American history has had many defining moments over the last five decades which has helped America to develop to the way it is today. Each decade holding many life changing events and discoveries in them it would take a long time to cover each and every one of these so I have chosen a major event that I find to be of great worth to Americans today. We can all learn from the past events and work together to make American a safer and better place to live, and one way to do so is by learning from the past. Starting in the 1950’s we will discuss the most life changing and breath taking moments from each decade that this great county has seen through the 90’s and discover why they are all of significant value to the America we all live in …show more content…
Although African Americans continued to fight for equal rights into the 1960’s and in some parts of America are still fighting today. This movement was sparked in the 1950’s and stands as the most significant event of that time.
The 1960’s with the Vietnam War
Moving from the 1950’s to the 1960’s events changed from having problems at home to once again having problems abroad. I found the Vietnam War to be the most significant event of the 1960’s because it consumed upward to half the decade and even into the 1970’s. The Vietnam War stands as the United States longest military conflict in History. According to a website dedicated to the Vietnam War, “The hostilities in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia claimed the lives of more than 58,000 Americans. Another 304,000 were wounded.” (The Ultimate Resource for the Vietnam War. 2007). This war had a great impact on many Americans especially for the ones who fought in this war. I have an uncle that fought in the Vietnam War. He was one of the unfortunate soldiers in the jungles that got sprayed with Agent Orange. He has major disabilities and has not been able to work for many years. He still has frequent nightmares stemming from his experiences in the War and his life is still hugely affected by his service many years ago. Richard M. Nixon stated in 1985 that, “No event in
The 1960’s were a rough, yet progressive stage in American history. African Americans were finally labeled as equal to white men and women after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. However, that bill was
The Vietnam War played a huge role in the 1960’s, over 50,000 people were killed, and the war began from a dispute from two colonies. Vietnam came apart along with Korea by an agreement of the north and the south. When John F Kennedy became president there were problems between Soviet Union and the United States. Cold war was getting worse and worse; President Eisenhower had to resolve the issues with berlin and Dictator Fidel Castro. These conflicts would eventually lead to a cordial resolution. The progressive political organization did not last long they went about a lot of things violently.
The Civil Rights Movement was an obvious struggle by African Americans in the mid-1950s to late 1960s to achieve civil rights equal to those of whites, including equal opportunity in employment, housing, and education, as well as the right to vote, the right of equal access to public facilities, and the right to be free of racial discrimination (Civil Rights Movement, 2005). According to Civil Rights Movement, 2005, this movement occurred to guarantee African Americans their citizenship and their rights, which were supposed to be protected by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. There are many different views and opinions on whether or not racial issues have or have not improved since the Civil Rights Movement. While some things
In the 1960s, The U.S. became involved in the Vietnam War, an anti-communist effort that resulted in a large and disastrous war that destroyed the presidency of Lyndon Johnson, sent thousands of young men and women to their deaths, and showed no signs of producing a victory; the 1960s was “a decade that began with high hopes and soaring ideals ended with division and deep
The African American Civil Rights Movement officially “began” in 1954, but the ideas of Civil Rights had been brewing since the end of the Civil War, and even earlier. The Civil Rights Movement was centered on the idea of the equal, fair, and constitutional treatment of African Americans in the United States. The movement features some of history’s most prominent figures, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks. Throughout the movement, activists utilized protests, marches, boycotts, and strikes in attempts to change public opinion and governmental action on African Americans. The movement succeeded in overturning
My claim is that the Vietnam war was the biggest event in 1960. The war was bad because thousands of good people died,houses were destroyed, and a lot of money was spent during the war in 1960. The Vietnam war was very long and very costly to America. More than 3 million people (including over 58,000 Americans) were killed in the Vietnam War, and more than half of the dead were Vietnamese civilians. States History.com. Americans weren’t happy about going to war because they didn’t want to lose their lives or children son’s father’s and teen’s.The Vietnam War was considered the most expensive war in Cold War era. Says the Vietnam war website.
