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The Smith Act
The Smith Act (Alien Registration Act) made it illegal to promote or teach the violent overthrow of the government by force or to be in an organization with the same objective. HUAC used its power to investigate communist activities. The act required fingerprinting and regulating of all aliens in the US. It was used against political organizations and figures like alleged communists and fascist, many of these prosecutions were repealed as unconstitutional. -
G.I. Bill
The G.I. Bill ( also known as the Serviceman's Readjustment Act) was created to provide numerous benefits for returning WWII soldiers to help them reintegrate into civilian life. It secured loans to buy homes and businesses for the veterans and provided money for them to be able to go to college. The bill was also intended to cushion the blow of 15 million returning members of the armed forces on the employment market and to nurture the postwar economy. -
The Trinity Test
The Trinity Test was the testing of the atomic bomb as a part of the Manhattan Project, in New Mexico, that succeeded and went on to test guided missiles, etc. - set up for two nuclear bombings in Japan. 'Trinity' was the first success of an atomic bomb in Manhattan Project, three weeks prior to Nagasaki. It ushered in the Nuclear Age. -
Bombing of Hiroshima, Japan
The Bombing of Hiroshima, Japan was the first to be destroyed by an atomic bomb. This was the first ever use of an atomic weapon in warfare in world history; it was named "Little Boy" which was yielding 15 kilotons of TNT. The US warned Japan that it had weapons of mass destruction. The Japanese were warned to surrender or suffer the consequences. The bombing accelerated the end of WWII; about 70,000 Japanese citizens were killed, people died within seconds and thousands for within days. -
Bombing of Nagasaki, Japan
The Bombing of Nagasaki, Japan took place during WWII, only three days after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. The "Fat Man" bomb which yielded 21 kilotons of TNT, killed an estimated of 80,000 people. It was against the Empire of Japan, and part of the opposing Axis Powers alliance. The reasoning being that in fact saved many lives on both sides if the planned invasion of Japan had taken place. It was also the last atomic bombing in world history to date. -
38th Parallel Established as Border
The 38th Parallel is the line that was established to divide between South and North Korea. Communist Soviet Union occupied the north and Capitalist United States occupied the south, during the Cold War. It kept communism in North Korea and held it out of South Korea. It also serves as a border between North and South Korea. Once the armistice agreement was signed, the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was created. It ended in the stalemate, and the country remained split. -
Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain was an impenetrable barrier; it laid vertically through the middle of Germany dividing West an East Germany. Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave a speech under the same name which he urged the Western World to liberate the enslaved people of Eastern Europe from Communism. It changed the way the West (Democratic) viewed the East (Communist), it also popularized the term "iron curtain," and was viewed as the start of the Cold War. -
Marshall Plan
George G. Marshall (Secretary of State) first introduced the Marshall Plan. The plan proposed massive and systematic American economic assistance(mainly raw materials, food and fuel) to Europe to revive the European economies after WWII. It was to help prevent the spread of Communism. Sixteen western nations participated. Soviets attempted to imitate it with their own Molotov Plan but ended with failure. -
The Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift was a mission of flying food and supplies to the beleaguered West Germans for nearly a year. It was a response to a Soviet blockade of all land and canal routes to the divided city. It was the first major crisis of the Cold War.Truman was determined not to lose West Berlin but not trigger WWIII. To keep the Soviets from shooting down the flights, Truman stationed B-29s capable of delivering atomic bombs in England. -
Fair Deal
The Fair Deal was domestic reform proposals in addition to the New Deal of the second Truman administration. The program called for improved housing, job rights, adequate medical care and the extension of social security but only succeeded in raising the minimum wage, better public housing, extended old-age insurance to more people. South Democrats and Republicans both against this. Forced to scale back due to North Korean and anti-communist agendas. -
TV Shows
TV overpowered newspapers and radios as a source of news info and diversion. It mostly portrayed the many 1950's ideals of American life as they did not emphasize or broadcast shows with people of diverse backgrounds. It helped shape what people thought a perfect society should be. It was a period of conformity. Examples of popular shows were: I love Lucy, Dennis the Menace, and Leave it to Beaver. Television in the 1950's ad strict gender roles. It was known to be the Golden Age of Television. -
North Korea Invades South Korea
The trigger for the Korean War was when Syngman Rhee boasted that he was going to attack North Korea and so North Korea invaded South Korea in a surprise attack and took over the capital (Seoul) in the hope of reuniting both sides. The U.S saw it as a violation, so Harry Truman took the issue to the united nations and said it needed the military. Troops landed right behind the 38th parallel, and North Korean soldiers were caught by surprise and forced to retreat to their territory. -
