USHH FINAL EXAM

Second Impeachment and Acquittal of President Donald Trump: 2021

January 13, 2021: With just 7 days to go until he was to leave office, President Donald Trump was impeached by the U.S. House on charges of "incitement of insurrection" alleging that Trump incited the January 6, 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol ​ This was the fastest impeachment process, going from the preliminary committee hearings to a full House of Representatives vote in just one day! February 9, 2021: Second Impeachment Trial began​ First ever impeachment trial for a former U.S. president​ Verdict: February 13, 2021: The Senate trial ended with....​ 57-43: not guilty on the charge of abuse of power​ Needed 67 votes to convict​ All 50 Democrat U.S. Senators and 7 Republican U.S. Senators voted guilty​ The rest of the Republican U.S. Senators voted not guilty​

Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941) & its consequence

Japanese bombers attacked Pearl Harbor, killing 2,348 Americans and wounding 1,104 Americans ​Twenty-one ships of the Pacific Fleet had been sunk or damaged, and 75% of the planes on the airfields surrounding Pearl Harbor were damaged or destroyed.​ The day after the Pearl Harbor attack, President Roosevelt asked Congress for a declaration of war against the Japanese Empire ​December 11, 1941: Congress declared war; the same day that Nazi Germany declared war on the USA

Monetary consequences of not paying for the Vietnam War on the USA; after the war

Johnson refused to raise taxes to pay for the war; he just hid the cost from everyone and placed the cost of the war on the "national credit card" for future generations to pay it off!​ This increased the national debt & caused massive inflation for the next 20 years​

Easy credit & how it helped to lead to the Great Depression

Prosperity thus accumulated an overhanging cloud of debt, and the economy became increasingly vulnerable to disruptions of the credit structure

Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (the bailout)

The U.S. Congress passes the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, signed by President Bush, for a $700 billion bailout, giving the Treasury Department authority to assist distressed Wall Street and banking businesses of the United States due to the housing, banking, and subprime mortgage crises caused by excessive greed and speculation among Wall Street firms. ​ The bailout was supported by President George W. Bush and by both presidential nominees, Barack Obama and John McCain. ​ Many die-hard conservatives and libertarians opposed the plan as big government intervention​​

Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan War) (2001-2014) & why it was fought

The United States began a war in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) to drive out bin Laden's al-Qaeda and the ruling Taliban. ​ Bush warned that the war would not end until "every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped, and defeated."​ The fight to end terrorist threats against the USA was named "The War on Terror" ​

West Germany & East Germany

The Western governments also were making plans for a united democratic free-market Germany — still under occupation by the four powers, but united ​ A "one Germany" would help to distribute monies across Europe to help it recover from World War II​ The Soviets, still angry at the Western powers' unilateral actions, refused to cooperate further​ So, the Americans, British, and French agreed to join their sectors together in 1949 into the nation of West Germany with a "provisional" capital in Bonn. The Soviets in response formed a new state in their own zone, the nation of East Germany, also in 1949. ​

Upton Sinclair & The Jungle

The author who wrote a book about the horrors of food productions in 1906, the bad quality of meat and the dangerous working conditions. Backed by the public, President Roosevelt passed the Meat Inspection Act of 1906. ​ The act stated that the preparation of meat shipped over state lines would be subject to federal inspection. ​ This was in thanks to Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, who intended to focus on the plight of the workers, not the unsanitary conditions!​​

Military build-up during the Reagan Administration

$34 million per hour: 1981-1989

Osama bin Laden

(1957-) Founder of al Qaeda, the terrorist network responsible for the attacks of September 11, 2001, and other attacks.

John Maynard Keynes & Keynesianism economics

-British economist who argued that for a nation to recovery fully from a depression, the govt had to spend money to encourage investment and consumption -economic program to stimulate the economy by planned deficit spending.

How does supply-side (trickle-down) economics work?

