1. President George Herbert Walker Bush
41st President of the United States (1989–1993)

2. A new face
After serving as Vice President for Reagan, Bush ran for President in 1988.
Dan Quayle was his running mate. Although Bush won the country’s vote, the Democrats remained in control of the House & Senate.

3. Bush worked with Soviet leader Gorbachev to destroy nuclear weapons
Bush worked with Soviet leader Gorbachev to destroy nuclear weapons. Many Soviet people began to demand an end to Communism. By 1989, the Iron Curtain that separated Eastern & Western Europe began to crumble and borders were opened throughout Europe. The Berlin Wall came down on November 9, 1989 and in 1990, East & West Germany voted to reunite.

4. Bush declared a “war on drugs,” and his focus became Central America, specifically the country of Panama. He sent troops to Panama to overthrow their leader Manuel Noriega, who had been charged with drug trafficking. Noriega surrendered and the mission was a success.

5. Bush continued to be friendly with China despite human rights violations & events in Tiananmen Square…this allowed for U.S. trade with China to grow. Bush began Operation Desert Shield after Iraq invaded Kuwait. (Read p ) When Iraq refused to withdraw troops, Bush launched Operation Desert Storm.

6. The United States saw an economic downturn, which lead to a banking crisis and many bankruptcies.