US History from 1945 - Present

1. US History from 1945 - Present From the Cold War to the Modern Age EOCT Review Griffin High School

2. SSUSH20 The student will analyze the domestic and international impact of the Cold War on the United States. • a. Describe the creation of the Marshall Plan, U.S. commitment to Europe, the Truman Doctrine, and the origins and implications of the containment policy. • b. Explain the impact of the new communist regime in China and the outbreak of the Korean War and how these events contributed to the rise of Senator Joseph McCarthy. • c. Describe the Cuban Revolution, the Bay of Pigs, and the Cuban missile crisis. • d. Describe the Vietnam War, the Tet Offensive, and growing opposition to the war. • e. Explain the role of geography on the U.S. containment policy, the Korean War, the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban missile crisis, and the Vietnam War.

3. The Marshall Plan • After World War II, much of Europe was in ruin • The United States and the USSR came out of WWII as superpower countries, largely untouched by the destruction of the war • In order to help Europe rebuild, the U.S. came up with the Marshall Plan a massive plan to bring aid to war-torn Europe • $17 Billion in aid was sent, but the Soviets rejected it

4. Crisis in Berlin - 1948 • When the United States tried bringing supplies and aid to the German capital of Berlin, the Soviets blockaded the city • This would lead to the Berlin Airlift, which was a series of airdrops of supplies into Berlin, humiliating the USSR and increasing the tension with them and the U.S. • This tension would lead to an indirect conflict of ideology, power, and influence between the U.S. and the Soviet Union that would span from 1945 until 1991 called the Cold War

5. The Truman Doctrine • Soviet leader Joseph Stalin wanted to spread communism in eastern Europe • As a result, he didn’t allow Russian occupied countries after the war to have free elections • Fearing the spread of communism and to protect democracy, President Truman enforced the Truman Doctrine • This is also known as “containment”, which means the U.S. would stop the spread of communism and support any country under its threat

6. China and Korea – 1949 - 53 • After World War II, civil warbroke out in China, between democratic and communist forces • The communists win under leader Mao Zedong • The People’s Republic of China, a communist government in China, was established n 1949. • Meanwhile, the small Asian country neighboring China, Korea, was split over the issue of communism • The Soviets and China supported communist North Korea, while the U.S. supported democratic South Korea • The Korean War would last from 1950-53, and would end in an armistice and no winner on either side

7. A Second Red Scare / McCarthyism • Communism caused a great deal of fear and paranoia in the 50s, especially with the threat of nuclear war being a possibility • This led to communist “witch hunts” with the worst being led by Joseph McCarthy, a Wisconsin Senator whose televised trials and accusations of innocent Americans as secret Soviet Spies caused a great deal of anxiety for the U.S.

8. Crisis In Cuba – 1959-62 • 1959 – The Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro overthrows the Cuban Republic and a communist government is established there • 1961 – President John F. Kennedy orders a CIA operation to overthrow Castro by invading Cuba via the Bay of Pigs. The invasion is a massive failure. • 1962 – The USSR begins building nuclear missile installations in Cuba • Kennedy responds to the Cuban Missile Crisis with a “naval quarantine”to block the Russians from bringing in the missiles • It’s a success and the Soviets back off. Kennedy and Soviet Leader Nikita Khrushchev eventually meet and discuss a better future between the U.S. and the Soviet Union

9. Vietnam – 1968-75 • The small southeast Asian country of Vietnam comes under the threat of communism • Eventually split between communist North Vietnam and democratic South Vietnam • Armed conflict begins when communist forces, AKA the Vietcong, attempt to overthrow South Vietnam and unite Vietnam as a communist country • Under presidents Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy, U.S. involvement remains limited, but under presidents Lyndon B. Johnson & Richard Nixon, the war intensifies from 1968 - 1975 • Johnson begins a policy of escalation and basically had full military control as set forth by the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