African Americans have been struggling for equality for many decades. It only seems that during the 1960?s is when there were actual significant advances made. This was about the same time that civil rights came into the political scene. Throughout the South, Blacks were still in the majority, but had no political power what so ever. The Civil Rights Movement gave African Americans a voice and a chance to make a difference. The 1960's helped open up hope and expectations for Black Americans.
On April 19, 1775, Americans will never forget when many deaths and historical events occurred allowing the colonist to receive their victoriorous justice. Colonists were frustrated because Britain forced them not to have any representation in the British Parliament. This led to an American battle which had 4,435 deaths involving this event. Although, we lost many lives during this time period, we gained justice and independence from Great Britain, with the help of one of Americas strongests allie; the French. In fact, without assistance, the Americans were no match for Britains; showing the hatred towards the British from the French and Americans, thus, making it easy for them to form an alliance. In 1778, representatives of both America
The 1950s and 1960s were a very volatile time in the United States history and as such many changes were taking place. The most significant event that happened in this time was the Civil Rights Movement, a movement that helped achieve many rights for minorities, particularly African Americans. The concept of affirmative action dates back to 1961 and is considered a major step in the civil rights movement, though it was
Fredrick Douglas once said, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” During the 1960’s in America, there were major movements the promoted change throughout the country. The Civil Rights movement, which got its start in the 1950’s, strived for racial equality for African Americans. Meanwhile, the Women’s Rights Movement, focused on battling for better pay and equal opportunities for women. While the Civil Rights Movement and the Women’s Liberation Movement differed in their initial purposes, both groups worked to promote equality in the United States and made a profound impression for the decades to come.
The 1960s are frequently referred to as a period of social protest and dissent. Antiwar demonstrators, civil-rights activists, feminists, and members of various other social groups demanded what they considered to be justice and sought reparation for the wrongs they believed they had suffered. The decade marked a shift from a collective view on politics, to a much more individualistic viewpoint. The 1960s could easily be characterized as a period during which political, ideological, and social tensions among radicals, liberals, and conservatives in American society are seen to have rapidly unfolded. Due to this, the decade has had an overwhelming effect on the decades that have followed. The sixties have had the greatest impact on American society out of any decade in recent history. Whether for better or for worse, the decade has had a profound influence on politics, society, foreign policy, and culture.
African-Americans started to fight and protest segregation and the Jim Crow. They wanted to be seen as equal in the society because according to Sara Bullard, “They were citizens of a country founded on the principle that all men are created equal. Yet they were treated unequally and declared unequal by the law.”(Bullard 6) They were discriminated against, intimidated and curtailed from voting, and went to school, bathrooms, and restaurants that were subpar when compared to the white’s accommodations. These protesters were led by very influential people that are famous today. The leaders include Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and Malcolm X. Leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. encouraged peaceful protests. This included sit-ins, marches, and boycotts. They won their equality, but they could not get away from discrimination and racism. Even today African-Americans are severely discriminated against. They do not get the best jobs or the best education. Even though African-Americans won the fight 50 years ago, they are still fighting today, just like the victims of
The Civil Rights Movement was an event that was long overdue in the fight for equality for African Americans. Even after the abolishment of slavery, the tension and discrimination was very much alive throughout
Throughout the 1960’s, the widespread movement for African American civil rights had transformed in terms of its goals and strategies. The campaign had intensified in this decade, characterized by greater demands and more aggressive efforts. Although the support of the Civil Rights movement was relatively constant, the goals of the movement became more high-reaching and specific, and its strategies became less compromising. African Americans’ struggle for equality during the 1960’s was a relentless movement that used change for progress. In essence, the transformation of the Civil Rights Movement throughout the 1960’s forwarded the evolution of America into a nation of civil equality and freedom.
The decades of the 50’s, 60’s 70’s 80’s and 90’s had many significant events that shaped America into the nation that it is today. The events of these decades shaped the United States into the nation that it is today consist of the Cold War, the Vietnam War, the Watergate Scandal, Reaganomics, and the end of the Cold War.