The Beat Generation
The Beat Generation was a group of American writers who had mixed backgrounds that rejected the materialistic American culture of the decade. The literacy movement advocated free-form experimentation in life and literature. They rebelled against mainstream American values and culture for its conformity, blind faith in technology, and materialism and borrowed slang from black communities. They also experimented with drugs and sexual expression, and an interest in Eastern spirituality. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
Brown vs. Board of Education was landmark Supreme Court decision that overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and abolished racial segregation in public schools. This decision was the first significant step toward the legal end of racial discrimination. It was a major accomplishment for the Civil Rights Movement. The court found that "separate but equal" has no place and that segregation was a violation of the Equal Protection Clause. -
Polio Vaccine
The Polio Vaccine was firsts to introduced by Jonas Salk; it was an effective vaccine against Polio. (Distributed free to the public in 1955). Polio killed and crippled millions worldwide, the vaccine virtually eliminated the scourge. The vaccine generated serum antibodies to neutralize polio in the bloodstream. It was transformed into sugar cubes to make it more accessible. Jonas Salk played a critical role in the eventual eradication of Polio from the U.S. by 1994. -
Bill Haley and the Comets
Bill Haley and the Comets were an American rock and roll band that began the rock and roll revolution in 1950s America with their songs "Rock Around the Clock" (first hit to make #1 in 1955 and an anthem for rebellious teenagers) and "Shake, Rattle, and Roll." They performed covers almost exclusively and were the first group of white musicians to bring attention to the African-American rhythm and blues of Rock & Roll. They are credited by many with first popularizing this form of music. -
Television
The increasing popularity of Television led to questions regarding the nations, morals, politics, etc. It was a standard household item and contributed to Homogeneity of American culture; it also glamorized the suburban life, domesticity was celebrated and re-enforced. On the other side, it oppressed less fortunate people since they could see the way everyone else lived and contributed to a sense of powerlessness and isolation. Television shaped the future of the U.S. -
Emmett Till Tragedy
Emmett Till was a 14-year-old boy who was murdered in Mississippi by two white men. His death became a catalyst for the civil rights movement. He supposedly whistled at a white woman, which was not allowed because of Jim Crow laws. Her husband and his friends kidnapped Till and brutally killed him. Till was beaten, shot, and then had a cotton gin fan around his neck and dumped into the water. The all- white Jury on the case found the defendants not guilty. -
Little Richard
Little Richard (Richard Penniman) was a visually flamboyant singer & pianist, frenetic performance style, shouted vocals & used vocables and falsettos. He was a common identifier of rhythm and blues and rock and roll. He used the piano for its rhythmic, rather than melodic, qualities. Little Richard attributed his sense of rhythm to boogie-woogie and gave rock and roll volume, energy, flamboyance and adventurous sexuality. "Tutti Frutti" put Little Richard on the rock and roll map -
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks was a United States civil rights leader, she refused to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery Alabama, and it triggered the national civil rights movement in 1913. She was arrested for infringing Jim Crow rules. The long boycott which followed her action became a leading symbol for civil rights and focused the nation's attention on boycott leader. After nearly a year it was ruled by the Supreme Court that segregation of public transportation was illegal. -
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley was a Memphis-born singer whose youth, voice, and sex appeal helped popularize rock 'n' roll. He is more commonly known using only his first name or "The King of Rock & Roll," he was an icon of popular culture (music and film). Elvis is also known as for being the most influential rock and roll musician and playing a critical role in establishing rock and roll as a phenomenon. He sold over a billion records. Many adults thought that Elvis was a bad influence on young people. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
The Civil Rights Act of 1957 Established a Civil Rights Commission, but had a little real effect and was mostly symbolic. This act created the United States Commission on civil rights to investigate systematic discrimination in areas such as voting but did not guarantee a ballot for blacks. It also set up a permanent Civil Rights Commission, but hardly enforced. It was the first civil-rights bill to be enacted after Reconstruction which was supported by most non-southern whites. -
OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)
OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) was an intergovernmental organization. Consisting primarily of Arab nations that control the price of oil and the amount of oil its members produce and sell to other nations.OPEC aimed to control access to and prices of oil, wresting power from Western oil companies and investors. In the process, it gradually strengthened the hand of non-Western powers on the world stage. -
Kennedy-Nixon TV debates
