US History from 1945 - Present
From the Cold War to the Modern Age
EOCT Review
Griffin High School
SSUSH20 The student will analyze the domestic
and international impact of the Cold War on the
United States.
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a. Describe the creation of the Marshall Plan, U.S.
commitment to Europe, the Truman Doctrine, and the
origins and implications of the containment policy.
b. Explain the impact of the new communist regime in
China and the outbreak of the Korean War and how these
events contributed to the rise of Senator Joseph
McCarthy.
c. Describe the Cuban Revolution, the Bay of Pigs, and the
Cuban missile crisis.
d. Describe the Vietnam War, the Tet Offensive, and
growing opposition to the war.
e. Explain the role of geography on the U.S. containment
policy, the Korean War, the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban missile
crisis, and the Vietnam War.
The Marshall Plan
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After World War II, much of Europe was in
ruin
The United States and the USSR came
out of WWII as superpower countries,
largely untouched by the destruction of the
war
In order to help Europe rebuild, the U.S.
came up with the Marshall Plan a massive
plan to bring aid to war-torn Europe
$17 Billion in aid was sent, but the
Soviets rejected it
Crisis in Berlin - 1948
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When the United States tried bringing
supplies and aid to the German capital of
Berlin, the Soviets blockaded the city
This would lead to the Berlin Airlift, which
was a series of airdrops of supplies into
Berlin, humiliating the USSR and increasing
the tension with them and the U.S.
This tension would lead to an indirect
conflict of ideology, power, and influence
between the U.S. and the Soviet Union that
would span from 1945 until 1991 called
the Cold War
The Truman Doctrine
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Soviet leader Joseph Stalin wanted to spread
communism in eastern Europe
As a result, he didn’t allow Russian occupied
countries after the war to have free elections
Fearing the spread of communism and to protect
democracy, President Truman enforced the
Truman Doctrine
This is also known as “containment”, which means
the U.S. would stop the spread of communism and
support any country under its threat
China and Korea – 1949 - 53
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After World War II, civil war broke out in China,
between democratic and communist forces
The communists win under leader Mao Zedong
The People’s Republic of China, a communist
government in China, was established n 1949.
Meanwhile, the small Asian country neighboring
China, Korea, was split over the issue of
communism
The Soviets and China supported communist North
Korea, while the U.S. supported democratic South
Korea
The Korean War would last from 1950-53, and
would end in an armistice and no winner on either
side
A Second Red Scare / McCarthyism
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Communism caused a great deal of fear
and paranoia in the 50s, especially with
the threat of nuclear war being a
possibility
This led to communist “witch hunts” with
the worst being led by Joseph
McCarthy, a Wisconsin Senator whose
televised trials and accusations of
innocent Americans as secret Soviet Spies
caused a great deal of anxiety for the
U.S.
Crisis In Cuba – 1959-62
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1959 – The Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro
overthrows the Cuban Republic and a communist
government is established there
1961 – President John F. Kennedy orders a CIA
operation to overthrow Castro by invading Cuba via
the Bay of Pigs. The invasion is a massive failure.
1962 – The USSR begins building nuclear missile
installations in Cuba
Kennedy responds to the Cuban Missile Crisis with
a “naval quarantine” to block the Russians from
bringing in the missiles
It’s a success and the Soviets back off. Kennedy
and Soviet Leader Nikita Khrushchev eventually
meet and discuss a better future between the U.S.
and the Soviet Union
Vietnam – 1968-75
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The small southeast Asian country of Vietnam
comes under the threat of communism
Eventually split between communist North Vietnam
and democratic South Vietnam
Armed conflict begins when communist forces, AKA
the Vietcong, attempt to overthrow South Vietnam
and unite Vietnam as a communist country
Under presidents Truman, Eisenhower, and
Kennedy, U.S. involvement remains limited, but
under presidents Lyndon B. Johnson & Richard
Nixon, the war intensifies from 1968 - 1975
Johnson begins a policy of escalation and basically
had full military control as set forth by the Gulf of
Tonkin Resolution
Vietnam – 1968-75
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Guerilla warfare by the Vietcong and the U.S.
soldiers’ lack of knowledge of Vietnamese
geography made the war difficult to win
The war grows increasingly unpopular after the Tet
Offensive in January of 1968
The Vietcong lose the battle, but much of the
Offensive was covered by journalists and seen on TV
The Anti-War Movement gains a great deal of
momentum during this time
Under President Gerald Ford in 1975, an armistice
is signed and the U.S. officially ends its part in the
Vietnam Conflict
Soon after, the Vietcong overwhelm South
Vietnamese forces and Vietnam would become a
united communist country
SSUSH21 The student will explain the impact of
technological development and economic
growth on the United States, 1945-1975.
