Modern America Cultural Literacy Unit Objective To understand cultural and symbolic images of Modern America

Lyndon Baines Johnson: VP under JFK, became president when JFK killed; Great Society social reform plan (help poor)

Richard Nixon: Only president to ever resign (he did it to avoid being impeached)

Nixon Leaving Office after resignation

Gerald Ford: VP under Nixon; Only president to never be elected President or VP; Pardoned Nixon

Jimmy Carter: Elected as president because he had no connection to Washington, but that came back to hurt him as president (didn’t accomplish much)

1970s Gas Shortage: OPEC placed embargo on oil sales to U. S 1970s Gas Shortage: OPEC placed embargo on oil sales to U.S. due to support for Israel

Camp David Accords: Anwar Sadat of Egypt, Jimmy Carter, Menachem Begin of Israel; First peace agreement between an Arab nation and Israel; Sadat was assassinated for signing it

Ayatollah Khomeini: Radical Muslim who led a revolution in Iran and made Iran very anti-American

Iranian Hostage Crisis: 1979 Iranian students took over the American Embassy in Tehran and held hostages-One of biggest reasons Carter was unable to get re-elected in 1980

Ronald Reagan: Former actor and governor of California who defeated Carter in 1980

Reagan Assassination attempt: 1981, John Hinckley shot Reagan to impress actress Jodi Foster

James Brady: Permanently injured in Reagan Assassination attempt; Led to passage of Brady Gun Bill

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI): “Star Wars”; Space-based missile defense system; Too expensive and not effective enough, never implemented

Mikhail Gorbachev: Became leader of Soviet Union in 1985; Moved Soviets away from Communism with Glasnost and Perestroika and toward peaceful existence with America

Challenger: Space shuttle that exploded after lift-off in January of 1986

George H.W. Bush: VP under Reagan, served one term; “Read my lips, no new taxes”; President during first invasion of Iraq

Fall of the Berlin Wall: Symbolic end of the Cold War in 1989; Led to the reunification of Germany in 1990

Tiananmen Square (1989): Many Chinese protested for more democracy, Chines government put the movement down with military force killing hundreds

Bill Clinton: Defeated George H. W Bill Clinton: Defeated George H.W. Bush in 1992; Economy did well; Impeached by House but not convicted over his relationship with Monica Lewinsky

George W. Bush: President during 9/11, invasion of Afghanistan, and second invasion into Iraq

Sept. 11, 2001: Attacks on WTC and Pentagon by Al Qaeda (Osama bin Ladin); Led to invasion of Afghanistan directly and indirectly led to invasion of Iraq

Osama bin Laden: Leader of Al Qaeda, killed in 2011 in Pakistan by U.S. special forces

Aftermath of 9/11

Saddam Hussein: Leader of Iraq that was removed in 2003 by the U. S Saddam Hussein: Leader of Iraq that was removed in 2003 by the U.S.—Why?

Barack Obama: First minority president; Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)