1. Tax cuts for the rich and businesses help keep money in the business (not the government) to invest to hire working people​ 2. Working-class employment rises​ 3. Less government intervention makes working-class people keep most of their paycheck​ 4. Americans with extra money will spend it as they see fit; thus energizing the economy​

Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare)

1. health insurance must be bought by every individual, or a fine will be issued (Ended by the Trump Administration's December 2017 $1.5 trillion tax cut)​ AKA: you must buy health insurance by law!​ If you do not purchase any private health insurance, or do not sign up for ObamaCare, you will be fined!​ This means that all Americans must have health insurance​ In other words, it is now illegal to not have health insurance​ It mandates health insurance for all​ 2. you cannot be turned down for health insurance because of a pre-existing condition​ 3. young people can stay on their parents' health insurance until age 26​ ​

Korematsu v. U.S.

1944 Supreme Court case where the Supreme Court upheld the order providing for the relocation of Japanese Americans. It was not until 1988 that Congress formally apologized and agreed to pay $20,000 2 each survivor

Joseph McCarthy

1950s; Wisconsin senator claimed to have list of communists in American gov't, but no credible evidence; took advantage of fears of communism post WWII to become incredibly influential; "McCarthyism" was the fearful accusation of any dissenters of being communists

Brown v. Board of Education

1954 - The Supreme Court overruled Plessy v. Ferguson, declared that racially segregated facilities are inherently unequal and ordered all public schools desegregated.

September 11th terrorist attacks

2001; attacks launched by radical Muslim terrorist group against symbols of American wealth and power; killed nearly 3,000 people

Watergate scandal

A break-in at the Democratic National Committee offices in the Watergate complex in Washington was carried out under the direction of White House employees. Disclosure of the White House involvement in the break-in and subsequent cover-up forced President Nixon to resign in 1974 to avoid impeachment.

détente

A policy of reducing Cold War tensions that was adopted by the United States during the presidency of Richard Nixon.

Cold War (1945-1991)

A war of words and threats between the United States and the Soviet Union that was marked primarily by a political and economic, rather than military, struggle between the two nations.

The League of Nations

A world organization established in 1920 to promote international cooperation and peace. It was first proposed in 1918 by President Woodrow Wilson, although the United States never joined the League. Essentially powerless, it was officially dissolved in 1946.

resignation of Nixon

Due to the Watergate scandal, President Nixon was forced to resign in disgrace on August 9, 1974​

High Performance Computing Act of 1991

After hearing Dr. Leonard Kleinrock speak about helping invent the ARPANET in 1969 (used only by the military from 1969-1991) U.S. Senator Al Gore (TN-D) began to craft the High Performance Computing Act of 1991 ​ December 9, 1991: The bill passed and led to the Internet being public​

Domestic automobile industry bailout

All Big Three USA car manufacturers (Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler) had to ask Congress for bail-out money to keep alive!​ The USA almost loses all of its' domestic automobile industry; but is saved by congressional action​

The USA's attitude toward foreign affairs after World War (1919-1941) & the consequences of it

America did not embrace the role of global leader. ​In the interests of its own security, the United States should have used its enormous strength to shape world-shaking events. ​It instead permitted the world to drift towards yet another war.​

The Stock Market Crash

Another leading component to the start of the Great Depression. The stock became very popular in the 1920's, then in 1929 in took a steep downturn and many lost their money and hope they had put into the stock.

The Biden Administration (2021-present)

immediately upon arriving in office, reversed many of trump's policies

What one thing did it do to ObamaCare?

As a presidential candidate, Trump regularly promised to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act - keeping in line with other Republicans.the mandate under ObamaCare that stated that you had to have health care, or face federal fines by law was repealed by the Trump Administration's December 2017 $1.5 trillion tax cut ​

China and the Clinton Administration

As a presidential nominee in 1992, Clinton denounced China's abuses of human rights and threatened to punish China. ​ However and sadly, after becoming president, Clinton discovered that trade with China was far too important to "waste" over human rights.​ ​

Attack on the US Capitol: January 6, 2021

At a noontime "Save America" rally in Washington DC President Trump and other speakers repeated claims that the Election of 2020 was stolen​ Inside the US Capitol, Congress was conducting the Constitutional requirement of certifying the presidential election results by counting the electoral votes, led by Vice President Mike Pence​ ​Suddenly, hundreds of the crowd broke through and breached police perimeters, as Congress was beginning the electoral vote count. ​ ​Many in the crowd stormed the building, occupying, vandalizing, and looting it for several hours until around 6 PM It was the first time the Capitol had been violently seized since 1814, when it was taken by the British in the War of 1812​

