Group 6 Flashcards
Vietnamization #299
299
Time: Initiated in 1969
What: A military strategy that involved reducing American troops in North Vietnam and making South Vietnam fight harder against its Northern counterpart. This plan by Nixon still allowed for U.S. aid (in the forms of armor, weaponry and tanks) in South Vietnam. The process was not successful and U.S. negotiated a peace agreement and fully removed itself in 1973 (AmeriacnPageant) (2001-2009.state.gov).
President Richard M. Nixon #298
298
Time: 1969 through 1974
Party: Republican
Who: Born in California, Nixon was a high-achiever in school before practicing law full time. He was then a WWII Navy Pacific commander, a Congressman, a Senator, and Dwight D. Eisenhower’s running mate (and VP). After losing two Presidential elections, he was finally elected as the 37th President in 1968. As President, Nixon ended the draft, appointed Justices of conservative philosophy to the Supreme Court, helped calm the situation between China and the U.S.S.R., and helped limit strategic nuclear weapons. After he was reelected, his administration was blamed for the Watergate scandal and- after V.P. Spiro Agnew resigned for unrelated reasons- Nixon himself resigned due to accusations and released tape footage exposing him. Before his death, he was a statesman and wrote several books (WhiteHouse.archives.gov).
Pentagon Papers #300
300
Time: Written in 1967, Leaked in 1971
What: An official U.S. government report that was secretly written by Robert McNamara (Secretary of Defense) that contained the true plans and decisions about the Vietnam War that occurred under the Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. Once the report was leaked to the New York Times, government lies, scandal, and ineptitude were exposed to the public (AmericanPageant) (Archives.gov).
Détente #301
301
Time: ~1969 through 1979
What: A period of “reduced tensions” (the literal translation of Détente) that led the U.S. out of the Cold War. It began under President Nixon when lessened armament treaties were negotiated between the U.S. and the Soviet Union and continued under Presidents Ford and Carter. This short era showed substantial change from the common accepted destruction, containment, and proportional response aspects of the Cold War era. It began with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and ended (in a sense) when the two countries could never ratify the SALT agreement (AmericanPageant) (History.State.gov).
The Silent Majority #302
302
Time: Coined in 1969
What: A term used by Nixon to describe the people in America who were in favor of both the businesses of America and the Vietnam War. The term was mainly meant to single out those that were against these “traditional” values, such as student protestors, counterculturists, those in favor of civil rights and other nonconformists. The term references conservatives who don’t speak up politically but are believed to be a present majority even still (AmericanPageant) (History.com).
Griswold v. Connecticut, #303
303
When: 1965
What: A Supreme Court Case that rivaled a Connecticut law that banned contraception for married couples. The verdict was that the law was illegal (7 to 2) as the Constitution infers that married couples have the right to privacy. The case was later used in later Supreme Court cases over the legality/rights of contraception, abortion, and LGBTQIA+. In addition to use of the Constitution, the fact that there were marital privacy rights existing prior to the Constitution was used, as well (Law.Cornell.edu).
Roe v. Wade, #304
304
Time: 1973
What: A Supreme Court Case determine that states can not make abortion illegal, based on the grounds that women have a constitutional right to privacy. It was sparked due to Norma McCorvey appealing to the court for access to an abortion after she had been barred from getting one in her home-state of Texas. Even though she had the baby, McCorvey helped to gain a win in the feminist and civil liberties movement (at least until 2022). The case also spurred pro-life supporters and those against abortion into action (AmericanPageant) (Supreme.Justia.com).
Religious Right #305
305
Time: Prominent Since the 1970s
What: A political movement that centered/s around social and political conservationism. Key aspects of the movement were having church (especially Christianity and Roman Catholicism) and state (and school) interconnected, making same-sex marriage illegal, and making abortion illegal. They used the First Amendment as a guarantee of their rights and refute liberal interpretations. Religious Right is still supported by many Americans today (FirstAmendment.MTSU.edu).
Bakke Case, #306
306
Time: 1978
What: The Regents of the University of California v. Bakke Case determined that a quota system that determined admissions based on their race alone was illegal. The case was prompted after Bakke- a white male- applied to the University of California Medical School and would seemingly have been accepted except for the fact that its 84 out of 100 slots reserved for white students were already full. The University of California argued that making sure the remaining 16 slots were reserved for racial minorities was crucial to enhanced education, but the court ruled against them saying that this violated the Equal Protection Clause and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Law.Cornell.edu).
