Contemporary America (1945-present)

  • Potsdam Conference

    Potsdam Conference
    Meeting between FDR, Churchill and Stalin to discuss postwar Germany and to discuss treaties and effects of war (Simkin).
  • Atomic Bombs dropped on Japan

    Atomic Bombs dropped on Japan
    Dropped respectively on the 6th and 9th, these atomic bombs killed over 100,000 civilians. This event led to Japan's surrender in WWII, officially ending the war (Simkin).
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Pxk4zy_SQw
  • Winston Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech

    Winston Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech
    The Iron Curtain is a termed used to divide East and West Europe. Those states on the western half were more influenced by the USSR and thus communism. Churchill addressed this fact in his speech (Simkin).
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2PUIQpAEAQ
  • Truman Doctrine Issued

    Truman Doctrine Issued
    Foreign policy of the United States to support other nations economically in fear they would otherwise fall to communism. Began with monetary support for Greece and Turkey (Simkin).
  • Marshall Plan Issued

    Marshall Plan Issued
    Similar to the Truman Doctrine, this plan provided $12 billions to western Europe in order to rebuild and prevent communism (Simkin).
  • Formation of NATO

    Formation of NATO
  • McCarthyism

    McCarthyism
    Senator McCarthy accuses 200+ Congressmen of being Communists. Launching internal investigations and lines of quesitoning (Simkin).
  • Brown v. Board of Education

    Brown v. Board of Education
    This case is decided in the Supreme Court, stating that segregation in schools is unconstitutional (History Channel).
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTGHLdr-iak
  • Rosa Parks rides the bus

    Rosa Parks rides the bus
    Parks refuses to give up her seat, leading into the Montgomery Bus Boycott where many black workers opted to not ride in protest (History Channel).
  • Little Rock Nine

    Little Rock Nine
    Nine black students are sent to a white school as an end to segregation. Protests arose and Eisenhower provides federal protection of the students (History Channel).
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym8rdtq-KBE
  • Woolworth Sit-in

    Woolworth Sit-in
    Four black protestors sit-in in a whites only seating at a Woolworth, requesting service. They refused to leave as other customers started getting violent, this led to other sit-ins around the country (History Channel).
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbbcjn4d1cE
  • Bay of Pigs Invasion

    Bay of Pigs Invasion
    This was a failed Cuban invasion by the CIA in an attempt to overthrow the communist government led by Fidel Castro. Cuba began to rise as a productive nation for the rest of the century (Simkin).
    https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwimnNaznLLgAhUJzIMKHdymD6oQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.history.com%2Fnews%2F5-things-you-might-not-know-about-the-bay-of-pigs-invasion&psig=AOvVaw0pMFKDCzPG48fADQNaoQEu&ust=1549924377982393
  • American troops enter South Vietnam

    American troops enter South Vietnam
  • Cuban Missile Crisis Ends

    Cuban Missile Crisis Ends
    This was a standoff between the US and USSR, who had missiles in Turkey and Cuba, respectively. The two feared actual nuclear war because of the proximity of the missiles (Simkin).
  • March on Washington

    March on Washington
    The purpose was to advocate to civil and economic rights for African Americans, MLK Jr. also delivers his "I Have A Dream" speech to press for racial equality (History Channel).
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smEqnnklfYs
  • Birmingham Bombing

    Birmingham Bombing
    At a baptist church in Alabama, four young African American girls were killed after an explosion, orchestrated by the KKK (History Channel).
    https://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/category/history/remembering-the-birmingham-church-bombing/
  • Civil Rights Act of 1964

    Civil Rights Act of 1964
    Johnson signs this act into law. It opposes discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin when it comes to voting, school, employment and public accommodations (History Channel).
  • Assassination of Malcom X

    Assassination of Malcom X
    Malcom X was a civil rights activist and Muslim who advocated for black nationalism and fair treatment of African Americans. He was shot by a Muslim who did not agree with his civil beliefs (History Channel).
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZDVnvJykp4
  • Selma to Montgomery March

    Selma to Montgomery March
    Peaceful marches by African Americans in Alabama because they wanted to use their right to vote. The first of the marches led to Bloody Sunday, as troopers attacked and gassed the marchers (History Channel).
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6InULio9fo
  • Voting Rights Act of 1965

    Voting Rights Act of 1965
    Federal legislation to protect voting rights of citizens regardless of race, a step towards equality for African Americans (History Channel).
  • MLK Jr. Assassinated

