JFK's Administration

John F Kennedy was a man of charisma and talent. This is the reason people voted for him. Even though the public didn’t have high hopes for him due to his inexperience in politics, he was an under dog. With in the short years he had in office he was able to change the world in a positive direction. He was able to create a program that helped establish a connection with most of the Latin America nations. The Peace Corps provided help to the unstable nations that were fighting poverty; gained support for the capitalism against the communists. His administration also developed a team of scientist dedicated to creating an object that can circle the world in the orbit. Although he was unsuccessful he still provided the US with a goal that was now reachable. Along with advancing the weapons, he was able to maintain peace in very stressful situations. The Cuban Missile Crisis was one of the most fearful days in the US history. The brink of mutual destruction was not an easy thing to talk out of. That's exactly what the president and his administration did, they manages to resolve things without destroying the world.

The 1950's

The economic boom after the war allowed more Americans to buy a lot of new things such as cars, homes, televisions, etc, and this is what created the unique culture of the 1950's that still affects Americans today.


Women did not play a large role in the 1950's and they spent most of their time at home taking care of the kids, making meals, and doing chores around the house, which men's primary role was to be out working to provide the family with a steady income. many television shows depicted the women as organized and clean, and were always up to date with the best kitchen appliances such as refrigerators, ovens, or toasters. The television also served as a trustable and reliable source of information for average Americans. They bleieved what the commercials and television shows told them to believe, which is much different from today.


The automobile also started gaining popularity, and became a part of the American dream. It was the goal of most families to obtain a car for their personal use. the rise of the automobile also allowed more jobopportunities in jobs that a person could not ordinarily access because it was too far away from home. the rise in the popularity of the automobile also caused more highways and freeways to be built, making it easier for Americans to travel to new places with more ease.


The conformity of the 1950's caused some teenagers to rebel and want to be more independent, which eventually sparked a revolution. Many teenagers did not agree with the war in Vietnam, and resisted the draft. These teenagers were called hippies and peace lovers because they protested war in all shapes and forms, and this continued on to the 1960's.


The 1950's were a time of entertainment, new inventions, economic growth, and recovery after the Great Depression. There are downsides, however. The availability and popularity of automobiles caused an increase in pollution and car crash related deaths became much more prevalent. This new culture also caused a significant gap between the middle and lower class because only people with a steady income could afford all that America had to offer during this time period.

-Cory and Ofri

McCarthyism

McCarthyism
One of the most famous anti-community activists to this day, was Senator Joseph McCarthy. This republican from Wisconsin was often the subject of much scrutiny for his inability as a legislator, just three years into his term in the Senate. Pressed against the wall, his only choice for reelection was choosing an issue that would be able to win the support of the voters, communism. In order to attract the appeal of many people, he claimed that Communism was taking over the government.
During this time period, people were often distraught with Communism; the mere word caused many to flinch. McCarthy took advantage of this by making consecutive strings of accusations that had no backbone in any of them. The unsupported accusations on potential communists became known as McCarthyism. This unfair tactic of accusing people of being a disloyal without any possible reference to support their claims, will forever be known as McCarthyism.
McCarthy, being the desperate man that he was, claimed to have had the names of several communists, with the peak being 205, in the State Department. However, much to no one’s surprise, he never actually gave out a single name out of the many that he had. He was able to take advantage of the Senate, where he had legal immunity from being sued for slander, so that he could spread his lies. He was able to win the hearts of fellow Republicans who did little to stop him since they falsely believed that he would win the presidential election if the public saw him protecting the country from communism successfully.
What led to his predictable downfall was when carelessly made accusations against the U.S. Army which led to a nationally televised Senate investigation. The investigation lifted the curtain from the eyes of many who had falsely believed him, causing him to lose a substantial amount of public support. This eventually led to him being condemned by the Senate for improper conduct and his death three years later.
What is the most shocking in my opinion is that the country seemed to not care about him falsely accusing the the democratic party, but once he made accusations against the U.S. Army, he was heavily penalized. This shows how much the country valued their army, compared to their democratic party.

http://cjr290.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/hblock10.jpg

Honoring Mom

Do something nice for your mom, aunt, or grandmother and earn an A.G.C.  Write her a poem.  Fix breakfast for her.  Burn her favorite tunes onto  a CD.  Be creative!  Use your imagination NOT your wallet to remember her on Mother's Day.
Proof?  Ask mom to send me an email message at msanderson@pausd.org.

Vietnam war

The Vietnam conflict was fought between 1955 and 1975 in Laos Cambodia and Vietnam. It was fought between communist North Vietnam and anti-Communist South Vietnam allied with The United states. The Viet Cong were southern Vietnam communist who engaged in guerrilla wars with anti-Communist forces. To fight back against Viet Cong guerrillas the US conducted search and destroy missions. The US sent armed forces to Vietnam because they feared that if they let South Vietnam fall to communist rule it could start a domino effect causing more countries to fall under communist control. The conflict was generally unsuccessful and after years of fighting Americans wanted to pull troops out of Vietnam. Several communist losses during the Tet Offensive allowed President Nixon to start a policy he called Vietmanization. The policy involved withdrawing troops and limiting conflict.In the end about 58,000 US solders died.

Rosa Parks

  

A woman named Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was born on February 4, 1913 and passed out on October 24, 2005 at age 92. She was an African American Civil Rights activist. Later Congress called Rosa Parks the "Mother of the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement." On December 1 1955 when Rosa Parks was 42, she refused to obey the bus driver. James Blake (who was the bus driver) ordered her to give up her seat to make room for a white passanger. She said no, I will not give up my seat. For the action she did, it was an important symbol of the modern civil rights movement and Rosa Parks became an international icon of resistance to racial segregation. Later on Rosa Parks at organized with civil rights leaders, including boycott leader Martin Luther King Jr., helping to launch him to national prominance in the civil rights movement.

