty Friedman wrote "The Feminine Mystique", she believes women could do everything men could. -
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps was founded by President Kennedy. It inspired young college graduates to work in poor countries, these were view as humanitarian projects and volunteer programs. This gives people outside the U.S. the opportunity to understand American culture, and helping Americans to understand the cultures of other countries. The peace corps also initiated liberalism in the U.S., Warren Court expanded beyond the New Deal's scope. -
Sam Walton's Just-in-Time Inventory
Sam Walton created a chain of stores offering a large variety of products at low prices. He was the founder and chairman of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer. His just-in-time inventory's products arrived at the precise time in they are needed. The inventories were tracked by computers, no need for large in-house stock. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis was a period in 1962 in which the Soviet Union had placed nuclear missiles in Cuba to annoy and scare the U.S. President Kennedy at the time found this unacceptable, so he ordered a naval quarantine of Cuba to prevent Soviet ships from delivering and arming the ICMs. In the end, Kennedy and Khrushchev come to a deal, U.S. will inspect Soviet ships and make sure ICBMs leave Cuba. -
Ascendancy of Lyndon Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson was one of the great legislators of the 20th century, he was a crude person. More legislation pushed through during his presidency than any president except for FDR. Lyndon continued the legacy of Kennedy and New Deal. He was running against Barry Goldwater in the election of 1964. Johnson got Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Kennedy's agenda passed. -
Assassination of JFK
John Kennedy flew to Love Airfield in Dallas, he planned on traveling through downtown Dallas. The president wanted maximum exposure to crowds to generate excitement, therefore, they were on an open-air motorcade. The route took him by the Texas School Book Deposit in Dealey Plaza, it was publicized for several days ahead of schedule. The motorcade made left turn on Elm Street, and five shots were made towards the president. -
Lee Harvey Oswald
Oswald was an ex-marine with communist sympathies, he defected to U.S.S.R. He came back to the States with special permission. He supposedly was the only shooter in the JFK assassination. Five shots were made towards the President, but two of the shots struck the President (neck and head). A fatal shot came to Kennedy's head, and the president was rushed to Parkland hospital. -
Freedom Summer
Also known as the Mississippi Summer Project, it attempted to register as much African-American as possible in Mississippi. The project became the turning point of the movement in the South, it forced the Government to intervene. It also gave experience to activists on the left and feminists. Whites went to Mississippi to get rural blacks to register to vote. 3 Civil Rights workers went missing, 2 whites and 1 black. Later on, all 3 found 6 weeks later shot in the head, buried in an earthen dam. -
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
Also known as the USS Maddox incident, this event was part of the Vietnam War. It involved two separate confrontations between the North Vietnam and the U.S. in the waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. The U.S. claimed that American destroyer was attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boat. Two days later, another "attack" supposedly happened, but no ships were reported and the radar was "not working". Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was established to prevent further agrression in Vietnam. -
Great Society
The Great Society was a set of domestic programs established by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The main purpose was to eliminate poverty and racial injustice, it promised education, good standard of living and beautification. The Great Society went further than the New Deal domestic agenda of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Some of the proposals in the Great Society were stalled initiatives from John Kennedy. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was pass during the Great Society. -
Selma March
Selma March is also referred to Bloody Sunday. 600 marchers set out walking 50 miles to Montgomery for the right to vote. Country police waited at the end of Edmond Pettus Bridge in Selma for them with clubs and gas. Instead of going back, protesters kneeled and prayed. White spectators cheered as blacks were beaten. TV cameras were there to see the violence. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. After the president saw Selma on TV, he announced the next day he would send a bill that gave equal voting rights to everyone. The act prohibited literacy tests, poll taxes, and other discriminatory laws. It used federal registrars to register voters only if the state did not follow the 15th amendment. The Department of Justice would approve redistricting every 10 years. -
Watts Riots
The Watts Riots took place in Watts- Los Angeles, California, it was a ghetto neighborhood with high unemployment, poor schools, and high drug use. A black motorist was arrested for drunk-driving, and a minor roadside argument suddenly turned into a riot. The area was burned for 6 days. National Guard was called in to stop the violence. White people started changing their views on Civil Rights because of Watts. MLK also traveled to Watts to convince protesters to use nonviolence. -
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther party was a militant black political party founded in 1965 to end political dominance by white. The organization originally founded in Oakland, California. It armed in self-defense of black people, stoked racial pride and inner city renewal. The party appealed to many young African Americans in inner cities. Many whites feared black panthers because of their militant style. Huey Newton (Black Panther leader) was jailed for manslaughter killing a cop. -
