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Red Scare and gov't concern: post WWI scare, 1918-1920, fear of the rise of the workers,
nativism, anti-immigrant, a communist takeover of America
Led by A. Mitchell Palmer to find all communists - mostly immigrants - Palmer Raids
1920's Immigration Law: Emergency Quota Act: example of nativism in 1920's, restriction
of # of immigrants coming into USA - only 2% of ethnicities of 1890 census allowed to
enter America
Volstead Act and Prohibition: also 18th Amendment, it is illegal to manufacture,
distribute, or sell alcohol - drinking is reason why America's values are in trouble and its
focus in the urban environment
Harlem Renaissance: "rebirth" of African American culture in America in 1920's through
politics, music and literature - center is in Harlem New York because of Great Migration of
A.A. from South to North for jobs - "New Negro" vs. the "Old Negro" - Duke Ellington
Automobile during the 1920's: Henry Ford and the Model T, mass production and
assembly line are used to lower the cost of automobiles so that your average America can
afford to buy one, shrinking of America - I know longer have to live where I work - symbol
in independence and efficiency
Great Migration of 1910-1920: massive movement of Southern Blacks to North for factory
jobs around WWI - escape from racism, looking for better freedom, but still experience
some discrimination
Return to Normalcy and it's philosophy of the 1920's: go back to the way things were,
Conservative ideal (Republican) made up of three terms: Nativism, Isolationism, and
Conservatism - small gov't, protect American goods with tariffs
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Hoover's Response to the Great Depression: no direct relief, believed in trickle-down
economics - $$ given to top with trickle down to the common man
Believed in "rugged individualism" - pull yourself up by your bootstraps and fix your own
problems, not the gov't job
o Does create the RFC - example of trickle-down econ - gives $2 billion bailout
o Also builds Hoover (Boulder) Dam
o Bonus Army March of 1932 - does not give veterans bonus early even though many
of them were starving, they march on Washington and Hoover uses the military to
burn down their town and attack them - negative American view of Hoover
FDR's New Deal and the 3 R's: Relief, Recovery, and Reform - bottom to top recover gov't is going to give America a "new deal" and help the common man
Idea is to give most Americans more money to reinvest in economy - prime the pump
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Relief - short term fix - give you a job (CCC)
Recovery - mid term fix - helping farmers and businesses
Reform - long term fix - Social Security Act, FDIC
CCC; Civilian Conservation Corps: men ages 18-25 were provided a job by the federal gov't
($30 per month where $25 went straight home and $5 went to me) where they worked at
National Parks and Conservation Projects
Looked very much like the Army - lived in barracks and were watched by officers
FDIC; Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation: Reform (long term) under FDR designed to
instill confidence in our nations banking system, federal gov't will insure up to $5,000 of
your money in the bank so that even if it closes, you will get $$ back (currently they insure
$150,000)
Social Security Act of 1935: 2nd New Deal Reform - creates a welfare state in order to
empower the elderly, disabled, unemployed, and/or widow and orphan - federal gov't will
give money to those who cannot get it themselves - all current workers and businesses
fund this - it is not your personal savings account!
TVA; Tennessee Valley Authority: gov't conservation project (some claimed socialism???)
gov't provides free energy to Smokey Mt. region by building dams on rivers - this also
provided irrigation control and water for farmers in region
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Munich Conference of 1938: example of appeasement - Hitler has taken over the
Rhineland, Czech., and Austria; France and England decide to "appease" him and let him
keep the land he has currently taken - they thought he would be happy with this
Part of Hitler's anchluss - reunite the German speaking people of the world
Japanese-Americans during WWII; Interment and Relocation: after attack on Pearl Harbor
many Japanese Am. were moved to camps "for their safety" under Executive Order 9066 120,000 were moved from West Coast and had to leave their businesses and homes
behind with all their stuff.
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The War effort on the Homefront during WWII and conservation: America is going to
become the "Arsenal for Democracy", this is a total war - everything in America is going to
be focused toward the war - all factories will make items for war
Gov't is going to expand their powers and run the economy
o WIB - War Industries Board
All non-essential production is ended - no more pantyhose, all nylon goes to parachutes
Meatless Mondays, Wheatless Wednesdays
USA is going to out produce all Axis powers X2
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Atomic Bomb and 2 Japanese cities: Fat Man and Little Boy, August 6th and 9th 1945 on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
This is after we had fire bombed 67 of their cities however
Why?? - we want to force the Japanese to surrender and threatened to nuke a city every
few days until they surrendered
o Estimate it would have cost 1 million American lives to take Japan - cost about $2
billion to develop atomic bombs
Pearl Harbor and America's involvement in WWII: Japanese sneak attack on Dec 7th, 1941
on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - "A Date that will live in infamy" - Japanese believe that if they
can destroy the American fleet in the Pacific, they would be able to control the Pacific
Theater of action
Attacks because Japan is running out of oil and cannot fight without it
Rosie the Riveter and WWII and women working: America's secret weapon of WWII women play a huge role in producing weapons of war to send to the soldiers on the
battlefield
Women take the jobs that the men left behind - period of progress for women - however,
they lose many of these gains in the 1950's
Holocaust: extermination of the Jews in Concentration Camps in Eastern Europe and
Germany during WWII - camps are run by the Nazi SS to ensure the future of the "master
race"
Hitler felt that the Jews were an inferior race
Manhattan Project: secret gov't project to build the atomic bomb during WWII - centered
in Los Alamos, NM run by Robert Oppenheimer and cost $2 billion to develop
There was a fear that the bomb would destroy the atmosphere when it was activated…
lucky for us this did not happen!