10. Vietnam – 1968-75 • Guerilla warfare by the Vietcong and the U.S. soldiers’ lack of knowledge of Vietnamese geography made the war difficult to win • The war grows increasingly unpopular after the Tet Offensive in January of 1968 • The Vietcong lose the battle, but much of the Offensive was covered by journalists and seen on TV • The Anti-War Movement gains a great deal of momentum during this time • Under President Gerald Ford in 1975, an armistice is signed and the U.S. officially ends its part in the Vietnam Conflict • Soon after, the Vietcong overwhelm South Vietnamese forces and Vietnam would become a united communist country

11. SSUSH21 The student will explain the impact of technological development and economic growth on the United States, 1945-1975. • a. Describe the baby boom and its impact as shown by Levittown and the Interstate Highway Act. • b. Describe the impact television has had on American culture; include the presidential debates (Kennedy/Nixon, 1960) and news coverage of the Civil Rights Movement. • c. Analyze the impact of technology on American life; include the development of the personal computer and the expanded use of air conditioning. • d. Describe the impact of competition with the USSR as evidenced by the launch of Sputnik I and President Eisenhower’s actions.

12. Economic and Technological Developments Post-WWII • With the Allied victory in WWII, American soldiers came home happy and ready to be prosperous, leading to a huge spike in births between 1945 and 1960 • The baby boom led to an estimated 50 million births in the United States • Housing in the U.S. also grew with the creation of suburban communities and mass produced cheap housing • The first of these “Levittowns” were built in Pennsylvania and New York • Americans enjoyed comforts such as air conditioning at home • The nation became more connected and mobility increased with the passage of the Interstate Highway Act by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 • In the 1960s, the first personal computers were invented and made available

13. The TV Age • The 1950s saw the Age of TV, which would impact the U.S. in more ways than entertainment • Kennedy/Nixon Debates – Kennedy’s charm and allure on TV gave him an edge over Nixon in the Election of 1960 • Civil Rights Movement – Violence against peaceful protesters helped garner support for the movement against segregation • The Vietnam War – The televised Tet Offensive led to more support for the Anti-War movement

14. The Space Race – 50s and 60s • In addition to the intense nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union, the Space Race was also a test of who was the dominant power in the world • The Soviets win the race to space when they launch the first ever manmade satellite into space, Sputnik I in 1957 • The United States under President Eisenhower begins devoting more and more resources to space exploration • The National Aeronautics and Space Admin., or NASA is created in 1958 • The US is the first country to the moon in 1968

15. SSUSH22 The student will identify dimensions of the Civil Rights Movement, 1945-1970. • a. Explain the importance of President Truman’s order to integrate the U.S. military and the federal government. • b. Identify Jackie Robinson and the integration of baseball. • c. Explain Brown v. Board of Education and efforts to resist the decision. • d. Describe the significance of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail and his I Have a Dream Speech. • e. Describe the causes and consequences of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

16. The Civil Rights Movement • Though slavery was over in 1865, legal segregation, or Jim Crow laws still plagued African-Americans in the South and remained a moral issue for the U.S. • President Harry Truman made the first steps towards mass integration when he integrated the U.S. military in 1947 • Baseball player Jackie Robinson becomes a major civil rights figure as the first African-American player in Major League Baseball • The Supreme Court gave the Movement another victory with Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka, KSwhich declared legal segregation unconstitutional, striking out the 1896 decision Plessy v. Ferguson • The Movement gains momentum under young Baptist minister Martin Luther King, Jr., who gains notoriety for his work with the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 • The boycott was set off by the refusal of Rosa Parks to give her seat on the bus to a white man

17. The Civil Rights Movement • King set up the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, or SCLC, and used non-violence as the main tactic against segregation • Examples: Sit-ins, freedom rides, freedom marches • All these were met with violence in the South and King was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama • King’s Letter From A Birmingham Jail was an inspiring example of non-violence in the face of violence • August 1963 – Washington D.C., the Civil Rights Movement peaks here, and it is here that King gives his “I Have A Dream Speech”, which becomes the deep and heartfelt cry of the movement • November 1963 – The assassination of JFK leads to more sympathy for the Civil Rights Movement • The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ends legal segregation in the U.S. • The Voting Rights Act of 1965 ends voter discrimination against minorities

18. SSUSH23 The student will describe and assess the impact of political developments between 1945 and 1970. • a. Describe the Warren Court and the expansion of individual rights as seen in the Miranda decision. • b. Describe the political impact of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy; include the impact on civil rights legislation. • c. Explain Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society; include the establishment of Medicare. • d. Describe the social and political turmoil of 1968; include the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, and the events surrounding the Democratic National Convention.

