American History 2

• Publisher: QuickStudy Reference Guides
• Year: 2009
• ISBN:
  9781423211952
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: World History
• Index: History

Prepare for your history exams or learn more about key events in American history with BarCharts' updated American History 2 QuickStudy® guide. Detailing the aftermath of the Civil War up to the War on Terror and the reelection of President Obama, this guide features timelines grouped by historical theme to give you a concise outline of major events in American history through multiple perspectives.

The Rise & Fall of Postwar Liberalism, 1960–1979

1960	An American U-2 spy plane is shot down over the USSR. The first oral contraceptive (a.k.a. “the pill”) is introduced. Four black students stage a “sit-in” at a segregated lunch counter of Woolworth’s department store in Greensboro, NC. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee is created to organize nonviolent protests against segregation laws. The presidential election pits senator John F. Kennedy (D-MA) against Vice President Nixon. Both candidates are young: Kennedy is 43; Nixon is 47. Kennedy charges that a “missile gap” with the USSR developed on Eisenhower’s watch. The first televised presidential debate takes place. Kennedy wins a narrow victory; he is the first Catholic president.
1961	Before leaving office, Eisenhower warns against the rise of a “military-industrial complex.” Kennedy approves a scheme, known as the Bay of Pigs Invasion, for CIA-backed Cuban nationals to invade Cuba and overthrow and kill Castro. The Cuban military detects the invaders, and the operation ends in disaster. The Freedom Rides begin as African Americans challenge segregation laws when riding buses on interstate routes. With Soviet support, East Germany constructs the Berlin Wall to separate East Berlin from West Berlin. Kennedy creates the Peace Corps and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
1962	The Cuban missile crisis sparks fears of a nuclear war between the U.S. and USSR. The Soviets are found to be installing missiles in Cuba. The U.S. demands removal of the missiles. Kennedy declares Cuba under “quarantine” to prevent delivery of missiles. The U.S. and USSR settle peacefully: the USSR removes Cuban missiles, and the U.S. removes missiles from Turkey. John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit Earth. Students for a Democratic Society drafts the “Port Huron Statement.” The Other America: Poverty in the United States by socialist, political scientist, and activist Michael Harrington is published. Capitalism and Freedom by libertarian economist Milton Friedman is published.
1963	In the March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) delivers his “I Have a Dream” speech. MLK leads a nonviolent march in Birmingham, AL, provoking violent reaction from local police chief Eugene “Bull” Connor. AL governor George Wallace blocks the door of the Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama to protest integration. NAACP officer Medgar Evers is murdered in MS. The U.S. and USSR sign the Limited Test Ban Treaty. South Vietnamese President Diem is killed during a coup. The Clean Air Act of 1963 is passed. In Gideon v. Wainwright, the Supreme Court rules that poor defendants have the right to legal counsel. John Glenn President Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas by Lee Harvey Oswald. Vice president Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ; D-TX) is sworn in as president. Oswald is shot and killed by nightclub owner Jack Ruby while in custody outside a Dallas police station.
1964	In the State of the Union address, LBJ announces a “War on Poverty” in America. The Office of Economic Opportunity is created, which will launch programs such as Head Start, VISTA, and Job Corps. Responding to a North Vietnamese attack on a U.S. ship, Congress issues the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, granting the president broad powers to conduct war in Vietnam. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is passed, forbidding discrimination in employment, public facilities, and places of public accommodation such as restaurants. On the campaign trail, LBJ announces the “Great Society” initiatives for poverty relief, civil rights, education reform, health care, and culture. LBJ defeats Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) in a landslide victory. The Free Speech Movement begins on college campuses. In Escobedo v. IL, the Supreme Court affirms the right to legal counsel during police interrogations. In the USSR, Khrushchev loses power and is replaced by Leonid Brezhnev.
1965	Nation of Islam leader Malcolm X is murdered. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is passed. The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 is passed, eliminating the 1920s “national origins” system. The Medicare program is created; the federal government will pay for senior citizens’ health care. The Medicaid program is created; the federal government will provide funds for health care for the poor. LBJ creates affirmative action programs. MLK organizes a peaceful civil rights demonstration, the Selma March, in AL, which provokes a violent reaction. In Griswold v. CT, the Supreme Court rules that the Constitution contains a right to privacy and strikes down the CT law that barred married couples’ access to contraception. Urban rioting occurs in the Watts section of Los Angeles. Pope Paul VI becomes the first pope to visit the U.S.
1966	In Miranda v. AZ, the Supreme Court rules that suspects must be informed of their rights to an attorney and to remain silent, commonly known as Miranda rights. Urban rioting occurs across the country, especially in Chicago and Cleveland. The Black Panther Party is founded in Oakland, CA. The National Organization for Women is founded.
1967	Race riots kill 43 in Detroit, MI, and 26 in Newark, NJ. College students lead peace marches in New York City and Washington, DC. In Loving v. VA, the Supreme Court strikes down miscegenation laws. Boxer Muhammad Ali refuses induction into the army.
1968	Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces launch the Tet Offensive, a series of coordinated attacks throughout Vietnam during the traditionally peaceful period of the Buddhist New Year. The U.S. wins the battle, but the strength of the enemy undermines politicians’ message that the end of the war is imminent. U.S. troops murder Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai Massacre. LBJ announces he will not run for president. MLK is assassinated in Memphis, TN. The Paris Peace Talks begin, though they are often delayed. Presidential hopeful Robert F. Kenned...