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1950-2001. Important People, Events, and Developments. Early 1960’s. The Cold War is heating up! 1960: John F. Kennedy becomes president. 1961: The Berlin Wall is built by Eastern Germany (communist) to keep people from escaping. Cuban Missile Crisis.
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1950-2001 Important People, Events, and Developments
Early 1960’s • The Cold War is heating up! • 1960: John F. Kennedy becomes president. • 1961: The Berlin Wall is built by Eastern Germany (communist) to keep people from escaping.
Cuban Missile Crisis • 1962: The U.S. learns that the Soviet Union built missile launching pads in Cuba (who is communist). • President Kennedy orders: • U.S. Navy to block Soviet ships carrying missiles to Cuba. • Troops to Florida in case we needed to invade Cuba.
Whew! • An agreement was reached after 13 days. • The Soviet Union would remove missiles from Cuba. • The U.S. would not invade Cuba. • The “hot line” was set up between Washington and Moscow. • Both sides decided to limit nuclear testing to protect citizens.
Vietnam War • Vietnam- A country in Asia • North= Communists invades the South. • The U.S. helps the South in hopes of stopping the spread of communism. • America was divided over this war- • Doves vs Hawks • debt
1970’s • President Nixon visits China and the Soviet Union. • Improved relationships • Trading partners • Collaborate on scientific and cultural projects • Arms control • Vietnam War ends • 1973: cease-fire, American troops leave • 1975: North Vietnam wins= communism
Civil Rights Movement • Fight for • EQUALity- laws that guaranteed constitutional rights to all citizens regardless of race. • End discrimination (unfair treatment) • End segregation (separate) • Restaurants, movies, hotels, restrooms, water fountains, school
Brown v. Board of Education • 1954: Topeka, Kansas • Linda Brown- • 3rd grader • walked one mile to black school when white school was much closer. • Tried to go to white school, but principal refused. • Thurgood Marshall- • Linda Brown’s lawyer • Said separate schools violated the 14th Amendment • Supreme Court agreed and school segregation ended.
Montgomery Bus Boycott • Boycott: to stop using or buying something in protest • 1955: Montgomery, Alabama • Rosa Parks • Refused to give up her bus seat to a white man and was arrested. • Martin Luther King, Jr. • Led the nonviolent boycott of buses. • After a year, segregation of public transportation ended • Cost bus company a lot of money. • Supreme Court ruling
March on Washington • 1963: Washington, D.C. • 250,000 people gathered to get Congress’ attention to vote yes to pass civil rights laws. • They wanted equal rights and quality education for African Americans. • Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
“I Have a Dream” • “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” • Martin Luther King made an impact because he encouraged peaceful methods to make a difference.
Civil Rights Act • 1964: Outlawed discrimination based on color, race, or religion in places like restaurants, hotels, motels, and theaters. • Enforced an end to segregated schools (no federal money if segregated). • Said all races, male or female, should have equal chances to get a job.
Voting Rights Act • 1965 • 15th and 19th Amendments gave African American men and women the right to vote. • Some southern states gave literacy tests to keep blacks from voting. • This law put an end to the tests!
Assassinations • President John F. Kennedy • 1963: Dallas, TX: riding in a parade • He was a very popular president • Robert F. Kennedy • 1968: Los Angeles, CA: after speech at hotel • Was running for Democratic nomination for president • Martin Luther King, Jr. • 1968: Memphis, TN: balcony of hotel • Riots broke out across the country
TV • 1950: 1% of American homes have a TV • 1960: 90% • Today: about 99% have at least one • Changed • How Americans got their news (newspapers, radio) • Entertainment • Experience events all over the world
Space Exploration • Began in the 1960’s • Showed scientific talents of the U.S. • Space Race: to the moon • Soviets launched the 1st satellite in 1957 and 1st man in 1961 • 1961: 1st American in space • July 29, 1969: America wins! Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon! • Satellites improved communication • Space research led to useful products: smoke detectors, cordless tools, joysticks
Peace in the Middle East • Palestine: A strip of land on the Mediterranean Sea • Arabs and Jews have lived there for thousands of year. • It has had many different rulers. • Divided by religious, cultural, and political differences.
Palestine • 1947: The U.N. divides it into a Jewish state (Isreal) and Arab state. • The Arab countries rejected this and attacked Israel in 1948. Israel won and took over even more land. • U.S. presidents meet with leaders to help bring peace. (1978 Jimmy Carter, 1993 & 2000 Bill Clinton) • U.S. support of Israel has angered many Arab countries.
Afghanistan • Area of rich oil fields • 1979: Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan • America • reduced trade with the Soviet Union. • stopped supporting arms control. • 1980: President Carter kept American athletes from participating in the Olympic Games because they were held in Moscow. • 1988:Soviets removed troops
The Soviet Union • Late 1980’s: communism was struggling • economic problems • restless citizens • Mikhail Gorbachev- new leader, new changes • allowed freedom of speech • allowed citizens to own businesses • met with president Reagan
The Cold War Ends • 1989: The Berlin wall comes down!
A New Eastern Europe • 1991: Gorbachev outlawed the Communist party • 15 republics that made up the Soviet Union declared their independence (largest: Russia) • Economies were in ruins. • Old hatreds between people came to the surface. • The U.S. helps protect the rights of people in other countries. • Bosnia • Kosovo
The Gulf War • AKA “Operation Desert Storm” • 1990: Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, took over U.S. ally Kuwait- major producer of oil • President Bush sent troops to protect neighbor and ally Saudi Arabia • 27 countries attacked Iraq and pushed them out of Kuwait within 7 months.
9/11 • Terrorism: A deliberate use of violence to promote a cause • September 11, 2001: The worst act of terrorism in U.S. history • 4 hijacked American commercial planes • 2 planes crashed in to the twin towers of the World Trade Center • 1 plane crashed into the Pentagon, the nation’s military headquarters in Washington, D.C. • 1 plane crashed into an empty field near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (the White House, U.S. Capitol were thought to be targets)
9/11 Twin Towers • http://www.history.com/topics/9-11-attacks
War on Terrorism • President George Bush said America would fight back. • Find those responsible • Prevent terrorist activities all over the world • Includes • Increasing security • Searching for terrorists • Destroying terrorist camps • Forming alliances with other countries • Dealing with countries that let terrorists live there • Finding who gives terrorists money • Putting America’s military in position for action
Computers and the Internet • Personal computers were developed in the late 1970s to help businesses be more productive. • People started buying them for their homes. • The internet is a way of using a personal computer to get information and communicate.
How did they change American life? • With the computer and internet, people can: • work from home • research information • exchange information quickly • go to school online • communicate quickly • buy stuff