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a. Describe the baby boom and its impact as shown by
Levittown and the Interstate Highway Act.
b. Describe the impact television has had on American
culture; include the presidential debates (Kennedy/Nixon,
1960) and news coverage of the Civil Rights Movement.
c. Analyze the impact of technology on American life;
include the development of the personal computer and the
expanded use of air conditioning.
d. Describe the impact of competition with the USSR as
evidenced by the launch of Sputnik I and President
Eisenhower’s actions.
Economic and Technological Developments
Post-WWII
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With the Allied victory in WWII, American soldiers came
home happy and ready to be prosperous, leading to a
huge spike in births between 1945 and 1960
The baby boom led to an estimated 50 million births in
the United States
Housing in the U.S. also grew with the creation of
suburban communities and mass produced cheap
housing
The first of these “Levittowns” were built in Pennsylvania
and New York
Americans enjoyed comforts such as air conditioning at
home
The nation became more connected and mobility
increased with the passage of the Interstate Highway
Act by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956
In the 1960s, the first personal computers were
invented and made available
The TV Age
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The 1950s saw the Age of TV, which would impact
the U.S. in more ways than entertainment
Kennedy/Nixon Debates – Kennedy’s charm and
allure on TV gave him an edge over Nixon in
the Election of 1960
Civil Rights Movement – Violence against
peaceful protesters helped garner support for
the movement against segregation
The Vietnam War – The televised Tet Offensive
led to more support for the Anti-War
movement
The Space Race – 50s and 60s
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In addition to the intense nuclear arms race with the
Soviet Union, the Space Race was also a test of
who was the dominant power in the world
The Soviets win the race to space when they launch
the first ever manmade satellite into space, Sputnik
I in 1957
The United States under President Eisenhower
begins devoting more and more resources to space
exploration
The National Aeronautics and Space Admin., or
NASA is created in 1958
The US is the first country to the moon in 1968
SSUSH22 The student will identify dimensions
of the Civil Rights Movement, 1945-1970.
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a. Explain the importance of President Truman’s order to
integrate the U.S. military and the federal government.
b. Identify Jackie Robinson and the integration of
baseball.
c. Explain Brown v. Board of Education and efforts to
resist the decision.
d. Describe the significance of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s
Letter from a Birmingham Jail and his I Have a Dream
Speech.
e. Describe the causes and consequences of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The Civil Rights Movement
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Though slavery was over in 1865, legal segregation, or
Jim Crow laws still plagued African-Americans in the
South and remained a moral issue for the U.S.
President Harry Truman made the first steps towards
mass integration when he integrated the U.S. military in
1947
Baseball player Jackie Robinson becomes a major civil
rights figure as the first African-American player in Major
League Baseball
The Supreme Court gave the Movement another victory
with Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka, KS which
declared legal segregation unconstitutional, striking out
the 1896 decision Plessy v. Ferguson
The Movement gains momentum under young Baptist
minister Martin Luther King, Jr., who gains notoriety for
his work with the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955
The boycott was set off by the refusal of Rosa Parks to
give her seat on the bus to a white man
The Civil Rights Movement
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King set up the Southern Christian Leadership Conference,
or SCLC, and used non-violence as the main tactic against
segregation
Examples: Sit-ins, freedom rides, freedom marches
All these were met with violence in the South and King
was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama
King’s Letter From A Birmingham Jail was an inspiring
example of non-violence in the face of violence
August 1963 – Washington D.C., the Civil Rights
Movement peaks here, and it is here that King gives his “I
Have A Dream Speech”, which becomes the deep and
heartfelt cry of the movement
November 1963 – The assassination of JFK leads to more
sympathy for the Civil Rights Movement
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ends legal segregation in
the U.S.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 ends voter
discrimination against minorities
SSUSH23 The student will describe and assess
the impact of political developments between
1945 and 1970.