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Nixon's Presidency
Nixon took office after the 1968 presidential election, in which he defeated Hubert Humphrey. He then won reelection four years later over George McGovern. Nixon advocated a "New Federalism" domestic program model, one in which certain powers would devolve back to the states. During his presidency, EPA was created, the Endangered Species Act was established, and the integration of Southern public schools occurred. However, the Watergate scandal happened and the president resigned. -
Warren Burger Supreme Court
Warren Earl Burger was the 15th Chief Justice of the United States. He was nominated by president Richard Nixon and preceded by Earl Warren. Many of his cases were involved with the issues of abortion, capital punishment, the religious establishment, and school desegregation during his tenure.This court maintained most of the rights expanded by its predecessor and issued important rulings on abortion and sexual discrimination. -
Apollo 11
Apollo 11 was the first spaceflight that landed two humans on the Moon, Neil Armstrong, and Buzz Aldrin. About six and a half hours later, Commander Neil Armstrong became the first to step onto the lunar surface. The Apollo 11 mission occurred eight years after President John Kennedy challenged the U.S. of landing a man on the moon. -
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1970s
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Watergate
Watergate was a political scandal that occurred during the presidency of Nixon. It was a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. Five of Nixon's "plumbers" stole campaign information while fixing a broken wiretap. They were caught by a security guard and got arrested. Senate and Justice Department launched investigations into Nixon. After all, Nixon was found guilty and he resigned. -
Title IX
Title IX was one of the Feminist Movements and it was a part of the 1972 Education Act, it promoted more teams and sports for female athletes. It is a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in any educational program or activity at any institution that receives federal funds. -
Heritage Foundation
Heritage Foundation is a public policy that promotes conservatives policies that include free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, values, and strong national defense. It was established during the Reagan presidency. The foundation had and still continue to have a significant influence in U.S. public policy making, and is considered to be one of the most influential conservative research organizations in the U.S. -
Stagflation
Stagflation is an economic problem defined in equal parts by its rarity and by the lack of consensus among academics on how exactly it comes to pass. When unemployment is high, spending declines as well as the prices of goods. Stagflation occurs when the prices of goods rise while unemployment increases and spending declines. Stagflation was to prove how tough the problems are for the governments to deal with due to the fact that the policies lower inflation. -
War Powers Resolution Act
The War Powers Resolution Act is a federal law intended to limit military operations by the President without the approval of Congress. The Resolution was adopted in the form of a United States Congress joint resolution. The original War Powers Act passed during WWII to help FDR, it made the President's job more efficient when dealing with wars. It provides that the U.S. President can send U.S. Armed forces into action abroad only by declaration of war by Congress. -
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Jimmy Carter's Presidency
Jimmy Carter is the 39th president of the United States. He took office after defeating Republican president Gerald Ford in the 1976 presidential election. He was dealing with difficulties due to the economic crisis produced by rising energy prices and stagflation. At the end of his administration, Carter had seen a substantial decrease in unemployment and a partial reduction of the deficit, but the recession ultimately continued. -
The Moral Majority
The Moral Majority was founded by Jerry Falwell, an evangelical preacher. The Moral Majority was established to preserve “traditional” American values and to combat increasing acceptance of social movements and culture changes. It focused on pro-life, pro-family, pro-American, and pro-morality. Falwell and other evangelicals, Pat Robertson, Oral Roberts, preach this new movement. They formed a conservative political bloc in the 70s and early 80s. -
Iran Hostage Crisis
The Iran Hostage crisis was a conflict between Iran and the United States. After the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by a group of Iranian students who supported the Iranian Revolution, they held hostage of the American diplomats and citizens for 444 days. -
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1980s
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Discount Retailing
Discount Retailing was developed to offer the consumers with lower prices, it started in the 60s, but became significant starting from the 80s. The discount stores sold products at prices that are lower than the regular market value. Sam Walton created a chain of stores offering a large variety of products at low prices (Wal-Mart), and Estee Lauder also began her career that focused on cosmetic/beauty products. -
BET
BET is the abbreviation for Black Entertainment Television, it is an American basic cable and satellite television channel that was established by Rober L. Johnson. It targeted and attracted many African American viewers. The channel first started with music videos, and later it expanded onto television series and theatrically and direct-to-video-released films. -