The Fall & Break-Up of the USSR & the End of the Cold War: 1991

By December 31, 1989, East Europe was free from USSR-communist control.​ October 3, 1990: the two Germanies were reunited into one democratic Germany​ first time a unified nation since 1945​ first time a democratic nation since 1933​

Soviet sphere of influence

By maintaining this in Eastern and Central Europe, the USSR could protect itself and consolidate its revolutionary base as the world's leading communist country. Contradicted FDR's dream of an open world.

The Border Wall

Candidate and President Donald Trump has repeatedly pledged to build a wall along the U.S.'s southern border to keep out undocumented immigrants, while welcoming those immigrants who wish to legally become USA citizens​ During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump said that Mexico would pay for its construction through increased border-crossing fees and NAFTA tariffs According to experts and analyses, the cost to construct a wall along 1,300 miles of the border would cost $16 million per mile​ That would be a sum cost of $20.8 billion​ That is more than 5 times the personal net worth of President Trump!​

Earl Warren

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Earl Warren led the official investigation into the Kennedy assassination, ​ The Warren Commission's 888-page final report was presented to President Johnson on September 24, 1964, and made public three days later, saying one shot wounded President Kennedy and Governor Connally, and a subsequent shot hit Kennedy in the head, killing him. ​

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission​ Prohibited discrimination based on gender and race​ Banning racial discrimination in most private facilities open to the public​ It strengthened the federal government's power to end segregation in schools and other public places. ​ It also created the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to eliminate discrimination in hiring. ​

The Reagan Budget Plan that became law in 1981 (what two things were in it?)

Cuts in social welfare programs Massive military spending

Ukraine, Joe Biden, and the First Impeachment and Acquittal of President Donald Trump: 2019-2020

December 18, 2019: President Donald Trump became the 3rd U.S. president impeached by the U.S. House on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress​ Both articles in a mostly party-line vote, with all Republicans opposing along with three Democrats​ ​The charges stated that....​ Abuse of power: President Trump was charged with withholding military aid to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in order to influence Ukraine to announce an investigation into one of Trump's 2020 political opponents, Joe Biden​ Obstruction of Congress: President Trump was charged with obstructing the inquiry itself by telling his administration officials to ignore subpoenas for documents and testimony.​ The charges were based on a whistleblower's claim who had overheard a phone call that President Trump had made to Ukrainian President Zelensky in July 2019​ President Trump provided to the public a transcript of the phone call to exonerate himself from the charges​ Critics refused to believe that the transcript was complete​ January 16, 2020: The Senate trial began​ The Senate trial needed a 2/3 majority to convict (67 out of 100 members)​ February 5, 2020: Trump was acquitted on both counts by the Senate as neither count received 67 votes to convict. ​

Impeachment and Acquittal of President Bill Clinton: 1998-1999

December 19, 1998: Clinton becomes the 2nd U.S. president impeached by the U.S. House​ The House voted for two articles of impeachment against President Clinton​ The two charges are....​ 1. perjury (under oath comments Clinton made in a grand jury investigation toward questions regarding the Lewinsky affair)​ 2. obstruction of justice to cover up his affair with Monica Lewinsky ​ ​anuary 7, 1999: The U.S. Senate trial begins ​ February 12, 1999 - After a 21-day trial, President Bill Clinton is acquitted by the U.S. Senate in the Monica Lewinsky scandal​ The Senate trial needed a 2/3 majority to convict (67 out of 100 members)​ The Senate trial ended with....​ 55-45 not guilty vote on the charge of perjury​ 50-50 vote on the charge of obstruction of justice.​

Trump Tax Reform Law of 2017

December 2017: The Trump Administration gave a massive cut, the biggest since 2003​ This tax cut contained a provision that eliminated the mandate of ObamaCare that stated that all Americans had to buy health insurance or face fines by the federal government​

Border Wall Dispute between Trump and the House of Representatives: 2018-2019

December 22, 2018- January 25, 2019: The longest government shutdown in U.S. history (35 days) occurred when Congress and President Donald Trump could not agree on an appropriations bill to fund the operations of the federal government for the 2019 fiscal year​ ​The showdown was over whether President Trump's proposed $5.7 billion funding to build the border wall would be included in the budget​ The Democrats (impowered over winning the House in the mid-term Elections of 2018) in Congress said no​ Remember, the House (now run by the Democrats) is where the nation's purse is, and they determine by vote how the USA's money is spent!​ The Democrats instead proposed advanced border technology and increased border control, but no wall at all!​

The firing of Douglas MacArthur

Due to General MacArthur's insubordination and disagreement with the Joint Chiefs of Staff about increasing the size of the war, President Truman was forced to remove MacArthur from command on April 11, 1951.​

Election of 2020

Donald Trump announced his intention to run for re-election on January 21, 2017, the day after he was sworn in as president​ Donald Trump (age: 74) ran again with Mike Pence as his vice-presidential pick​ After a record field of 25 (!) candidates for the Democrat presidential nomination, it boiled down to two candidates: Joe Biden (age: 77) and Bernie Sanders (age: 78)​ After the South Carolina and Super Tuesday primaries, Bernie Sanders dropped out of the race​ Joe Biden became the Democrat presidential nominee​ March 15, 2020: Joe Biden made a pledge that his vice-presidential nominee will be a woman​ He would make good on his pledge by nominating U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) as his vice-presidential running mate in August 2020 Biden won and Kamala Harris became the first woman vice-president.

Election of 2000, Florida, the U.S. Supreme Court, & the outcome

Election Day: November 7, 2000: Al Gore won more votes than George W. Bush nationwide​ 500,000 more votes than Bush nationwide​ ​Neither man got to 270 electoral votes (needed to win)​ There were voting problems in the state of Florida​ ​The "butterfly ballot" used in Florida was confusing to some voters​ Many voted for Pat Buchanan (Reform Party nominee) accidentally, meaning to vote for Al Gore ​ Gore wanted a hand count of the paper votes​ Bush did not​ Florida (25 electoral votes) was the state that would decide the election​ This led to a lawsuit which went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court: Bush v. Gore​ After 6 weeks, on December 13, 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that voting hand counts in Florida must stop​ This gave the election to Bush​

Election of 2016

Former Secretary of State, former U.S. Senator (NY-D), former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton was seen as the presumptive nominee for the Democrats​ U.S. Senator from Vermont and self-proclaimed "democratic socialist", Bernie Sanders announced that he planned to seek the Democratic Party's nomination for President of the United States ​ Sanders drew large crowds to his speaking events​ His socialistic-democratic politics won him particular support among Americans between the ages of 18 to 35​ They thoroughly supported his plans of debt-free college and a "one payer-Medicare for all" health care plan​ Clinton and Sanders were the top contenders but Clinton won nomination. Republican's chose Donald Trump as nominee Though Trump won the election, Clinton won the popular vote.​ Trump is the fifth person in U.S. history to become president while losing the nationwide popular vote

Nations of the Axis forces

Germany, Italy, Japan

Creation of Israel

In 1947, a United Nations resolution proposed that the Palestine Mandate should be divided into a Jewish state and an Arab state - The Jews then proclaimed the state of Israel on May 14, 1948 -the United States became the first nation to grant diplomatic recognition to the new state of Israel on May 14, 1948

The Great Recession: (September 15, 2008-mid 2010's)

In 2007, the sub-prime mortgage market took a financial hit​ September 15, 2008: this suddenly blew up the U.S. banking system, triggering the biggest stock market crash since 1929​ Problems in home finance and credit markets triggered a deep world-wide economic crisis on September 15, 2008​ ​A global recession resulted in a sharp drop in international trade, rising unemployment and slumping commodity prices. This was the worst global economic crisis since the Great Depression (1929-1941)

Rosa Parks

In December 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white person on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. ​ Her arrest sparked a yearlong black boycott of the city busses and served notice throughout the South that blacks would no longer submit meekly to the absurdities and indignities of segregation.​

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) & how it helped to speed up the end of the Cold War