The Kennedy-Nixon TV debates were the first televised debate and might have tipped the scales during the presidential campaign. It illustrated the importance of image in a television age. These televised debates were crucial to Kennedy's win. Many viewers found Kennedy's glamour and vitality far more appealing than Nixon's tired and pallid appearance. Those listening to the radio gave an edge to Nixon and people watching television thought Kennedy won. This was the tightest election since 1888. -
New Frontier
The New Frontier was a campaign program advocated by JFK in the 1960 election. It promised to revitalize the stagnant economy and enact reform legislation in education, health care, and civil rights. Kennedy called upon the people to make sacrifices to achieve their potential greatness which included elderly medical assistance, increased education spending, public service initiatives (such as the peace corps), space exploration a commitment to civil rights to revitalize the economy. -
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps was (idealistic and mostly youthful) volunteers who helped third world nations and prevented communism from spreading by getting rid of poverty in underdeveloped countries. It provided labor power to help developing countries improve their infrastructure, health care, educational systems, etc. Part of Kennedy's New Frontier vision, it represented an effort by postwar liberals to promote American values and influence through productive exchanges across the world. -
Bay of Pigs
The Bay of Pigs was an attempt by the Americans to overthrow Fidel Castro, the newly established communist government in Cuba by training and sending Cuban rebels. It failed because US air support did not arrive and the expected support from Cuba did not happen. The incident was a U.S embarrassment, and President Kennedy took responsibility for the failure. It ultimately led to Castro pleading for Soviet aid (Cuban Missile Crisis). -
Sam Walton's Just-in-Time Inventory
Sam Walton's is the CEO of Wal-Mart, now the largest global retailer in the world. Just-In-Time inventory was a term invented by Walton. It was a method of inventory management made possible by efficient transportation and communication systems, whereby companies keep on hand just what they need for near-term production, planning that what they need for longer-term production will arrive when needed. It allowed for computers to track inventory and no need for large in-house stock. -
March on Washington "I Have a Dream"
The March on Washington was a political rally of both black and white people in Washington, D.C. in response to Kennedy's bill. MLK gave his famous "I had a dream" speech here to millions of people and inspired the nation. His speech advocated racial harmony at the Lincoln Memorial during the march. The speech was widely credited as helping lead to the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the National Voting Rights Act (1965). 80% of the marchers were black. -
Birmingham Bombing
The Birmingham Bombing was the bombing of a black church that killed four African-American children. The bombing was an act of white supremacist terrorism in resistance to MLK's March on Washington roughly two weeks before the incident. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. described it as "one of the most vicious and tragic crimes ever perpetrated against humanity," the explosion at the church killed four girls and injured 22 others. The bombing increased support for people working for civil rights. -
Assassination of JFK
John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald while riding in a parade to raise support for the upcoming presidential election in Dallas. He was shot twice and pronounced dead at Parkland hospital. Kennedys death and funeral became a defining moment for the generation that witnessed it as they watched Kennedy's state funeral on television. Many conspiracy theories erupted from a small piece of footage taken of the assassination was released to the public. -
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald was a communist, ex-Marine, and communist sympathizer who assassinated president JFK as he rode in an open car in Dallas. He denied shooting anybody, claiming he was a patsy. Theories are claiming that he wasn't the only shooter based on a clip. He was shot two days later by Dallas nightclub owner Jacob Rubenstein while he was being transferred from one jail to another. -
Warren Commission
The Warren Commission was a Commission made by LBJ after killing of John F. Kennedy. The purpose is to investigate if someone paid for the assassination of Kennedy. After a ten-month investigation an 888-page report that concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald shot Kennedy on his own and that there was no larger conspiracy involved. Commissioner was Chief Justice Warren. -
Malcolm X
Malcolm X was a black Minister of the Nation of Islam and more radical than other civil rights leaders of the time. He was an influential black leader who moved away from King's non-violent methods of civil disobedience. Malcolm X spilt the Black Muslim movement and formed the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) which attracted thousands of young, urban blacks with its message of socialism and self-help. He renamed his last name to X to signify the loss of his African heritage. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was Passed by LBJ, outlawed public segregation and discrimination, forbidding racial discrimination in the workplace. It also strengthened the federal government's power to fight segregation in schools. It empowered the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to regulate fair employment. It made the federal government responsible for finding instances of discrimination but did not adequately address the many problems associated with voting rights. -