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a. Describe the Warren Court and the expansion of
individual rights as seen in the Miranda decision.
b. Describe the political impact of the assassination of
President John F. Kennedy; include the impact on civil
rights legislation.
c. Explain Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society; include the
establishment of Medicare.
d. Describe the social and political turmoil of 1968;
include the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and
Robert F. Kennedy, and the events surrounding the
Democratic National Convention.
The Warren Court
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Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren was one
of the most influential men in America
He and the court under him set a great deal of
precedents that expanded individual rights
Brown v. BOE – Struck down segregation
Miranda v. Arizona – Accused must be notified of
their rights
Assassinations during the 60s
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John F. Kennedy– Devastated the nation but also
increased sympathy for the Civil Rights Mov’t
Martin Luther King, Jr. – Led to violent leaders
and groups such as Malcolm X and the Black
Panthers
Robert F. Kennedy – Weakened the Democratic
Party’s chances in the Election of 1968; also
damaged America’s hope and morale
Johnson’s Great Society
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1964 – President Lyndon Johnson was
shocked at the large numbers of Americans
in poverty
He comes up with a series of programs
called the Great Society
Medicare – Healthcare for the elderly 65
and up
Medicaid – Healthcare for the needy
1968 Democratic National Convention
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1968 – Johnson retires and Robert F.
Kennedy is assassinated, leaving the
Democratic Party severely weakened
The Vietnam War is immensely unpopular
At the 1968 Democratic National
Convention, thousands of Anti-War
protesters show up protesting the war
The protest turns violent, paving the way
for the victory of Republican Richard
Nixon in the Election of 1968
SSUSH24 The student will analyze the impact of
social change movements and organizations of
the 1960s.
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a. Compare and contrast the Student Non-Violent
Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) tactics; include
sit-ins, freedom rides, and changing composition.
b. Describe the National Organization of Women and the
origins and goals of the modern women’s movement.
c. Analyze the anti-Vietnam War movement.
d. Analyze Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers’
movement.
e. Explain the importance of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring
and the resulting developments; include Earth Day, the
creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
and the modern environmental movement.
f. Describe the rise of the conservative movement as seen
in the presidential candidacy of Barry Goldwater (1964)
and the election of Richard M. Nixon (1968).
The SCLC and the SNCC
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Compare and contrast the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference and the
Student Non-Violent Coordinating
Committee
SCLC – Christian based; non-violent
SNCC – Not religiously affiliated;
nonviolent; more young people; more
forceful and demanding
The Women’s Movement
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The Feminist Movement gains momentum
in the 1960s
The National Organization for Women
(NOW) was established in 1966
Fighting for rights and equal treatment of
women in the U.S.
The United Farm Worker’s Movement
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Mexican-American Cesar Chavez was a
farm worker who began to advocate for
Latin American civil rights in the U.S.
1960s – Chavez founds United Farm
Workers
Chavez won better working conditions and
higher wages for Latin Americans in the
United States
The Environmental Movement
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Rachel Carson’s wrote the book Silent
Spring and released it in 1962
It led to widespread awareness of the
environment leading to:
Earth Day
The Environmental Protection Agency
The Rise of Conservatism
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The unrest of the largely Democratic
Party-led 1960s led to a call for
conservative leaders in the United States
1964 – Barry Goldwater runs but loses
against Johnson
1968 – Nixon wins the presidency
SSUSH25 The student will describe changes in
national politics since 1968.
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a. Describe President Richard M. Nixon’s opening of China, his resignation
due to the Watergate scandal, changing attitudes toward government, and
the Presidency of Gerald Ford.
b. Explain the impact of Supreme Court decisions on ideas about civil
liberties and civil rights; include such decisions as Roe v. Wade (1973) and
the Bakke decision on affirmative action.
c. Explain the Carter administration’s efforts in the Middle East; include the
Camp David Accords, his response to the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and the
Iranian hostage crisis.
d. Describe domestic and international events of Ronald Reagan’s
presidency; include Reaganomics, the Iran-contra scandal, and the
collapse of the Soviet Union.
e. Explain the relationship between Congress and President Bill Clinton;
include the North American Free Trade Agreement and his impeachment
and acquittal.
f. Analyze the 2000 presidential election and its outcome, emphasizing the
role of the electoral college.
g. Analyze the response of President George W. Bush to the attacks of
September 11, 2001, on the United States, the war against terrorism, and
the subsequent American interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq.