    After the arrest of Rosa Parks, black people of Montgomery and sympathizers of other races organized and promoted a boycott of the city bus line that lasted 381 days. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was appointed the spokesperson for the Bus Boycott and taught nonviolence to all participants. Contingent with the protest in Montgomery, others took shape throughout the south and the country. They took form as sit-ins, eat-ins, swim-ins, and similar causes. Thousands of courageous people joined the "protest" to demand equal rights for all people.

1960s: Era of Assasination

The era of 1960 will forever be known as deep, mournful period for all Americans as great leaders were never given a chance to change the country. The death of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963 shocked Americans all over the states. When the news spread around, schools across the country dismissed students early and 54% of all Americans stopped their daily activities to mourn for the death of Kennedy. Just 20 days before, Ngo Dinh Diem, President of Vietnam, along with his brother and chief political adviser, Ngo Dinh Nhu were assassinated by the north, communist Vietnam in order to bring havoc to south vietnamese order. While not a direct loss the americans would suffer from, this would spark the beginning of a deadly war americans would later participate in.

On February 21, 1965, human rights activist Malcolm X was assassinated by members of the Nation of Islam in New York City. His detractors accused Malcolm of being a black supremacist, who often spurred up racial violence. He has been described as one of the greatest and most influential African Americans in history.

Another considered antagonist,George Lincoln Rockwell, was assassinated on August 25,1967. As a leader of the American Nazi Party, Americans would be rather glad that such a twisted leader disappeared.

Americans would again suffer a tragic loss when the assassination of Civil Rights Leader, Martin Luther King Jr. On 1963, King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington. As a prominent leader, King raised public conciousness of civil rights. He would later win the Nobel Peace Prize a year later for his work to end racial segregation and discrimination. By the end of his lifetime, King focused his work on ending poverty and the Vietnam War. Unfortunately, King would never see this through as a bullet took his life on April 4, 1968.

The last major assasination of the 1960's was the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. While campaigning for presidential office in march 1968, he was shot by Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Sirhan claimed not to bear any ill-will towards Kennedy, but evidence showed that kept a journal to carefully plan the assassination of Kennedy.

The era of 1960 will forever be remembered as a tragic period for Americans as great, prominent leaders were never given a chance to lead the country. Even though most assassinators were capture, our fallen leaders will never receive their justice, except for George Lincoln Rockwell.

The Kennedy Administration

A Roman Catholic of Irish descent, John F. Kennedy (JFK) was born on May 29, 1917. He joined the Navy in 1943, after graduating from Harvard, and he came back from World War II to pursue a career in politics. He was first Democratic Congressman and later a Senator of Massachusetts before he ran for President in the election of 1960. His victory over Republican candidate is largely credited to his superior performance in televised presidential debates. Kennedy appealed to Americans because he presented a young, fresh face to national politics.

In office, JFK his wife, Jacqueline, and his children ushered the White House into a new era, termed the “Camelot Years” for its vibrancy. The first family invited prominent writers, artists, and scientists to the White House, and JFK filled his cabinet with “the best and the brightest”. He even filled the Attorney General position with his brother, Robert Kennedy, whose relationship to the president added to his power.

JFK’s military policy revolved around the theory of “flexible response,” which involved preparing for a non-nuclear war as opposed to practicing brinkmanship. Unfortunately, Kennedy inherited poor relations between the US and communist Cuba, which had become increasingly strained during the Eisenhower administration. Kennedy authorized an invasion of Cuba which had been planned by Eisenhower and involved Cuban exiles to land in the Bay of Pigs and to spur a counterrevolutionary movement in Cuba in the hopes of overthrowing Castro. This operation, however, went horribly wrong, and it gave JFK and the entire country a bad public image. Later, when the administration learned that USSR’s Khrushchev was sending nuclear missiles to Cuba, Kennedy prepared for a quarantine and possible invasion of Cuba. With the world on the brink of nuclear war, Khrushchev and Kennedy worked out an agreement: Kennedy would not invade Cuba if Khrushchev would not send Cuba missiles.

As a policymaker, JFK was a supporter of civil rights. Among his domestic accomplishments were the creation of the Peace Corp, the foundation of the Alliance for Progress, increased funding for defense, an increase in the minimum wage, and a boost in the economy through deficit spending. However, some of his domestic reform ideas, which included civil rights legislation, space exploration, and scientific programs, encountered some resistance in Congress. Nonetheless, his goal of putting a man on the moon was eventually achieved, though he would never live to see it happen. On November 22, 1963, Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas. The assassin, later found to be Lee Harvey Oswald, shot the president while he was driving in his presidential convertible car, and led the country into a new age under the leadership of Kennedy’s successor, Lyndon B. Johnson.

The Space Program: Apollo 11

In a speech to Congress in May of 1961, Kennedy expressed his ambitious goal for the nation: "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth." Though the beloved president did not live to see the day, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr, successfully landed on the Earth's moon on July 20th, 1969.

Aldrin on the moon's surface

Millions watched on television, and thousands gathered to witness the fateful day in United States' history. On July 16th, 1969, Apollo 11 was launched into space, and on July 19th, 1969, went into full orbit around the moon. After 30 revolutions, the three astronauts landed on the surface of the moon. Neil Armstrong was the first to walk on the surface, placing his left foot out first. The first footage, though of low quality, was received in Australia and then broadcasted to over 6oo million people. Upon setting foot on the moon, Armstrong famously said, "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind." The astronauts managed to fill up two boxes worth of lunar surface substance to bring back to Earth.

This mission to space was not merely for the recreational purposes of the United States government. In fact, this mission all a part of the grand Space Race between America and the Soviet Union. Three days before the launching of Apollo 11, the Soviet Union launched Luna 15, which crashed onto the surface of the moon a day before Apollo 11's scheduled launch.

Kennedy never did live to see the day his words were fulfilled just at the turn of the decade, but the nation and the rest of the world witnessed the day where boundaries were broken.

They Made the change.