Counterculture
Counterculture is a culture with lifestyles and values opposed to those of the established mainstream; "hippies" who accepted sexuality and lived unconnected to the past. They were white middle-class youths, and against Vietnam War, they believed in a society based upon peace and love. Hippies mostly lived in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district because of drug availability. Counterculture blatantly opposed traditional American ways, like women wearing trousers and men with long hair. -
Daisy Girl Ad
The Daisy Girl Ad was a Lyndon B. Johnson Controversial political campaign commercial; that aired only once. Its message was that: Johnson was better than someone else. It showed a little girl peeling petals off and Goldwater being destructive (showed bomb). It was a critical factor in Johnson's landslide victory. A turning point in political and ad history. It Meant to portray his opponent, Barry Goldwater, as a reckless extremist whose election would lead to nuclear war. -
Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater was the Republican party's presidential candidate (from AZ) in 1964. He thought that the civil rights act would lead to the creation of more police force to enforce the laws. He also believed that the bill would lead to a dangerous expansion of government involvement which would mean the destruction of the free society. He opposed Social Security, civil rights legislation, nuclear test bans, income tax. Barry Goldwater lost by the largest margin in history. -
Great Society
The Great Society was a Program that instituted by Lyndon B. Johnson that federally sponsored social welfare programs that improved education provide medical care, and eliminated poverty. The primary goal was to eradicate social problems like poverty and racial injustice. It included Medicare, civil rights legislation, and federal aid to education to promote a better quality of life in America. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 effectively forbade literacy tests for voting rights and provided for federal registrars to assure it to minority voters. It also authorized federal prosecutors to register voters. Since more blacks were becoming politically active and elected black representatives, it brought things such as jobs, contracts, and services for the black community which in turn encouraged greater social equality and decreasing the wealth and education gap. -
Death of MLK
The night before MLK's assassination he gave a speech in church "I've been to the mountain" and received death threats. The next night on the balcony of his hotel, many mourned him and went to his funeral, his murderer was found in Canada and found guilty (James Earl Ray). Violence and controversy followed his death. King's lifetime work as a civil rights activist changed America forever. His philosophy of non-violence and commitment to economic and social justice is still influential today. -
LSD
LSA is a powerful hallucinogenic drug manufactured from lysergic acid. Timothy Leary, a was a Former Harvard psychologist instructor and an advocate of expanded consciousness through the use of LSD and other mind-altering drugs. He encouraged students to experiment with hallucinogenic drugs. LSD ended up frying youths' brains & opened up a world of drug lords & addicts. Hippies and young rebels during the Counterculture movement used the drug to escape societal issues. -
Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]
The Environmental Protection Agency is a governmental organization signed into law by Richard Nixon, designed to regulate pollution, emissions, and other factors that negatively influence the environment. The creation of it marked a newfound commitment by the federal government to combat environmental risks actively and was a significant triumph for the environmentalist movement. This agency made notable progress in reducing automobile emissions and cleaning up waterways and toxic dump sites. -
The Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment Proposed an amendment to U.S. Constitution passed by Congress and submitted to the states for ratification in 1971. It outlawed discrimination based on gender; it was seen as a great victory by women's rights groups. Declared full constitutional equality for women. The amendment didn't pass as it fell three states short, it required 38 for ratification. However, even though it never passed many states have adopted similar amendments to their state constitutions. -
Title IX
Title IX was the Provision of the 1972 Education Amendments that prohibited gender discrimination and opened sports and other areas to women. The law states that No person in the United States shall, by sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. It prohibited discrimination in education whether in academics or athletics. -
Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade was a Landmark decision of Supreme Court that prohibited states from denying abortion by calling a woman's constitutional right to privacy. It was also seen as an achievement for feminism and civil liberties, the decision provoked a strong counter-reaction, galvanizing the Pro-Life movement. All state laws prohibiting abortions were made unconstitutional based on a woman's right to privacy. It legalized abortion during the first three months of pregnancy; based on 4th Amendment. -
Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is a public policy that promotes the principles that made America great. It is based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and strong national defense. Conservative American think tank in Washington D.C to promote conservative public policies. It issued policy proposals and attacked liberal legislation and the permissive culture they claimed it had spawned. -
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act identifies, enacted by Richard Nixon, threatened and endangered species in the U.S., and puts their protection ahead of economic considerations. It placed endangered species security ahead of financial concerns. The act Recognized the value of species habitat. It authorizes the designation of critical habitat and calls for recovery plans for listed species. Legislation designed to protect species in danger of extinction. -
Camp David Accords
The Camp David Accords were the peace accords signed by Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat to end the Israeli-Egyptian disputes finally. The achievement by Carter is considered his most significant achievement in office. Under the pact, Israel agreed to return captured territory to Egypt and to negotiate Palestinian autonomy in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It created a framework for peace in the Middle East. The treaty fell apart when Islamic fundamentalists in 1981 assassinated Sadat. -
Three-Mile Island
Three-Mile Island was A mechanical failure, and a human error at a power plant in Pennsylvania combined to permit an escape of radiation over a 16-mile radius. This nuclear disaster was the worst in American history. It occurred in one of the two Three Mile Island nuclear reactors in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Radioactive gases were released from a commercial nuclear power plant during Carter's presidency. While it was ultimately not terrible, it harmed the public perception of nuclear power. -
The Moral Majority
The Moral Majority was a political group formed by Jerry Falwell. They did not it did not accomplish much, but they did show that Americans were starting to worry about the society morals. They had an agenda of evangelical Christian-oriented political lobbying. Campaigns were on issues its personnel believed were essential to maintaining its Christian conception of moral law. They also pressured for legislation that would ban abortion and ban the states' acceptance of homosexuality. -
Election of 1980
The Election of 1980 was Republican nominated Ronald Reagan, against re-nominated Jimmy Carter, who not even his own Democrats liked. Reagan was very popular; Carter won only six states putting the Republicans back in control. With Iran hostage situation, falling economy, Carter had low approval ratings. His rival, Ronald Reagan exuded confidence and promised a new optimistic version of America. He overwhelmingly won because of the Iranian hostage crisis and America's stagflation. -
Reaganomics
Reaganomics were policies combined a monetarist fiscal policy, supply-side tax cuts, and domestic budget cutting. The goal was to reduce the size of the federal government and also stimulate economic growth. The national economic policies had parts such as government shrinking, tax cuts, economic shifts, and a massive increase in military spending (Cold War). Reagan hoped for "a second American Revolution for hope and opportunity." He implemented many practices that hindered growth. -
Space Shuttle Program
The Space Shuttle Program is otherwise known as the Space Transportation System, is the U.S. government's manned launched vehicle program. It was administered by NASA and officially began in 1972. In April 1981, Only two failures took place within the Space Shuttle program: the Challenger and Columbia. The first ever space shuttle was launched with one of the passengers being Sally Ride, allowing her to become the first American woman and youngest in space. -
Music Television
MTV was launched in 1981 by the Warner Communications and the American Express Company. Many generations of kids grew up watching music videos. It was the start of careers for several famous musicians. It was the first global music network and 24-hour music video cable channel. MTV was the fastest growing cable channel ever in history. MTV ran music videos similarly to how radio stations played music. MTV played album-oriented rock, focusing almost exclusively on music by white musicians. -
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor was The first woman to be in the Supreme Court. Appointed by Ronald Regan, O'Connor was an Associate Justice from 1981 until 2006. She was an Arizona judge. She became the first woman to rise to the high bench in the Court's nearly two-hundred-year history. She mostly sided with the court's conservative bloc, although in the latter years, she was regarded as having the swing opinion in many cases. Most conservatives supported her unanimous approval by the Senate. -
The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) “Star Wars”
The Strategic Defense Initiative was Reagan's intent to pursue a high technology missile defense system which was referred to as SDI or Star Wars. It called for land- or space-based shield against a nuclear attack. Although it was criticized as unfeasible and in violation of the Antiballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, Congress approved billions of dollars for development. Reagan intended to give the Soviets the same technology in hopes that they would go bankrupt in doing so. -
The Reagan Doctrine