In March 1983, Reagan announced his intention to pursue a high-technology missile-defense system called the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), also known as Star Wars. ​ The plan called for orbiting battle satellites in space that could fire laser beams to vaporize intercontinental missiles on liftoff.​ This would make any USSR-fired nuclear weapon harmless to Americans​ SDI would "kill" weapons, leaving Americans to survive ​ Gorbachev was terrified of SDI and tried to get Reagan to stop it​ Reagan told Gorbachev that the USSR could not win an arms race with the USA, due to the fact that the USA can over-spend with making new nuclear weapons and go into deep debt​ You can do that under capitalism!​ You cannot do that under communism, which cannot allow debt to happen​

Eastern Europe changes of 1989

In early 1989, USSR leader Mikhail Gorbachev began to pull USSR troops out of Eastern Europe​ Because the USSR was running out of money, trying both compete with the USA's Reagan-era arms race and supplying communist domestic funding for all services for its' citizens​ Throughout the Fall of 1989, communist regimes also collapsed in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, and Romania. ​ On November 9, 1989, after USSR guards allowed East Berliners to breach through the Berlin Wall (Gorbachev stopped enforcing this rule as well)​

Communist China

In late 1949, the Chinese Nationalist government of Generalissimo Jiang Jieshi was forced to flee the country to the island of Formosa (Taiwan) when the communists, led by Mao Zedong, swept over the country. ​ The collapse of Nationalist China was a depressing loss for America and its allies in the Cold War as ¼ of the world's population fell to communism.​

United Nations

International organization founded in 1945 to promote world peace and cooperation. It replaced the League of Nations. Unlike after WWI, the United States took the lead in creating the important international bodies and supplied most of their funding after WWII. The Soviets declined to participate.​

Gulf of Tonkin Act (or Resolution) of 1964

Lawmakers virtually gave up their war-declaring powers and handed the president a blank check to use further force in Southeast Asia.​ For the first and only time, one man has full authority of a war!​

D-Day

Led by Eisenhower, over a million troops (the largest invasion force in history) stormed the beaches at Normandy and began the process of re-taking France. The turning point of World War II. After desperate fighting, the Allies finally broke out of the German ring that enclosed the beach. ​General George S. Patton led armored divisions across France extremely fast and efficiently. Paris was liberated in August 1944.​The first important German city to fall to the Allies was Aachen in October 1944.​

Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq) (2003-2011) & why it was fought

March 19, 2003: The USA begins Operation Iraqi Freedom, a war in Iraq to depose dictator Saddam Hussein​ Unrelated to Operation Enduring Freedom (in Afghanistan)​ In 2003, the USA invades Iraq, believing that Saddam Hussein (leader of Iraq) may have weapons of mass destruction (WMD's) for sale, or for use, to terrorist groups​

George Floyd and the national aftermath

May 25, 2020: George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man was killed during an arrest after Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis Police Department officer, knelt on Floyd's neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds as three other officers looked on and prevented passers-by from intervening. ​ Chauvin and the other three officers involved were later arrested​ The civil unrest and protests began as part of international responses to the murder​ While the majority of protests have been peaceful, demonstrations in some cities escalated into riots, looting, and street skirmishes with police and counter-protesters. ​ Some police responded to protests with instances of notable violence, including against reporters.​ The protests precipitated a worldwide debate on racial injustice that has led to numerous legislative proposals on federal, state, and municipal levels intended to combat police misconduct, racism, qualified immunity and police brutality ​

Saddam Hussein o Results of the search to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq o Why Saddam Hussein was ambiguous about weapons of mass destruction

No weapons were ever found in Iraq!​ Hussein was merely bluffing that he had weapons in order to keep power in his Middle Eastern nation​ Many Middle Eastern leaders must imply that they are armed, so that they appear strong against threats against their power​

What really ended the Great Depression?

