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.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
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
Sunday, May 2, 2010
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
Proof? Ask mom to send me an email message at msanderson@pausd.org.
Vietnam war
Thursday, April 29, 2010
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.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
1960s: Era of Assasination
The Kennedy Administration
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
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.
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
The unit originated in 1941 as the 99th 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 99th was prepared for combat duty, it was transported to the African Theater where they began to fight against the German Luftwaffe. The 99th 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 99th 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 332nd Fighter Group. The 332nd 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 Civil Rights Movement in 1960
1960's Space Program
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.
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 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