Watergate Scandal #307
307
Time: Began in 1972
What: An explosive and intricate government plot that prompted President Nixon’s resignation in August of 1974 (as people were trying to impeach him) and a consistent association of the word “Watergate” with government or political corruption. After a night guard at a D.C. office complex noticed an exit door taped open, it was uncovered that the break-in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee had part to do with Nixon’s reelection, and the FBI helped to pinpoint the people responsible and to unravel the succession of scandals (AmericanPageant) (FBI.gov).
Stagflation #308
308
Time: Prominent in the 1970s
What: A term used to define a combination of little economic growth and an increase in inflation that characterized the American economy in the 1970s. It was curious, however, as high inflation normally corresponds with a decent amount of employment, not a large amount of unemployment as seen throughout stagflation. After Ford and then Carter tried and failed many attempts as decreasing unemployment, deregulation (a widely controversial policy) was the most effective (AmericanPageant) (DigitalHistory.UH.edu).
President Gerald Ford #309
309
Time: 1974 through 1977
Party: Republican
Who: A football assistant coach, Yale graduate, Lieutenant Commander in the Navy, and lawyer, President Gerald Ford was thrown into the Presidency after Vice President Spiro Agnew’s and President Nixon’s resignation. As the 38th President, Gerald R. Ford first pardoned Nixon and chose his own V.P and cabinet, and then went about trying to curb inflation while aiding America’s economic problem. After vetoing 39 of Congress’ measures in order to try and aid the economy, he also reduced taxes. He also attempted to keep peace in the Middle East by providing aid to Israel and Egypt, as well as trying to find peace with the Soviet Union through Détente. He lost his next election to the Democratic candidate Jimmy Carter (WhiteHouse.Archives.gov).
Fall of Saigon #310
310
Time: 1975
What: The fall of the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon to the Northern Vietnamese troops. The Fall of Saigon included the largest helicopter evacuation like it in history as the U.S. sent helicopter after helicopter (even though its troops had been removed two years prior, there were still some Americans remaining there and a lot of South Vietnam citizens to be evacuated) in order to remove as many people as possible before the North Vietnamese troops arrived. In all, 7,000 people were evacuated (~5,500 Vietnamese) and North Vietnam took over South Vietnam, ending the Vietnamese War (History.com).
President Jimmy Carter #311
311
Time: 1977 through 1981
Party: Democrat
Who: James “Jimmy” Carter began as a Georgia-born Naval Officer, serving for seven years before returning to Georgia to become involved in politics. He was then the Governor of Georgia, where he was a fan of advancing ecology, efficiency, and equality. As the 39th President, Carter helped nearly eight million more job positions than prior be filled (though not solving the inflation problem), established a national energy policy, deregulated the trucking and airline companies, expanded the national park system (much Alaskan land), created the Department of Education, improved the Social Security system, helped increase diversity of federal employees, helped with peace relations between Egypt and Israel, and finalized negotiations over the SALT II nuclear limitation treaty. Before leaving office (his defeat was due to sustained high inflation and the fact that Iran was holding American hostages), he finally negotiated the freedom the 52 American hostages Iran had taken (WhiteHouse.Archives.gov).
Camp David Accords #312
312
Time: September of 1978
What: After fiery negotiations between Arab and Israeli leaders (mediated by Jimmy Carter and the U.S. government), the Camp David Accords were signed by Jimmy Carter, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. These Accords set up the foundation for the peace treaty between the two countries that was signed a year later. The Accords signaled a resurgence in American involvement in foreign peace negotiations and was part of the reason that Jimmy Carter earned a Nobel Peace Prize (History.State.gov).
Iran Hostage Crisis #313
313
Time: 444 days, from November 1979 through January 1981
What: The detaining of more than 50 Americans by Iranian revolutionaries. After the Iranian Revolution had begun in early 1979, young Muslim fundamentalists overthrew the shah (who was supported by America) and were in all against America. So, they raided the American embassy and ordered that America give them the shah so they could put him on trial. After an unsuccessful rescue attempt by Carter and “botched diplomacy” on the American end (a conflict between the National Security Council and the Department of State), the hostages were eventually released on the last day of Carter’s administration (AmericanPageant) (History.State.gov).