Not until World War II was the unemployment problem solved!​ World War II ended the Great Depression, not the New Deal

Government Shutdown of 1995-1996 and how it helped President Clinton get re-elected

November 14-19, 1995 and from December 16, 1995-January 6, 1996: the U.S. government was shut down as a result of a budgetary impasse between Congress and the White House. ​ State parks were closed​ Government buildings were closed​ Entitlement checks (Social Security, Medicare, etc.) were not mailed to people​ The public blamed the Republican Congress, not President Clinton​ The public praised Clinton for standing up against deep government cuts in programs​

Mid-term Elections of 2010 & 2014

November 2, 2010 - With help from the Tea Party movement, Republican candidates win the majority of elections, taking over the U.S. House of Representatives, many governorships, and other legislative bodies. ​ John Boehner (R-OH) becomes Speaker of the House​ Many attribute the election to disfavor of Obama administration spending practices, including ObamaCare.​ ​November 2014: Republicans capture control the Senate for the first time since 2006​ The Republican Party is now in complete control of both houses of Congress​ President Obama (Democrat) faces the largest Republican Congress since 1928​

Barack Obama

November 4, 2008: Senator Barack Obama of Illinois wins in the Electoral College, 365 to 173 in the election for the 44th President of the USA over John McCain, making him the first black president in the history of the United States of America.​​

Operation Desert Storm: 1991

On August 2, 1990, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, seeking oil. ​ The United Nations Security Council condemned the invasion and on August 3, 1990, demanded the immediate withdrawal of Iraq's troops. ​ After Hussein refused to comply by the mandatory date of January 15, 1991, the United States spearheaded a massive international military deployment, sending 539,000 troops to the Persian Gulf region to protect Saudi Arabia from an Iraqi invasion On January 16, 1991, the U.S. and the U.N. launched a 37-day air war against Iraq, called "Operation Desert Storm" ​ ​However, the war did not dislodge Saddam Hussein from power.​ The REAL purpose of the war was to free Kuwait from Iraqi control; NOT to overthrow Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq​

Sputnik

On October 4, 1957, the Soviets launched the Sputnik I satellite into space.​ In November, they launched the satellite Sputnik II, carrying a dog. ​ The two satellites gave credibility to the Soviet claims that superior industrial production lay through communism.​ In response, President Eisenhower established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).​

Camp David Accords

On September 17, 1978, President Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel signed peace accords at Camp David. ​ This guaranteed peace between Israel and Egypt, who have been fighting off and on since 1948​ Mediated by Carter after relations had strained, this was a great success. ​ Israel agreed to withdraw from territory gained in the 1967 war as long as Egypt respected Israel's territories.​

Great Society

President Johnson called his version of the Democratic reform program the Great Society. In 1965, Congress passed many Great Society measures, including Medicare, civil rights legislation, and federal aid to education.

Vietnamization

President Nixon's announced policy of "peace with honor" of ending the Vietnam War; called "Vietnamization"​ 1. USA to withdraw the 540,000 U.S. troops in South Vietnam slowly over an extended period. ​ 2. The South Vietnamese, with American money, weapons, training, and advice, would then gradually take over the war. ​

Robber barons

Refers to the industrialists or big business owners who gained huge profits by paying their employees extremely low wages. They also drove their competitors out of business by selling their products cheaper than it cost to produce it. Then when they controlled the market, they hiked prices high above original price. Andrew Carnegie, the steel king​ John D. Rockefeller, the oil baron​ J. Pierpont Morgan, the bankers' banker​ Cornelius Vanderbilt, the railroad tycoon​

Mid-term Elections of 1994

Republicans won 8 seats in the Senate and 53 more seats in the House​ Not a single Republican congressional incumbent was defeated​ For the first time since 1955, the Republican Party was in charge of both houses of Congress​

Marshall Plan

Secretary of State George C. Marshall invited the Europeans to get together and work out a joint plan for their economic recovery. ​ If they did so, then the United States would provide substantial financial assistance. ​ Marshall offered the same aid to the Soviet Union and its allies, but the Soviets refused it. ​ Although quite expensive, legislators passed the plan after realizing that the United States had to get Europe back on its feet. ​ Within a few years, Europe's economy was flourishing. ​ The Marshall Plan led to the eventual creation of the European Community (EC).​

Ford's pardon of Nixon

September 8, 1974 (one month after Nixon's resignation): President Ford's popularity and respect sank when he issued a full pardon of Nixon, thus setting off accusations of a "buddy deal." (never proved)​

Al Gore

Served as the 45th Vice President of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Ran for President in 2000 and won popular vote but lost Electoral College