Reagonomics
The economic policies put forth by the administration of President Ronald Reagan, especially as emphasizing supply-side theory. These policies were commonly associated with supply-side economics, also referred to as trickle-down economics, voodoo economics by political opponents, and free-market economics by political advocates. -
A.I.D.S. Crisis
AIDS is the abbreviation for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, it's caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV is spread primarily through unprotected sex, contaminated blood transfusions, hypodermic needles, and from mother to child during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding. The infection started affecting thousands of homosexuals, and spread to heterosexual community through blood transfusion. -
Election of 1980
The major republican candidate in the election was Ronald Reagan, he was a former governor of California and a former actor in the 40s and 50s. Reagan testified before HUAC about communism, he united Conservative Coalition behind him. The democrat candidate was Jimmy Carter. He was incumbent, haunted by a bad economy, and the hostage crisis in Iran brought down his popularity. In the end, Reagan defeated Carter. -
Space Shuttle Program
Also called the Space Transportation System (STS), was the U.S. government's manned launch vehicle program that was administered by NASA. The first space shuttle Columbia was launched in April 1981 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The orbiter was a successful mission and for the next 30 years the spacecraft carried people into orbit repeatedly, launched, recovered and repaired satellites, conducted cutting-edge research and built the International Space Station. -
Music Television
The Music Television (MTV) was a music channel launched by the Viacom Media Networks. The channel aired music videos that attracted the attentions of young adults. The channel aired the footage of the first Space Shuttle launch and the launch of Apollo 11. Its first music video was The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star." -
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra served on her appointment in 1981 by Ronald Reagan until her retirement in 2006. She was the first woman to serve as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the U.S. Sandra was a moderate who sided with the conservatives on the court. And considered a moderate Republican, she tended to approach each case narrowly without arguing for sweeping precedents. She sided with the liberals members later on. -
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)
SDI was a proposed missile defense system intended to protect the United States from attack by ballistic strategic nuclear weapons. The system was established by the Reagan administration, the system was also referred to as Star Wars. -
Reagan Doctrine
The Reagan Doctrine was established under the Reagan Administration to end the Cold War. The Reagan Doctrine supported guerilla groups fighting communists, its goal is to get rid of Communism. The doctrine was designed to reduce the Soviet influence in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. -
Iran Contra Affair
Also known as the Irangate, Contragate, or the Iran-Contra scandal, was a political scandal in the United States that occurred during the second term of the Reagan Administration. Sandinistas (pro-Communist) overthrow a pro-American dictator in Nicaragua. Reagan secretly arms Contras (against Sandinistas). -
Technology
The technology inventions in the 90s changed many people's lives. Like the personal computers, they became affordable for millions in the early to mid-90s. Computer industry flourished, it became very lucrative. The Internet also started on military bases to exchange data. It existed in tens of millions of homes by the late 1990s. Cell phones were also introduced, they started to replace landlines. -
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1990s
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Persian Gulf War/ First Iraq War
U.S. and Arab nations (Kuwait) lend Iraq billions of dollars. Saddam Hussein (Iraq leader), blamed Kuwait for flooding the world with cheap oil. The Iraq leader then invaded Kuwait when they refused to forgive the debt. President George H.W. Bush quickly deployed troops to Saudi Arabia, he got U.N. resolution to use force against Iraq if they didn't withdraw. U.S. worried Saddam would continue invading other countries, and so Iraq was bombed. -
Rodney King Incident
Rodney King was an Africa-American taxi driver, he was beaten by the Los Angeles Police Department officers after being chased 78 miles in his car. The incident was caught on tape, the four officers were charged with assault with a deadly weapon and use of excessive force. The incident triggered the riots, took place for four days. Asian shops looted by black and Latino residents, they were blamed for not hiring people of color. -
Election of 1992
The Election of 1992 involved the two major candidates, William "Bill" Jefferson Clinton (Democrat), and George H.W. Bush (Republican). Clinton was a former Governor of Arkansas. Bush was incumbent, he was popular for Persian Gulf War. In the end, Clinton won 43% of the vote. -
Bill Clinton Presidency
Also known as the Clinton administration, Clinton was the first Democratic president since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win two full terms. He took office after defeating the Republican candidate George H.W. Bush and Texas businessman Ross Perot. Clinton's policy "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" allowed gays and lesbians in the military if they did not disclose their sexual orientation. He also reformed the healthcare system, Clinton wanted the longtime liberal goal of nationalized health care. -