Cold War: a war of words, politics, and ideas between the USA and the USSR fought from
1945-1991
A war to win the Hearts and Minds of the Worlds people
Capitalism/democracy vs. communism
o This conflict does allow the federal gov't to grow
Iron Curtain: March 5th, 1946 was a speech given by Winston Churchill in Missouri about
how there is an "Iron Curtain" dividing Europe between West and East, capitalism and
communism
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MAD during Cold War between U.S. and Soviet Union: Mutually Assured Destruction,
policy between USA and USSR where if either attacked one another, they would both be
killed
Nuclear war
Containment Policy of Truman Administration: USA's policy that we must "contain"
communism in Eastern Europe and not allow it to spread to the rest of the World
President Truman will use economics to stop the spread of communism
Marshall Plan: $12-13 billion to rebuild Western Europe
Gave $400 million to Greece and Turkey to stop a communist takeover
Military Containment:
o Berlin Airlift
o Korean War
HUAC: House of Un-American Activities - gov't committee put together to find and
destroy the communists in America (fear is that they are everywhere!)
Specifically they focused on Hollywood where they believed there were many
communists and liberals
Purge the country of the 5th column - the threat from within
Marshall Plan: Marshall Plan: $12-13 billion to rebuild Western Europe
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Truman's response to Berlin Blockade: Berlin Airlift - USA sent in airplanes with goods
(food, milk, clothing, etc…) to Western Berlin for 327 days
Berlin has been divided into East vs. West
Fear is that USSR may shoot down our airlift planes and begin WWIII
Operation Vettles
Domino Theory: Cold War theory about communism; if one country falls to communism,
all countries around it will fall also
EX: if Vietnam falls to communism, they so will Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, etc...
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Emergence of Dixiecrats or Southern Democrats: Southern politicians who broke away
from their party during the Civil Rights Era
Wanted States Rights and to end re-integration, desegregation, and the civil rights
movement
They did not want African Americans to vote
They were very conservative and led by Strom Thurmond
Bay of Pigs, Berlin Wall, Cuban Missile Crisis:
Bay of Pigs: April 1961, CIA covert operation to take over Cuba using Cuban exiles - CIA
trained them and gave them weapons, supplies, etc; plan fails and Castro is ready for
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them in Bay of Pigs - Cuban exiles thought America would support them with an air strike,
we did not
Berlin Wall: August 1961, built to divide West Berlin from East Berlin, not built to keep
people out, but built to keep East Berliners in!
Symbol of the Cold War - when it falls, it is very symbolic of the fall of communism
Cuban Missile Crisis: October 1962 (13 days) - occurs when the USSR begins to put ICBM's
in Cuba, these missiles could hit most of our major cities and were nuclear
Breaks Monroe Doctrine and were offensive weapons
USA and USSR come to an agreement after naval blockade does not work - if USA never
invades Cuba (and removes our Jupiter missiles from Turkey 6 months later), they will
remove their missiles from Cuba
o Hottest moment of Cold War!
U-2 Spy Plane Incident of 1960: before we had satellites… May 1st, USA flies planes taking
pictures over Russia to find missile sites, factories, nuclear reactors, military sites, etc…
One of our planes is shot down on a mission over Russia (pilot by Gary Powers) and the
pilot is caught by Soviets
USSR lies and tricks us into lying about our flights over their country
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April 1963; Birmingham, Alabama: Dr. King's March: beginning of Dr. King's non-violent
passive resistance movement, MLK Jr. does not have a permit for the parade and get
arrested for not having one
He puts children in the front of the parade and they are attacked by the Birmingham
police and this is caught on T.V.!
Eugene "Bull" Connor uses fire hoses, dogs, riot gear against a peaceful parade
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Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka: overturns Plessey vs. Ferguson - separate but
equal is inherently unequal!
This case encourages the Southern public schools to integrate
Supreme Court case by federal gov't
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Dr. King's philosophy of civil rights movement: non-violent passive resistance
Tactics of non-violent civil disobedience: sit-ins, teach-ins,
Take action based on economic consequences - hurt "them" (white people) in the wallet
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McCarthyism and why it grew: second Red Scare led by Senator Joe McCarthy from
Wisconsin… fear of communists in America (5th column)… he makes many accusations
that sound plausible and many are afraid that they are true so it becomes a "movement"
Army vs. McCarthy is his downfall - he goes after the Army, Americans see him for the
first time and see how crazy he is!
