the 1960s

Jim Crow laws-

Long standing racial inequalities in bedded in history

1896- Plessy vs Ferguson

Supreme court case established “separate but equal”

Jim Crow laws-

Long standing racial inequalities in bedded in history

1896- Plessy vs Ferguson

Supreme court case established “separate but equal”

May 17, 1954-

Brown vs Board of Education of Topeka Ks.

NAACP-

National association for advancements of colored people- organised fights against school segregation.

Thurgood Marshall-

Chief legal counsel, later became fist African American justice on supreme court.

Marshall’s argument-

Argued that idea of segregation was illegal and a violation of the constitution.

Eisenhower’s choice

Eisenhower appoints Earl Warren to Supreme Court

Earl Warren

Era of Reform

Earl Warren record

long track of being conservative

• advocated Japanese internment camps

• crime fighting district attorney

Earl Warren change

became a liberal

• unanimous decision in brown case

• right to have a lawyer (Gideon v wainwright)

• Miranda rights (Miranda v Arizona)

• Banned prayer in school (Enogel v Vitale)

• Argued for equal representation, “one person, one vote” (Baker vs cav)

1957-

Opposition to integration

Little rock

Attempts to enroll 9 black students into central High School

Governor Orval Faubus

Disagrees with little rock 9 decision

• Puts state national guard at door of school to keep segregated

• Faubus removes guard under orders and leaves mob to police

• Eisenhower orders troops to intervene

  • Places paratroopers in schools for the next year

Arkansas closes schools, several states following suit

Several cases of violence against African Americans as a result

Emit Till-

14 year old boy from Detroit that was kidnapped and brutally killed for talking to a white women

Emit till justice

The killers were acquitted by jury, but African Americans continued the fight

Montgomery Bus Boycott

Bus segregation was long standing tradition in South.

Rosa Parks

A black women who refused to give up her seat to a white man, she is arrested and a spark ignites in community

Dr. Martin Luther King jr

Him and several other activists lead organized effort to change in structure in south

bus boycott-

Lasts nearly 400 days as African Americans community ban together to change system in Alabama

Dec 20th, 1956

United states supreme court rules that segregation on busses was not legal and busses were integrated

Martin Luther King Jr. emerges as leader

Son of a baptist minister, Ph. D fro Boston University, eloquent speaker

Nonviolent movement

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

• Organised non- violent protest protest idea taken from from Gandhi, that non-violence gained more results than violence

• 4 steps: investigation, negotiations, publicity, and demonstration

• taught people how to take blows & protect each other

• sent a stronger message by acting rational

Freedom Riders

Group from North that rode buses down to south to help the fight for equality

Sit ins

Groups of people that sat in at cafeterias and stores in protest- 1971, 70,000+ African American White students were sitting in for social change

Student Activism

Student Nonviolent coordination committee (SNCC) is formed and takes a leading role in movement, “Jail not Bail”

JKK

John F Kennedy runs for president in 1960, bring promise of social reform w/ him

• endorsed sit ins & promised to end racial discrimination in federally supported public housing

• Kennedy wins election w/ help of African American Voters

• Kennedy ends up towing line between two sides

Crisis in Mississippi

Governor Barnett stands at door of State college and blocks way of black man trying to enroll in classes: James Meredith. Eventually Kennedy gets involved

Birmingham Alibama

City where attempts by marchers were met w/ police dogs and fire hoses

Bull coner

Police commissioner who ordered hostilities by police and firemen

Malcome x

Leader of more militant civil rights movement. Was originally part of Nation of Islam, but split and started his own movement

Stokely Carmichael

After several arrests as civil rights activists, he eventually started the black power movement, where blacks would be more demanding and aggressive in protecting their own rights.

black panthers

political organization w/ goal of fighting police brutality in ghettos of american

voting Rights act

part of johnson’s program. black voter registration went up 50% in one year.

riots of 1965-1968

many inner cities exploded in rots during these summers. most famous was one in watts

john f. Kennedy;

elected in 1960 by narrow margin over Richard Nixon. Television played a major role for first time in a presidential election

bay of pigs invasion

failed attempt in 1960 for anti-Castro Cubans to invade & overthrow communist castor government. Planned during Eisenhower administration but Kennedy took full responsibility.

peace corps-

new JFK program aimed to help poverty stricken nations

Cuban missile crisis

• soviet union started building missile sites in Cuba in 1962. once discovered a showdown between two superpowers started.

• war seemed to hang in balance as US naval forces were deployed by Kennedy to turn back soviet ships on their way to Cuba.

• At last moment, Khrushchev (soviet union leader) decided to dismantle the missile sites and stop the soviet Navy from going to Cuba

Camelot

popular musical that opened in 1960 about king Arthur court. even with all troubles, there was a mystique about Kennedy family. they seemed like a fairy tale come true.

Nakita Khrushchev-

soviet union leader from mid 1950’s to 1964

Berlin wall

Khrushchev threatened to cut off west Berlin once again Kennedy refused to give in. wall built around Berlin to keep flood of east Germans from leaving west.

nov. 22nd, 1963

Kennedy assassinated in Dallas TX. Johnson becomes president

warren commission

investigate commission headed by chief of justice of the supreme court earl warren. controversial findings was that JFK had been killed by lone gunman acting alone.

Lyndon Barnes Johnson (LBJ)

Texas politician of his time. usually got what he wanted he took up the issue of civil rights after death of JFK.

1964 election

after death of Kennedy LBJ won by landslide victory over Barry Goldwater.

Great Society

extensive social programs initiated by president Johnson.

Ralph Nader-

political activist who wrote Unsafe at Any Speed. championed movement for laws to protect consumers.

Dien Bien Phu-

Military defeat of french in Vietnam. convinced french to leave Vietnam.

Ngo Dinh Diem

Strong anti-communist leader who was supported by US in 1950s.

Ho chi minh-

Communist revolutionary leader of Vietnam

Kennedy’s war

JFK inherited Vietnam situation from Eisenhower. US was giving aid and support to the anti-communist forces. he was having some second thoughts before death

Johnson’s war

LBJ took office, he decided to increase US involvement in Vietnam

Tonkin gulf resolution-

After torpedo attacks against US ships, Johnson ordered bombing attacks and congress passed resolution giving broad military powers to president

general Westmorland

Military commander of U.S troops in Vietnam

napalm-

new weapon used, mixture of gasoline to set fires in jungle

Agent orange

chemical sprayed on jungle to defoliate the trees. Ruined villages and later linked to cancer

Diem Regime completion

• regime followed policies of nepotism w/ reports of extortion, bribery, and theft of public funds

• religions policy was one of pro catholic and anti-Buddhist

• Madam Nhu: president diem’s sister in law (1st lady of Vietnam)

turning point

Buddhist monk suicide- monk set himself on fire in intersection in june 1963 to protest Diem policies

reaction to Buddhist Monk Suicide

• photos of suicide spread around world bringing attention to corruption of Diem policies

• Kennedy withdraws support & allowed coup that overthrew Diem

• Madam Nhu’s response: “if the Buddhists want to have another barbecue, i will be glad to supply the gasoline”

Tet offensive

After Westmorland had reported that the end was near, north Vietnamese launched surprise attack. Most Americans started to have real doubts about success possibility in Vietnam.

Robert Kennedy

Probable democratic candidate but was killed in California after winning that states primary

Sirhan Sirhan

Palestinian who killed Robert Kennedy because of his support for Israel

Hubert Humphrey

Democratic nominee for president in 68 He was vice president and was hampered by having to defend LBJ administration

Democratic Convention

Convention was held in Chicago & targeted by protesters who were upset with Humphery’s nomination & the war. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley promised peace with 12,000 police and 5,000 National Guard. Riot broke out with television cameras broadcasting it all to the the nation.

George Wallace

Southern democrat who ran on a 3rd party ticket & won many southern states based on his segregation platform.

Richard Nixon

Republican Candidate who won election. called for eventual end of War & promised to bring back stability to nation

My Lai Massacre

small village in Vietnam that U.S. troops were ordered to eliminate. More than 100 villagers killed, mostly women and children

Invasion of Cambodia

As US forces were starting to scale back in Vietnam, Nixon ordered invasion. Aimed at clearing out supply centers for the N. Vietnamese, the invasion caused renewed protest in america.

Kent state

protest in Ohio where national guardsmen opened fire into crowd killing 4 students.

war ends

America’s longest war finally ends as the last US combat troops left in 1973. S. Vietnam, fell to North in 1975.

Counter Culture

Vietnam war helped to spur on a new movement in society that protested mange actions made by the “Establishment” Aspects of this movement involved new social rules that included experimentation w/ drugs and new lifestyles. Flower children, Jesus freaks, hippies were the names for new youth. Played a large role in shaping politics of 1960s and beyond

• key events/times: 1969 “summer of love”, Height Ashbury in San Francisco, Woodstock, Kent state shootings, 1968 Chicago Dem, conventions more violent

Altamont

free rock convert help by rolling stones outside San Francisco. the security guards were the Hells Angels who murdered black fan while stones were on stage

Charles Manson

Commune leader of group known as “the family” who brutally murdered actress Sharron Tate

Andy Warhol-

one of the leaders of pop art movement to bring art into the mainstream

July 20, 1969

Apollo 11 lands on the moon. Neil Armstrong was first to walk on the moon.