Berlin Wall: The west section of Berlin was Democratic, and the East was Communist, so many people were leaving the east to go to the west. The Communists put up a wall to prevent this from continuing, and anyone who tried to go over was shot. The wall eventually came down after the president of Russia declared he wouldn't be dealing with it anymore.
Berlin Crisis Blockade and Air Lift: After WWII Germany was split up into 4 zones. Berlin, the capitol of Germany, was also split into 4 zones although it was in the USSR section of Germany. Stalin blockaded the roads leading into Berlin so the Allies couldn't bring supplies into the city, but the Allies still brought in supplies by air. Stalin lifted the blockade, but eventually the wall was put up.
We talked about the Cuban Missile Crisis
Space Race: A race between the US and the USSR to put a man on the moon. It began when the USSR launched Sputnik. Following this, the US began putting more money into NASA, and started pushing math and science in schools.
Yuri Gagarin was the first person to ever go to space.
JFK gave the Moonshot speech in 1960
The US was the 1st country to put a man on the moon.
By the 1970's space shuttles were the only form of manned space travel the US used.
Following the Cold War, there was a joint mission between many countries, creating the ISS and the Hubble telescope.
McCarthyism: Our fear of communism affected every decision we made during that time.
Bay of Pigs: An invasion of Cuba by the U.S. with 1500 soldiers to overthrow Fidel Castro, the communist leader of Cuba. The U.S. was hoping that the people of Cuba would help in the overthrowing of the government. That didn't happen, and the Cubans fought back against the U.S. embarrassing them.
Korean War: An unofficial war. Korea was split in two after WWII, the north was communist and invaded the democratic south. The U.S. became involved and pushed North Korea all the way back up into China. China became involved for fear the U.S. would invade them next. There was an air battle between the U.S. and U.S.S.R, but it was kept secret from the public.
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Lyndon B. Johnson: JFK's vice president who took over after JFK was assassinated. His plan for domestic help was titled the "Great Society" which involved aiding education, Medicare and Medicaid, fighting poverty, and preventing crime.
Accomplishments
Great Society
Johnson's plan to: aid education, attack disease, Medicare and Medicaid, urban renewal, beautification, development of depressed regions, war on poverty, control and prevention of crime, removal of obstacles to the right to vote, environment. He also pushed civil rights passing several bills including no discrimination during voting.
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Richard Nixon: He was the vice president for 8 years, he became president, but during his 5th year he became the only president ever to resign from office. He ended the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. He was the only president to ever balance the budget. He pushed for civil rights, and also supported a clean environment. The U.S. went to the moon under his presidency, and NASA started the space shuttle program. Nixon became tied to a burglary at the Democratic headquarters in the Watergate Hotel. Nixon resigned before he could be impeached.
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Gerald Ford: He was Nixon's vice president, and took over when Nixon resigned. He pardoned Nixon, and tried to send troops to Vietnam. He was disliked by the majority of the population because of these things, and others, such as, giving amnesty to draft dodgers who fled to Canada.
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Jimmy Carter:
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