AmericanHistoryafterWWII

InternalAffairs

1945-1989I.JohnKennedyandhisnewfrontierspolicyII.NixonandWatergateScandalIII.RonardReaganandAmericanMilitarySuperpowerI.KennedyandhisNewFrontierPolicyA.KennedywastheyoungestmanelectedPresident;hewastheyoungesttodie.B.Democratic,NewFrontier:towipeoutpoverty(medicare)andendsegregationC.JohnsonandWaronPoverty1960sJohnFitzgeraldKennedyBborn:5/29/1917

Birthplace:Brookline,Mass.

KennedywasgraduatedfromHarvardUniversityin1940andjoinedthenavythenextyear.KennedybroughttotheWhiteHousethedynamicideaofa“NewFrontier”approachindealingwithproblemsathome,abroad,andinthedimensionsofspace.FailureoftheU.S.-supportedCubaninvasioninApril1961ledtotheentrenchmentoftheCommunist-backedCastroregime,only90mifromUnitedStatessoil.WhenitbecameknownthatSovietoffensivemissileswerebeinginstalledinCubain1962,Kennedyorderedanaval“quarantine”oftheislandandmovedtroopsintopositiontoeliminatethisthreattoU.S.security.TheworldseemedonthebrinkofanuclearwaruntilSovietpremierKhrushchevorderedtheremovalofthemissiles.AInhisdomesticpolicies,Kennedy'sproposalsformedicalcarefortheagedandaidtoeducationweredefeated,butonminimumwage,tradelegislation,andothermeasureshewonimportantvictories.WhileridinginanautomobileprocessioninDallasonNov.22,1963,hewasshottodeathbyanassassinfiringfromanupperfloorofabuilding.Theallegedassassin,LeeHarveyOswald,waskilledtwodayslaterintheDallascityjailbyJackRuby,ownerofastrip-teaseclub.1970sInternalAffairsII.WatergateScandalA.OnJune17,1972,duringthepresidentialcampaignofthatyear,Washington,D.C.,policeofficersarrestedsevenemployeesastheywerebreakingintotheDemocraticNationalCommittee'sheadquartersintheWatergateB.InMay1973,secrettaperecordingsofpresidentialmeetingsandtelephoneconversations;Nixonrefusedtoreleasethem;impeachmentResults:A.Nixonendangeredtheconstitutionalsystembycorruptingtheelectoralprocessandthathehadsoughttoexpandthepowersofthepresidencybeyondconstitutionallimits.TheWatergateScandalreferstoaseriesofeventsthatoccurredbetween1972and1974.ThescandalgotitsnamefromtheburglaryattheheadquartersoftheDemocraticNationalCommitteeintheWatergateHotelComplexinWashington,D.C.ApictureoftheWatergatecomplex.TheburglaryofthecomplexusedbyDemocratsbroughtdownanAmericanpresidentWatergatecomplexApictureoftheWatergatecomplex.TheburglaryofthecomplexusedbyDemocratsbroughtdownanAmericanpresident.NixonC.ReconciliationwasthefirstgoalsetbyPresidentRichardM.Nixon.TheNationwaspainfullydivided,withturbulenceinthecitiesandwaroverseas.D.DuringhisPresidency,NixonsucceededinendingAmericanfightinginVietNamandimprovingrelationswiththeU.S.S.R.andChina.ButtheWatergatescandalbroughtfreshdivisionstothecountryandultimatelyledtohisresignationConservatismin70sBecauseoffailureincoldwar(especiallyVietnamWar);economicstagnation;MiddleClassinUSAraisemoreconservatisminAmericanvalues;strengtheningthenationineconomyandmilitaryIncontemporaryAmericanpolitics,itisoftenassociatedwiththeRepublicanParty.CoreconservativeprinciplesincludeabeliefinGodandcountry,andmanyU.S.conservativessupportafiscalpolicyrootedinsmallgovernment,laissezfaire

capitalism,andsupply-side（tax-cut）economics.Inforeignpolicy,Americanconservativesusuallyadvocatesomemoderateaspectsof"Americanexceptionalism",abeliefthattheU.S.isuniqueamongnationsandthatitsstandingandactionsdoandshouldguidethecourseofworldhistory.In1979RonaldReaganwontheRepublicanPresidentialnominationAspresident,Reaganimplementedboldnewpoliticalandeconomicinitiatives.Hissupply-sideeconomicpolicies,dubbed"Reaganomics,"includedderegulationandsubstantialtaxcutsimplementedin1981.Inhisfirsttermhesurvivedanassassinationattempt,tookahardlineagainstorganizedlabor,andorderedmilitaryactionsinGrenada.Hewasreelectedinalandslidein1984.Hissecondtermwasprimarilymarkedbyforeignmatters,namelytheendingoftheColdWar,thebombingofLibya,andtherevelationoftheIran-Contraaffair.ThepresidenthadpreviouslyorderedamassivemilitarybuildupinanarmsracewiththeSovietUnion,forgoingthestrategyofdétente(relax).HepubliclydescribedtheUSSRasan“evilempire”andsupportedanti-Communistmovementsworldwide.HenegotiatedwithSovietGeneralSecretary