The assassinations of the 1960s kicked off with one of the greatest president of the United States John F Kennedy. John F Kennedy coming into the presidency very young he had a dream to left the united states up from its term oil. "A nation which has forgotten the quality of courage which in the past has been brought to public life is not as likely to insist upon or regard that quality in its chosen leaders today - and in fact we have forgotten". On November 22, 1963 JFK was gunned down in Dallas, Texas. The nation was in shock the man that was going to change this nation around was gone.

JFK May 29Th 1917- November 22,1963

This next man that was taken away from this country was very important to the African American race, He was the most influential person of the 1960s. He was the reason why colored people took a stand, leader of the civil rights movement. "A man who won't die for something is not fit to live" Martin Luther King Jr. When he took the role of the leader of the civil rights he knew that his life was in danger. Martin knew that he could not use violence or riots to prove that Black People should be treated equal. He followed the teachings of Gandhi Peace and non violence. When Martin was shot kids were asking there teachers, Why did they kill a king?. Martin was not going to stop to he got what was right he made a statement that "we shall over come one day " He had the dream.
Martin Luther King Jr. Jan 16,1929 - April 4,1968

The Space Program

Not only did John F. Kennedy wish to accelerate the space program initiated by the Eisenhower administration, but he also wanted to restore America’s confidence in itself after the accomplishments of the Soviets in space.
To this purpose, seven men were selected to become Project Mercury astronauts: Scott Carpenter, Leroy Gordon Cooper, John Glenn Jr., Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Walter Schirra Jr., Alan Shepard Jr., and Donald “Deke” Slayton. There were three main goals to Project Mercury: to orbit a manned spacecraft around Earth, to investigate man’s ability to function in space, and to recover astronaut and spacecraft safely.
As mentioned before, the Soviet’s feats in space had shaken Americans. Understanding the need to restore confidence in Americans, Kennedy took the matter to Congress. On May 21, 1961, he took a strong stand in support of space exploration and asked for an additional $7 - $9 billion over the next five years for the space program. He did not justify this enormous funding on the basis of science and exploration but clearly showed the space race was a race between two competing ideologies: democracy and communism.
Within a year, Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom became the first two Americans to travel into space, soon followed by John Glenn Jr. becoming the first American to orbit Earth.
The sudden barrage of success quickly inspired medical researchers, engineers, test pilots, machinists, factory workers, businessmen, and industrialists to work together to achieve yet another goal: to reach the moon
As space exploration continued through the 1960s, the United States was well on its way to the moon. Eventually, with the creation of the Apollo Program (its purpose specifically to land on the moon) and further research President Kennedy’s dream was soon accomplished. On July 20, 1969, the Apollo 11 astronauts successfully landed on the moon and returned safely to Earth.
As a result of the space program, universities expanded their science programs. The huge amount of federal funding during the drive for space exploration gave rise to new industries and technologies. Many of these could be used in business, industry, and new consumer goods. Also, new industries involving space and defense soon sprang up.

by Andy and Jonathan

Vietnam War

Vietnam war was a war that had nothing to do with U.S. in the beginning.  What started everything was French’s attempt in getting back their control over Vietnam.  U.S. supported France with money, as a way to fight communism.  However, that situation did not last long.  In 1954, French surrendered. It was not the end of the war, but the beginning. 

Vietnam divided in half: South are anti-communists, and north are Communists. The northern communist group was known as Vietcong, led by Ho Chi Minh. With support from China and Soviet, the Vietcong was strong.  Johnson was not ready to let the entire Vietnam convert to communism, so he sent more support to South Vietnam as the war went on.  He pushed through the Tonkin Gulf Resolution in 1964, with granted him great military power in Vietnam.

The war was long and frustrating.  Vietcong never backed down no matter how much military forces U.S. put in. With their understanding of the Vietnam Geography, the Vietcong used hit and run strategies.  They dug tunnels, and launch surprise attacks.  The U.S. grew frustrated over their elusive enemy and used cruel strategies too.  The napalm and Agent Orange was used, which wounded many civilians.  Since they could not tell who is involved with Vietcong and who is not,. They simply conducted search-and-destroy missions, in which they kill everyone who is suspected. 

The War was not only horrible at the frontline, but at home too.  With television broadcasts, citizens of U.S. grew unrest.  The nation became divided into two groups, the Doves and Hawks.  The Doves wanted peace and end to the war, while the Hawks think U.S. should put in more powers.  The Students rebelled, and the SDS is formed.  

The longer the war went on, the less hope people have.  More and more people became Doves, and want an end to it all.  It’s not until Nixon became president that the war ended.  U.S. pulled out of Vietnam in March 29, 1973, after much bombing.  However, the war forever left a wound in American’s heart.  The Soldiers who came back suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, and many committed suicides.  

South Vietnam surrendered to North Vietnam in 1975.  The war was a blood bath for both the Vietnamese and Americans.

-Katherine 

Civil Rights Movement

Despite slavery being abolished in the 1860s, African Americans still faced segregation and racial injustices by white people. However, African Americans stood tall and in 1955, began the African American Civil Rights Movement. It all began with one courageous woman, Rosa Parks, defying social codes of conduct by refusing to give up her bus seat. Her arrest for refusing to do so sparked a citywide bus boycott, which lasted for 385 days. Blacks in Montgomery, Alabama carpooled and walked, not taking the buses to make a statement about the unfair segregation on them. This boycott also allowed Martin Luther King Jr. to rise up and take control of the movement. The de facto leader of the civil rights movement, MLK Jr. was a fearless leader, a Baptist minister who excelled in the art of rhetoric. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, in the Deep South, and from an early age was exposed to much racism and injustice. He would go on to lead many other protests, including the March on Birmingham.