19. The Warren Court • Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren was one of the most influential men in America • He and the court under him set a great deal of precedents that expanded individual rights • Brown v. BOE – Struck down segregation • Miranda v. Arizona – Accused must be notified of their rights

20. Assassinations during the 60s • John F. Kennedy– Devastated the nation but also increased sympathy for the Civil Rights Mov’t • Martin Luther King, Jr. – Led to violent leaders and groups such as Malcolm X and the Black Panthers • Robert F. Kennedy – Weakened the Democratic Party’s chances in the Election of 1968; also damaged America’s hope and morale

21. Johnson’s Great Society • 1964 – President Lyndon Johnson was shocked at the large numbers of Americans in poverty • He comes up with a series of programs called the Great Society • Medicare – Healthcare for the elderly 65 and up • Medicaid – Healthcare for the needy

22. 1968 Democratic National Convention • 1968 – Johnson retires and Robert F. Kennedy is assassinated, leaving the Democratic Party severely weakened • The Vietnam War is immensely unpopular • At the 1968 Democratic National Convention, thousands of Anti-War protesters show up protesting the war • The protest turns violent, paving the way for the victory of Republican Richard Nixon in the Election of 1968

23. SSUSH24 The student will analyze the impact of social change movements and organizations of the 1960s. • a. Compare and contrast the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) tactics; include sit-ins, freedom rides, and changing composition. • b. Describe the National Organization of Women and the origins and goals of the modern women’s movement. • c. Analyze the anti-Vietnam War movement. • d. Analyze Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers’ movement. • e. Explain the importance of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and the resulting developments; include Earth Day, the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the modern environmental movement. • f. Describe the rise of the conservative movement as seen in the presidential candidacy of Barry Goldwater (1964) and the election of Richard M. Nixon (1968).

24. The SCLC and the SNCC • Compare and contrast the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee • SCLC – Christian based; non-violent • SNCC – Not religiously affiliated; nonviolent; more young people; more forceful and demanding

25. The Women’s Movement • The Feminist Movement gains momentum in the 1960s • The National Organization for Women (NOW) was established in 1966 • Fighting for rights and equal treatment of women in the U.S.

26. The United Farm Worker’s Movement • Mexican-American Cesar Chavez was a farm worker who began to advocate for Latin American civil rights in the U.S. • 1960s – Chavez founds United Farm Workers • Chavez won better working conditions and higher wages for Latin Americans in the United States

27. The Environmental Movement • Rachel Carson’s wrote the book Silent Spring and released it in 1962 • It led to widespread awareness of the environment leading to: • Earth Day • The EnvironmentalProtection Agency

28. The Rise of Conservatism • The unrest of the largely Democratic Party-led 1960s led to a call for conservative leaders in the United States • 1964 – Barry Goldwater runs but loses against Johnson • 1968 – Nixon wins the presidency

29. SSUSH25 The student will describe changes in national politics since 1968. • a. Describe President Richard M. Nixon’s opening of China, his resignation due to the Watergate scandal, changing attitudes toward government, and the Presidency of Gerald Ford. • b. Explain the impact of Supreme Court decisions on ideas about civil liberties and civil rights; include such decisions as Roe v. Wade (1973) and the Bakke decision on affirmative action. • c. Explain the Carter administration’s efforts in the Middle East; include the Camp David Accords, his response to the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and the Iranian hostage crisis. • d. Describe domestic and international events of Ronald Reagan’s presidency; include Reaganomics, the Iran-contra scandal, and the collapse of the Soviet Union. • e. Explain the relationship between Congress and President Bill Clinton; include the North American Free Trade Agreement and his impeachment and acquittal. • f. Analyze the 2000 presidential election and its outcome, emphasizing the role of the electoral college. • g. Analyze the response of President George W. Bush to the attacks of September 11, 2001, on the United States, the war against terrorism, and the subsequent American interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

