1930s-1940s: The New Deal and WWII

1930s–1940s: The New Deal and WWII

• The New Deal significantly increased the federal government's role in economic regulation and social welfare.
• The Neutrality Act of 1935 aimed to keep the U.S. out of war by prohibiting arms sales and loans to warring nations.
• FDR supported Allied nations through measures like Lend-Lease to prepare for potential involvement in WWII.
• The America First Committee advocated for U.S. isolationism during WWII.
• Lend-Lease enabled the U.S. to aid Allies without direct military involvement.
• The U.S. declared war on Japan (Dec. 8, 1941) and Germany/Italy (Dec. 11, 1941).
• Key WWII battles for the U.S. included Midway (1942), D-Day (1944), and Iwo Jima (1945).
• The Fair Employment Practices Commission addressed racial discrimination in wartime industries and government.
• Black soldiers in WWII served in segregated units but played a part in the postwar desegregation of the military.
• The Zoot Suit Riots (1943) involved violent clashes in Los Angeles between servicemen and Mexican American youths.
• Over 120,000 Japanese Americans were interned in relocation centers due to wartime fears and prejudice.
• The Manhattan Project developed the atomic bomb during WWII.
• The first atomic bomb was detonated in New Mexico on July 16, 1945.

1940s–1950s: Post-War and Cold War

• Truman advocated for desegregation in the military and anti-discrimination measures.
• Truman warned Japan with the Potsdam Declaration, threatening "utter destruction" if they did not surrender.
• The containment policy aimed to prevent the spread of communism globally.
• The Truman Doctrine supported Greece and Turkey against communist influence with aid.
• The Marshall Plan funded post-WWII European recovery to avert communist expansion.
• The Berlin Airlift (1948-1949) supplied West Berlin during the Soviet blockade.
• NATO was formed in 1949 as a military alliance against Soviet threats.
• Post-WWII American women faced pressure to leave jobs to returning servicemen, influencing future feminist movements.
• The Korean War started with North Korea's invasion of South Korea in 1950, leading to U.S. involvement under the containment policy.
• General Douglas MacArthur was dismissed by Truman for insubordination during the Korean War.
• The House Un-American Activities Committee investigated alleged communist influence in the U.S.
• Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed in 1953 for alleged Soviet espionage.
• The U.S. economy boomed in the 1950s due to consumerism and technological advancements.
• The post-WWII "Baby Boom" saw a significant increase in birth rates.
• The arms race was a nuclear competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
• Alan Shepard became the first American in space in 1961.
• The Apollo program's goal was to land humans on the moon, achieved in 1969.

1950s–1960s: Civil Rights and Cultural Shifts

• The 1950s saw substantial suburban growth driven by housing and car culture.
• NBC, CBS, and ABC dominated 1950s television networks, heavily influencing American culture.
• Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" symbolized the Beat Generation's rebellion against mainstream culture.
• Elvis Presley popularized rock 'n' roll in the 1950s.
• The Supreme Court's 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision declared school segregation unconstitutional.
• The Little Rock Nine integrated a high school in Arkansas under federal protection in 1957.
• The Montgomery Bus Boycott, sparked by Rosa Parks in 1955, was a pivotal Civil Rights event.
• Factors contributing to the Civil Rights Movement included WWII's impact, media coverage, and grassroots organizing.
• Eisenhower spearheaded the creation of the Interstate Highway System.
• John F. Kennedy faced challenges as a Catholic candidate in a largely Protestant nation.
• Kennedy's "New Frontier" promoted social programs, space exploration, and civil rights.
• The Warren Commission concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in JFK's assassination.

1960s–1970s: Civil Rights, Vietnam, and Political Change

• Medicare, part of LBJ's Great Society, provided health insurance to the elderly (1965).
• The Immigration Act of 1965 abolished the National Origins Formula, increasing immigration from non-European countries.
• Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech advocated for racial equality and desegregation (1963).
• "Black Power" emphasized racial dignity, self-reliance, and equality in the 1960s.
• Malcolm X championed black empowerment and later racial unity as a prominent figure in the Nation of Islam.
• The Bay of Pigs invasion was a failed 1961 CIA-backed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro.
• The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 1962 standoff over Soviet missiles in Cuba nearly triggering nuclear war.
• LBJ's Great Society aimed to reduce poverty and inequality but had mixed results.
• The National Liberation Front, allied with the Viet Cong, fought against the U.S.-backed South Vietnamese government.
• The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution authorized Johnson to escalate U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
• The Tet Offensive (1968) shifted public opinion against the Vietnam War.
• The Ho Chi Minh Trail facilitated North Vietnam's supply route to the Viet Cong.
• Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1968 during his presidential campaign.
• The youth counterculture rejected traditional values, promoting peace, love, and anti-establishment ideals.
• Woodstock (1969) symbolized the counterculture movement promoting peace and music.
• The Stonewall Riots (1969) spurred LGBTQ+ rights movements.
• Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique" criticized limited roles for women (1963).
• Roe v. Wade (1973) legalized abortion in the U.S.
• Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" (1962) warned about pesticide dangers.
• Vietnamization aimed to withdraw U.S. troops in Vietnam.

1970s–1980s: The Cold War and Shifting Politics

• Strategic Arms Limitation Treaties (SALT) limited nuclear weapons.
• The Yom Kippur War prompted U.S. intervention and changed Middle Eastern politics (1973).
• The Nixon Doctrine supported allies but not necessarily with U.S. troops.
• Engel v. Vitale (1962) ruled against prayer in public schools.
• Miranda v. Arizona (1966) required police to inform suspects of their rights.
• Bakke v. Board of Regents of California (1978) upheld affirmative action.
• The Watergate scandal led to Nixon's resignation in 1974.
• Ford faced criticism for pardoning Nixon.
• Carter was elected in 1976, promising integrity and honesty.
• Carter focused on human rights and energy independence.
• Iranian militants took U.S. embassy staff hostage in 1979, demanding the Shah's return.
• The Christian Right combined conservative Christian values with Republican support.
• Reagan promoted limited government, tax cuts, and a strong military.
• Reaganomics emphasized tax cuts, deregulation, and free-market principles.
• Reagan called the Soviet Union the "evil empire."
• The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) proposed a missile defense system.
• Sandra Day O'Connor became the first female Supreme Court justice.

1990s–2000s: Post-Cold War and Globalization

• The Gulf War (1991) expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait.
• NAFTA (1994) eliminated trade barriers among U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
• Clinton's administration achieved a budget surplus in the 1990s.
• Clinton faced partisan divisions in his legislative efforts.
• Clinton was re-elected in 1996.
• Clinton was impeached but acquitted.
• NATO intervened in the Kosovo conflict.
• Bush (2000) won a contested presidential election.
• Bush's domestic policy included tax cuts, education reform, and Medicare prescription drug benefits.
• Obama's economic policies addressed the Great Recession with stimulus and reforms.
• Obama prioritized ending the Iraq War and improving relations with Russia.

2010s–2020s: Recent Politics and Global Challenges

• Trump promised a border wall, tax cuts, and "America First" policy.
• Early personal computers like the Apple I and IBM PC (1970s/80s) revolutionized technology.
• The right-to-life movement opposed abortion and protected unborn children.
• The AIDS epidemic in the 1980s–1990s became a public health crisis.
• The Trump administration rolled back LGBTQ+ protections.
• The September 11th terrorist attacks led to the War on Terror and policy shifts.
• Timothy McVeigh was responsible for the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

Test your knowledge on the New Deal and the major events of World War II as they unfolded in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s. This quiz covers key policies, significant battles, and the impact on society, including racial issues and isolationism.