MLK wanted to have a peaceful protest and decided to lead a march through the very racially segregated city of Birmingham. Accompanied by thousands, both blacks and whites marched alongside King. MLK was arrested, and police brutality was rampant as the Birmingham March continued. Major national television coverage led to the whole United States seeing police’s beatings and the horror of the situation. This gave African American freedom fighters leverage in Congress, and eventually led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964, ended and prohibited discrimination because of race, religion, national origin, and gender. It gave all citizens equal rights, regardless of color. This Act also showed that the Civil Rights Movement was not just for African Americans and that it was for all who had been discriminated against. This was shortly followed by the 24th amendment, which banned poll tax, and allowed all blacks to vote as well as poorer citizens. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was what finally toppled any barriers keeping blacks from voting, eliminating literacy tests which had disqualified many African Americans to vote. Now all blacks had to do was overcome the fear and threats of violence from their white counterparts.

By: Yotam and Jonas

Eisenhower's Presidency

Dwight D Eisenhower won the 1952 presidential elections. He was the Republican candidate, so he believed in letting the economy run itself. Although the Republican party had control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, he did not lower taxes because of the state's debt. He managed to prevent the national debt from rising and avoided inflation.

For the most part, Eisenhower's presidency was dominated by the Cold War. He formed to Pact of Madrid to make an alliance with Spain. He believed in the policy of containment, which was to keep communism from spreading to new areas. To do this, he started using the CIA to carry out covert actions, such as overthrowing leaders of other countries who could potentially be threats to the United States. Eisenhower was also a big supporter of increasing the United States' nuclear power.

During the election, Eisenhower had promised to end the Korean War if he became president. In 1953 a cease fire was established in Korea after Eisenhower threatened to use nuclear force on them. However, Eisenhower was also the first president to send troops into Vietnam. He opposed Britain, France, and Israel's involvement in the dispute in Egypt over the Suez Canal. He convinced them to pull out, but he later said that he regretted it.

~By Erin M

Tuskegee Airmen

Tuskegee Airmen

The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of African American pilots who fought in World War II. They comprised the first African American military aviators in the United States armed forces. Despite their great success in combat, they faced discrimination and segregation both within and outside the military.

The unit originated in 1941 as the 99^th Pursuit Squadron, with over 250 enlisted men. They were trained at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Illinois. They faced pervasive discrimination during their training, but despite this setback, they were successfully formed into an entire service arm, including a ground crew. Once the 99^th was prepared for combat duty, it was transported to the African Theater where they began to fight against the German Luftwaffe. The 99^th received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its performance.

Despite this, the commander of the fighter group that the Tuskegee Airmen were part of told the media that the 99^th was a failure and that its pilots were incompetent. These claims were almost entirely based on racist beliefs. A recommendation for disbandment was narrowly prevented from being sent to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Shortly after that, three new squadrons of African American aviators finished their training at Tuskegee and departed for Africa. After several months, all four squadrons were combined into the all African American 332^nd Fighter Group. The 332^nd gained recognition for their escort of Allied bombers in the European theater. The Tuskegee Airmen became one of the most highly decorated groups in the American armed forces and were attributed with the destruction of a large number of Axis planes and ground targets.

Despite their great success, the Tuskegee Airmen still faced discrimination for some time upon their return to the United States after World War II. Their important contribution to the war effort was not fully recognized until many years later. The Tuskegee Airmen serve as yet another example of African Americans overcoming adversity to achieve greatness, and their story is an inspiration to all Americans.

By: Derek Nielsen

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War changed the nation forever. It came right after the positive 50s, and led to the 60s. The 60s were full of negativity and protests, but in the 50s middle class American families had very little to worry about. Before the Vietnam war, attitudes about war were generally positive. This was right after WWII which brought nothing but prosperity. The Vietnam war on the other hand was the opposite. People came into the war with positive attitudes, but that quickly changed. The war seemed to go on forever with no real progress. Money, bodies, and resources were wasted on a war when nobody knew why it was fought. It was technically a conflict because war was never declared. It's very similar to watergate. Before that happened, people trusted that the president knew what he was doing, and it led to later government investigations. 

Most people would have expected the United States to pick up an easy victory, but that wasn't the case. The United States had a more powerful army, but the Vietnamese knew the territory and used that to their advantage. The war was just one big misunderstanding. The Americans thought they were fighting to stop the spread of communism while the Vietnamese thought of the Americans as imperialists, and fought for their freedom. This is why they fought so hard. The war didn't really accomplish anything.

The Civil Rights Movement in 1960

The Civil Rights Movement really started about 1955. The movements aimed towards outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans, especially in the south. 

By the 1960's Civil Rights activist were taking journeys called "freedom rides". These activist would take  interstate buses into segregated southern towns and test the Supreme Court rule of Boynton v. Virginia. 

In the late 1950's and early 1960's integration of African American and white students at Mississippi universities was started. Many were against this movement and would come to the schools and try to keep the African American students out. Soon government enforcement was needed just so these young men and some women could go to school.

In 1963 there was a march called "March on Washington". The march had six major goals they were trying to achieve.

1)"meaningful Civil Right laws

2)A massive federal works program

3)Full and fair employment

4)Decent housing

5)The right to vote

6)Adequate integrated education"

The march was such a big deal that it caught National media coverage. The march was a success, although many people were against it at first after Dr. Kings famous "I have a dream speech" many had a change in heart.

1960's Space Program

1960's Space Program

The Soviets beat the US to space when they launched the Vostok into space and it made one whole orbit around Earth. Alan Shepard became the first American in space and took a fifteen minute flight in his tiny Mercury spacecraft. The US was very excited! Kennedy decided he wanted to send a man to the moon and bring him back safely. He felt this was the perfect way to break ahead of the Soviets.

John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth and he did so three times before returning home. Gordon Cooper spend a whole day in space. The Soviets were still ahead of the US. They had already had their first woman in space and she said up almost three days.

NASA created the most sophisticated spacecraft yet which had the ability to change its orbit in mid flight. The Gemini spacecraft had the first controlled reentries to Earth as well as staying in space for 14 days and the space walks lasting up to two hours.

The US also worked on robots there could go even farther into space and we got the first pictures of Venus and Mars. Apollo 8 went into lunar orbit and took many pictures and returned safely. This was a huge victory for the US.

Armstrong became the first man to step on the moon and he said his famous line, "Thats one small step for man, and one giant leap for mankind."

