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History

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The New Frontier
was a term used by John F. Kennedy in the U.S. presidential election. Originally it was just a slogan to inspire America to support him but the phrase developed into a label for his administration's domestic and foreign programs. The New Frontier program was intended to boost the economy, to provide international aid, to provide for national defense, and to boost the space program. He accomplished the Peace Corps on the international scale and the Alliance for Progress. Although Kennedy was assassinated before he could pass civil rights acts, he paved the way for many reforms that came later. The New Frontier was so significant in terms for the American society because it brought progress and many people looked up to J.F.K and was greatly affected by his assassination.
Brown power
was influenced by the "black power" and its determination to take pride in what the dominant American society had belittled for so long. The "brown power" was also known as the Chicano movement. Younger Mexican Americans across the Southwest looked with pride on their Mexican heritage. To improve the lives of Mexican American laborers, Cesar Chavez led a march to have a national boycott of farm workers. The "brown power" was significant because it created cultural pride and ethnic solidarity as well as embracing indigenous roots.
Reganomics
refers to the economic policies promoted by U.S. President Ronald Reagan. His policy consisted of supply side economics and the idea that taxes paid by the wealthy corporations must be reduced so that they'll invest more money into the economy. Prior to Regan's presidency, the U.S. economy was at a stagflation and despite these problems, "Reganomics" helped the national economy recover somewhat from the traumas of the 1970's. This is also significant in terms of the American society at that time because rising confidence in the economy helped towards Regan's reelection.
Japanese internment
after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, there was widespread rumors that Japanese and Japanese Americans living in the U.S. planned to sabotage the war efforts. The Japanese were relocated to internment camps throughout the U.S. although there was no criminal activity found against them. There was no trial or substance needed in order for the Japanese to get send to internment campus. About 125,000 Japanese were rounded up 2/3 of which were naturalized citizens. Thousands of Japanese joined the armed services to show their patriotism in the U.S. and even helped with translating Japanese military documents which shortened the war by two years. The greater significance that the Japanese internment had to the American society was that the U.S. government had acknowledged that the internment had been a grave injustice and later restitution payments were awarded to surviving internments.
Baby Boom
the period during 1946-1964 that greatly increased birth rate which began in WWII and peaked in 1957. The lower average age for marriage was 20 for women and 22 for men. The population rose by 20%. Young males returning to the U.S. after WWII began families, which brought about a significant number of new children to the world. The significance of the baby boom to the American society was that it led to the rise in consumer products, suburban homes, automobiles, roads and services. There was also a strong generational identity for the baby boomers from rock and roll to Woodstock.
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
the suit was filed against the Board of Education of the city of Topeka, Kansas by the NAACP to reverse its policy for racial segregation. Four different families in four different states were refused enrollment to their neighborhood schools and were directed to the segregated schools. The suit was targeted towards the Plessy v. Ferguson decision, which had justified Jim Crow laws as long as they followed the "separate but equal" rule. The significance of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was that it's decision was the first major success in the struggle to dismantle the Jim Crow system in the south. The decision to desegregate schools contributed immensely to the American society because it started a new idea where black children were not given a feeling of inferiority and pushed for equality for the future generations.
Culture wars
Americans argued primarily about issues that had come to the front during the social movements of the 1960's and 1970's: sexuality, gender roles, the place of religion in public life, and multiculturalism. 20% of the population considered themselves fundamentalist Christians in 1980. The Republican party identified with both economic and social conservatism. As immigration into the U.S. increased, there was a tremendous amount of new culture and competitions between them. This culture wars were was significant because it led to the diversity we have today in our American society regardless of our cultural tension
Student Non
Violent Coordination Committee- was one of the principal organizations of the American Civil Rights Movements in the 1960's. SNCC played a major role in the sit-ins and freedom rides. SNCC also focused on "black power" and also protested against the Vietnam War. Essie, in Anne Moody's novel was a member o the SNCC and experiences struggles with trying to convince others to join the committee because they have a likelihood of getting fired from their jobs for their participation in SNCC. Many whites acted violently towards the SNCC. The significance of SNCC is that many young college students were all working together in the movement whereas it used to be that not many whites participated in these non-violent movements. The significance of SNCC towards the Greater American Society is that it made many young students united, regardless of color to help the nation towards better accomplishments.
Federal Aid Highway Act
enacted in 1956 when President Eisenhower signed this bill into law. This act was inspired in part by Cold War concerns: an interstate highway system could allow for swift movements of military supply and could be used as an evacuation method in case of a nuclear attack. This act was the largest public works project the nation had ever mounted. This act is so significant in terms of American society because not only did it greatly impact business and transportation but it changed America's ability to go on family road vacations and tourism. The Highway Act increased car culture but also negatively contributed to suburban sprawl, air pollution and traffic jams.
Emmett Till
Emmett Till was a fourteen year old boy that was from Chicago visiting his family in Mississippi. He was murdered for whistling at a white woman. Not knowing how severe Mississippi's segregation was compared to Chicago, Emmett did not think anything would come of his actions. Emmett Till was brutally murdered by some white men that heard about his behavior towards the white woman. His horrific murder grabbed the immediate attention of local blacks and whites. Emmett's mother had the body shipped to Chicago and had an open-casket funeral because she wanted the world to see what "they did to her son." Emmett's death attracted attention nation-wide and for the first time Northern blacks saw that violence against blacks in the South could affect them in the North. The tragedy that this murder created made an immense impact on the American society as it drew the attention of the brutality of racial violence, leaving many blacks in fear of violence.