The Reagan Doctrine was a promise to restore American pride and confidence. The US support anywhere in the world to help anti-communist activity like "freedom fighters" who were battling Soviets. Afghanistan Somewhat triggered it. It also Meant that the US would be more present in 3rd world countries support. The doctrine lasted less than a decade; it was the centerpiece of United States foreign policy until the end of the Cold War. -
The Challenger Explosion
The Challenger Explosion was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to put into orbit. The 'challenger' exploded and killed all seven crew members on board: one of them being a school teacher because it broke apart. One of the seals in the fuel tank was damaged because of cold temperatures 73 seconds into the flight. The NASA program was paused for two years while investigators and officials came up with new safety regulations, but continues later on with the flight of the discovery 1988. -
Iran-Contra Affair
The Iran-Contra Affair was when a scandal erupted after it was revealed that the Reagan administration secretly sold weapons to Iran in hopes of freeing American hostages in Lebanon. Money that came from the arms sales was used to aid the (anti-Communist insurgents) Contras in Nicaragua, even though Congress had prohibited this assistance. Talk of Reagan's impeachment ended when Several Reagan administration officials were blamed and convicted for the illegal activity. -
The Rodney King Incident
The Rodney King Incident was A brief account of the six days of rioting which set Los Angeles aflame, and it included looting, arson, and civil disturbance started on April 29. It stemmed from video footage taken of the police officers (Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind beating an African American after a 115-mph chase throughout LA ended with him allegedly 'lunging at one of the officers'. He received 56 blows from nightsticks while a dozen other officers stood by and watched. -
Election of 1992
The Election of 1992 was between Democrat nominated Bill Clinton, despite accusations of womanizing, drug use, and draft evasion, and Albert Gore Jr., his running mate and Republican chose Bush for another election and J. Danforth Quayle as his running mate.Clinton won a significant electoral victory, 370 to 168. The Democrats also got control of both the House and the Senate. The critical issue was the economy plagued by high unemployment and the massive deficit. -
Clinton's Health Care Reform
Clinton's Health Care Reform was a package under the Clinton Administration that required every American citizen and permanent resident alien to be enrolled in an adequate health plan. Clinton set up a task force led by Hillary Clinton to come up with a comprehensive plan to provide universal health care. Its processes were controversial. The Health Care bill was ultimately defeated because there were not enough Democratic Senators behind a single proposal to pass a bill. -
The World Trade Center Attack (1993)
The World Trade Center Attack in 1993 was when terrorists drove a rental truck bomb underneath it and detonated it. The parking garage was gutted, but the buildings stood up until the two planes hit it in 2001 on 9/11. The massive homemade bomb they lit had the intentions of collapsing the entire building. There were six casualties, and more than 1,000 people were injured, carving out a crater many stories deep and drove smoke into the upper reaches of the quarter-mile-high skyscrapers. -
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
The North American Free Trade Agreement was established free trade zone between Canada, the United States, and Mexico. It was A free trade plan initiated by President Clinton. NAFTA allowed the flow of improved goods, services, and jobs across the international borders by lessening and eliminating tariffs. It was sharply criticized by organized labor and conservative groups who viewed it as selling American jobs to cheap labor across the border and that it compromised America's sovereignty. -
Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy
The 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy' was the popular term for the policy about homosexuality in the American military. The policy prohibits anyone who "demonstrates a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts" from serving. It was placed by Clinton that allowed gay and lesbian troops to be in the military as long as they kept the presence of their sexuality unacknowledged and forbade being openly homosexual. Mere suspicion of homosexual behavior can cause an investigation. -
The Contract with America
The Contract with America was a Multi-point program offered by Republican candidates and sitting politicians. The platform proposed a smaller government, Congressional ethics reform, term limits, great emphasis on personal responsibility, and a broad repudiation of the Democratic party. It pledged support for conservative reforms and proposed a sweeping reduction in the role and activities of the federal government. However, Congress passed few of the contract's proposals. -
Welfare Reform
The Welfare Reform Bill made deep cuts in welfare grants and required non-disabled welfare recipients to find employment. It was Part of Bill Clinton's campaign in 1992; the reforms were widely seen by liberals as an abandonment of important New Deal/Great Society provisions to care for the impoverished. It also tightly restricted access to welfare benefits for legal and illegal immigrants alike. -
The Defense of Marriage Act [DOMA]
Congress passed The Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. It defined marriage as between only a man and women; however many states and companies extended benefits to same-sex partners and many states legalized same-sex marriages. DOMA Declared that states are not obligated to recognize any same-sex marriages that might not be legally sanctioned in other states, defined marriage, and spouse in heterosexual terms for federal law. It was Later declared unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court in 2013. -