NAFTA
NAFTA is the abbreviation for the North American Free Trade Agreement that was signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. It knocked down the trade barriers, and rules were put in place for several industries (ag and technology). The agreement has little impact the U.S. for Americans lost many jobs from NAFTA, and had an insignificant impact on Canada. But it had a large net positive for Mexico, stopping Mexican knock-off products. -
DOMA
DOMA is the abbreviation for the Defense of Marriage Act, it is a federal law that defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman, and that the states don't have to accept gay marriages from other states. In 2011 however, the Federal courts ruled DOMA is unconstitutional, and the justice department did not defend legal challenges to the law. -
Lewinsky Affair
The Lewinsky Affair was an American political scandal that involved the 49-year-old President Bill Clinton and a 22-year-old White house intern, Monica Lewinsky. President Clinton denied about the sexual relations with Lewinsky, he testified to Starr that he did no wrong. A special prosecutor, Kenneth Star, got ahold of the affair from a Linda Tripp. Lewinsky told Tripp about the affair. House of Rep. impeaches Clinton for lying under oath, obstruction of justice -
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Contemporary
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Election of 2000
The candidates in the election of 2000 were the Democratic Al Gore, the Republican George W. Bush, and Ralph Nader (independent/ Green Party). The state of Florida was the center of the contested election, which means they got to decide the winner. Gore attained 266 electoral votes while Bush got 246. The counting and lawsuits last over a month, Florida announced Bush won the state. -
Bush v. Gore
The court case Bush v. Gore relates to the 14th Amendment in that there was not enough time to change how a recount was done for a presidential election. It was initiated in Florida during the 2000 presidential election. Democratic Gore requested to recount due to the irregularities in the votes. The court then decided the election, and Bush won the election. -
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George W. Bush Presidency
Bush took office after defeating the Democratic nominee Al Gore. He pushed through a $1.3 trillion tax cut program and the No Child Left Behind Act, a major education bill. He also pushed for socially conservative efforts, such as the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act and faith-based welfare initiatives. After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Bush ordered an invasion of Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban, destroy the terrorist group al-Qaeda, and capture Osama bin Laden. -
9/11 Attacks
On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, Arab suicide bombers hijacked the United States airliners and crashed them into the Pentagon and World Trade Center. The bombers were from an Islamic group Al-Qaeda. The attacks occurred during the presidency of George Bush, and it was considered an act of terrorism. Osama bin Laden was behind the attacks and it triggered the U.S. to start a war with Afghanistan. -
Patriot Act
The USA Patriot Act was established in 2001 and was signed by present George W. Bush and later on president Obama signed the Patriot Sunsets Extension Act of 2011. USA PATRIOT stands for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies allowed to conduct wide-sweeping searches and surveillance, many opposed it because of executive overreach in power. -
Second Iraq War
The Iraq War was initiated by the invasion of Iraq by a United States-led coalition that toppled the government of Saddam Hussein. Bombing campaign softened up the targets "Shock and Awe", and troops remained in Baghdad for 3 weeks. In the end, Saddam was captured by the end of the year and he was executed by Iraqis for war crimes. -
Hurricane Katrina Disaster
Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States on a morning of August 29, 2005. The hurricane had a Category 3 rating on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, brought sustained winds of 100–140 miles per hour, and stretched some 400 miles across. The storm damaged thousands of homes in Louisiana, Mississipi and Alabama, and it left the region underwater. -
Election of 2008
The candidates of the election of 2008 were between Democratic Barack Obama and Republican John McCain. Around the beginning of the campaign, it focused heavily on the Iraq War and the unpopularity of the president George W. Bush, but all candidates focused on domestic concerns as well, which grew more prominent as the economy experienced the onset of the Great Recession and a major financial crisis that peaked in September 2008 -
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Obama Presidency
Obama took office after defeating the Republican candidate John McCain, then four years later he defeated Mitt Romney to win reelection. Being the first African-American president, the first multiracial president, Obama's presidency was significant throughout the world. He addressed the global financial crisis and included a major stimulus package, a partial extension of the Bush tax cuts, legislation to reform health care, and the end of a major US military presence in Iraq. -
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Also known as the Recovery Act, it was a stimulus package sign into law by president Barack Obama. The goal of the act was to save existing jobs and provide new ones as soon as possible. Other objectives of the act were to provide temporary relief programs for those most affected by the recession and invest in infrastructure, health, and renewable energy. The government spent $700 billion in total.