AIDS
was first reported in 1981 in five homosexual males in Los Angeles, California. When researchers identified that HIV caused AIDS it put an end to the sexual revolution. AIDS first spread quickly through the gay male community but then broadened among heterosexuals. AIDS is so significant because it changed the way people understood sexuality. AIDS spread during the 1990's both in the U.S. and abroad. There is no cure for the disease and scientist struggle to find a cure for this disease.
The Great Society
- was a set of domestic programs proposed in the U.S. by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The two main goals of the great society reform included the elimination of poverty and racial injustice. The Great Society was influenced by FDR's New Deal Program. New major spending programs addressed education, medical care, urban problems and transportation. To alleviate poverty, the availability of money and food stamps to welfare children were increased, as well as increasing social security benefits to senior citizens. Head start was a program which offered preschool education and meals for young kids. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 made desegregation a law and outlawed discrimination in employment and public facilities. The voting Rights Act of 1965 also outlawed poll taxes and made sure African Americans were given the opportunity to vote. The significance of the Great Society towards the American society is that it pushed for further improvements by the government and fought for equal rights and protection for the poor and minority.
Civil Rights Act of 1964
outlawed social segregation in schools, public places, and employment. The bill aimed to help African Americans and the bill was amended to protect against woman as well. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 also led to the creation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The significance in the American society was that it invalidated Jim Crow laws which had tremendous nation-wide impact on the long term. It is also significant that there was now a federal law protecting equal rights to African Americans and does not legalize discrimination.
Double V Campaign
members of minority groups responded enthusiastically to the war effort even though there was discrimination still happening. The number of African Americans in the army increased dramatically. Almost all of the black soldiers fought in separate units although the NAACP protested that "a Jim Crow Army cannot fight for a separate world." African Americans fought for the "Double V" - victory over fascism abroad and victory over racial discrimination at home. The Double V campaign was so significant to the American society because it encouraged minorities to participate in war efforts to fight for victor abroad and locally and made emphasize on their efforts.
Watergate Scandal
was a series of American political scandals during the presidency of Richard Nixon. The scandal began with the arrest of five men breaking and entering into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in Washington D.C. The FBI investigation led to investigate that the burglary was authorized by Nixon's staff. The scandal concluded with the Supreme Court ordering Nixon turn in the tapes from the illegal wiretappings. Nixon then resigned from office, and was the only president to do so. The scandal was a significant even for the American society because American people lost faith and trust in the government. They felt betrayed because they used to trust Nixon and Americans also felt instable.
Truman Doctrine
a proclamation by President Harry S. Truman stating that the U.S. would support Greece and Turkey economically and militarily to prevent them from Soviet Control. The doctrine brought upon to the idea that the world can be divided into two ways of life: free people or terror and oppression under communist rule. Truman was trying to solve Eastern Europe's instability while making sure the spread of communism would not affect nations like Greece and Turkey. The Truman Doctrine captures and reflects American society by its strong opposition to communism and that Americans will go out of its way to protect other nations against communism.
George Frost Kennan
is best known as "the father of containment" and as a key figure in the emergence of the Cold War. He inspired the Truman Doctrine and the U.S. foreign policy of "containing" the Soviet Union. Kennan also played a strong role in the development of the Marshall plan. Kennan was also the U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union, however was denied his position and entry to the Soviet Union after he made a statement that compared the Soviet Union to Nazi Germany. George Frost Kennan was a significant person because he was a soviet specialist during the Cold War and led the U.S. to its foreign policy and the idea of containment.
Sweatt v. Painter
this case involved a black man who was refused admission to the University Of Texas Austin School Of Law. At the time there was no law school open only to blacks in Texas, according to the Plessy v. Ferguson "separate but equal" requirement. The case continued for six months, while a new school of law for blacks was created in Texas. However, the resulting school was in no way equal to the UT Austin Law School due to the lack of faculty and resources in the library. This case is significant because it does not overturn separate but equal factor and the Supreme Court rules that in the case of graduate education intangibles must be considered as being equal. This decision reflects how severe racial discrimination was, especially within our own school system we attend today and how there is a wide range of races who attend UT Austin today.
Democratic National Convention of 1968
of the U.S. Democratic Party was held in Chicago. The purpose of the Democratic national convention was to elect a suitable nominee to run as the Democratic Party's choice for president in the 1968 U.S. presidential election. Events that led to the convention were the assassination of Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy. Riots broke out from Anti-Vietnam war protestors during the time of the convention. These riots turned into bloody battles after the Chicago police tried to stop the protestors. The Democrats settled on Hubert Humphrey but eventually lost to Richard M. Nixon. The significance of the convention in terms of American society at the time shows a large split in the party over the Vietnam War. The split in the party was that one side supported anti-war campaign and wanted immediate withdrawal from the region, while the other called for making reduction of force similar to President L.B.J's policy.

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