Unit 7: VA/US SOL Review Unit 7: Modern America SOLs 14 & 15

Reshaping American Society Supreme Court decisions can reshape American society. Brown v. Board of Education – Said that segregated schools are unequal & must desegregate (overturned Plessy v. Ferguson) – Included a VA case (PE v. Davis, et. al) – In VA, there was massive resistance which included closing of schools, establishing private academies and white flight from urban school systems.

Key People in the Courts Thurgood Marshall - NAACP Legal Defense Team – Became 1 st black man on Supreme Court Oliver Hill - on NAACP Legal Defense team in Virginia

Working for Civil Rights 1963 March on Washington – “I have a Dream” speech was given at this event by Martin Luther King Jr. – The events of this March influenced public opinion for civil rights legislation – The March demonstrated the power of nonviolent, mass protest African Americans, working through the court system and mass protest, reshaped public opinion and secured the passage of civil rights legislation

Civil Rights Act of 1964 The act prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender or national origin This act desegregated public accommodations President Lyndon B. Johnson played an important role in passing the Civil Rights Act

Voting Rights Act of 1965 This act outlawed literacy tests Sent Federal registrars to the South to register voters Increased African American voters LBJ also played an important part in passing this

Did you know? NAACP stands for National Association for the Advancement of Colored People The NAACP challenged segregation in the courts. Which court case espoused a “separate but equal” doctrine? – Plessy v. Ferguson How many years was it before it was overturned? – 58 years (from 1896 to 1954)

Contemporary America & the US Supreme Court The US Supreme Court has included women & minorities such as Sandra Day O’Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsberg & Clarence Thomas. The United States Supreme Court protects the individual rights enumerated in the Constitution of the United States. The Supreme Court also identified a constitutional basis for a right to privacy that is protected from government interference and invalidates legislative acts & executive actions that the justices agreed exceed the authority granted to government officials by the Constitution of the United States. The civil rights movement of the 1940ss 1950s and 1960s provided a model that other groups have used to extend civil rights & equal justice.

Immigration Reasons: - Political Freedom -Economic opportunity Issues Related to Immigration Policy: -Strain on government services -Filling low paying jobs in the US - Border issues -Pathway to citizenship -Bilingual education -Increasing cultural diversity Contributions: -Diversity in music, the visual arts & literature -Roles in labor force -Achievements in science, engineering, and other fields

Space Program The 1960s saw a race to the moon with increased support for American space program from President John Kennedy US Astronaut John Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth American astronaut Neil Armstrong was the first person to step onto the moon’s surface in 1969 Who said, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind?” – Neil Armstrong Who was the 1 st female American astronaut? – Sally Ride

Examples of Technological Advances Space Exploration – Space shuttle – Mars rover – Voyager missions – Hubble telescope Robotics Communication – Satellite – 24 Hr. News = CNN – Global positioning system (GPS) – Personal communication devices – Cellular phones – World Wide Web

Changes in Work, School & Health Care Telecommuting Online course work Growth of service industries Outsourcing & offshoring Breakthroughs in medical research, including improved medical diagnostic and imaging technologies – Polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk

Reagan & the Republicans Reagan & other conservative Republicans advocated for: – Tax cuts – Transfer of responsibilities to state governments – Appointment of judges/ justices who exercised “judicial restraint” – Reduction in the number and scope of government programs & regulations – Strengthening of the American military

The Reagan Revolution The election of Reagan’s VP, George H. W. Bush as President The election of a centrist Democrat, Bill Clinton The Republican sweep of congressional elections & statehouses in the 1990s The election of George W. Bush

Government & the Economy Government promotes a healthy economy characterized by full employment & low inflation through the actions of: – Federal Reserve: monetary policy decisions control the supply of money & credit to expand or contract economic growth – President & Congress: fiscal policy decisions determine levels of government taxation & spending; government regulates the economy

International Terrorism The US has confronted the increase in international terrorism by formulating domestic & international policies aimed at stopping terrorism. The United States responded to terrorism with heightened security at home (Patriot Act) and diplomatic and military initiatives. What is the Patriot Act? – An act signed into law in 2001, after 9/11, expanding the authority of US law enforcement agencies for the purpose of fighting terrorism in the US & abroad.

Question Time!!! Show me what you know

So the registrar [at the circuit clerk’s office] gave me the sixteenth section of the Constitution of Mississippi. He pointed it out in the book & told me to look at it and … interpret what I had read. That was impossible. I had tried to give it, but I didn’t even know what it meant, much less to interpret it. -Fannie Lou Hamer 1.This practice was outlawed with the passage of the --- A.15 th Amendment B.Civil Rights Act of 1964 C.19 th Amendment D.Voting Rights Act of 1965

2. Over the last three decades, the American work force has had to acquire & improve skills in --- A.Computer technology B.Automobile repair C.Heavy machinery D.Medical equipment

3. Modern American schools adapted to serve new immigrants in the US by--- A.Limiting vocational programs B.Offering bilingual education C.Offering extracurricular activities D.Requiring physical education

4. Which part of the national government controls the supply of money in the economy? A.Congress B.Treasury Department C.President D.Federal Reserve

Late 1900s 5. Which innovation best completes this diagram? A.Radio B.Newspaper C.Satellite dish D.Compact disc Televised News????? Better informed rural population