Space Program in the 1960's

The 60's was an anxious time for the U.S. involving space. They feared they were falling behind in development of intercontinental ballistic missiles and that the missile gap was increasing between the Soviet Union and the U.S.. Once John F. Kennedy was elected president he had no choice, but to focus on human spaceflight. 

On April 12, 1961, the Soviet Union launched Yuri Gagarin into space. He completed his mission by making a single orbit around the world in 108 minutes. 

In order to chance up the Soviet Union, the U.S. increased there focus on space. On May 5, the U.S. sent Alan Shepard into space for 15 minutes. The U.S. public reacted with wild enthusiasm.

Kennedy decided the one way to win the space race was to land a man safety on the moon and have him return. First John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth on February 12, 1962. However shortly after the Soviets overshadowed the U.S. by sending the first women into space, successfully completing a full day mission, and so forth.

Meanwhile the Soviets and the U.S. wanted to expand their reach beyond Earth's orbit. After much trial and error, on July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 became the first spaceship to land on the Moon and Neil Armstrong became the first man to step on the Moon. The Americans had won the space race.

-Alice Walton

Our Boys in 'Nam

Vietnam was colonized by France since 1884, causing the formation of several Vietnamese opposition groups. One such group was the Viet Minh common front formed in 1941, which was controlled by the Communist party in Vietnam. Because France was taken over by the Axis during WWII, the Japanese took over the French colonies. When famine struck northern Vietnam in 1944, the Viet Minh inspired the people to refuse to pay taxes and to raid rice storages. The group recruited many members during this period. In 1945 Japan was defeated and the leader of the Viet Minh Ho Chi Minh declared the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Vietnam struggled against the French and finally gained independence in 1954, with the help of the PRC, the Communist party in China, and the Soviet Union. Many Vietnamese were allowed to freely move between North and South Vietnam, separated by the 17th parallel. The Viet Minh, led by Ho Chi Minh, governed the North and the Republic of Vietnam, led by Ngo Dinh Diem, ruled the South. The North Vietnamese army is referred to as the People's Army of Vietnam and the communist South Vietnamese army is referred to as the Vietcong.

The Kennedy Administration grew wary of the spread of communism during the Cold War. However, Kennedy believed that South Vietnam carried much of the responsibilities regarding guerrilla warfare because he was against the deployment of American troops. As Kennedy's advisers pressed for military action, the President stuck with merely giving aid. The Southern government, filled with corruption and poor leadership, eventually required US troops.

President Lyndon Johnson took over the Presidency in 1963. He was initially more involved in the "Great Society." However, he was notified of two attacks on American battleships on intelligence missions near the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964. It was later found in 2005 that there were actually no attacks on the battleships. However, these "fake" attacks allowed Johnson to conduct military operations in Vietnam. The US constantly bombed Vietnam for three years, hoping that it would intimidate North Vietnamese as well as bolster the morale of South Vietnamese. On 1965, the marines were dispatched to Vietnam. There was not much progress however, because of the deadly guerrilla tactics. In 1968, North Vietnamese forces attacked during Tet holiday, the Vietnamese counterpart of New Year's. The attack was devastating to the Vietcong as US forces retaliated quickly.

The Vietnam War concluded during Nixon's presidency. The Paris Peace Accords were signed in 1973, ending direct US involvement in the war. The treaty ordered a ceasefire between the two states. In 1975 Northern forces captured Saigon, ending the war. Although the North Vietnamese technically won, the war ended up as a stalemate for both powers. The US had no choice but to retreat from the war, failing to enforce the policy of containment, while Vietnam suffered many casualties. Neither countries paid reparations.

Andrew C and Ben H

The 33rd President of he United States

Harry Truman was president from 1945 to 1953. Truman had to face challenge after challenge to help the post-war economy. One of his major accomplishments was his Fair Deal program. He also began desegregation of the military and created checks to eliminate communist supporters. At the end of World War 2, he changed history by using the first nuclear weapon against Japan. He later founded the United Nations, Marshall Plan and Truman Doctrine to help rebuild Europe and prevent the spread of communism.

His presidency began to deteriorate at the beginning of the cold war and the Korean war. One of his major secret plans during his presidency was the Manhattan Project: the development of the first atomic bomb during Roosevelts presidency. This plan was such a secret that even Truman was not aware of what was happening even when he took his oath.

Truman was the first president and a key figure to be involved in the establishment of the state of Israel. Being the following president to anti-Semitic Roosevelt, his support was not high and he was concerned about the idea. Later on, however, the idea of a Jewish state became more popular and he grew more comfortable with its support.

His second term as president, consisted of many challenges. This was due to the cold war with the Soviet Union and the progress of the atomic bomb. In 1953, he announced the success of the Hydrogen bomb. The US was one step ahead of the Soviet Union. In regards to this competition, Truman felt the need to detect Soviet spies, leading up to the policy of McCarthyism. Truman allowed horrible accusations against anyone suspected of being a communist. In the Korean War, Truman got the US Navy involved with a naval blockade. In addition, he told the UN for the first time in history to use its defense powers. 30000 Americans were killed and this war made the president unpopular such that he was forced to cancel his reelection process. In 1950, there was an assassination attempt. It was a close call for the president but he finally took cover.

- Sneha B and Shany A

Next Project Milestone - April 21

On April 21 be prepared to give me a detailed LAY OUT for each page of your web site.  You should include the page title, labels for each section of the page such as photo(s), graph(s), text.  For example, if you selected SPORTS-Baseball in the 1970s, your page title and specific topic might be "The Amazing A's 3-peat."