The debate over gold or silver to rule the USA's monetary system; which economic class benefited & why

Silver is cheaper than gold​ It will dumb down the USA economy​ This, in turn, will help middle-class and poor people to participate in the USA economy​ This will bring about a economic fairness in the USA​ Gold is more expensive than silver​ It will enrich the USA economy​ This, in turn, will help the upper rich class to be dominant in the USA economy​ Since the rich create jobs for the middle-class and poor, this will create more jobs in the USA​

George W. Bush

Texas Governor Son of former president George Bush​ presented himself as a "compassionate conservative"​

Cuban Missile Crisis

The 1962 confrontation between US and the Soviet Union over Soviet missiles in Cuba. Resulted in:​ 1. The removal of Nikita Khrushchev from power in the USSR (later in 1964)​ 2. A USA promise not to invade Cuba​ 3. An ambitious program of military expansion by the USSR​ 4. Withdrawal of USA missiles in Turkey ​

The overall effect the Election of 1912 of the ideologies of the Republican Party & the Democratic Party, which are with us to this day

The Election of 1912 made the political party ideologies of today​ Republicans from now on became the conservative party (less government: Jeffersonian)​ Democrats from now on became the liberal party (more government: Hamiltonian)​

Welfare Reform of 1996

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act is a major welfare reform signed by President Clinton​ Ending welfare as an entitlement program​ Requiring recipients to begin working after two years of receiving benefits​ Aiming to encourage two-parent families ​ Discouraging out-of-wedlock births​ Enforcement of child support ​ Requiring state professional and occupational licenses to be withheld from illegal immigrants​

G.I. Bill

The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, better known as the GI Bill of Rights or the GI Bill, made generous provisions for sending the former solders to school. ​ By raising educational levels and stimulating the construction industry, the GI Bill powerfully nurtured the long-lived economic expansion that took hold in the late 1940s.​

Economic Record of President Clinton

The economy created more than 22.5 million jobs in less than eight years—the most jobs ever created under a single administration​ Overall unemployment dropped to the lowest level since 1969 Inflation at the lowest rate since the Kennedy Administration at 2.5 % in 1999​ The poverty rate declined from 15.1 % in 1993 to 11.8 % last year

The 1920's Republican philosophy of how both business and government should operate

They wanted not only for the government to have no control over businesses but for the government to help guide businesses along the path to profits. ​In other words, VERY pro-business (without any government intervention)

Iran Hostage Crisis

This was the crisis that ultimately did President Carter in​ On November 4, 1979, a group of anti-American Muslim militants stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took hostages, demanding that the U.S. return the exiled shah who had arrived in the U.S. two weeks earlier for cancer treatments.​

Coronavirus (COVID-19) & its effects

Though the pandemic had its origins in December 2019 in Wuhan, China; the full global impact was felt on Friday, March 13, 2020 (the day the USA shut down)​ In April, the unemployment rate rose to 14%​ Record since Great Depression​ Just 2 months prior, in March 2020, it was 3.8%​ By the end of 2020, 1 out of 5 small businesses (20%) closed for good due to COVID-19 ; never to return!​

Andrew Mellon & his tax policies

Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon's taxation system led to the theory that we now call "supply-side economics" ​​1. give the rich/business owners tax cuts​ 2. with their extra money, the rich will invest more money into their businesses​ 3. with businesses being enriched, more jobs will be created for the middle class​ 4. being employed, the middle class will have more money in their pockets to spend​ 5. continued consumer spending stimulates the USA economy​

Containment policy AKA the Truman Doctrine

Truman came before Congress and requested support for the Truman Doctrine. ​ He declared that it must be the policy of the United States to aid any country that was resisting communist aggression.​

The Trump Administration (2017-2021)

