Modern America 1989-2000’s
George H.W. Bush: 1989-1993 “Read my lips, No new taxes!”
Bush and Foreign Policy December 1989 invasion of Panama Manuel Noriega “Rock n Roll” at the Vatican Embassy
Tianamen Square - 1989
Fall of the Berlin Wall-1989
Collapse of the Soviet Union- 1991
Operation Desert Storm- 1991
Exxon Valdez
Bill Clinton: 1993-2001 First Baby Boomer President…. “It’s the Economy, Stupid” Attempts at a National Healthcare System - Hillary Clinton - failed
Welfare to Work.. Brady Bill… Federal Debt Reduction….
NAFTA- North American Free Trade Agreement
Clinton’s Foreign Policy Somalia 1993 Haiti 1994 Middle East
Balkan Genocide 1990’s Slobodan Milosevic dictator of Serbia… U.S./NATO bombing of Bosnia and Kosovo
Clinton’s Scandals Whitewater Travelgate Filegate Sexual Harassment charges while Governor of Arkansas… Monica Lewinsky
Election of 2000
Vote hinges on Florida Democrats ask for a recount “Hanging Chads” Bush v. Gore (2000) Closest election since 1876
George W. Bush – 42nd President “Solid South” now firmly Republican… 2001 Tax Cuts… 2001 Recession…
September 11, 2001 al Qaeda hijacks 4 commercial jets 2 are crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in NYC one at 8:46am and one at 9:03am. Both buildings collapse within 2 hours 2,974 people die in these attacks
Jet #3 crashes into the Pentagon at 9:37am Jet #4 was headed for the U.S. capitol………………………………………………………………………………Shanksville, PA 10:03 am
“Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there “Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group…has been found, stopped, and defeated.” George W. Bush September 20, 2001
Afghanistan: October 7, 2001- Present U.S. led coalition … “Bush Doctrine”…
Problems: Failed to capture Osama bin Laden…. Continued opium production… Resurgence of Taliban activity in remote areas… Obama has stated that more troops will be sent to Afghanistan
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba “Enemy combatants” who have been captured during the War on Terrorism… Allegations of human rights abuses… President Obama…
Iraq: March 20, 2003- Present U.S. led multinational force invades Iraq… “Shock & Awe” tactics….
Saddam Hussein’s government is toppled quickly ….
Captured in Dec. 2003 Placed on trial by the govt. of Iraq for “crimes against humanity” – murder, torture, illegal arrests, etc. Executed by hanging in Dec. 2006
No significant weapons of mass destruction (wmds) were found… Insurgents (including al-Qaeda linked groups use car bombings, terrorism, and urban fighting to extend the conflict U.S. troop “surge” to decrease the violence…
Conflict between groups within Iraq… Length of the war… Media coverage… Popular support for the war in the U.S. erodes quickly…
Election of 2008
March 2009 the Obama administration replaced the phrase “War on Terrorism” with “Overseas Contingency Operation” Individual acts of terror are now known as “man caused disasters”
Election of 2012
Important Women in American Society Sandra Day O’Connor
Sally Ride
Geraldine Ferraro
Hillary Clinton
Condoleeza Rice
Nancy Pelosi