President Ronald Reagan #314
314
Time: 1981 through 1989
Party: Republican
Who: Born in Illinois and a graduate of Eureka College, Ronald Reagan became a prominent actor (being seen in over 53 films), the President of the Screen Actor’s Guild (where he turned to Conservationism after hearing debates over Communism in the film industry), and the Governor of California. As the 40th President, he was attempted to be assassinated, cut taxes and government spending and helped improve the U.S. economy so that it was without recession or depression by the end of his term. Reagan also increased defense spending by 35%, negotiated with the Soviet Union, declared war opposing international terrorism, helped keep a consistent flow of oil during the Iran-Iraq war, and supported many Anti-Communist insurgencies (WhiteHouse.Archives.gov).
Strategic Defense Initiative #315
315
Time: Announced in 1983
What: Known as “Star Wars” by critics, the SDI plan by the Reagan administration declared the development of a missile-defense system over America to ward off a nuclear attack. It was a representation of Reagan’s emphasis on defense spending (while he was also trying to limit government for internal matters) and helped to later advance satellite surveillance and communications (AmericanPageant) (ReaganLibrary.gov).
Mikhail Gorbachev #316
316
Time: Alive 1931 through 2022)
Who: The last Soviet Leader, he valued openness and restructuring above all else. He played a crucial role in peaceful relations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union as he found compromises with both Reagan and Bush (more so the latter). He strove to sustain the U.S.S.R. from complete collapse but held little power in deciding the outcome of the country. After an uprising from Communist plotters who ended up detaining Gorbachev, he was let back into his position but soon resigned his position as the General Secretary of the Communist Party. After many Soviet Republics declared their independence from the U.S.S.R., Gorbachev resigned as President of the U.S.S.R. and the country soon disbanded (MillerCenter.org).
Reaganomics #317
317
Time: Introduced in 1981
What: A system of decreased taxes and increased military spending that Ronald Reagan proposed in order to solve America’s economic depression (he also proposed limiting government programs, but this was never brought to fruition). The plan did not work on a large scale and America’s debt tripled (USHistory.org).
AGE OF INFORMATION/TERRORISM #318
318
Time: 1989 through Present
What: Following the breakup of the Soviet Union, America’s foreign policy grappled for ways to promote continuing economic growth and world peace with lessened U.S. involvement. Technological developments between 1920 and 1980 radically altered the economic, social, and moral fiber of the nation. Globalization through technology reshapes the world economically and socially. Several terrorist attacks climaxing with 9/11 set the stage for a war on terrorism (primarily targeting Islamic extremists).
President George H. W. Bush #319
319
Time: 1989 through 1993
Party: Republican
Who: Born in Massachusetts, George H. W. Bush was committed to public service and enlisted in the armed forces when he was 18. He was the youngest pilot in the Navy and received the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery in action. Bush then graduated from Yale, was a Representative to Congress, Ambassador to the United Nations, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office in the People’s Republic of China, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and Vice President to Ronald Reagan. As the 41st President, Bush strove to veer away from the prior U.S.S.R. nations, helped Panama overthrow General Manuel Noriega, and sought to prevent Iraqui control of Kuwait. He was not reelected due to discontent over the American economy, increased violence, and high deficit spending. He passed away in 2018 (WhiteHouse.Archives.gov).
Fall of the Berlin Wall #320
320
Time: November 9th, 1989
What: After public talks and reassurances by Gorbachev that the Soviet Union would not intervene in Eastern Europe and a settling Cold War, a crowd of Germans began taking down the Berlin Wall. It turned into a sort of “street party” with much celebration and greetings between the sides. The wall came down and East and West Germany were reunified for the first time since 1945, the reunification made official in 1990 (History.State.gov) (History.com).
Operation Desert Storm #321
321
Time: 1991
What: As part of the Iraq War of 1991, Operation Desert Storm was a multi-country military engagement headed by the U.S. in January and February that ensured Saddam Hussein and his Iraq army did not continue to occupy Kuwait, Saudi Arabia. It was a huge air campaign with only a 100 hour ground campaign before the liberation of Kuwait. The Operation served to unravel the “Vietnam Syndrome” (a feeling of hesitancy/uncertainty about engaging in warfare) in the U.S. and allowed for stronger relations with some of the countries, such as Israel, that aided in combating Iraq (AmericanPageant) (Defense.gov).