Trump changed the judicial branch toward more of a conservative slant; solidifying a 6-3 conservative majority ​ Trump appointed three justices to the US Supreme Court: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett​ the most appointments of any president in a single term since fellow Republican Richard Nixon ​ Trump appointed 260 judges in total, creating overall Republican-appointed majorities on every branch of the federal judiciary, shifting the judiciary to the right​ Passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017; which helped to create the heathiest economy since the Clinton Administration and the lowest rates of inflation and unemployment since the Nixon Administration​ Ended the health mandate in ObamaCare, which allowed people to choose not to have healthcare​ Trump moved the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem ​ Created the United States Space Force, which is the newest branch of the USA military dedicated to protecting USA interests in space, under the supervision of the Air Force; an idea first brought up in 1958 - the first new independent military service since 1947 ​ Brokered the Abraham Accords, a series of normalization agreements between Israel and the two Arab nations of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in 2020; making a total of 4 Arab nations that recognize the right of Israel to exist, along with Egypt and Jordan​ Territory ruled by ISIS in Syria and Iraq was eliminated to the point where this terrorist group had no physical headquarters ​ The Iran Nuclear Deal was ended in 2018​ Talks with North Korea were started​

Martin Luther King, Jr.

U.S. Baptist minister and civil rights leader. A noted orator, he opposed discrimination against blacks by organizing nonviolent resistance and peaceful mass demonstrations. He was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.

Mid-term Elections of 2018

U.S. House of Representatives won by the Democrats

Nations of the Allied forces

USA, Great Britain, and USSR

Iron Curtain

West Germany eventually became an independent country, and East Germany became bound the Soviet Union as an independent "satellite" state, shutoff from the Western world by the "__________" of the Soviet Union

Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois & their differences in solving racism

Washington believed that black people should be responsible for their own progress and uplift Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois, attacked Booker T. Washington because Washington condemned the black race to manual labor and perpetual inferiority. ​ DuBois believed that racial equality could only happen when blacks stand up and speak out for their rights

Hiroshima & Nagasaki

With the Japanese still refusing to surrender, the first of 2 atomic bombs was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. ​ After the Japanese still refused to surrender​Three days after the release of "Little Boy" a second bomb named "Fat Man" was released on the town of Nagasaki. ​

The Arab Spring

a wave of both violent and non-violent demonstrations, protests, riots, coups, foreign interventions, and civil wars in North Africa and the Middle East​

National Defense and Education Act

authorized $887 million in loans to needy college students and in grants for the improvement of teaching sciences and languages

Mikhail Gorbachev

became the leader of the USSR in March 1985. ​ Committed to radical reforms in the Soviet Union, he announced two policies, ​ "Glasnost"​ aimed at ventilating the Soviet society by introducing free speech and a measure of liberty,​ "Perestroika"​ reviving the Soviet economy by adopting many of the free-market practices​

Henry Ford

father of the assembly line, created the Model T and erected an immense personal empire on the cornerstone of his mechanical genius. ​By 1930, the number of Model Ts in the nation had reached 20 million.​ Henry Ford's contribution to the automobile industry was relatively cheap automobiles for the middle class​Before the automobile, the steel industry dominated the USA economy ​He did not invent the automobile​

Family Medical Care and Leave Act

first thing president Clinton signed into office; can't lose job if you take off time to care for a loved one

Newt Gingrich

led Republicans on a sweeping attack of Clinton's liberal failures with a conservative "Contract with America." ​ became the new Speaker of the House​

NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)

made a free-trade zone surrounding Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. ​ These three nations can trade without tariffs​

USA Economy before Coronavirus (COVID-19): early March 2020

over 5.1 million jobs created​ Stock market: records highs set​ Unemployment droped from 4.8 % (January 2017) to 3.6 % (May 2019)​ Lowest unemployment numbers since 1969​ March 2020: unemployment was at 3.9% when the COVID-19 crisis began​ Inflation rate at 1.9 % in March 2019​

Social Security Act

provided for federal-state unemployment insurance. ​To provide security for old age, specified categories of retired workers were to receive regular payments from Washington. 1. unemployment insurance ​2. old-age pensions​ 3. economic provisions for the blind and disabled​ 4. support for the blind and physically handicapped​

oil embargo & its effect on American drivers

​In 1973, following U.S. support of Israel during Israel's war against Syria, and Egypt to regain territory lost during the Six-Day War, the Arab nations imposed an oil embargo, strictly limiting oil in the United States. ​ Across the USA​ gasoline was rationed​ service stations could only sell so much gasoline during the week​