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Period: to
The 1990's-2010
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27th Amendment Ratification
The Twenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution states that any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of Congress may take effect only after the next election of the House of Representatives has occurred. voted by a unanimous vote of the Senate and by a vote of 414 to 3 in favor of “accepting” the Amendment as having been validly approved. 46 out of 50 states ratified the Amendment. This ensured nobody would get a raise mid-term. (NationalConstitutioncenter.org) -
Waco, Texas Seige
This 52 day long standoff between Branch Davidians and US Federal agents left 80 people dead. The TF obtained a warrant to search the religious cult's compound for illegally stockpiling weapons. Gunfire broke out initially and left many dead and wounded. The Davidians set the compound on fire the final day during gunfire altercations. This drew in American criticism throughout the nation for the use of tear gas and why the compound was not handled sooner due to child abuse claims. (Britannica). -
Bill Clinton's Affair
Bill Clinton had a sexual relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky beginning in 1995, and ending 18 months after in 1997. As more details came out, Independent Counsel Starr uncovered that President Clinton had lied about the affair under oath in a grand jury deposition that was originally about the Paula jones case. This ultimately really hurt President Clinton's image and the exploitation fo the affair was believed to be an attempt to derail his presidency. (Kruse, Zelizer 226). -
The Bombing of Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building
The truck bombing in Oklahoma City killed 168 people and left 600 injured. Fear spread across America as they assumed it was an Islamic terrorist attack. It was proved that this act of hatred was Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, both part of a white supremacy group. This clarified that there had been a massive rise in white hate groups throughout the 90s. These white "patriots" were growing increasingly frustrated immigration and federal regulation of western land. (Kruse, Zelizer 221) -
9/11 Attacks
9/11 changed America forever. Four Islamist suicide terrorist attacks were led by Al-Qaeda. 19 terrorists hijacked four planes on the East Coast, each with a different target. The North and South towers of the World Trade Center were hit, the Pentagon was hit and the fourth plane crashed before it reached its target. 2,996 people lost their lives and so many were injured and left with long-term health issues. This was the biggest terrorist attack and left Americans terrified. (Brittanica) -
President Bush's Ground Zero Speech
Standing on top of crumbled buildings, surrounded by thousands of fireman and first responders, President Bush gives arguably the most uplifting speeches through a megaphone to everyone there and everyone watching on television. This speech lifted American's spirits and gave them confidence in the government. President Bush stated, "I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon." (houseofarchives.gov) -
US invades Afghanistan
The Taliban refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda which resulted in the US fighting the "War on Terror" which lasted 20 years. NATO Allies went into Afghanistan after the 9/11 terrorist attacks to ensure that the country would not again become a safe haven for international terrorists to attack NATO member countries. Later, the US also invaded Iraq. On May 2, 2011 the US raided bin Laden's compound and killed him. (officeofhistorian.org) -
Iraq War Troop Surge
President Bush announces the US will be sending 30,000 military personnel to Iraq in order to provide security to Baghdad and Al Anbar Governorate. This leads to reductions in casualties and major victories for the coalition and Iraqi forces against the insurgency. At this time, 168,000 US troops were located in Iraq to fight the War on Terror. The Surge allowed troops to have more control over urban areas previously held by insurgents allowing for an overall slowdown of the fighting. (army.mil) -
Virginia Tech Massacre
Seung-Hui Cho killed 27 students and 5 professors, also while leaving dozens injured, using two automatic handguns before killing himself. This was the deadliest school shooting and mass shooting in US history at the time. This event led to many different debates about gun rights and gun control. It was later discovered that Cho suffered from many different mental health problems. This was the first of many school shootings in the US, unfortunately. -
Navy Allows Women in Submarines
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates gets Congress' attention with a letter stating the US Navy wants to reverse their policy of prohibiting service women onto submarines. It is later a success and women are welcomed aboard. Gates believed broadening their recruits exposure would ensure the US Navy's readiness if need be. For women, this was a monumental decision that changed lives all across America and as they believed, it was another step forward in Women's Rights. (usnavy.mil)