President Richard Nixon – 1968 - 74
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Nixon made large steps to a better
relationship with communist powers
Russia and especially China
Nixon visits the country and spends some
time with Mao Zedong
The “Opening of China”
Nixon, however, is caught up in the
Watergate Scandal – illegal wiretapping of
opponents
He resigns the presidency on August 9th,
1974
President Gerald Ford 1974 - 77
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Ford is the first unelected president in
U.S. History
Under his administration, the U.S. ends its
involvement in Vietnam
He formally pardons Nixon for Watergate,
causing a drop in his popularity
President Jimmy Carter – 1977 - 81
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Carter defeats Ford in the Election of 1976
Carter charmed America with his laid-back and
“down home” approach to the presidency
He was from the state of Georgia
He successfully orchestrated peace between Israel
and Egypt with the Camp David Accords
1979 – Iran has a revolution, and Carter allows the
escaped shah (leader) into the U.S.
In turn, Iranian revolutionaries take 52 Americans
hostage from an American Embassy
They are held for 444 days and Carter is unable to
negotiate their release during his presidency
He is also unable to revive the stagnant economy
or the energy crisis
President Ronald Reagan – 1981 - 89
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Reagan defeats the unpopular Carter in 1980
A Republican, Reagan resembles a new conservatism in
America
His economic plan, Reaganomics or “supply-side”
economics, revives the economy
He cut taxes for the wealthy, therefore boosting the
economy overall – “trickle down” effect
He poured lots of money into military spending –
Strategic Defense Initiative, AKA “Star Wars” is
proposed to help defend the U.S. from a Soviet missile
attack
Reagan is almost implicated but found innocent when his
administration negotiated with Iran to get money to fund
anti-communist forces in Nicaragua
The Iran-Contra Affair led to convictions of several
people in Reagan’s administration but not Reagan himself
President George H.W. Bush – 1989 - 93
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Riding on Reagan’s popularity, George H.W. Bush,
Reagan’s Vice-President, becomes our 41st President
in the Election of 1988
1991 – He sends troops into Iraq when leader
Saddam Hussein begins an invasion of its small
neighbor country Kuwait
This is known as Operation: Desert Storm
President Bill Clinton – 1993 - 2001
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Clinton defeats Bush in the Election of 1992
Clinton faces difficulties with a Republican majority
Congress
However he is able to jumpstart the economy
He signs the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA), eliminating tariffs in North
American trade
Involved in a scandal involving a sexual relationship
with an intern – Monica Lewinsky
Clinton denies involvement initially, but when
evidence surfaces, impeachment charges are
brought forth
Clinton is impeached but still avoids removal and
leaves the presidency still popular
President George W. Bush – 2001 - 09
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George W. Bush defeats Clinton’s VP Al Gore in the
Election of 2000
Gore won the popular vote, but Bush won the
Electoral College
It is the closest election in U.S. History
It all came down to votes in Florida
Eventually the Supreme Court gets involved and
calls the election for Bush, who becomes the 43rd
President
President George W. Bush – 2001 - 09
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September 11th, 2001 – Terrorists in 3 hijacked
passenger planes crash into targets in New York
City and Washington, D.C.
A 4th plane was hijacked but a passenger takeover
leads to the plane crashing in a field in Pennsylvania
Over 3,000 Americans are killed
America is devastated but returns with a fury when
it finds that terrorist group Al Qaeda led by Osama
Bin Laden is responsible
Bin Laden is hiding in Afghanistan, being harbored
by another terrorist group, the Taliban
When the Taliban refuse to hand over Bin Laden, the
U.S. invades Afghanistan and overthrows the
Taliban in just 3 months, launching the global War
on Terror
President George W. Bush – 2001 - 09
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Bush then turns his attention to Iraq, where
Saddam Hussein still is in power, and refusing to
allow U.N. inspectors to check Iraqi facilities for
weapons of mass destruction
The U.S. invades Iraq on March 20th, 2003
The war lasts 8 years
Hussein is overthrown, and eventually captured and
executed for crimes against humanity