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The bombing in Oklahoma City happened when a truck bomb was set off by a white nationalist group, with the main perpetrators being Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. Killing 168 people, it was first blamed on Islamic groups as a terrorist attack. Clinton addressed the US, proclaiming that the country should fight domestic or foreign terrorist attacks. He later condemned right-wing extremists for performing this action for political reasons (Kruse and Zelizer, 220–221). -Showed terror threats -
DOMA was passed into law after voted upon by both houses of Congress. It specified States may choose to recognize same-sex marriages and would come with equal tax benefits to same-sex partners. Additionally, it stated federally that marriage was between only man and woman. This act was passed by Bill Clinton at midnight to limit the media attention, practicing triangulation, the attempt to appease moderate voters (Kruse and Zelizer, 218-219). -Defined 90s social conflict -
The Republicans looked to take Bill Clinton down after they discovered Clinton's alleged affair with Monica Lewinsky. This scandal worsen when the President was believed to have lied about the affair under oath. From there, he was put on trial for charges related to the investigation. The House of Representatives officially voted to impeach President Clinton on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, but the Senate found him not guilty (Kruse and Zelizer, 231–232) -Huge scandal in Media -
The 2000 presidential election was between George Bush and Al Gore. Al Gore polarized Americans and split the countries vote in half. While Gore won the popular vote, the electoral vote came down to Florida's 25 votes. Bush was declared the winner after winning the electoral vote, but a recount started to erode Bush's lead. Eventually, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to stop the recount, and this gave the presidency to Bush (Kruse and Zelizer, 238–242).- Divided American voters/courts
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On September 11, 2001, members of Al-Qaeda hijacked four planes, crashing them into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon and killing approximately 3,000 Americans. Bush explained to Americans that this was not a war against Muslims, but a war against terror. Bush declared war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, who were harboring Osama bin Laden and members of Al-Qaeda. While tragic, Americans united together (Kruse and Zelizer, 243–255).- Deadliest attack on U.S. soil in modern history
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Following 9/11, America looked at North Korea, Iran, and Iraq as rogue states that harbored terrorists. The Iraq invasion and the war began to target Saddam Hussein, who was tied to Al-Qaeda, and to eliminate the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The war efforts were initially positive but led to a long, drawn-out war, that many were opposed to.(Kruse and Zelizer, 262–270).- Modern war with many for and against the war.
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In August of 2005, a massive Category 5 storm hit the Gulf Coast from Texas all the way to Florida. Hurricane Katrina caused mass destruction with damages up to $108 billion and 1,833 deaths. Bush appointed FEMA to take care of the situation, but the lack of intervention from the federal government left many who were affected hungry and without shelter. This caused a hit to Bush's reputation (Kruse and Zelizer, 280–285).- Huge destruction across Gulf Coast
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The Great Recession started when mortgage companies started to sell risky Mortgage-Backed Securities. Investors believed that real estate would never default, but when Americans defaulted on loan payments, the financial market crashed. The government was forced to intervene to save the big banks. The burden fell on the everyday American investors destroying the economy and employment rates. (The American Yawp, "The Recent Past").- Unfair bank policies
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For the 2008 election, Democrats looked toward Barack Obama, the first African American nominee from a major political party. The Republican party elected war hero, John McCain. Obama looked to gain support for his anti-war outlook and his policies to save America from the stock market drop. Obama won, and with that, he made history as the first African American president in American history. (The American Yawp, "The Recent Past").- First African American President
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Obama won for a second time against former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Although he won, the average of the Republican Party that opposed many of Obama's ideas made it difficult for any legislation to pass. This halted political and economic campaigns, causing them to remain stagnant. This caused problems to slowly linger, such as the outcomes of the 2008 financial crisis and climate change issues (The American Yawp, "The Recent Past").- Gave Republicans 2016 election momentum