Unit 10: Contemporary
United States
Supreme Court
• Included women and minorities: Sandra Day
O’Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Clarence
Thomas (most recently Sonia Sotomayor)
• Immigration to the
United States has
increased from many
diverse countries,
especially Asian and
Latin American
Countries.
Issues related to immigration policy
•
•
•
•
•
•
Strain on government services
Filling low-paying jobs in the United States
Border issues
Pathway to citizenship
Bilingual education
Increasing cultural diversity
John F Kennedy
• Supported the American Space Program.
– First man in space was John Glenn
– First man on the moon was Neil Armstrong
– First female was Sally Ride
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for
mankind!”
Examples of technological advances
• Space exploration
– Space shuttle
– Mars rover
– Voyager missions
– Hubble telescope
• Communications
– Satellite
– Global positioning system (GPS)
– Personal communications devices
• Robotics
Changes in work, school,
and health care
•
•
•
•
Telecommuting
On-line course work
Growth of service industries
Breakthrough in medical research, including
improved medical diagnostic and imagining
technologies
• Outsourcing and off-shoring
Mikhail Gorbachev 1985-1991
Russian Leader
• Increasing
Soviet
military
expenses to compete with the
United States
• Glasnost
and
perestroika
(openness
and
economic
restructuring)
Ronald Reagan 1981-1989
• Tax cuts
• Strengthening the
military
• Told Gorbachev to “Tear
down this wall” in
reference to the Berlin
Wall.
George H.W. Bush 1989-1993
• Fall of Communism in
Eastern Europe
• Reunification of Germany
• Collapse of Yugoslavia
• Breakup of the Soviet State
• Persian Gulf War 19901991
– First war where women
were on the front line.
– Operation Desert Storm
William J. Clinton 1993-2001
• Created NAFTA (North Atlantic Free Trade
Agreement)
• Full diplomatic relations with Vietnam
• Lifting of economic sanctions against South
Africa when its government ended the policy
of apartheid (racial segregation)
George W. Bush 2001-2009
• Terrorist attack 9/11/01 – Created Homeland
Security and the Patriot Act
• Started the war in Iraq and Afghanistan
United States responses to terrorism
• Heightened security at home (Patriot act)
• Diplomatic and military initiative
• History of Hip Hop
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juosXtw36ZY&feature=related
• Rock n Roll
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ix6yzcjLl8&feature=related
•
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U17EcEkkCB8&playnext=1&list
=PLCB2F35826CCF35B0
• Modern Presidents
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH6vN2P90N0
• Bush…the most joked on president
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w73dVVPRk0&feature=related
Choose one to answer: ½ pg min!
• 1. In the late 20th century, economic
globalization transformed the US. Explain
what globalization is and describe how it
effected the US economy and population.
• 2. The terrorist attack of 9/11 were
unprecedented. What gave rise to those
attacks? How did the nation react?