President William Clinton #322
322
Time: 1993 through 2001
Party: Democrat
Who: An Arkansas-born saxophone player and graduate of Georgetown and Yale University, William J. Clinton ushered in a time of economic well-being unlike any other time before. Before he was President, however, he was a lawyer, an Arkansas Attorney General, and Governor of Arkansas. As the 42nd U.S. President, Clinton helped keep peace in Bosnia, bombed Iraq when Saddam Hussein stopped United Nations inspection of their weaponry, argued for a larger NATO, expanded international trade, led a campaign against drug trafficking, helped the U.S. to achieve the lowest unemployment rate it has seen in the modern era, lowered inflation, helped to make a budget surplus, and argued for an end to racial discrimination. He was impeached due to some questionable ordeals/an affair with a young White House intern but, after apologizing for his actions, he was brought back to public support (WhiteHouse.Archives.gov).
North American Free Trade Agreement #323
323
Time: 1993 through 2020
What: Also known as NAFTA, the agreement- passing even with pushback from protectionists and labor leaders- encompassed having a zone consisting of Mexico, Canada, and the United States where free-trade could be held. This means that tariffs were gradually eliminated between these countries and most duties and quantitative restrictions. The agreement help spark visions of a global marketplace. The treaty was replaced in 2020 (AmericanPageant) (USTR.gov).
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell #324
324
Time: 1993 through 2010
What: A military policy that made it illegal for military authorities to ask about a service members orientation/sexuality as those that were a part of the LGBTQIA+ community could be kicked out of service. It was seen as a “compromise” for those protesting homosexuals and President Clinton’s (and many others’) stand to allow anyone to serve. The law was repealed under the Obama administration (after his urging) in 2010, now allowing anyone to serve and continue to serve even if their orientation is made public. Those that were discharged due to the service were urged to take legal action in more recent years (AmericanPageant) (Law.Cornell.edu).
Welfare Reform Act (1996) #325
325
Time: 1996
What: A bill passed by Congress during Bill Clinton’s Presidency that cut funding for many prior-supported parts of welfare grants and mandated that able-bodied welfare recipients obtain employment. These ideals were prompted by Clinton during his campaign with the goals of spurring independence (especially in young adults), healthy marriages, and reducing non marital births, with some decisions over design of execution being left up to the states. It was vastly criticized, however, by liberals as straying from New Deal/Great Society ideals that aimed to take care of the impoverished (AmericanPageant) (WhiteHouse.Archives.gov).
Oklahoma City Bombing #326
326
Time: 1995
What: Known as one of the worst acts of homegrown terrorism in America’s history, the Oklahoma City Bombing was a devastating bombing of a federal office building in downtown Oklahoma City that killed 168 people, including 19 children. The bombing was traced to Timothy McVeigh, a right-wing antigovernment militant who was intensely angry at the U.S. government and the Waco events two years prior. McVeigh had rented a car, placed a bomb that he and one other had made in it, and then drove away in a different car (to which he was ironically arrested even before the bombing was traced to him). Although they had found the culprit, the FBI conducted more than ~28,000 interviews to discover all of the information. The U.S. government later executed him (AmericanPageant) (FBI.gov).
Impeachment (of President Clinton) #327
327
Time: 1999
What: After Paula Jones sued President Clinton for sexual harassment, Monica Lewinsky was subpoenaed into the case but denied sexual relations with Clinton at first. After being more thoroughly questioned (and after Clinton had denied to the public that he ever had a sexual encounter with Lewinsky), she revealed she did have sexual relations with Clinton. Clinton himself then testified in Court that he had had sexual relations with Lewinsky (refuting his prior statement) and- after the Starr Report was released which detailed a case for Clinton’s impeachment- Clinton was tried for impeachment on 11 grounds. While he was impeached, he did not receive enough votes to be removed from office. This scandal represents the first time a sitting President sat before a jury discussing their own conduct and had public support for him wavering (though not for long) (History.com).