30. President Richard Nixon – 1968 - 74 • Nixon made large steps to a better relationship with communist powers • Russia and especially China • Nixon visits the country and spends some time with Mao Zedong • The “Opening of China” • Nixon, however, is caught up in the Watergate Scandal – illegal wiretapping of opponents • He resigns the presidency on August 9th, 1974

31. President Gerald Ford 1974 - 77 • Ford is the first unelected president in U.S. History • Under his administration, the U.S. ends its involvement in Vietnam • He formally pardons Nixon for Watergate, causing a drop in his popularity

32. President Jimmy Carter – 1977 - 81 • Carter defeats Ford in the Election of 1976 • Carter charmed America with his laid-back and “down home” approach to the presidency • He was from the state of Georgia • He successfully orchestrated peace between Israel and Egypt with the Camp David Accords • 1979 – Iran has a revolution, and Carter allows the escaped shah (leader) into the U.S. • In turn, Iranian revolutionaries take 52 Americans hostage from an American Embassy • They are held for 444 days and Carter is unable to negotiate their release during his presidency • He is also unable to revive the stagnant economy or the energy crisis

33. President Ronald Reagan – 1981 - 89 • Reagan defeats the unpopular Carter in 1980 • A Republican, Reagan resembles a new conservatism in America • His economic plan, Reaganomics or “supply-side” economics, revives the economy • He cut taxes for the wealthy, therefore boosting the economy overall – “trickle down” effect • He poured lots of money into military spending – Strategic Defense Initiative, AKA “Star Wars” is proposed to help defend the U.S. from a Soviet missile attack • Reagan is almost implicated but found innocent when his administration negotiated with Iran to get money to fund anti-communist forces in Nicaragua • The Iran-Contra Affair led to convictions of several people in Reagan’s administration but not Reagan himself

34. President George H.W. Bush – 1989 - 93 • Riding on Reagan’s popularity, George H.W. Bush, Reagan’s Vice-President, becomes our 41st President in the Election of 1988 • 1991 – He sends troops into Iraq when leader Saddam Hussein begins an invasion of its small neighbor country Kuwait • This is known as Operation: Desert Storm

35. President Bill Clinton – 1993 - 2001 • Clinton defeats Bush in the Election of 1992 • Clinton faces difficulties with a Republican majority Congress • However he is able to jumpstart the economy • He signs the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), eliminating tariffs in North American trade • Involved in a scandal involving a sexual relationship with an intern – Monica Lewinsky • Clinton denies involvement initially, but when evidence surfaces, impeachment charges are brought forth • Clinton is impeached but still avoids removal and leaves the presidency still popular

36. President George W. Bush – 2001 - 09 • George W. Bush defeats Clinton’s VP Al Gore in the Election of 2000 • Gore won the popular vote, but Bush won the Electoral College • It is the closest election in U.S. History • It all came down to votes in Florida • Eventually the Supreme Court gets involved and calls the election for Bush, who becomes the 43rd President

37. President George W. Bush – 2001 - 09 • September 11th, 2001 – Terrorists in 3 hijacked passenger planes crash into targets in New York City and Washington, D.C. • A 4th plane was hijacked but a passenger takeover leads to the plane crashing in a field in Pennsylvania • Over 3,000 Americans are killed • America is devastated but returns with a fury when it finds that terrorist group Al Qaeda led by Osama Bin Laden is responsible • Bin Laden is hiding in Afghanistan, being harbored by another terrorist group, the Taliban • When the Taliban refuse to hand over Bin Laden, the U.S. invades Afghanistan and overthrows the Taliban in just 3 months, launching the global War on Terror

38. President George W. Bush – 2001 - 09 • Bush then turns his attention to Iraq, where Saddam Hussein still is in power, and refusing to allow U.N. inspectors to check Iraqi facilities for weapons of mass destruction • The U.S. invades Iraq on March 20th, 2003 • The war lasts 8 years • Hussein is overthrown, and eventually captured and executed for crimes against humanity