The Lewinsky Scandal
The Lewinsky Scandal was a political sex scandal emerging from a sexual relationship between United States President Bill Clinton and a 22-year-old White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. Clinton denied it under oath, but there was physical evidence. He was impeached for perjury, by the U.S. House of Representatives and his resulted political conflicts kept him from being productive in his final term paving the way for the seemingly moral Bush in 2000. Clinton was fined $90,000 for Perjury. -
9/11 Attacks
9/11 was Shorthand for terrorist attacks on September 11, 2011. Nineteen militant Islamist men hijacked and crashed four commercial aircraft. Hit the Twin Towers, Pentagon and field in Pennsylvania (had been aimed at the White House but couldn't find it). Almost three thousand people were killed in the worst case of domestic terrorism in American history. The terrorist attacks brought fear and anxiety to Americans, leading to policies to increase security but also meddled with civil liberties. -
Patriot Act
Congress passed security legislation to make the country safer. The Patriot Act gives the authorities enhanced powers, such as looking up library records. The law passed due to 9/11 attacks; it sought to thwart further terrorist attacks by allowing access to electronic communications and other knowledge to the government; criticized by some as violating rights. It permitted extensive phone and email surveillance and authorized the detention and deportation of immigrants suspected of terrorism. -
The No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act meant to fix a broken public education system; linked federal money to state action requiring states to have high standards for all students; evaluation of progress was through standardized testing. The law passed by President George W. Bush meant to try to help students in large minority schools succeed. It set high standards and accountability for student achievement to make sure that all children are caught up to 21st-century learning. -
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was Considered to be the one crisis of the Bush administrations second term, and it is inefficiency to deal with the crisis. It destroyed about 80% of New Orleans and more than 1300 people died, while the damages were $150 billion. The Bush administration was highly criticized for its slow and insufficient response to the emergency.There was lack of federal response and compassion ignited debate of poverty and race in America. -
Election of 2008
The Election of 2008 was when Democrat Barack Obama, then junior United States Senator from Illinois defeated Republican John McCain. It was the first in which an African American was elected President, and also the first time a pair sitting senators ran against each other, and the first time the Republican Party nominated a woman (Sarah Palin, then-Governor of Alaska) for Vice President. Obama ran a grassroots campaign that interested young voters and the black community. -
The Great Recession
The Great Recession officially started in the December of 2007 and ended in mid-2009, and had long-term, lasting consequences on unemployment, and was preceded by the largest housing bubble in US history. The recession was caused Due to the pop of the housing bubble and bank's risky investment into loans, by short-term economic thinking, speculation, and irresponsible spending, the banks also began to falter. Wages and jobs decrease, creating a downward spiral. -
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act intended to produce jobs and promote investment and consumer spending during the recession that accompanied the financial collapse in 2008. The act was controversial from the outset because Only 3 Republicans and No Republicans in the House in the Senate voted for this bill since they argued against the substantial growth in federal spending. $787 Million spent to revive the economy in the U.S. create jobs, promote investment and consumer spending. -
Sonia Sotomayor
Sonia Sotomayor was the first Hispanic, and third woman justice in the Supreme Court's history confirmed in August 2009. President Obama appointed her in 2009. She is somewhat recognized as a controversial and outspoken candidate, whose words are occasionally misinterpreted yet she is known for her many years of judicial service. She was liberal and environmental, more conservative on criminal and immigration cases. -
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) “Obamacare”
The Affordable Care Act attempted to reform the healthcare system by providing more Americans with Affordable Quality Health Insurance and by curbing the growth in healthcare spending in the U.S. The Reforms included new benefits, rights, and protections, etc. It Prevented health insurance companies from refusing coverage for pre-existing conditions to those under the age of 19. It also permitted young adults to stay on their parents' coverage plan until they were 26. -
Undoing of DOMA
DOMA was passed Congress in 1996; defined marriage as between only a man and women; however many states and companies extended benefits to same-sex partners and many states legalized same-sex marriages. In 2012, a U.S. Court appealed DOMA and ruled that the provisions are unconstitutional because it interferes with a state's ability under the 10 amendment to define marriage.
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