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End of the Korean War
"Ike" promised that, if elected president, he himself would go to Korea to end the war. Sure enough, an Armistice between North and South Korea was signed on July 27th. While this did create a ceasefire, it was not a political solution and not an actual peace treaty. http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-postwar/6038 -
Brown vs. Board of Education
After the Supreme Court of the United States heard the case for five months, it finally reached a conclusion. Legal segregation in schools was deemed unconstitutional. It did take many years before the racist south would integrate, but the Brown vs Board of Eductation ruling would later help segway into the Civil RIghts Act of 1964 http://myloc.gov/Exhibitions/naacp/civilrightsera/ExhibitObjects/AttorneysforBrownvBoard.aspx?Enlarge=true&ImageId=9e5865cf-d14a-46a7-929c-4b22f7b36910%3A6b0b531d-b6 -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man, a massive movement began. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People backed her up, and began walking to and from work every day. Although it took several months, it did have an effect. The Supreme Court then ruled, on November 13, 1956, that the montgomry busses be integrated. http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2009/01/3-the-watergate-scandal-top-10-mistakes-by-us-presidents/ -
President Eisenhower
After serving in World War two, President Eisenhower was elected president for two terms. While president, he personally went to Korea to end the Korean war, as well as introduced atomic weaponry into the armed forces. He also orderd the protection of the Little Rock Nine after the Brown v. Board of Education case. http://c250.columbia.edu/c250_celebrates/remarkable_columbians/dwight_d_eisenhower.html -
Little Rock Nine
Despite Brown vs Board of Education's overturning of seperate but equal schooling, it took three years before a court ordered Little Rock to integrate. On September fourth, Governor Faubus or Arkansas denied nine african american students from entering school. After President Eisenhower ordered federal protection, television stations broadcasted the injustice, causing many people to fight against inequality. -
101st airborn infantry
After the Little Rock Nine had become a nationwide issue, President Eisenhower ordered the 101st Airborn Infantry to protect the students. Although Brown v Board of Education had already concluded, the White House, prior to this, had stayed out of the civil rights issue. By ordering in the 101s airborn, people realized their president was enforcing equality, and thus the movement gained a lot of momentum. http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20120624/NEWS01/306300003/The-101st-Little-Rock-St -
President Kennedy
President Kennedy went through a lot of chaos during his presidency. The Bay of Pigs fiasco as well as the Cuban Missile Crisis tested his ability to think through horrifying situations. He was assassinated three years into his forst term as president. http://www.archives.com/genealogy/president-kennedy.html -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
President Kennedy, with help from the CIA, trained Cuban Refugees to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro, its dictator. The plan was for the exiles to invade with help from the US in airstrikes. Kennedy called off the air raid in the last moment, and the invasion failed horribly. Kennedy was able to maintain his popularity by taking full responsibility for the fiasco. http://personal.ashland.edu/~jmoser1/eikenberryinvasion.html -
Medgar evers Murdered
Medgar Evers, head of the Mississippi NAACP, was killed by Bryon De La Beckwith. He was shot in his driveway returning home to his family, on the same night that Kennedy addressed the nation on segregation. -
March on Washington
250,000 people of all corners of the earth came to Washington to hear Civil Rights leaders cry out for the injustice of racism. It was a huge turning point in the hunger for equality, in that it brought everyone from every color closer together. The March put enough pressure on Washington to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 http://19601106.nhd.weebly.com/index.html -
Birmingham Church Bombing
Four girls were attending Sunday School at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church one day when a bomb went off. All four girls were killed in the act of racism, and the man tried for the crime was never convicted. The attack, as well as the waterhoses used against nonviolent protestors, gathered nationwide attention to the civil rights cause http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/m_r/randall/birmingham.htm -
Diem Overthrown
Ngo Dinh Diem became the ruler of South Vietnam prior to the Vietnam War. However, he was not a very successful leader in that he was religiously biased. He was so much so that Buddhist monks would willingly set themselves aflame to protest his regime. With the ok from the US, the South Vietnamese overthrew DIem. However, his assassination was not in the agreement http://legacy.wilsoncenter.org/coldwarfiles/index-37333.html -
President Johnson
President Johnson was first the Vice President to JFK, until his assassination. During LBJ's time as president, he appointed Thirgood Marshall the first African American on the Supreme Court. He also greatly escalated the number of troops in Vietnam, and even created Medicare. http://library.thinkquest.org/08aug/01450/lyndonbjohnson.html -
War on Poverty
President Johnson, in his State of the Union Adress, declared a war on Poverty. Thus, congress went on to pass several acts including the Economic Oppritunity Act and the Social Security Act. Through LBJ, poverty dropped to 11% http://jacobt2.hubpages.com/hub/WaronPoverty -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964passed with overwhelming approval in the House of Representatives, 289-126. The act, much like Brown v Board, ended segregation, but this tim ein all legal jurisdictions. It also removed discrimination in jobs and founded the Equal Economic Oppritunity Comission.President Johnson signed the Act just hours after it passed. http://history.house.gov/HistoricalHighlight/Detail/37133 -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Aboard the USS Maddox, a US Naval destroyer, a call for help went out as North Vietnamese gunboats fired. Although no damage was done to the boat or crew, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. It let the president declare war on a foreign nation, particularly Vietnam, without congressional mandate. http://ows.edb.utexas.edu/site/lindseys-site/gulf-tonkin-background-information -
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall was the first African American to become a supreme court Justice under President Johnson. He spent 24 years protecting women and minorities from cases like PLessy v Ferguson. He is considered a great African American hero today. http://www.greatblackheroes.com/civil-rights/thurgood-marshall/ -
Selma to Montgomery
The first march involved 600 protestors, but were attacked by state policemen. After the television broadcasted the attrocities, MLK decided to march again two days later. This time, 2,500 people marched, but were forced to turn away after a judge placed a restraining order -
voting rights act 1965
Prior to this act, southern states were enforcing taxes or literacy tests to stop African Americans from voting. The act banned such tests or taxes from being implimented, thus ensuring truly equal votings rights. http://www.usm.edu/crdp/html/cd/vra65.htm -
Black Panthers
The Black Panthers formed in October of 1966, and became one of the most powerful organizations in the US. They followed police patrols in black neighborhoods to ensure safety, and started up dozens of comminuty service projects. It was through these that African Americans and pro-equality caucasians grouped up and worked together. http://www.blackpast.org/?q=aah/black-panther-party -
Tet Offensive
Starting in Khe Sanh, the communist North Vietnam launched the Tet Offensive, a plan to gain swift victory over the south and the US. At first the attacks were succesful, but US retaliation put an end to the offensive in February. However, back home, the Tet Offensive caused turmoil amung the American citizens over the Vietnam War http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=15748 -
MLK Jr. Assassinated
Martin Luther King Jr, a very well known civil rights leader,w as killed by James Earl Ray. King was staying at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, where he planned to lead another peaceful protest. He had founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and lead dozens of nonvolent protests including participation on the March on Wshington. http://www.maryferrell.org/wiki/index.php/Martin_Luther_King_Assassination -
Cuban Missile Crisis
In October of 1968, United States reconnaissance took photos of Soviet nukes in Cuba, President Kennedy cslled for a blockade around cuba to prevent the Russian ships from reaching and continuing construction of the missiles. Russia then told the US that if the naval blockade prevented a ship from passing, the nukes would be fired. Fortunately, the USSR boats turned around at the last moment, and nuclear war was avoided. http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2009/01/3-the-watergate-scandal-top-10-mis -
President Nixon
President Nixon was loved by the american people for the most of his term. He began pulling troops out of vietnam, a plan called Vietnamization, and effectivly ended US involvement. However, his downfall came with the Watergate Scandal, which revealed him to be spying on his opposing political party's meetings. http://nixonfoundation.org/president-richard-nixon/ -
Vietnamization
Nixon, shortly after winning the presidential election, began to pull troops out of Vietnam. The idea was to slowly hand the war back over to the Southern Vietnamese, and by the end of 1969, 69,000 troops had been removed.Vientamization took about two years, finishing in 1971.
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=15748 Photo: http://olive-drab.com/od_history_vietnam_nixon.php -
Nixon Goes to the USSR
Prior to this, the United States held a policy of containment, which essentially meant no friendly association with a communist country. However, Nixon realized the USSR was becoming a superpower, and there was no reason to risk another missile crisis.Both powers signed treaties to relieve tension between the nations http://www.xtimeline.com/evt/view.aspx?id=453289 -
The Watergate Scandal
Officer Frank Wills spotted a piece of duct tape on one of the doors at the Watergate Hotel, where Nixon's political opponents were gathering. After reporting the suspicious tape, chains of evidence lead to the White House. Nixon refused to know about any such break in attempt, but later became the first president to resign from office http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2009/01/3-the-watergate-scandal-top-10-mistakes-by-us-presidents/ -
Operation Linebacker II
The United States was tired of the war, and decided to use B-52's to win peace through bombardment. The entire attack took eleven nights and 15,000 tons of explosives dropped on Hanoi. The attack did bring the North Vietnamese to negotiation. http://www.afgsc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123328558 -
President Ford
President Ford was the first president to take office without ever being elected so. When President Nixon resigned, he pardoned the former president for the Watergate scandal, telling the American people they had to focus on more important problems like their economy. During his two years in office Ford lowered the inflation from 13% to 4.2 -
Ford Pardons Nixon
On September 8, 1974, Ford granted a full pardon for Nixon's Watergate crime. While many people who wanted to imprison Nixon were upset, Ford's pardon meant well. It did, however, cost him reelection. http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/ford.htm -
Proclamation 4383
President Ford wrote this in response to the Equal Rights Ammendments, which he strognly supported. He announced august 26 to be Women's Equality Day, and the ammendment was passed. http://www.xtimeline.com/evt/view.aspx?id=453289