    MLK Jr. Assassinated
    MLK Jr. was on his hotel porch in Memphis when James Earl Ray shot the activist where he later died at the hospital (History Channel).
  • Nixon begins to withdraw troops from Vietnam

    Nixon begins to withdraw troops from Vietnam
    After years of war, no clear winning side, protests, and hundreds of thousands of casualties, Nixon begins withdraws (Simkin).
  • US and USSR sign agreement at SALT

    US and USSR sign agreement at SALT
    The Strategic Arms Limitations Talks occurred between the two superpowers and resulted in two treaties to reduce arms and missile attacks (Simkin).
  • Reagan ups the arms race

    Reagan ups the arms race
    Reagan announces he plans to spend $180 billion over 6 years to up the arms race and hopefully outspend the Soviets into surrender (Simkin).
  • Reagan and Gorbachev reduce nuclear arms

    Reagan and Gorbachev reduce nuclear arms
    Reagan and Gorbachev agree to eliminate intermediate-range nuclear forces, showing progress towards ending war and bettering relations (Simkin).
  • George H.W. Bush

    George H.W. Bush
    George H.W. Bush is inaugurated 41st president of the United States ("1950-1999", n.d.). George H. W. Bush beat the Democratic nominee, Michael Dukakis for the presidency (Knott, n.d.). This video from the History Channel shows experts from President Bush's inauguration speech. https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/inaugural-address-george-h-w-bush-video
  • End of Cold War

    End of Cold War
    USSR and US announce end of the Cold War. After reducing arms race and outspending each other (threatening economy), the war ends (Simkin).
  • U.S. Invades Panama

    U.S. Invades Panama
    The U.S invades Panama in order to capture General Manuel Noriega ("1950-1999", n.d.). General Manuel Noriega took control of the military and jeopardized Panama democracy and U.S.Nationals (History.com, 2010). Manuel was also accused of drug trafficking by the CIA (History.com, 2010). This is a good visual and break down of the Invasion of Panama https://youtu.be/bwG8RbiHFGA
  • U.S. Engages in the Persian Gulf War 1991

    U.S. Engages in the Persian Gulf War 1991
    The Persian Gulf war started when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990 (History.com, 2009). The U.S. and NATO sent an air force to drive Iraq out of Kuwait; this allied group mission was called Operation Desert Storm (History.com, 2009). https://youtu.be/xl_lctDXHuQ This video explains what the Persian Gulf War is.
  • Bill Clinton is Inaugurated in Office

    Bill Clinton is Inaugurated in Office
    Democratic nominee Bill Clinton beats George H.W. Bush as the 42nd President of the U.S. (Watson, 2012). President Clinton includes more minorities and women in his administration than any other president in the U.S. (Watson, 2012). He also appoints the second women supreme court justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, to office (Watson, 2012). This is President Clinton's Inauguration speech https://youtu.be/2SWjIPwm954
  • NAFTA

    NAFTA
    In January of 1994 the North American Free Trade Agreement came into affect between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico (Mcbride, 2018). This agreement got rid of tariffs put on products traded between all of these countries (Mcbride, 2018). NAFTA was a bipartisan agreement that grew the economies of all three countries(Mcbride, 2018). This is a NAFTA certificate of Origin https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2017-Apr/CBP%20Form%20434.pdf
  • Oklahoma Bomb

    Oklahoma Bomb
    The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was bombed by Timothy Mcveigh and Terry Nicholas (History.com, 2009). A Ryder Rental truck that pulled up next to the Federal building detonated a explosives killing 168 people and injuring hundreds ( History.com, 2009). Now, an Oklahoma City National Memorial sits on the site of the bombing (History.com, 2009). https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/oklahoma-city/ This is a series PBS did on the Oklahoma Bombing.
  • Clinton's Impeachment

    Clinton's Impeachment
    In 1996 President Clinton is reelected for his second term as president (BBC, n.d.). However, in 1998 a scandal over sexual relations with White House faculty, Monica Lewinski and President Clinton breaks to the public (BBC, n.d.). This eventually leads to Congress impeaching President Clinton (BBC, n.d.). This website shows Clinton's trial documents http://movies2.nytimes.com/library/politics/clintonlewinsky-documents.html
  • U.S Role in Yugoslavia Bombardment