MikhailGorbachev,resultingintheINF(中程導彈條約)Treatyandthedecreaseofbothcountries'nucleararsenals.RonaldWilsonReagan(1911-)

40thPresidentoftheUnitedStates(1981-1989)Born:February6,1911,Tampico,ILNickname:"TheGreatCommunicator"Education:EurekaCollege(1932)Religion:ChristianChurchMarriage:January25,1940,toJaneWyman(1914-),divorced,1948;March4,1952,toNancyDavis(1923-)Career:Actor,PublicOfficialPoliticalParty:RepublicanDied:June5,Buried:SimiValley,CaliforniaALifeinBrief:RonaldWilsonReaganwasbornin1911inTampico,Illinois,thesecondsonofJackandNelleReagan.Hehadadifficultchildhood.HisfatherwasanitinerantshoesalesmanandanalcoholicAmericansocietyinColdWarEraSocialHistory(50s,60s,70s)

a.McCarthyismb.CivilRightsMovementc.counterculture(swingingsixties)JosephRaymondMcCarthy(November14,1908–May2,1957)wasanAmericanpoliticianwhoservedasaRepublican

U.S.SenatorfromthestateofWisconsinfrom1947untilhisdeathin1957.Beginningin1950,McCarthybecamethemostvisiblepublicfaceofaperiodinwhichColdWartensionsfueledfearsofwidespreadCommunist

subversion.HewasnotedformakingclaimsthattherewerelargenumbersofCommunistsandSovietspiesandsympathizersinsidethefederalgovernmentandelsewhere.Ultimately,McCarthy'stacticsandhisinabilitytosubstantiatehisclaimsledhimtobediscreditedandcensuredbytheUnitedStatesSenate.Theterm"McCarthyism,“coinedin1950inreferencetoMcCarthy'spractices,wassoonappliedtosimilaranti-communistpursuits.Todaythetermisusedmoregenerallytodescribedemagogic,reckless,andunsubstantiatedaccusations,aswellaspublicattacksonthecharacterorpatriotismofpoliticalopponents.[1950s

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1908–57,U.S.senatorfromWisconsin(1947–57),HepracticedlawinWisconsinandbecame(1940)acircuitjudge.

HeservedwiththeU.S.marinesinthePacificinWorldWarII,achievingtherankofcaptain.In1946,McCarthydefeatedfortheRepublicansenatorialnominationandthenoverwhelmedhisDemocraticopponentintheelection.McCarthyrepeatedhisclaimsinaseriesofradioandtelevisionappearancesagainstcommunism.McCarthy,whohadbeenreelectedin1952,becamechairmanoftheSenatepermanentinvestigationssubcommittee,apostinwhichhewieldedgreatpower;heusedhispositiontoexploitthepublic’sfearofCommunism.CIVILRIGHTSMOVEMENT

1950S-60STheAfrican-AmericanCivilRightsMovement(1955–1968)referstothereformmovementsintheUnitedStatesaimedatabolishingracialdiscriminationagainstAfricanAmericansandrestoringSuffrageinSouthernstatesbetween1954and1968,particularlyintheSouth.ItenlargedtheaimsoftheCivilRightsMovementtoincluderacialdignity,economicandpolitical

self-sufficiency,andfreedomfromoppressionbywhites.MartinLutherKing,Jr.

(Jan.15,1929

–Apr.4,1968)anAmericanclergyman,activistandprominentleaderintheAfrican-American

civilrightsmovement.ABaptistminister,Kingbecameacivilrightsactivistearlyinhiscareer.Heledthe1955MontgomeryBusBoycott.II.King's1963MarchonWashington,whereKingdeliveredhis"IHaveaDream"speechIII.In1964,KingbecametheyoungestpersontoreceivetheNobelPeacePrizeforhisworktoendracialsegregationandracial

discriminationthroughcivildisobedienceandothernon-violentmeansIV.KingwasassassinatedonApril4,1968,inMemphis,Tennessee.HewasposthumouslyawardedthePresidentialMedalofFreedomin1977andCongressionalGoldMedalin;MartinLutherKing,Jr.DaywasestablishedasaU.S.nationalholidayin1986.ProminentfiguresoftheAfrican-AmericanCivilRightsMovement.Topleft:W.E.B.DuBois;topright:MalcolmX;bottomleft:MartinLutherKing,Jr.;bottomright:RosaParks.ACHIEVEMENTS:NotedlegislativeachievementsduringthisphaseoftheCivilRightsMovementwerepassageofCivilRightsActof1964,thatbanneddiscriminationinemploymentpracticesandpublicaccommodations;theVotingRightsActof1965,thatrestoredandprotectedvotingrights;theImmigrationandNationalityServicesActof1965,thatdramaticallyopenedentrytotheU.S.toimmigrantsotherthantraditionalEuropeangroups;andtheCivilRightsActof1968,thatbanneddiscriminationin