...February 20, 2015 A Broken Union The American Dream is the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. Many say that they have now made that dream a reality. In the early 50’s this wasn’t the case, we still had that dream but many obstacles to get through to achieve that dream. During this time America will be put through strain and heartache to prosper and become the country that many look toward for freedom. The 50’s were a time where we had to take a step back and reanalyze because of the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. These two major events that happened in America may have shaped us in the wrong way. During this time in America, we were divided as a whole. It wasn’t one country but two, not by where you lived but rather by your skin color. If you were born with the wrong skin color you would be penalized for this. “Although African Americans’ subjugation holds a special place in U.S. history, they were by no means the only important group facing severe marginalization during the 1950s and since. Native Americans as well as Latinos and Latinas were subject to systematic racial discrimination, dispossession of property, and hate crimes.” (Super, 2014) America was a dark place if you weren’t white and that held us back as a nation. To end racial segregation and discrimination against black Americans, the African-American Civil Rights Movement started. This movement...
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...Music of the 1960s and its Effects on American Popular Culture by Jennifer Frondelli April 17th, 2013 Music of the 1960s Thesis: The music of the 1960s had a significant effect on the public opinions of the time on topics such as the Vietnam War and the subsequent draft, the civil rights movement, and the Cold War. I. Introduction a. Thesis Statement II. The Vietnam War and the draft a. Prominent Artists 1. Simon & Garfunkel 2. The Rolling Stones 3. Creedence Clearwater Revival b. Public Opinion 1. Anti-War 2. Anti-Draft 3. Protests III. The Civil Rights Movement a. Gospel 1. Martin Luther King Jr. 2. Church Gatherings 3. Protests b. African American Music 1. Jazz 2. Freedom Singers 3. Folk, Rock 'n' Roll, Blues, Soul c. Prominent Songs/Hymns 1. “We Shall Overcome” 2. “Oh Freedom” 3. “Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Us Around” IV. The Cold War a. Themes 1. Potential Nuclear Attack 2. American/Soviet Nationalism 3. Symbolism b. Prominent Artists 1. Bob Dylan 2. Simon & Garfunkel 3. Joan Baez c. Influence V. Conclusion a. Thesis Statement The 1960s was, historically, a significant decade in America. The country underwent many changes both politically and culturally. From the presidential assassinations, to the social revolutions by the younger generations, to the war raging across half way around the world, the 1960s were a time of both societal...
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...Significant events in the decades after World War II Due date, Preface Americans faced many challenges in their lives; challenges on a variety of fronts shattered the American consensus. In the 50s, African Americans launched a crusade, joined later by other minority groups and women, for a larger share of the American dream. In the 60s, politically active students protested the nation's role abroad, particularly in the corrosive war in Vietnam, and a youth counterculture challenged the status quo of American values. Americans from many walks of life sought to establish a new equilibrium in the United States, the following time synopsis will shed some light on turning points in our American history. * 1940s, Civil Rights, a time for change. Harry Truman supported the civil rights movement. He believed in political equality, though not in social equality, and recognized the growing importance of the black urban vote. When apprised in 1946 of lynching’s and other forms of mob violence still practiced in the South, he appointed a committee on civil rights to investigate discrimination based on race and religion. The report, issued the next year, documented blacks' second-class status in American life. It asserted the need for the federal government to secure the rights guaranteed to all citizens. Truman responded by sending a 10-point civil rights program to Congress. When Southern Democrats, angry about a stronger civil rights stance, left the party in 1948, Truman...
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...The Vietnam War caused a significant internal conflict for the U.S. Throughout this time, the American population would argue back and forth regarding the argument for and against participating in it, while others rejected it entirely. U.S involvement was eminent, however, because it was seen as a moral responsibility, and an act of interventionism. To begin, during the time of the Vietnam War, most politicians believed the war was necessary. However, President Eisenhower did not wish to send troops to Vietnam at first. He believed the U.S shouldn’t be involved heavily in an all-out war; yet, reluctantly, he sent troops in to aid the French. Later, while President Eisenhower was explaining the “Domino Theory Principle,” he talks about Communism...
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...African-Americans Civil Rights Throughout the 20th Century African-Americans have made significant contributions to America since their introduction to America in the 1600s. Up until 1865, the majority of African-Americans were enslaved working in plantations and only being counted as three-fifths of a person. It wasn’t until the late 1960s with the implementation of President Johnson’s Great Society programs that African-Americans were given equal rights to that of a white person (OpenStax, 849). From Plessy v. Ferguson to the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965, African-Americans have suffered through many setbacks at the expense of a government that did not recognize them equal to the white man. The struggle of for civil rights within the...