    U.S Role in Yugoslavia Bombardment
    NATO launches an offensive attack on Yugoslavia in response to ethnic cleansing of Albanians from the Serbian Military (BBC, n.d.). The NATO force bombed the province of Kosovo where Serbian military forces where (History.com, 2010). Refugees of the conflict were air lifted and and placed in NATO nations (History.com, 2010). https://youtu.be/cQmBgnmMMH0 This is a documentary of the bombing.
  • President George W. Bush

    President George W. Bush
    President George W. Bush was elected President after defeating Al Gore for the 43rd U.S. President (History.com, 2009). President W. Bush served in Office from 2001 to 2009 and was son of George H.W. Bush (History.com, 2009). President Bush created the Department of Homeland Security and led the U.S. into Iraq and Afghanistan (History.com, 2009). This is President Bush inauguration speech https://youtu.be/rXzgMdj5urs
  • U.S. Led Attack on Afghanistan

    U.S. Led Attack on Afghanistan
    After the 9/11 tragedy the U.S. responded by bombing Afghanistan with an alliance of Britain, France, Germany, and Canada (History.com, 2010). The U.S. went into Afghanistan looking for Osama bin Laden, the planner of 9/11 (History.com, 2010). The Taliban, the extreme government in control of Afghanistan protected him and al-Qaeda (History.com, 2010). This is a timeline of just the "War on Terror" https://www.cfr.org/timeline/us-war-afghanistan
  • September 11th Attacks

    September 11th Attacks
    On September 11th, 2001, a group of militants part of al-Qaeda, an extremist Islamic group took over four planes and flew them into the two World Trade Centers in New York City, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania (History.com, 2010). 3,000 people died and the U.S. started to pursue the "War on Terror" (History.com, 2010). This is President's Bush response to 9/11 https://www.c-span.org/video/?165970-1/presidential-address
  • U.S. Invades Iraq

    U.S. Invades Iraq
    In 2003 President Bush sends troops to Iraq to start a war (History.com, 2009). President Bush justfies this war on the idea that Sudan Hussein was creating weapons of mass destruction (History.com, 2009).
  • Hurricane Katrina

    Hurricane Katrina
    Hurricane Katrina, a category 3 storm, hits the southern part of the U.S. (CNN, n.d.). The levees in New Orleans collapsed causing destructive flooding(CNN, n.d.). 1,833 people died either directly or indirectly from the storm (CNN, n.d.). This video take you day by day through Hurricane Katrina https://youtu.be/HbJaMWw4-2Q
  • The Collapse of the Lehman Brothers

    The Collapse of the Lehman Brothers
    The Lehman Brothers who owned an investment bank with 600 billion dollars in assets filed for bankruptcy (Pramuk, 2018). This sent the U.S. stock markets crashing causing the worst economic shock since the Great Depression (Pramuk, 2018). https://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2018/09/13/lehman-brothers-2008-crisis.cnnmoney/index.html This video explains what happened in 2008 and the lasting affects it had on the U.S economy.
  • Obama becomes President

    Obama becomes President
    In 2008 Barack Obama is elected president and is inaugurated as Americas 44th President (BBC, n.d.). Obama is the first black president in the U.S.(BBC,n.d.). Obama served in office from 2009 to 2017, and some of his most notable accomplishments include the signing of the Affordable Care Act, Paris Climate Agreement, and DACA (Nelson, n.d.). This is a snapshot of the President's time at the White House https://youtu.be/Y_-z8B_gx-Y
  • Baltimore Riots

    Baltimore Riots
    Riots started when a 25 year old African American died in police custody in Baltimore (Berlinger, 2015). Protesters were challenging the justice system and fighting back against police brutality (Berlinger,2 015). These are documents from the Freddie Gray Case
    https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/freddie-gray/bal-freddie-gray-documents-storygallery.html
  • Trump is elected President

    Trump is elected President
    Donald Trump is elected the 45th President of the U.S., and he surprisingly defeats democratic nominee Hilary Clinton ("The 2010's, n.d.). Trump's presidency has caused many controversies and is unprecedented in U.S. Politics (CNN, 2017). This is Trump's State of the Union Speech in 2019 https://youtu.be/w4FyVGtMa4s
  • Government Shutdown

    Government Shutdown
    The government shuts down because Congress did not pass a spending bill to fund the government (Haynes,2019). President Trump want money for a border wall while democrats in congress will not allow for the border wall (Haynes, 2018). Trump reopened the government for three weeks till a negoation can be made (Haynes, 2018). This is an article from the New York Times about the shutdown.
    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/25/us/politics/trump-shutdown-deal.html