HIS 174C TERMS

March on Washington movement 

Context: Many POC joined military during WW1 and remained segregated. Political and social segregation continued.

(1940s): A. Philip Randolph says to pressure government to get federal employment, end discrimination in federal contractors, and end discrimination in military 

Consequence:

• Roosevelt did not end discrimination in military, but he did “end” discrimination by federal employment and discrimination by federal contractors. Allow to protest to the FEPC

• A continued march for more rights

• Many black people moved north where they could vote and where they could get war time jobs during the world war II. this led to race riots.

• Many jobs around, but POC were faced with segregation/jim crow laws still

Detroit race riot (1967)

series of violent confrontations between residents of predominantly African American neighborhoods of Detroit and the city's police department that began on July 23, 1967, and lasted five days. It was a response to neglect of urban racial tensions. Huge destruction of the city. Relating to communism, it was events like these that made US look bad to other nations

Lopez v. Seccombe (1944)

This court case led to the desegregation of public swimming pools and recreational facilities in the City of San Bernardino during World War II. Specifically targeted towards Latinos. One of the earliest successful desegregation court cases in United States history.

Women’s Army Corps 

Context: government propaganda to get women to work. To help their husbands and the country.

Women were in the army as well. They worked clerical, mechanics, factory, axillary (military support). However, they were expected to stay pretty and feminine at the same time.

“Dewey Defeats Truman” headline 

an erroneous banner headline on the front page of newspaper the day after incumbent United States president Harry S. Truman won an upset victory over his opponent, Governor Thomas E.

It serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of premature conclusions, over-reliance on polling, and the power of political surprises in democratic elections.

Four Freedoms

Context: A 1941 big speech given by Franklin D Roosevelt to congress about the aims of World War II. To give aid to Britain. There were, at the time, isolationists who didn’t like the proposal. Roosevelt stated that providing aid was defending freedom for the world. The four freedoms were undeniable rights that would be protected if they took active measures to fight communism in other countries.

1. Freedom of speech

2. Freedom of religion 

3. Freedom from want (no hunger/give housing/safe from illness) 

4. Freedom from fear (physical safety) 

Truman Doctrine 1947

Context: Greece and turkey request aid. Communist rebel in Greece. Britain worried because letting them turn communist might cause many others to be communist too. Britain convinced the US it was important to help Greece. US sent aid against communists to Greece and Turkey.

Vandenburg (Senator) said the only way to convince people to give money is to scare people. Truman delivered a speech (1947) saying to help democracy by supporting anti-communist people. So Truman Doctrine is a declaration that there’s a communist issue.

Consequence: A shift of American foreign policy by active intervention throughout the entire cold war. Led to other initiatives such as the Marshall Plan and the formation of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).

National Security Act of 1947 

Context: The act was passed in the early stages of the Cold War, at a time when the U.S. was beginning to perceive the Soviet Union as its primary adversary.

National security council, meet once a week to talk about national security. To fight the cold war. Without congressional discussion. 

Significance: It represented a shift in focus from demobilizing after World War II to preparing for a prolonged ideological and military struggle with the Soviet Union and its allies.

Doolittle Committee report 

prepared in 1954 by a committee led by General James H. Doolittle at the request of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The purpose of the committee was to evaluate the effectiveness and practices of the CIA and other U.S. intelligence services in the context of the Cold War.

Consequence: emphasized aggressive action to combat soviet threat. Elastic clause national security act of 1947 saying that the cia may perform other functions related to intelligence as directed by the NSC; encouraging cia to take greater risk and later became a military arm to overthrow communists.

Castro plots

Context: huge American investment in Cuba, American mafia presence. Fidel Castro had a successful revolution against the Cuban government; socialist. Castro approaches the soviet union for loan/help. He joined the soviet union.

• Operation mongoose. Programs against Castro. First, they tried undermining his credibility. Then take his beard off. Drug him with LSD. Tricking Cubans that god was against Castro.

• Senate report 1975 said US tried to kill him 8 times. Died in 2015. 

  
  

  Significance of the Castro plot? Shift of perspective on cold war. Became a narrower version of national security which included intervention of all methods to kill communism

Elizabeth Bentley

• Elizabeth Bentley was a top soviet spy in US. Very successful because she did not fit the soviet spy stereotype-she was white anglo saxon with high education. Decides to turn communist, talks her way through being a spy and succeeds

• Becomes leader of KGB, does a terrible job. Communist hold-off in killing her because she’s a woman.

• She defects because she thought FBI knew about her

• Her public testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1948, and later before other government bodies, fueled fears of Communist subversion. Bentley became a symbol of the hidden Communist threat, influencing the anti-Communist climate of the late 1940s and 1950s.

The "pumpkin papers"

Context: Alger Hiss was a secret communist with Whittaker Chambers in 1946. Assistant to the assistant of the secretary of state. In 1945 he was part of the committee of the first meeting of the UN. No real influence but accessed secret documents. Hiss testified in HUAC he says Chambers is lying. Richard Nixon hates Hiss and keeps the case going. Hiss files civil suit for slander.

Whittaker Chambers changes story. He says he was a spy. Says he was proof. Shows microfilm in a pumpkin and says those were what Hiss stole. 

• 10yrs in prison for Hiss Jan 1950

• Nixon and Chambers were right!

• The Pumpkin Papers remain an iconic artifact of Cold War history, symbolizing the intense suspicion and paranoia of the era.

Joseph McCarthy: His Conspiracy

Communism was his focus for election. Says he knows 205 names who still work in government, state department. Not true. J Edgar Hoover director of FBI is feeding info to Mccarthy, Millard Tydings disgusted by Mccarthy. People thought he didn't win election because of his opinion.

Significance: Showed the severity of communist scares of the time.

Lavender Scare 

(LGBTQ), 5000 employees fired for being LGBTQ, an extension to the red scare. People said that the gays helped the communist. There was a belief they were susceptible to communism because of the treatment by society in US.

Army-McCarthy hearings

series of televised hearings held in 1954, marking a dramatic turning point in the political career of Senator Joseph McCarthy and the national perception of his anti-communist crusade. The hearings revolved around accusations made by McCarthy, a Republican senator from Wisconsin, who had been conducting high-profile investigations into alleged Communist infiltration of the U.S. government, including the Army.

Consequence: McCarthy’s rudeness and bullying was shown on tv so he lost popularity, later censured by senate. No conclusive evidence of communist infiltration in ARMY.

Hollywood blacklist

Hollywood 10, 5th amendment was a valid excuse so they were freed, but they were put on a Hollywood blacklist which jeopardized their career. Others were on the list too.

Significance:

• Created a conservative culture in Hollywood as to not offend the US 

• “Communist” faith leaders

• Various states have their own HUAC. 

• 1950 UC Loyalty Oath that students/staff were not communist, would not give money to UC if they didn’t sign it 

  —>narrowing of freedom of speech in fear of being labeled communist

Taft-Hartley Act 1947

Despised by American unions, they urged Truman to veto the act. He did do it but congress didn't pass his veto.

• Taft Hartley act-series of amendments to the national labor relations act restricting/balancing labor union power that they had gained during the New Deal Wagner Act

• Allows secondary strikes and boycott but not primary boycotts, Allows president to stop strikes, Bans communist from union leadership, etc.

Significance: Altered the labor landscape in the US, give federal authority to disputes and allowing states to enact right to work laws. Done to maintain economic stability, and prevent excessive union control.

“Domestic containment” 

Contain American women in domestic sphere 

• Nuclear families on tv

• Kitchen debate of 1959 

• “Feminine mystique” and an example of how the US is better than the soviet. They have nicer kitchens for women and don't tell them to work a job. While the soviets made their women work in factories.

G.I. Bill 

landmark legislation that provided a wide range of benefits to veterans after WW2, government subsidy . Educational benefits, home loans, unemployment benefits, business loans, and healthcare. It shaped the post war economy. Rise of suburban America, modern middle class.

•  segregation. rating neighborhoods, if you live in an 100% white neighborhood you will qualify for a government loan.

“Duck and Cover” 

People were told to duck and cover if there was a nuclear attack. US preparing for an attack due to a nuclear arms race going on between them and the soviet union. Useless to say because duck and cover would not save anyone from a nuclear bomb. False sense of security as US continues to blow bombs in Nevada.

Mattachine Society and Daughters of Bilitis 

-Daughters of bilitis created by phyllis lyon and del martin 1955. the first lesbian civil rights organization in the United States.

secret gay rights organization focused on political oppression and needed laws to protect them when they come out as gay

• happening at the same time as the lavender scare 

• oppression/ lavender scare stimulating people to stand up for their rights. Together, the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis were trailblazers in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, fostering community and advocacy during an era of intense discrimination and laying the groundwork for subsequent generations of activists.

Friend-of-the-court briefs in civil rights cases 

These briefs are legal documents submitted by individuals, organizations, or entities that are not directly involved in a case but have a strong interest in the outcome. Their purpose is to provide additional perspectives, expertise, or arguments that might assist the court in making its decision. Play a critical role in civil rights cases by offering the courts additional perspectives and expertise that might not be fully covered by the parties directly involved in the litigation.

Little Rock Crisis 

Little Rock 1957, segregation in schools in Arkansas. Isn't it illegal? Many schools in the south continued segregation after Brown v Board anyway. Desegregation enforcement started with central high school (top in the south) and 9 students were chosen to go to the high school. Kids met with mobs and even the national guard to stop them from going to school. 

Of course, these acts are continuing to cause bad reputation! Eisenhower not in favor of desegregation, but he hates communism so he sends an army(no black men in fear of more hate, but they are desegregated in the army now) to escort the 9 kids. 

Project C 

Project Conformation. A strategic initiative during the Civil Rights Movement, launched by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963. The goal of the project was to confront and expose the systemic racial discrimination and injustices in Birmingham, particularly in public facilities, businesses, and employment.

Best way to do it: get themselves on TV all over the world.

Consequence: President John F Kennedy televises a speech “the us will not be fully free until all of its citizens are free.” Kennedy proposed civil rights bill. Summer of 1963 he tries to pass civil rights bill. Nov, 1963 Lyndon Johnson in now president after Kennedy assassination- he signs the bill civil rights act 1964.

Civil Rights Act of 1964 

Landmark achievement. Proposed by Kennedy but signed by Lyndon Johnson. It prohibit racial, religious, and gender discrimination in many areas of public life, including education, employment, and public accommodations. Paved the way for future anti-discriminatory laws.

Selma march (1965)

Context: Being brave and standing against racism was not enough, you could get killed by being brave.

Selma march brought attention to the lack of voting rights in the south. March to Selma from Montgomery. They were met with violence. TV captures everything. Everyone in the world watched what was going in in US. Bad image for US.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

the federal government was now in charge of voting. These states must demonstrate that they are not discriminating about voting. Very strict law that consequently increases the number of black voters and officials especially in the south because there had been none in the south.

The "liberal consensus" 

Liberal consensus: bipartisan commitment to containment of communism abroad and regulated capitalism welfare state at home.

Assumptions

• Growth of federal government power 

• Growth of presidential power

• Huge defense budget, and draft needed to fight communists

• Generous welfare state as weapon in the cold war 

Truman’s decision NOT to ask Congress for a declaration of war in Korea

A strategic choice made by Truman. He asked UN if he could go to war in Korea, so it becomes a UN war. Many US troops and others join. He didn’t ask congress for declaration of war, and congress knew this but they didn’t do anything about it. If the plan failed, congress could blame Truman for it failing.

Consequence: expansion of presidential power; greater autonomy in military decision-making, and validation of containment doctrine.

National Defense Education Act (1958)

• Eisenhower: massive federal funding ( made possible by very high tax and prosperous society )for local schools especially focusing on stem education

• Expansion of federal power for the people

Ngo Diem 

Ngo Diem Vietnamese nationalist but anticommunist. He is representing non communist at the Genova conference. Running for president against Ho Chi Min. Election supposed to be held 1956 but were not held bc very likely they would elect the communist —>north Vietnam and south Vietnam permanent

Ngo Diem unpopular. Ngô Đình Diệm’s leadership remains a controversial topic. While he is remembered for his initial attempts to stabilize South Vietnam, his authoritarianism, poor governance, and the consequences of his rule significantly shaped the course of the Vietnam War and U.S.-Vietnam relations.

Nuclear test ban treaty (1963) 

Context: Kennedy set his ideology as liberal in the summer of 1963 because of nuclear missile crisis. He did a test ban treaty in 1963.

Kennedy, Soviets, and British signed test treaty. But they continue to build and test, just no longer above ground, which people believed was a tremendous help to world peace.

not a comprehensive solution to the nuclear arms race, but it marked the beginning of more serious arms control efforts in the decades that followed.

Conspiracy theories about JFK's assassination 

• Theory: man of peace banning nuclear tests and thinking about the environment and big speech in favor of civil rights June 1963 right after the Birmingham confrontation. People look back at this and say he was becoming very progressive and that's why they killed him

• The assassination occurred in Dallas Nov 22 1963. Kennedy and his wife in a presidential limousine on his way to luncheon. Killed by lee harvey, violent communist. lee harvey killed by vigilante on tv. Conspiracy: it wasn't lee harvey bc he was killed too quick

• All conspiracies about him were about the cold war; a communist plot to kill him perhaps?

Great Society 

Context: Economy has been booming, incomes more than double ever since 1974. Low unemployment and prosperity for everyone. Huge trust in government bc of it. A large top marginal tax rate but people are trusting what government does with the money. Majority of democrats (not all were liberal though) in HOR and senate.

Lyndon Johnson; support of arts and public media, environment protections, consumer protection laws, sunshine laws (freedom of information), smallpox eradication, end racial discrimination

The War on Poverty:

The greatest impacts

1. Federal aid to k-12 (especially stem)

2. Higher education grants and loans (especially for low income areas and people that don’t have as much money)

3. Group insurance programs: food stamps (now SNAP), medicare, medicaid

an in increase in federal power for the people

Medicare and Medicaid

Part of the war on poverty. Help the elderly and the low income families. Partially due to this, there is a reduction in elderly and young children mortality. Many still rely on these!

Immigration Act of 1965

Context: naturalization laws date back to 1790s; immigrants of color can’t get citizenship. Chinese exclusion act. National origins act 1924 anyone who isn’t white will never be citizens. White countries have quota get 2% of how many there were in 1890. Need to come from northern europe basically, rest of europe has to compete for quota. Wrong and embarrassing.

Rewritten 1965;no mention of race

1. have to have immediate family here

2. be a refugee

3. sets limits to western and eastern hemisphere, quotas of 20,000 regardless of size of nation or number than decide to immigrate

-eventually becomes a problem

The Warren court

liberal court. Supreme court is starting to review state laws and assert federal authority to protect american civil rights/liberties.

• 1954 Brown V board-desegregation in schools

• 1962 Baker v Carr- one person one vote. Led to: regularly redraw districts of roughly equal populations for equal reps and HOR.

• 1965 Griswold v Connecticut- privacy, reproductive rights: basis for roe v wade

• 1966 Miranda v Arizona- rights of accused

• 1967 Loving v Virgnia - interracial marriage

Gulf of Tonkin resolution

Context: Gulf of Tonkin: Vietnam and China gulf

• Aug 1964 US destroyer believes (weren’t hit but the sailors said they were)  it was attacked by north Vietnamese 

• Mac said they didn't know about south viet actions, but they had been helping them, giving them info

• 2 years later it comes out that Mac was lying and they had BEEN helping

GULF OF TONKIN RESOLUTION 1964: congress approved any necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression (so if you think you will be attacked you can defend yourself).

• Congress gave Johnson a blank check. Blank authorization for war, up to Johnson what he wanted to do with that. 

Consequence:

• Air war started: bombs

• Men with money/connections/in university could avoid the draft

The Tet offensive

Tet Offensive

• It involved coordinated attacks on more than 100 cities, towns, and military bases across South Vietnam, including a bold assault on the U.S. Embassy in Saigon.

• The scale and intensity of the attacks shocked both American and South Vietnamese forces, revealing vulnerabilities in U.S. intelligence and military preparedness

• the offensive galvanized opposition to the war, fueling protests on college campuses and among civil rights and political organizations.

• Despite the blow to U.S. morale and public support, the war continued for another seven years, culminating in the withdrawal of U.S. forces in 1973 and the fall of Saigon in 1975.

Vietnamization

The goal of Vietnamization was to gradually reduce U.S. military involvement in Vietnam while shifting the responsibility for fighting the war to the South Vietnamese forces. Richard Nixon.

unsuccessful attempt to extricate the U.S. from the Vietnam War while maintaining South Vietnam’s independence. The policy allowed the U.S. to reduce its troop presence, but it ultimately failed to prevent the collapse of South Vietnam; the fall of saigon

Free speech movement

A nationwide student movement was happening at the time. Leaders of the student democratic society threatened to be expelled for their political activism by UC.

Sprawl to hall; students don’t leave until they let the leaders of the movement be free. Chancellor tries to doa speech. Congress agrees to give them free speech.

Significance: showed that activism worked. Soon led to the organization becoming an antiwar movement.

Columbia student uprising 1968

Opposition to war from college students reaches a peak at Colombia University. Colombia was discriminating people from accessing university owned public spaces+ war chemical research under private contracts. Students shutdown university to stand against racism and imperialism. NY cops sent, unsympathetic to students.

Significance: showed the evolution of the student movement. Students still view this as a victory because they were bringing light to police violence

Black power movement

Origin of the black power movement: (1930s) The nation of islam: Elijah Muhammad and 1950s Malcom X. About black separatism; many attracted by the idea that black people needed to empower themselves.

SNCC and MLK radicalization. SNCC and MLK not agreeing with how to handle civil rights. SNNC chairman=blackpower. MLK= nonviolence. MLK remains non violent but begins to believe US needs economic improvement apart from civil rights.

1968 democratic convention

The 1968 Democratic National Convention, to nominate a Democratic Party presidential candidate. By the time Vice President Hubert Humphrey received the presidential nomination, the strife within the Democratic Party was laid bare and the streets of Chicago had seen riots and bloodshed involving protesters, police and bystanders alike, radically changing America’s political and social landscape

The convention occurred amidst widespread social unrest, including opposition to the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, and the recent assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy.

Significance: Antiwar protesters became angrier because they felt there was no point working through the system

Weather undeground

A radical left wing group. Organized the days of rage in Chicago in 1969. Physically attack to bring the war home (the pain of destruction that Vietnam was experiencing), like bombing apartments.

radical, highlighting both the desperation of activists seeking radical change and the controversial methods they employed.

Secret bombing of Cambodia

• US starts bombing Cambodia along with north and south Vietnam bc it would help win the Vietnam war

• They decide to keep it a secret because of backlash for expanding the war even more 

• Falsifying bombing records

• 2 months after bombing started, NY times writes about the secret bombing

• Warrantless wiretapping to catch the disloyal people who caused Cambodia leaks. But the journalist who leaked actually heard from being in Cambodia

The plumbers

will seek source of leak and punish the leakers. Call themselves the plumbers. 

• Work for federal government white house but they move over to the Nixon election campaign

• The Plumbers exemplify the dangers of unchecked executive power and the misuse of government resources for partisan purposes.

  
  

Nixons enemies list

White house set up a program to use machinery of federal government to punish presidents enemies. Conceived by white house counsel/president’s lawyer. We can have IRS go after them, prosecution, anti-trust violations. 200 names on list mostly media figures and democrats plus, actors, athletes.

the Enemies List and its exposure helped spur reforms to limit the misuse of government power

Smoking Gun tape

Talk about making cia call fbi to stop the investigation of watergate because of national security. “The cia owes us.” Obstruction of justice. Forced to release the tape. Nixon going to be removed from office. Resigns instead.

Ford’s pardon of Nixon

Gerald Ford appointed unelected. Ford decides to pardon nixon. Unpopular, doesn’t win next election. 

The feminine mystique

Context: Betty is an amateur sociologist. Only knows her middle class life. For example, she does say working women should clean a house. Which is funny because those cleaning women are working moms too! Also she never discussed on how to manage house labor within the family. Simply, she just wanted equal unemployment. 

Book: Written by a journalist Betty Friedam about the societal ideal imposed on women. To be mothers and wives and be caregivers, closing off any opportunities to have a professional life. She systemically looked at the way school taught girls, women magazines, television etc. Different institutions and media on how women should aspire to be. Opened the eyes of many.

The sex amendment to the civil rights act

Civil rights act of 1964 amended to add sex to the statement. Rep Howard smith said he offered this proposal as a joke. Mainly wanted to discredit it so it wouldn’t pass, but it did pass. 

Women’s liberation movement

• Emerges from civil rights movement of 1964

• White women participating in civil rights and missisipi summer. They began to beelive the civil rights advanced black freedom but dismissed the right of women. Men weren’t concerned about women becuase they focused on race movement whcih they beelived was much more important. 

By mid 1970s some women  wanted to stop equal rights 

Harvey Milk

Harvey Milk was a big leader in gay rights movment and libertion. He knew he was gay, consertvie republican appearence by day, but night went to gay clubs. By late 1960s stopped, stonewall radicailzied him. Came out of closet and ecnouraged other gay people to come of=ut of the closet. 

• SF was becomign a magnet for gay men. He moved to SF and opened up a camera store and got politcally active. He loobied gay rights. First opeenly gay public official in the naition.

Briggs initiative

• Briggs Inititaive that was placed on the ballot in an effort to ban gays and lesbians, and those who were supportive of them, from working in our public schools.

• produced a Garassroots camaign agaisnt the initiative. harvey milk a figure in this movement. they were succesful in preventing it from passing

• It showed that targeted discrimination could be successfully challenged, setting the stage for future battles against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
  
  

Decent interval

• (soviet helping north, us helping south)

• The only reason they help south vietnam win is because if they dont the us and nixon will look weak if they loose

• A period of time between withdrawal and victory 

• But the us leaves from helping south

Fall of Saigon

Context: Decent interval

• soviet helping north, us helping south. A period of time between withdrawal and victory. But the us leaves from helping south

South Vietnamese try to leave Saigon before the North Vietnamese arrive. Utter collapse (including govt) and us allies desperately try to leave. Televised and very upsetting. “The fall of saigon”

Left:”we should've never gone to vietnam” Right: “this was an act of betrayal from south vietnam. We helped and they betrayed us”

Church committee

Context: Nixon says in Smoking gun tape “the cia owes us”. Comes out that the cia was spying on american citizens. 2000 files on american protesters. 

Senator frank church led investigation of cia and fbi in 1975-76. Investigated US since start of cold war. Supposed to find out what the govt has been doing. Spoiler: it was bad.

• Significance: Did this investigation to restore trust! But the trust dropped even more.

Crisis of confidence speech

Speech by Jimmy Carter. May seem refreshing that he acknowledges the terrible of the world and catches the feeling of the time, but he provides no solutions which rubs people at the time the wrong way. People called it the malaise speech.

The movie: Network

Context: Its a movie about a producer of a show. She only cares about money. The host of the show goes crazy and she doesn’t do anything to stop it.

Significance: Shows frustration and unrest of the decade. Disagreement and anger, no longer a consensus. Politicians not offering citizens anything, and that made people mad.

National review

Founded in 1955 by Wiliam F Buckley who had written about Yale being too liberal (in McCarthy era). Created a journal for conservative opinion network. To form a real conservative movement.

Wrote an editorial in this magazine about what conservatism was and why it needed a movement. It tells history to stop, conserve what you have. He most disproved civil rights because it caused chaos.

Proposition 14 (1964)

CA statewide election, CA people were asked to vote on whether to repeal/reverse states fair housing law. Restore the right to choose to discriminate (it used to be the right to discriminate lol which sound worse). Won 2/3.

Significance: showed that there was opposition to key goal of civil rights movement outside of the south in 1964.

George Wallace

Alabama governor George Wallace. Loves segregation and not having civil rights because its chaotic. Ran for 1968 presidency as a third party not to win, but to throw the election to HOR to support Nixon

Southern Strategy

It was the strategy of the republican party to appeal to southern voters who used to vote democratic before the civil rights movement. Get them in the republican party because they would not be too aggressive about civil rights laws.

Phyllis schlafly

Philis Schlafly from Missouri political activist republican party. Did not find much receptive audience int he party because she was a woman. What she did in the 1970s was to mobilize conservative women against equality/ equal rights amendment to not discriminate on the basis of sex.”stop taking our privileges”

Right women movement

Spiro Agnew 

Spiro Agnew was Nixon’s vice president who attacked the media  (sent by nixon) to say they were unamerican.

ACT UP

Sponsor marches and such so the government could take action into the crisis of AIDS.

Pay more attention and give more money to the cause. It was successful. Moved Anthony Faucci as well.

The contra war

• Context: there are currently Anti-militarist victories in congress (away from increasing presidential powers)

• Contras (a counterrevolutionary militia) fighting against the Sandinista government, which had come to power in 1979 following the Sandinista Revolution. The war was not only a crucial part of Nicaraguan history but also an important chapter in the Cold War, illustrating the U.S.'s policy of containment, interventionism, and its influence in Latin America during the 1980s. The Contra War holds historical significance for its political, social, and diplomatic consequences both in the U.S. and Latin America.

Arms-for-hostages trades

The Middle east

• Islam revolution in iran 1979

• Took hostage of americans in embassy in iran

• Hostages in iran all over media 

• This hostage and high inflation led to people hating Carter

• Iran hated and so was Khomeini (leader) 

• Hostages released and not given until reagan becomes president

• Later, hostages in lebanon. Hasbula is fighting against Iran who is invading them. Hasbula started taking Americans hostage from beirut in secret locations. Get their hasbula guys out of prison and they will give the americans back

• Ronald Raegan interested in this hostage situation, probably due to deep connection/empathy with people he knows (and are not gay)

Robert McFarlane

• Iranian businessman who said he knows people to get hostages out. Help iran, iran pressure hasbula and will let them go

• bombs/missiles given to Iran by the US. They have left over American equipment and need missiles to load them. Us told if they do this they will release hostages.

• George Schultz secretary of state, caspar weinberger secretary of defense obviously opposed

• Robert went to reagan directly, raegan said ok

• So Oliver North takes this on, they go together and negotiate 

• Iranian kept wanting more and did not release anybody

Oliver North

• Reagan looks for someone to run contra board, Lt Col Oliver North

Oliver North

• Assigned to find way to give money

• Ask rich people for money, approaches foreign governments to give money (not illegal because nothing was promised in return) 

• Company called the entirpise buys arms and sends them there .contras also brought drugs to us to raise money

Strategic defense initiative

• Fears of reagan policies like his provocative tone with the soviets

• Nixon’s Detente relaxation with soviets. Arms deals that slowed the rate of increase of nuclear weapons. 

Raegan supports the huge increase in nuclear weapons and thinks soviets aren't people you can negotiate with because they are “an evil empire”. Get rid of “MAD”. New SDI, construct a bubble/shield of intercontinental anti missiles. Seen as a waste of money because missiles will be able to get through anyway. People say him creating this is going to cause war because he destabilized the peace they had with soviets.

Nuclear Freeze Movement

The Nuclear Freeze movement was a mass campaign in the United States in the 1980s to stop the production, testing, and deployment of nuclear weapons by the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The movement was launched by Randall Forsberg, a defense researcher at MIT, after he published an article in 1980 calling for a bilateral nuclear freeze. The campaign gained support from many groups, including peace organizations, religious groups, professional organizations, and labor organizations. It also became part of the Democratic Party's presidential campaign platform.

The day after

• The day after: movie about nuclear freeze movement and helps imagine what it would be like to do a nuclear exchange. Radio says there's a nuclear war about to happen,it happens, and then shows citizens can't do anything about it without putting blame on the leaders. Raegan saw this movie and he got depressed. He was a visual learner lol

Reykjavik summit

Chernobyl: huge nuclear disaster. Gorbachev calls for Raegan to reduce nuclear weapons. Now Raegan wants to talk about nuclear agreement. They meet in Reykjavik. Known as Reykjavik summit. Gorbachev proposes revolutionary proposals to get rid of all nuclear things making increasingly crazier proposals. Raegan “agrees” to them. All agreements fell apart.

Significance: Gorbachev dropped his objection to SDI. Led to INF TREATY (eliminate an entire class of nuclear weapon.)

INF treaty (1987)

Intermediate range nuclear forces treaty. Eliminated/decommissioned ICBMS in Europe.

Significance: actually reduced number of nuclear weapons and made the world a much safer place. Gorbachev is popular with US. Raegan and Gorbachev good relationship. Marked a cold war de-escalation.

Paleoconservatism

• Against affirmative action:They believed the modern republican party was too liberal in terms of affirmative action. Because of the civil rights act signed by republicans. Also american disabilities act signed as well which they thought was wrong. 

• Against changes in gender and sexual norms:Hated lgbt and women rights 

• Nationalist (isolationists): US should not enter persian gulf war, america is first always 

• Want to repeal the twentieth century: in terms of all the progressive laws 

• Against immigration: republicans were not concerned about immigration at the time due to immigrants taking low paid jobs which were good for business. But these paleo guys said immigration should be eradicated. 

Significance: a reaction to neoconservatism. some resurgence in recent politics. shows the rise of populist movements.

New democrat

• New democrat: lean left or lean right.

• Leaning left: motor voter law, end of ban of abortion counseling in federal clinics, family and medical leave act, brady law assault weapons ban(expired 2004), healthcare reform plan by hillary(proposed but not passed)

• Leaning right: don't ask, dont tell (a compromise), deficit reduction, nafta, federal three strikes and other anti-crime laws

Significance: Bill Clinton was a new democrat. New democrats showed there were new ways to be a party (transformed party identity). There was a scope in parties rather than just one kind of people.

The clinton impeachment

HOR impeaches Clinton, perjury and obstruction of justice when he lies about not having sex with Monica. Not about sex, about LYING. GOVnt determined to give Clinton consequences.

Significance: tested checks and balances. partisan politics in show during impeachment process. impeachment did not remove him from office.

Bush vs Core

Gore, southern democrat climate guy. George W Bush is Gore’s opponent, he's a neoconservative. Gore wins most votes but weird ballot counting systems caused rejection of 60,000 Florida ballots. A recount happened, gore wanted recounts. There was a protest of the recount. The counting stopped. Bush was the winner. But then the supreme court said to continue the recount. Bush was mad. Bush V Gore: Bush said his 14th amendment was being violated by the supreme court. The Supreme Court ruled in his favor. Since each country had different ballots it wasn’t fair to count. 

Significance: highlighting issues of constitutional law, election processes, and judicial intervention in politics.

Blowback

cia term that means the unintended consequences of covert action. The short term has worked out, but in long-term there are unanticipated consequence. Like the cold war decision coming back to haunt US.

The Gulf War (1991)

Context: Kuwait is in-between Persian gulf and Iraq. Hussien invades Kuwait after being told US doesn’t care about what goes on there. Like Korean war; Bush went to united nations saying we can’t allow Iraq to take over Kuwait.

Significance: To Bush this was a signal to the world that we are giving world order through international institutions. US troops work with coalition of other nations to push iraq out of kuwait. Iraqis driven out, US troops left.

Operation Cyclone

Brequncski Polish American believed US troops needed to go to Afghanistan and help Islamic rebels. CIA led rebels against Afghan government. Raegan increased aide for rebels to achieve a Soviet withdrawl.

Significance: Operation Cyclone is viewed as a tactical success but a strategic miscalculation, as it inadvertently contributed to instability in the region and global security challenges in subsequent decades.

Authorization of the use of military force (2001)

Context: Flag effect; people want the president to take charge of 911 situation. Not only did he do patriot act for domestic surveillance but he also did AUMF congressional approval for president to make war.

Significance: Expanded presidential power. Debate over war powers.

2007-2008 financial crisis

During FD times they had glass steagall that said commercial banks weren’t allowed to do risky stuff. It was repealed in 1999 in hopes to foster economic growth. Banks loaned money people didn’t actually qualify for (fraud). A stock market crash followed, economic growth stalled then dropped.

Significance: Obama was given the financial crisis. People argue he responded too timidly,

American recovery and reinvestment act

Obama was given the financial crisis. Many solutions. No prosecution for Wall Street.

Signficance: Obama was viewed as too timid with his response to the crisis. Also, he was viewed as a preacher for wallstreet because it looked like he was supporting the big guys even though the little guys lost their houses. The problem with all these is that obama did not promote his accomplishments, people thought they weren’t positively affected by his actions, but they were.

Affordable care act

• Expansion for Medicaid raised maximum to qualify

• