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Low-interest mortgages loans and subsidies for education for vets.
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Investigations into the movie industry for anyone involved with the Communist party.
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William Levitt creates four towns for his workers, with all the houses following the same prefabricated design, consturcted in assembly line fashion. This marks the beginning of suburbia.
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The United States will assist any democratic country resisting communism. This was seen when Congress authorized payment of $400 million in aid to Greece and Turkey.
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3-4 million government employees are examined to see if they hold communist ties. Some 100 workers lost their job due to this.
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If any strike affected the health and safety of the country, then the president could call for an 80-day cooling off period, during which negotiations between unions and employers could take place. Union leaders had to declare they were not communist. Union contributions of individuals could not be used in federal elections. Union leaders weren't thrilled.
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Containment policy wanted the US to attempt to contain communism from spreading, which would eventually lead to it crumbling from its own weight
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Defense alliance of most Western Hemisphere nations.
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Truman orders the desegregation of the armed forces and for an end to discrimination in federal hiring.
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American and British pilots airdropped food and supplies to West Berlinners for nearly 15 months. Brought to an end in May 1949, when Stalin lifted the previously in-place blockade on West Berlin.
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The US provides nearly $13 billion to European countries to help rebuild. Meant to keep Western Europe from collapsing.
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The UN announces support for a plan to divide Palestine into Jewish and Arab sections, leading to much backlash from the Arabs. US supports Israel during this time, leading to resentment and anger towards America from the Arabs.
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President Truman planned for national health care and civil rights legislation, a repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act, and increase government spending on public housing and education.
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The US, Canada, and ten Western European countries all enter a pact to assist each other militarily in the event of an attack on any of the member nations.
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China becomes a communist state under Mao Tse-tung. US provides aid packages to the fleeing nationalist government.
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Small-time Senator Joseph McCarthy claims to know 205 communists working in the State Department and sparks a massive witch hunt for communists, with the accused usually having little evidence against them. This is called McCarthyism.
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All communist-front organizations had to register with the government, and members of these organizations could not work in any job related to national defense.
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North Korea invades South Korea; UN forces lead by Douglas MacArthur go deep on North Korea, but are met by Chinese forces. War ends in an armistice that divides the Koreas by the 38th parallel. 57,000 Americans died in this "forgotten war."
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Greatly limited immigration from Asia and Eastern Europe in order to limit the influx of communism. Vetoed by Truman, passed by Congress.
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Vice President Richard Nixon makes a speech addressing the charges that supporters set up an illegal campaign fund for his personal use. Nixon said his wife wore "a very respectable Republican cloth coat" and that the only thing given to him was a dog named Checkers. This saved his political career, and allowed him to remain on the ticket.
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Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were charged with passing atomic secrets to the Soviets, found guilty, then executed.
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The CIA orchestrates the removal of anti-imperialist Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadeq from office, replacing him with a prime minister more loyal to the brutal Shah of Iran. The people of Iran were not happy with this, and have since harbored deep resentment towards America.
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Following accusations towards the US Army, President Eisenhower decides to expose McCarthy publically. Revealed that McCarthy had asked for special favors for his drafted aide, doctored graphs, and was a bully. Army attorney Joseph Welsh famously asked McCarthy if he had any "sense of decency," CBS reporter Edwin R. Murrow aired a negative report on McCarthy and his tactics, and McCarthy was shortly censured by the Senate, all leading to his quick downfall.
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The Guatemalan president had been too friendly with the Soviets, and was removed by the CIA. American businesses were restored to American hands in the process.
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Vietnam is split into north and south, with the north being communist and lead by Ho Chi Minh, and the south remaining democratic and lead by Emperor Bao Dai. US supplies military aid to South Vietnam.
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Supreme Court decision deciding that schools cannot be seperate but equal and that local districts should desegreate as soon as possible.
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Secretary of State John Foster Dulles suggests the US should use nukes wherever necessary, and that the US "make communism retreat" wherever possible.
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An extremely lengthy conflict in which American forces attempted to repeal communist forces in Vietnam. Became extremely costly and had high casualties on both sides, as well as being highly controversial on the homefront in America. Eventually lead to the US leaving South Vietnam, allowing it to fall to communism.
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After Rosa Parks refused to move from her seat on a bus and is arrested, a boycott on buses in Montgomery begins. In response to bus companies refusing to change policy, the Supreme Court stated that segregation on city buses was unconstitutional.