FDR's reactions to Holocaust

In simple words, Holocaust is when Hitler used racial cleansing as excuse to bring mass extermination upon certain ethnic groups. 11 million people were killed during the genocide in Germany, more than half were Jews. They were gathered into concentration camps, then to death camps, where they were gassed in masses. Auschwitz was the largest death camp of all. (More information on Holocaust can be found in http://history1900s.about.com/od/holocaust/a/holocaustfacts.htm)

Now days looking back, we know that what Hitler did was unacceptable and cruel. However, Roosevelt was reluctant to do anything to stop the genocide at the time. Many believes that the reason lies in the anti-Semitism in the white house. Not only FDR, but many politicians at the time did not care so much for the death of Jews. It was Henry Morgenthau, Treasury secretary, who brought the discussion openly to FDR in 1944. In response, FDR declared “Citizens, regardless of religious allegiance, will share in the sorrow of our Jewish fellow-citizens over the savagery of the Nazis against their helpless victims, The Nazis will not succeed in exterminating their victims any more than they will succeed in enslaving mankind. The American people not only sympathize with all victims of Nazi crimes but will hold the perpetrators of these crimes to strict accountability in a day of reckoning which will surely come.” While he showed his support for the Jews, he didn’t promise any actions.

As the Genocide in Germany continued without any interference, more people from the Jewish community reported to FDR the urgency of the situation. However, FDR’s reply was simple “we shall win the war”. Henry Morgenthau was dissatisfied with FDR’s lack of actions. He reported to him the details of the genocide, anti-semitism in the U.S. government, and the need for direct help. FDR waved aside the anti-semitism part, but did agree to send aid to victims of Holocaust while maitaining the forces put into war.

There are also people who supported FDR’s actions. Many agree with FDR that wining the war would be cutting the source behind the Holocaust. Even if the death camps were bombed, Germany can easily set up another in other places. Railroads that were bombed sould be easily fix, or genocide could be carried on in other ways. FDR was also determined about keeping evidents to convict Hitler of the crime. With all the heavy propaganda going around during war time, Allies bombing death camp would make things complicated. The Nazis could use the bombings to blame the earlier death of Jews on the Allies.

Katherine Jia

Tuskegee Airmen

The Tuskegee Airmen were dedicated, determined young men who enlisted to become America's first black military airmen. They came from every section of the country, with large numbers coming from New York City, Washington, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit. Each one possessed a strong personal desire to serve the United States of America at the best of his ability. Those who possessed the physical and mental qualifications were accepted. From 1941 through 1946, nine hundred and ninety-six pilots graduated at TAAF, receiving commissions and pilot wings. Black navigators, bombardiers and gunnery crews were trained at selected military bases elsewhere in the United States.

Harry Truman's Presidency

When Harry Truman inherited the presidency after Franklin D. Roosevelt’s death in 1945, he knew he would have to deal with many problems that Roosevelt had left behind. Although Truman was far from prepared for the job, he was self-confident and had the ability to make difficult decisions and to accept full responsibility for their consequences. Truman would need these abilities to face the plentiful economic and social problems that persisted in America following WWII.

One of these economic problems involved strikes. 4.5 million workers who were faced with higher prices and lower wages went on strike in 1946. Truman realized this would cripple the nation, so he took a stand against these strikers even though he, normally, supported organized labor. Once he threatened to draft the striking workers into the army, the unions gave in.

Truman also faced problems in Congress. In the 1946 congressional elections, the Republican Party won control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. This new Congress now had the power to ignore Truman’s domestic proposals and first exercised their power by passing the Taft-Hartley Act over Truman’s veto.

Social problems were also prevalent during Truman’s presidency. African Americans who had fought for the U.S. during WWII demanded to be treated like U.S. citizens. Truman completely supported their demands and was adamant about achieving equality and rights to people of all colors. He was so supportive of civil rights that he even said if he failed to be reelected (since he was risking his presidency by supporting civil rights), his loss would be justified. He tried appealing to Congress to pass anti-lynching laws, banning poll tax, and creating a permanent civil rights commission. However, Congress was not supportive of these proposals. Truman was undeterred by this rejection. Taking advantage of his position, Truman issued an executive order for integration of the armed forces, among other orders. These actions marked the beginning of the government’s role in acknowledging and dealing with racial issues in America.

Eventually, the 1948 elections came up. Though the nation was upset at Truman for the nation’s inflation and labor unrest, the Democrats nominated him for president in 1948. There was discontent among the ranks of the Democratic Party in response to this and a group known as the Dixiecrats was formed in defiance to this decision. A number of Democrats even left the party to form their own party. Although opinion polls gave the Republican candidate a comfortable lead, Truman refused to believe this and started an aggressive campaign. Surprisingly, this campaign was a success and lead Truman to victory in the 1948 presidential elections.

Once Truman was back in office, he set to work extending Roosevelt’s New Deal with a proposal called the Fair Deal. This proposal contained plans for a nationwide system of compulsory health insurance and a crop-subsidy system to provide a steady income for farmers. Although the majority of these proposals failed to pass through Congress, some of them did. One of the proposed measures that passed was raising the hourly minimum wage from 40 cents to 75 cents.

Despite these political, social, and economic victories, Truman’s approval rating sank to the lowest it had ever been, 23%. This low approval rating was caused by the stalemate in the Korean War and the rise of McCarthyism. When the 1952 presidential elections came around, Truman decided not to run for reelection. This signaled the end of Harry Truman’s presidency.

by Jonathan and Andy

During the cold war the Soviet Union sent a satellite and a man, Yuri Gagarin, into space. This scared the American public who thought the soviets could put a missal base on the moon and bomb us at will. The US quickly developed a space program, and sent a man into space within a month. Also later that year the US sent up a satellite that broad casted television programs. NASA then constructed a launch site in Cape Canaveral and mission control in Houston. We then began working toward going to the moon with Kennedy's famous quote “We choose not to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things not because they are easy but because they are hard. “ Seven year passed and then Neil Armstrong took the first step on the moon. The success of the space program greatly increased funding for scientific research. Universities also increased research programs.

-Spencer

Vietnam War

The Second Indochina War, the Vietnam conflict, or more commonly known as the Vietnam war, was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam in 1959. The conflict depicted the north communist Vietnamese, supported by communist allies, against the South Vietnamese, supported by the Americans and other non-communist nations. The United States entered the war as part of their containment strategy. The Americans also feared that the domino theory would take place: if one Southeast Asian country fell to communism, the neighboring countries would follow suit.