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Baby Boom and post WWII: 1 baby born every 7 seconds in 1957… explosion of babies
born during the 1950's
Caused by the return of soldiers from WWII who wanted the "American Dream" and a
family
Drove the economy through housing, cars, goods
Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X of Black Muslims: 3rd stage of civil rights movement
(militant civil rights) - if you will not give us rights, we will take rights
Black Power, Black Pride, Black Separation
Elijah Muhammad promoted the Muslim religion and separation
Malcolm X promoted "if ballots won't work, bullets will!"
Civil Rights Act of 1964: prohibits all public segregation - no more black/white bathrooms,
drinking fountains, etc…
Creates EEOC - Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - you cannot hire or fire
someone based on their race, religion, gender, etc...
Voting Rights Act of 1965: states can no longer use things like literacy tests or taxes to
stop people from voting
Helped southern African Americans to vote (7% - 67% voting increase in Mississippi in one
year!)
Protected voting rights
Cesar Chavez and Hispanics: fighting for rights for migrant workers (mostly in Cali),
Delano Grape Strike - forms a union to increase wages
Also helped to bring bilingual education to California - spanish
LBJ's Great Society: peak the liberalism, "unconditional war on poverty" - many social
welfare programs are developed
Ex: Medicare, Medicaid are created along with food stamps
Healthcare and Medicare: gov't health insurance for the elderly (65 or older)
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1960's Counterculture: hippies - young people who are rebelling against traditional norms
and society
About individualism and non-conformity
Long hair, free love
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Woodstock in 1969: huge festival of life, freedom, etc… largest music festival in American
history - hundreds of artists perform in upstate N.Y.
Illustrates the feelings of the counter culture
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Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: August 9th, 1964 - Congress gave LBJ the power to prevent any
further aggression in Vietnam - gives him the power to escalate the Vietnam conflict
Leads to increased bombing and troops in Vietnam
Tet Offensive of Vietnam War: Jan 31st, 1968 - massive attacks by the Vietcong and
Vietmin against the USA on their new year (big Vietnamese holiday)
Significant because it showed the Vietnam War was far from over, which the federal gov't
have been preaching to the American people
LBJ and Vietnam War Escalation: President escalates the Vietnam War - he increases our
troops in Vietnam from 20,000 up to around 500,000 troops
Also leads massive bombing campaigns in North Vietnam
Roe vs. Wade in 1973: Supreme Court case that legalizes abortion in America and Right to
Privacy
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Nixon's Vietnamization Policy: Nixon's plan to end American involvement in Vietnam war he wants to slowly reduce our troops in Vietnam and force the South Vietnamese to take
over the fight
Does lead massive bombings of North Vietnam and Cambodia
Wants "peace with honor"
Kent State University shooting; 1970: May 4th - four dead students in Ohio
Caused by President Nixon's promise of ending the conflict in Vietnam
o Nixon's bombings and invasion of Cambodia started this off...
Nixon Resignation in 1974: Nixon is the first and only President to resign the Presidency he is never impeached - all came from the Watergate Scandal and his part in the cover-up
o He would have been impeached for: contempt for Congress and lying under oath,
and obstruction of justice
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Détente: Richard Nixon's foreign policy - relaxation of tensions with countries such Russia
and China (i.e. communism)
Triangular Diplomacy - play the Russians against the Chinese and cause tension between
the two of them
Nixon and stagflation: high inflation and high unemployment - no real economic growth
Nixon attempts to reduce gov't spending and raised interest rates
o Also attempts to control prices and wages by freezing them
Reagan and Conservative Coalition: champion of the New Right - conservatism makes a
comeback - rise of religious interest groups in America
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"government is not the solution to the problem, government is the problem"
Wants to reduce the size of the gov't, cut taxes, reduce social welfare programs
Ronald Reagan and Reagan as a conservative: conservative coalition is made up of
wealthy suburbanites, young Christians, and Southerners
He believes in the free market - capitalism at its best - people will decide what they want
and then companies will make it
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Persian Gulf War and Clinton Impeachment: first war in Iraq - Operation Desert Shield and
Operation Desert Storm
Desert Shield- buildup of forces in Iraq to liberate Kuwait
Desert Storm - actual invasion of Kuwait and Iraq - began with heavy bombing and it only
took four days to end conflict with ground forces when it began
Led by Norman Schwarzkopf
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Clinton Impeachment: accused with perjury and obstruction of justice - he has an affair
with a 23 year old White House intern (Monica Lewinski)
"I did not have sexual relations…."
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George W. Bush; 2000-2008 and NCLB - No Child Left Behind - theory that every child in
America can learn and go to college and should be held to certain reading, writing,
mathematics and science standards
Has not yet proved to be successful, but it still continues!