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Despite promises of support from the CIA, the US allows anti-communist rebels in Hungary to be crushed by Soviet forces.
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Egypt wants to purchase arms from the Soviet Union because US said no, so Britain and US cut all loans to Egypt. In response, Egypt seizes the British-owned Suez Canal. Britain and France attack Egypt as a result. However, due to Soviet threats of involvement, the US convinces Britain and France to back out.
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American arms would be used to prevent communist aggression in the Middle East. Invoked in Beirut, Lebanon to put down a rebellion.
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The Soviet satellite Sputnik is launched as American satellite tests fail. Americans begin increasing science and math courses in colleges and high schools to keep up with the Soviets.
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Fidel Castro overthrows Fulgencio Batista in Cuba, seized American businesses, and begins trade with the Soviet Union, marking the beginning of a bad relationship with the US. The US cuts trade with Cuba in 1960, then stops diplomatic relations altogether.
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President Kennedy plans to stimulate the economy and attack poverty in the US.
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American U-2 spy plane is downed by the Soviets, leading to the capture of pilot Francis Gary Powers. The US initially does not admit what happened, but Eisenhower takes responsibility for it.
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Failed invasion of Cuba by CIA-trained Cubans living in America. Pretty much the entire invasion force was either killed or captured by Cuba.
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The Soviets construct a wall dividing the communist East Berlin from the democratic West Berlin.
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After reconaissance planes spotted nuclear missile silos being built in Cuba, a blockade was placed onto it by President Kennedy, who also told Soviet leader Nikita Krushchev to remove the missiles from Cuba. Following a very tense stand-off, Krushchev backed down and removed the missiles, but not before having the US do the same in Turkey. This lead to the signing of the Limited Test Ban Treaty, and the installation of a hot line connecting the White House and the Kremlin.
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Formed to investigate the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. This has been highly debated since.
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The same standards had to be used to register both black and white voters.
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Following supposed attacks on US destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin, this passed, giving the president the power to prevent further aggression in Vietnam by controlling the war without consulting Congress. This leads to the escalation of the Vietnam War.
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President Johnson institutes a program to organize volunteers to work in the poorest communities of the US.
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President Johnson stated it would be possible to end poverty in America.
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Program to help disadvantaged preschool students put into place by President Johnson.
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Medicare provided hospital insurance and medical coverage for senior citizens. Medicaid assisted Americans of any age who could not afford health insurance.
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Formed to investigate the cause of riots in LA, Chicago, Newark, and Detroit. Determined that two societies existed: a rich white one, and a poor black one.
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A policy used by President Nixon that lowered tensions between the Soviet Union and the USA.
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Agreement between the US and the Soviet Union to stop producing nuclear ballistic missiles and to lower antiballistic missiles to 200 each.
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A strategy employed by President Nixon, similar to what FDR did to combat economic problems during the Great Depression.
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A historic visit to China by President Nixon. Determined that trade talks would begin between China and America, as well as cultural exchanges. Nixon also agreed to support China's admission to the UN.
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After a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, it was determined that the White House was involved. Things escalated until President Nixon resigned from office to escape being impeached.
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Legalized abortion.
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The last American troops leave Vietnam. Two years later, Saigon falls, bringing an end to the war.
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Israel promises to give back occupied land to Egypt in return for official recognition for the right to exist by Egypt.
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After the US grants the ailing Shah of Iran asylum to get cancer treatment, outraged Iranians seized the US embassy in Tehran, taking 66 Americans hostage. They remained in hostage for 444 days, finally becoming free as President Carter left office and President Reagan entered office.
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President Reagan's economic policy. Stated that if more money was put in the hands of wealthy Americans, then it would be invested, thus creating more jobs and facilitating growth.
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Federal money spent was determined by states and not the government. Deregulation was intensified. Funding for the Environmental Protection Agency was reduced. Unions were actively destroyed by the government.
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Arms were sold to Iran so that money could be sent to Nicaraguan contras This presented a double-sided problem: America had pushed for a trade embargo on Iran, and Congress had enacted specific legislation regulating how much funding could go to the contras. This violated both of these. Nearly a dozen officials of the Reagan administration were forced to resign due to this.
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Libyan air bases are bombed by the US after Muammar al-Qadhafi ordered Libyan gunboats to challenge American ships sailing close to Libya.
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Dramatically reduced federal tax rates.