President George W. Bush #328
328
Time: 2001 through 2009
Party: Republican
Who: Born in Connecticut to George W. H. Bush (who would go on to become President before George W. Bush), George W. Bush graduated from both Yale and Harvard and was the Governor of Texas before becoming President. As the 43rd President, Bush was almost immediately faced with the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. In response, he initiated a new Department of Homeland Security, sent American Forces to Afghanistan in order to disband the Taliban, created a new system for the U.S.’s intelligence gathering and analysis services, and ordered new military reform. He also allowed tax cuts, invaded Iraq (a highly controversial move), and was focused on “compassionate conservationism” throughout his presidency, which uplifted faith-based and community organizations (WhiteHouse.Archives.gov).
Bush v. Gore, #329
329
Time: 2000
What: The case that ended up determining who the next President would be- George W. Bush or Al Gore. In November of 2000, the Presidential election was left up to Florida, who had the 25 electoral votes. The popular vote ended up being so close that the votes were recounted by a computer, and Gore wanted them recounted again after that, but manually. Katherine Harris- Florida’s Secretary of State- stated that Bush had won, but not all of the votes had been counted due to time restraints. So, Gore sued and the case was brought to the Supreme Court, where Bush ended up being elected President due to time constraints for the court. If all of the votes had been recounted, it is unclear who would have been elected (ConstitutionCenter.org).
September 11th Attacks #330
330
Time: 2001
What: Terrorist Attacks on American buildings and people in which nineteen militant Islamist men took over and purposefully crashed four commercial planes. Two planes crashed into the Twin Towers in NYC, one plane crashed into the Pentagon in Washington DC, and a fourth plane landed in a field in Pennsylvania (it is suspected that it was heading for either the White House or the U.S. Capitol). In all, 2,977 people were killed by the attacks, as well as much ruin to the city of New York after the towers fell (many suffered from the smoke inhalation). The plane crashes were all captured on footage and shared to the American public, aiding in the American public’s devastation skyrocketing for those affected by the tragic event. It was the worst case of domestic terrorism in American History and caused a lot of public wariness against Islam and, specifically, al Qaeda (AmericanPageant) (MillerCenter.org).
Iraq War #331
331
Time: 2003 though 2011
What: After Saddam Hussein had been consistently violating the Gulf War Settlement- an agreement between Iraq and the U.S. that allowed the U.S. frequent military inspections and mandated no-fly zones- the U.S. tried to inspect several Iraqi military bases but was denied access. This led them to the conclusion that there were weapons of mass destruction present, the main governmental cry for beginning the war with Iraq. The Iraq War began between Iraq and America/Australia/Denmark/The Netherlands/Poland/Great Britain, with Saddam Hussein being captured and sentenced to death early on while the U.S. and its allies kept fighting insurgents in Iraq. After President Obama declared a gradual withdrawal, all U.S. troops were withdrawn from Iraq and a casualty list of about 100,000 Iraqis and 4,400 Americans were killed. It was only revealed after the War that there was no stockpile of weapons of mass destruction (GeorgeBushLibrary.gov).
President Barack Obama #332
332
Time: 2009 through 2017
Party: Democrat
Who: Born to a middle-class family and partially raised by his grandparents in Hawaii, Barack Obama had high hopes for the future as he attended Occidental College in LA, then transferred to Columbia University. After becoming a community organizer in Chicago, Obama graduated from Harvard (and was the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review), a lawyer, an Illinois Senator, and a U.S. Senator before he was President. He then became elected as the first ever African American President of the United States. During his 44th Presidency, Obama navigated wars in Afghanistan and Iraq (executing the killing of Osama bin Laden), dealt with the economic problem by pledging greatly increased governmental spending and signing the omnibus bill, expanded health care, reformed America’s financial institutions, and pushed for an equal pay act for women. During his second term, he proposed a treaty to a newly agitated Iraq, helped found the Paris Climate Agreement, and spoke at both the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights March from Selma to Montgomery and at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. He received a Nobel Peace Prize for all of his accomplishments as President and prior (WhiteHouse.Archives.gov).
Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) #333
333
Time: March 23rd, 2010
What: A comprehensive reform law that ensured that those uninsured by Health Insurance are more likely to be insured and made changes to the health insurance market. Some of its notable provisions are how those who have previously been denied healthcare insurance due to pre-established circumstances or financial struggles can obtain secure health insurance. In all, the Act strengthened the then-current Health Care policies by making affordable healthcare a legal expectation. About 50 million Americans have- so far- been aided by the program (AMA.ASSN.org) (NIH.gov).