The Vietnam conflict started back in 1945, where the French controlled the French Indochina, now called Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh, the leader of the resistance movement called the Vietminh, publicly declaring Vietnamese independence in hope to drive the French out of the country. However, the French had no intention of leaving Vietnam and soon regained control of the cities and southern half. Ho Chi Minh vowed to fight back from the North to regain the South from French control.

In 1956, Minh gained popularity as a war hero from the Japanese in WWII and support from peasants, and the United States sensed that he would win the next election. The South Vietnamese President, Ngo Dinh Diem, a strong anti-communist, refused to take part in the upcoming countrywide election. Diem promised to hold a stable government in the South, and the Americans continued to supply aid. Diem, however, was unable to hold his end of the bargain and ushered a corrupt government that suppressed any opposition and issued no land to the peasants. By 1957, a Communist opposition group in South Vietnamese, the Vietcong, began to attack the Diem government. Ho Chi Minh supported the group and supplied arms. As the rebellion stepped up their guerrilla warfare tactics, the South grew more unstable. Furthermore, Diem’s popularity plummeted because of ongoing corruption and failure to respond to reforms. Not long after, Diem was assassinated. It was time for the U.S. to take action.

More than 500,000 soldiers were drafted and sent to Vietnam. The U.S. suffered from heavy losses as the soldiers were unprepared for the guerilla warfare tactics used by the Vietminh army. It was inevitable that the U.S. would eventually fall as tension heated up back in America. Because of unfavorable protests, the former president Nixon was forced to withdraw the U.S. forces. Vietnam and the neighboring countries fell to communism.

Eisenhower's Presidency

As President Truman’s presidency drew to a close, voters were disappointed with the Democratic Party for the stalemate in the Korean War and for the sweeping wave of McCarthyism. Since his approval rating declined to a meager 23 percent, Truman decided not to run for reelection in 1952. Due to discontent with the Democratic Party, voters elected General Dwight D. Eisenhower over his Democratic opponent, Governor Adlai Stevenson.

As Eisenhower entered the presidency, and his running mate, Richard Nixon, took office as Vice President, it became clear that the new administration would take a new approach to government. Eisenhower’s “dynamic conservatism,” or “Modern Republicanism,” was a middle-of-the-road approach involving fiscal conservatism and social liberalism. Among his accomplishments in the domestic arena were balancing the budget, cutting taxes, and raising the minimum wage. He also extended Social Security and unemployment benefits, increased funding for public housing, and played a part in the formation of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

The fiscal responsibility and social reform of the Eisenhower administration ushered the United States into the age of prosperity typically associated with the 1950s. For example, the Interstate Highway Act of 1956 laid down plans for 41,000 miles of freeways, networked across the country. This legislation boosted the appeal of the automobile and gave Americans a way to leisurely spend their time—by embarking on family road trip vacations and visiting national parks. Another example of the Eisenhower administration’s influence on American culture could be found in the growing consumerist mentality of the American people. Because Eisenhower minimized government spending, cut taxes, and raised the minimum wage, middle-class Americans generally had more money to spend. The comfortable financial situation of the nation’s middle class caused people to embrace consumerism, associating success with the accumulation of material goods such as automobiles, houses, household appliances, televisions, and other consumer products.

Eisenhower’s “reign” was not absolutely successful. Despite the relative comfort of the middle class, the urban poor witnessed little improvement in quality of life, partly because of the fact that middle and upper class Americans flocked to the suburbs, leaving cities unbalanced and poor. Furthermore, Eisenhower did little to promote civil rights. In the Cold War, Eisenhower focused on the development of nuclear weapons, following a policy of brinkmanship, and he issued the Eisenhower Doctrine in 1957, pledging to defend the Middle East against attacks from communist countries. His failure to focus on a space program, however, provoked fears that the Soviet Union would overtake the United States, especially after the USSR launched Sputnik into space in 1957. Despite inaction with regard to civil rights and a questionable Cold War policy of brinkmanship, the eight years during which Dwight Eisenhower was President are generally remembered as a time of peace and prosperity.

Bad times

Bad times
In the early 1940s that time period was the worst for many colored people, colored people could do very few things in their towns. Many white people did not accept colored people in their towns and schools. As everybody knows that in 1960 segregation divided the nations people into two, it was something that was right most whites eyes back then, but it was never right to a colored person. Many colored people tried to prevent this by doing many thing such as bus boycotts and also the long walk to Montgomery. Rosa Parks names comes too mind when you hear the word bus, She was a strong colored women who had to finished a hard day of work and she would not give up her seat to a white man. This begins the Bus boycotts because that day county police arrested Rosa Parks. This action put hope and into many colored peoples eyes. The man that gave everybody hope was Dr. Martin Luther king jr a Baptist Church pastor to lead the boycotts and also the most affective civil rights movement “ well I’m not sure I’m the best person for the position” “ but if no one else is going to serve I’d be glad to try.
The civil rights movement gave colored people the hope to live the American dream. That all men are created equal and it’s not about the color of are skin but it is by the content of our character

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a major conflict between two extreme systems of government.  The two opposing sides were the communist Soviet Union and the democratic United States. The United States supported the southern Vietnamese while the Soviet Union supported the Northern Vietnamese. This is the first war the United States has ever been in where they can’t distinguish the citizens from the soldiers. This was also the first all guerilla warfare war between two major powers. Although the Soviets never sent many troops to aid the Northern Vietnamese they spent a lot of money sending supplies and weapons to the communist allies. As the war progressed it became clear that there were too many advantages against the US and a victory was impossible with out keeping it moderately humane. The factor that made it clear as to why victory was impossible was the Viet Cong; a private supporting communist army made up of citizens that used deadly guerilla warfare against the anti-communist US. During the war, at home people felt that if the people of Vietnam wanted to become communist then let them, they shouldn’t be sending US citizens to fight for politically security of democracy. The war was quickly and cleanly ended by the retreat of the entire US army on April 30^th, 1975.

