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Modern US History 1945-Present
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1930s and 40s: Post-War Boom Air Conditioning units in homes Baby Boom
Population of the South increases Baby Boom Levittown The first American subdivision Radios in most homes TVs in many homes Americans want their news
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1930s and 40s: Post-War Boom Jackie Robinson & MLB
Truman integrates the US military Had been black regiments and white regiments
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1950s: Cold War gets Hot Cold War heats up Space Race
Churchhill states, “America at this moment, stands at the summit of the world.” Continued fight against communism Space Race Sputnik US encourages Math and Science education Neil Armstrong walks on the moon Brown v Board of Education Continued civil rights conflicts TVs in most homes Rock and Roll baby!!!
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Cold War Heats Up Communists Democracies
Stalin/Khruschev: Soviet Union Castro: Cuba Zedong: China Ho Chi Minh: Vietnam Democracies Truman: US Kennedy: US Nixon: US Reagan: US
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Cuban Revolution Fidel Castro Bay of Pigs Cuban Missile Crisis
Communist leader Allied with Soviet Union Bay of Pigs Cuban exiles sent to overthrow Castro Complete disaster Cuban Missile Crisis Russian missiles on Cuba Brink of War
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Cold War Arms Race
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1960s: Progress, Assassinations, and Civil Rights
TV’s influence on American culture Kennedy/Nixon debates Civil Rights movement Continued struggle with Jim Crow African Americans want equal rights Crusades for freedom Freedom Rides Civil rights activists rode buses on interstates to the South to protest segregated buses Sit-Ins Blacks would purposefully enter all white establishments and refuse to leave Violent and non-violent protests
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1960s: Progress, Assassinations, and Civil Rights
Civil Rights Environment Martin Luther King Letter From a Birmingham Jail Defends his plans for non-violent resistance Modeled his method of protest from Ghandi I Had a Dream Speech Urges Americans to “Make real the promises of democracy.” Tells of a world in which divisions by color no longer exist ?v=F0DgX0Tlv1s *For the first time citizens became aware of issues related to preserving the environment *Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” -documented the detrimental effects of the use of pesticides on the environment -encouraged gov’t intervention -Led to Earth Day -Led to the EPA *Environmental Protection Agency
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1960s: Progress, Assassinations, and Civil Rights
Civil Rights Act 1964 Voting Rights Act 1965
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1960s: Progress, Assassinations, and Civil Rights
The Warren Court Supreme Court had a liberal majority Expansion of federal gov’t power Many landmark decisions regarding civil liberties and civil rights Expansion of rights of the individual Miranda v Arizona Brown v BOE JFK’s assassination JFK had plans for monumental civil rights legislation Assassinated Nov 1963 in Dallas, TX Johnson picked up where JFK left off
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1960s: Progress, Assassinations, and Civil Rights
Johnson’s Great Society War on Poverty Medicare Cesar Chavez United Farm Workers
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1960s: Progress, Assassinations, and Civil Rights
National Organization of Women (NOW) Anti-War protesters
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1960s: Progress, Assassinations, and Civil Rights
1968 MLK Assassination RFK Assassination Democratic National Convention Vietnam War protesters Democratic candidates split over Vietnam Stay and fight? Bring troops home? Hotly debated! Fights broke out on the convention floor Led to a weakening of the Democratic party
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1960s: Progress, Assassinations, and Civil Rights
Conservative Movement Reaction to the liberal changes of the late 1950s and early 1960s Republican nominee 1964: Barry Goldwater Republican nominee 1968: Richard Nixon
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1970s: Goodbye Vietnam, A sneaky president, and the Middle East heats up
Nixon Opens China Watergate Scandal President Ford
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1970s: Important Legislation
Roe v Wade Abortion legal Right to privacy Right to end pregnancy Regents of the University of California v Bakke Affirmative Action Quotas for college admission
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1970s: Goodbye Vietnam, A sneaky president, and the Middle East heats up
Jimmy Carter Tension in the Middle East Camp David Accords Iran Iranian Hostage Crisis Iranian Revolution
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1980s: Cold War Cools, the US Economy
Reagan Reagonomics “Trickle down economics” Huge tax cuts, esp for business Money would trickle down to Lower classes Iran Contra Collapse of the Soviet Union “Good” relationship with Gorbechav Supported Russian attempts at reforming the economy Perestroika
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1990s: Balancing the Budget, Impeachment, Trade
Clinton NAFTA Impeachment Acquittal
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2000s: Who is the President?, 9/11, and the War on Terror
Bush 2000 Election 9/11 War on Terror Afghanistan Taliban Osama Bin Laden Al Qaeda Iraq Weapons of Mass Destruction Ending the Saddam Hussein regime
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