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National Review Founded
Founded by author William F. Buckley, the National Review magazine's statement of purpose read, "Middle-of-the-Road, qua Middle of the Road, is politically, intellectually, and morally repugnant. We shall recommend policies for the simple reason that we consider them right (rather than “non-controversial”); and we consider them right because they are based on principles we deem right (rather than on popularity polls)..." It was and continues to be a major force shaping the policies of the Right. -
Declaration of Constitutional Principles
This "Southern Manifesto" was drafted and signed by most southern Senators and Representatives in opposition to the Brown v. Board decision. It promised to use "all lawful means" to bring about its reversal and lent support to the "massive resistance" to integration already underway in southern states. Notably, a few key southern lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson, did not sign. -
The Conscience of a Conservative
Nominally authored by Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater, this book argued against "capitulation" to the New Deal society as well as arguing for states' rights, against civil rights, against social welfare, and for traditional moral values as supported by the "laws of God." It laid the ideological groundwork for the Reagan Revolution of the 1980s and the modern conservative movement. -
Barry Goldwater vs. LBJ Presidential Race
In a contentious campaign, LBJ threw his support behind his new Civil Rights legislation while Goldwater emphasized the problems of crime, lawlessness, and a lack of moral leadership. His plan to rescind the New Deal and aggressive Cold War rhetoric, however, were unappealing to many Americans, especially African Americans who voted in large numbers for LBJ. Johnson won in one of the largest presidential landslides in history. -
Ronald Reagan Elected Governor of California
Having burst onto the political scene with his speech, "A Time of Choosing" at Goldwater's presidential nomination, Reagan was elected handily to the governorship. During his two terms, he cut taxes, formed ties with the anti-abortion community, cracked down on student protests at Berkeley, and passed gun control legislation to prevent the Black Panthers from openly carrying firearms in public. He quickly rose to prominence in the national Republican party. -
Eagle Trust Fund (Eagle Forum) Founded
Phyllis Schlafly founded this conservative think tank and lobbying group to focus on "pro-family" social issues as well as "individual liberty," "public and private virtue," and "private enterprise." Schlafly later went on to found the STOP ERA movement as well as working for many other conservative social and political causes. -
Richard Nixon Elected President
Positioning himself as the champion of the "silent majority" and campaigning for "law and order," Nixon won a close election against Hubert Humphrey. He went on to support a variety policies during his presidency before he was forced to resign in disgrace due to the Watergate scandal. -
First March for Life
Founded by Nellie Gray and galvanized by the Roe v. Wade decision, approximately 20,000 conservatives, especially conservative Christians, gathered in Washington to march in hopes of convincing the court to overturn their decision. Originally intended to be a one-time event, it became long-term movement dedicated to ending abortion in the U.S. -
Focus on the Family Founded
Evangelical minister and psychologist James Dobson originally founded Focus on the Family as a radio program. It eventually expanded to include a print newsletter and political activism in favor of Christian marriages and families as well as opposition to abortion and gay marriage. -
California's Proposition 13
This California ballot initiative to limit property taxes inaugurated what became known as the "tax revolt" that led 30 other states to pass similar laws setting limits on various kinds of state taxes, especially property taxes. It also led to conservative calls for tax cuts at the federal level. It is also sometimes credited as a major cause of Ronald Reagan's election as president in 1980. -
Ronald Reagan Elected President
In a campaign that emphasized a hard-line foreign policy against Iran and communist nations, the damage that "big government" was doing the to economy, and large tax cuts while creating a broad conservative coalition of corporate interests, foreign policy hawks, libertarians, and evangelical Christians, Reagan defeated incumbent Jimmy Carter in a landslide. -
Reagan Fires Air Traffic Controllers
Citing their violation of a federal law against industry strikes, President Reagan fired 13,000 striking air traffic controllers in what is often seen as the first salvo in a more generalized conservative opposition to labor unions and workers' rights. -
Reagan Begins Military Buildup
Reagan declares that the U.S. will produce B-1 bombers and MX missiles as part of its military buildup. The cost of this military expansion, combined with simultaneous tax cuts, will lead to record deficits. -
Strategic Defense Initiative
Reagan urges development of a strategic defense initiative (SDI), often referred to as "Star Wars" in order to protect the U.S. from possible nuclear attack. It is never completed due to its lack of technological feasibility. -
Embargo on Nicaragua
The Reagan administration enacted a trade embargo in an attempt to undermine the socialist Sandinista government. This embargo was later found to be in violation of international law. The next year, revelations in the Iran-Contra scandal indicated that the U.S. was also aiding right-wing Contra rebels attempting to overthrow the Sandinista government by supplying them with the proceeds of illegal arms sales to Iran. -
Reagan's Berlin Wall Speech
In a speech in West Berlin, Reagan called on the Soviet Union for more openness in communist Eastern Europe saying, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
Preceded by the Solidarity Movement in Poland and serious economic crises in East Germany, the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 after a new government took control. Its collapse was followed by the crumbling of communist governments throughout Eastern and Central Europe and by the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.