FDR and the Holocaust

            The early 1940s was a rough period of time throughout the world. Amidst a social and ethnic purification in Germany, millions of Jews, Gypsies, mentally handicapped, and more were put to death because of their religious beliefs or physical “shortcomings.” Concentration camps were used for mass murders and slave labor. The conditions in these camps were horrid, and many died not by execution, but by the dreadful standards of living at these camps. Disease and starvation were also rampant among the prisoners. The German’s best kept secret, very few outside the Nazi regime were aware of the atrocities that occurred at these death camps.

            Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, FDR was re-elected for his third term. One of the privileged few who knew about the death camps, FDR had the ability to stop these death camps by simply bombing the railroad tracks that took prisoners to the camps. It was well known that FDR was anti-Semitic, but it was still shocking to American citizens when it was revealed that, despite prior knowledge, nothing was done to stop the flow of prisoners into the camps. Some believe that FDR did not get involved because of strong anti-Jewish beliefs on the home front. He did not want to go against the public beliefs, so he decided not to act.

            Along with ignoring the death camps, FDR would often order immigration officers to not allow in Jewish immigrants who escaped persecution in Europe. In 1939, the SS St. Louis docked in Cuba, filled with Jewish immigrants. However, they were not allowed entrance into the United States and were forced to return to Germany. Known as the “Voyage of the Damned,” the SS St. Louis was forced to return back to Germany, where all but 365 of its passengers were executed. At first, FDR allowed Jewish immigrants to flee to the United States, but only in small numbers. By the time he had stopped, over 100,000 had emigrated to the United States. However, while knowing of the camps, he suddenly disallowed all emigrations to the United States by refugee Jews.

Despite his political prowess in office, FDR made some very critical errors during his presidency. Due to his ignorance of the Jewish plight in Europe, over 6 million were executed. These numbers could have been drastically reduced had he taken action to stop them. Unfortunately, he did not want to be looked at badly by the public eye, and did nothing. For his lack of action, he will be forever remembered not by his political successes, but by his critical flaws.

By: Yotam and Jonas

McCarthyism

McCarthyism is a term that was named after Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy.  McCarthy was a prominent public figure in the early 1950's.  At that time, known as the Red Scare, people were afraid that communism was going to take over the world.  McCarthy gained attention by claiming that he had a list of Soviet spies in the United States government.  However, he never provided any evidence for his accusations.  For a few years, he continued to accuse people of being communist without giving any evidence.  Despite this, many people believed him.  Some of the accused were imprisoned, but even those who were not suffered.  No one wanted to hire a communist, so many people accused lost their jobs and had their careers destroyed.  McCarthy mainly targeted government employees, union activists, educators, and those in the movie industry.  In 1954 McCarthy accused the army of being communist, which led to a highly publicized case about it.  This made McCarthy lose support and popularity.

Since then, the term has expanded to envelop more than simply the actions of Joseph McCarthy.  It can also be used to describe other unjustified accusations of communism during the 1950's.  For example, the House Committee on Un-American Activities formed a Hollywood blacklist, which listed all of the Hollywood actors who they suspected were communist.

Today, McCarthyism is used in an even more general way.  It can be used to describe many actions, from making badly supported accusations to questioning a person's patriotism to accusing someone of being disloyal in order to pressure them to conform.

~By Erin M

Rosa Parks

We've all seen this picture. If not you've probably heard of this woman. Her name is Rosa Parks, and she did a lot for civil rights. Not through violence or force, but by simply sitting down. In the 50s, there were strict segregation laws. Whites and blacks didn't use any of the same facilities. They were always separate but rarely equal. Blacks had to sit on the back of the bus, while whites could sit in the front. 

On December 1st 1955, Rosa Parks got into the bus and sat down. A white man later entered the bus expecting her to give up her seat for him, but she didn't. This sounds like a petty argument now, but in those times it was considered a serious act of civil disobedience. The bus driver threatened to call the police, but she didn't care. She stayed in her seat and was later arrested. She was hated by the supporters of segregation, and her whole family faced the consequences. She was aware of the hardships she would face, but knew it was worth in the long run.

She had a lot of support, and inspired a boycott against riding the bus. African Americans all over Alabama refused to ride the bus. A large percentage of those riding the bus were black, so this infuriated the bus companies. The boycott lasted a whole year, and added momentum to the already growing civil rights movement.

She became very famous and went on to win awards. She got a lot of support by Dr. Martin Luther King for her nonviolent protest as well as several feminist groups for her bravery. 5 years ago, she died at the age of 92, but will always be remembered.

Space Programs in 1960's

In the 1960's many thought that the US was far behind the Soviet Union in terms of space innovations, but actually we were not that far behind. Spy satellites already existed around our globe. This information was not released to the public giving everyone a sense of lagging. Kennedy, wanting to keep up, decided that on May 5th he would send Alan Shepard to be the first American in space followed by John Glenn who was the first to orbit the globe in 1962. The space race between the Soviet Union and America became a vital competition for Kennedy and those who would follow. Kennedy began to search for advisors to come up with space programs to further research. The soviet presisted to fight and continued to be one step ahead of the United States. As this occured NASA became close to establishing a system in which the orbiting ship could change its orbit midflight. This was something that the Soviet Union had not even thought about.
In 1967 both the Soviet Union and Americans emerged with progrmas to send humans to the moon. In 1967 the crew of the Apollo 1 was sent in what ended up being a fatal mission. Fire swept through the cabin sending out a mission that would not return. The soviets also suffered some losses with their first mission. Soyuz 1, likewise was plagued with malfunction creating an unsuccessful mission. In 1969 Kennedy launched apollo 11 with out disappointment. 4 days later Armsrtong and Allen landed on the moon. A success for the United States had been achieved and put us far ahead infront of the Soviet Union. This furthered not only space research but scientific advancements as well. It set the stage for continual space exploration for the future. In later year the United States would have explored other planets as well as further research on the moon.