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The Vietnam War
The Vietnam War a major even during the 1960's as some 2.7 million American Soldiers served in the conflict and 58,000 died in trying to prevent vietnam from fallnig to communism -
Period: to
the 1960's- Promised and Turmoil
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Election of 1960
John F Kennedy wins the 1960 election and chose Lyndon B. Johnson as his vice president, he defeated Nixon by over 100,00 popular votes -
Bay of Pigs Invasion 1961
Kennedy gave approval to the CIA to use cuban exiles to overthrow Fidel Castro regime in Cuba, however things went wrong and it became a major failure, allowed Castro to gain soviet support and strengthened his grip on power -
Berlin Wall
When Kennedy refused to remove US military influence in Berlin soviet leader Khrushchev built a wall to prevent germans under soviet control from siding with the US, but Kennedy did nothing to stop the building of the wall and it stayed until the 1980's -
Cuban Missile Crisis
reconnaissance planes from the US discovered that the russians were building underground sites in cuba for the launching of offensive missiles that could reach the US in minutes -
March on Washington
Dr. Martin Luther King leads one of the largest and most successful demonstation in US history with 20,000 blacks and whites demonstating their support in a peaceful march for the civil rights bill, led to Kings I Have a Dream speech -
Kennedy Assasination
Presendent Kennedy is assasinated in Dallas Texas, making Vice President Lyndon Johnson President of the United States -
Lyndon Johnson takes Oath on plane
Vice President takes oath of office on a plane in dallas airport upon the death of president Kennedy hours before -
Civil Rights Acts of 1964-1965
Civil rights act is passed and the 24th ammendement placed in the constitution -
Tonkin Gulf Resolution
As things began to fall apart in Vietnam, president Johnson made use of the naval incident in the Gulf of Tonkin to be granted a "blank check" that would allow Johnson to use any means neccessary to protect US intersts in Vietnam -
Election of 1964
Johnson wins election by a landside against Senior Barry Goldwater of Arizona -
Great Society Reforms
Medicare
Medicaid
Elementary School Education Act
new Immigration law
National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities
two new cabinet departments- DOT, HUD
increased funding for higher education
increased funding for public housing and crime prevention -
March to Montgomery
when voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama were met with police beatings president Johnson sent in the troops to protect King and the other civil rights demonstators -
Tet offensive
On the Occasion of their Lunar New Year (Tet), the Vietcong launched an all out surprise attack on almost every provincial capital and American Base in South Vietnam, while attack took a fearful toll in the cities the US was able to counter attack and recovered lost terriroy, but for those in America people saw a different story that raised concern if America should still be in Vietnam -
Murder in Memphis
Dr. Martin Luther King is murdered in Memhis, Tennesse by a white man leading to massive riots and turmoil across the nation -
Election of 1968
Richard Nixon wins election in a very close race against Humphrey winning barely in the popular vote but by a major marjon in the electoral college