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...Vietnam War Essay During 1968, the Vietnam War was a defining moment in American History. It was caused by many factors that contributed to the warfare in Vietnam during the years. Most factors were the beliefs held by people who wanted or to prevent Vietnam becoming an independent country. Many people suffered due to these beliefs and policies and that the Vietnam War is now considered as one of the most distressing moments in the 20th century. During this time, fear and suspicion were prevalent due to the decisions of the government, and battle occurring in Vietnam. The Vietnam War had evolved from a civil war to a guerrilla war, and then ultimately became a total war. The Vietnam Conflict started out as a civil war, because after the French left the colony of Vietnam county divided into two rival factions, North and South. The communist nationalist leader Ho Chi Minh, whose ideals were based on communist China, led the north. The south was empathized the ideals of a democracy. Because of this difference, at the Geneva conference, they decided to split Vietnam into two different countries: North and South Vietnam. After the United States became involved on the side of the south, the North Vietnamese or the Vietcong fought guerrilla warfare. Ho Chi Minh and his people did not have the money or the weapons to fight a total war. The Vietcong used their strengths to fight the war against the South Vietnamese and the United States by using their knowledge of hit and run guerrilla...
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...1970’s Fashion Americans celebrated the first Earth day in 1970. Earth day is now celebrated on April 22 in the United States. Hippies primarily were the ones who got Earth day passed by the government. Nightclubs of the 1970’s were called discos. Strobe lights and mirror balls reflected the dancers while disk jockeys were playing the 70’s latest hits. In the 1970’s fashion was affected by the Vietnam War, Battle of Civil Rights, and music. The Vietnam War started in the 1960’s and continued on in the 1970’s. The Battle for Civil Rights was also occurring at the same time. Protests from left to right was thought to never end. In 1972, an athletic company called Nike was launched. Its logo became world famous and well known soon after it was launched. 50 percent of all the shoes sold in the United States were running shoes....
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...French colonial war: The French colonial war was a series was a clash associated with France and its total colonies and other surrounding nations. U.S. support of Diem and opposition of Ho Chi Minh: Ho Chi Minh, had spent his life following Vietnamese independence from France. The U.S support had been given to the French and Indochina was exchanged to a state of French colonial rule much to the disquiet of the Vietnamese people. When this occurred the French installed even more restrictive control in Vietnam, and millions died of starvation while Vietnamese rice was transported to France. In 1940 Ho Chi Minh and other Vietnamese leaders made continuously claims to Truman and other American officials to help them receive independence from french colonial rule. These rules had been ignored though. Ho tried every possible...
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... The Vietnam War left many scars on the people of the United States and had an even greater effect on the country. The reputation of our country changed as people began to have different views on the government, people’s constitutional rights, and the proper role of the media. The changing of perspectives of the people led to the country being split and angry. The Vietnam War was a fight over the government’s power, the war itself, and the draft for the war. The Truman doctrine was created to make sure the South Vietnamese did not become communist. America began to send in massive amounts of money to Vietnam in hopes that it would not become communist. Vietnam was previously property of the French empire. During World War II the Japanese seized control of Vietnam. The communism of the Vietnamese was meant to be an opposition to the Japanese. France then later tried to take Vietnam back but failed. The United States had sent in money to France but when the Japanese defeated France the United States was forced to send money and military advisors to South Vietnam. By 1960, America sent in troops to Vietnam to fight in a war that eventually led to fifty-eight thousand Americans losing their lives. The subsequent loss on the Vietnamese side was even greater than that. The long standing war ended up costing $150 billion dollars. American intervention began in 1955 when the first military advisors came into power. Many of the government’s agencies became involved in the war at home...
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...every way. Jim Crow Laws were abolished and racism was finally overcome. The March on Washington, Civil rights movement, and great leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. were prominent in ending this secondary to nothing crisis. Bravery and overflowing pride outlined the 60’s for all African-Americans. Proud individuals fought and struggled to make America the land of the free. People were hopeful, they knew America could jump over their obstacles to be the world's greatest nation. First, televised debates, then rock and roll music and computer technology and America was finally starting to...
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...brief glimpse of history and how things used to be during a certain time period. The first item found when opening the time capsule from the 1960’s is The Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was waged from 1961 until 1975 ("Battlefield: Vietnam,"). The Vietnam War cost over $150 Billion and lost over 58,000 American lives (Van Buren, 1991). The Vietnam War was such a big part of the 1960’s; it is almost impossible to no it include it in any time capsule representing the 1960’s. The second item found in the time capsule is the civil rights movement. The civil rights movement was a movement started to create equality between white people and black people. The fight for racial equality started in 1954 is still going on today (Brunner & Haney, 2007). The Third item removed from the time capsule is the band The Grateful Dead. The Grateful Dead provided the sound track for the psychedelic movement of the 1960’s, creating 23 albums over 24 years ("Grateful dead discography," 2013). The fourth object found in the time capsule is the Cold War. The cold war was waged from 1945 until the Warsaw Pact was signed in 1991. The last item found in the time capsule is the space race. The space race started in 1957 and was won by the United States of America in 1969 ("The timeline of," 2009). Upon further examination of the Vietnam War, we discover a time in human history that almost defined an...
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...The Vietnam War The War in Vietnam remains a controversial topic. It is considered a war of waste, due to the amount of casualties, the duration of the war, and the money spent to fund it. America’s role in the Vietnam War went from sending assistance to South Vietnam to eventually having to intervene. The mission of the U.S. soldiers in South Vietnam was compared to the same mission of the Europeans, such as Casmir Pulaski, who assisted America in its fight for liberty. During a press conference on June 23, 1964 President Lyndon Johnson stated,” This is not a jungle war, but a struggle for freedom on every front of human activity (Lansdale, 1964, p. 78).” America felt that they were obligated to fight the war against communism in Vietnam. Overtime, the war had a huge impact on Americans and the economy. Through advanced technology such as satellites and light weight cameras it was possible for media coverage on the battlefield; oftentimes with disturbing displays of slain soldiers, civilians, and growing numbers of causalities. Public opinions of the Vietnam War would become negative, making Vietnam, America’s most despised war. America has always been a skilled army, the intentions of the U.S. army was to weaken the army of the North Vietnam by using a strategy they called “attrition”. The U.S. believed they could cause so much damage and inflict so many casualties, that eventually the North Vietnamese would surrender (Brinkley, 2007). “The attrition strategy...
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...opinion has taken on the role of “policeman of the world.” This role became more evident with the use of U.S. military force in international incidents like U.S. intervention in the 2011 Libyan Civil War to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and U.S. involvement in the 2011 Yemeni Civil War protesting the leadership of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Despite the United States being hailed as a defender of democracy by some, their actions are usually not selfless. In both situations protecting United States interests was a major factor. Both Libya and Yemen are hot beds for terrorist activity by radical groups like al-Qaeda. The United States keeps tabs on the activities of these groups in an effort to intercept information to thwart acts of terrorism, particularly against Americans. Leadership in these vulnerable countries is of great interest to the United States because some regimes are sympathetic to these militant groups. A lack of clear leadership in these countries also poses a threat to U.S. interests because a lapse in leadership can lead to militant groups seizing control. Three aspects of U.S. history since 1865 that led to the US’s rise as a world super power policeman are religious and moral views, geopolitical reasons, and financial reasons. First, American missionaries believed that it was their duty to spread Christianity to the uncivilized areas of the world. Second, European nations were effectively dividing the resource rich...
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...opinion has taken on the role of “policeman of the world.” This role became more evident with the use of U.S. military force in international incidents like U.S. intervention in the 2011 Libyan Civil War to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and U.S. involvement in the 2011 Yemeni Civil War protesting the leadership of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Regardless of the United States being hailed as a defender of democracy by some, their actions are usually not selfless. In both situations protecting United States interests was a major factor. Both Libya and Yemen are hot beds for terrorist activity by radical groups like al-Qaeda. The United States keeps tabs on the activities of these groups in an effort to intercept information to thwart acts of terrorism, particularly against Americans. Leadership in these vulnerable countries is of great interest to the United States because some regimes are sympathetic to these militant groups. A lack of clear leadership in these countries also poses a threat to U.S. interests because a lapse in leadership can lead to militant groups seizing control. Three aspects of U.S. history since 1865 that led to the US’s rise as a world super power policeman are religious and moral views, geopolitical reasons, and financial reasons. First, American missionaries believed that it was their duty to spread Christianity to the uncivilized areas of the world. Second, European nations were effectively dividing the resource rich areas of...
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...During the sixties Americans saw the rise of the counterculture. The counterculture was a group of movements focused on achieving personal and cultural liberation, was embraced by the decade’s young Americans. It included rejection of conventional social norms, reaction to political conservatism of the Cold War period and to extensive Military intervention in Vietnam, and the rejection of racial segregation (lect.,”Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll”, week 6). Because many Americans were members of the different movements in the counterculture, the counterculture influenced American society. As a result of the achievements the counterculture movements made, the United States in the 1960s became a more open, more tolerant, and a freer country. One of the most powerful counterculture movements in the sixties was the civil rights movement. In 1964, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act to end racial discrimination in employment, institutions like hospitals and schools, and privately owned public accommodations. In 1965, congress returned suffrage to black southerners, by passing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Foner 2009). In the case of Loving v. Virginia (1967), the Supreme Court ruled that laws prohibiting interracial marriage were unconstitutional(Foner 2009) . Because of the civil rights movement in the sixties, minorities gained more rights than they had prior to the 1960s. During this time, a group of writers became known for jump-starting the rebellion of the youth culture...
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