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.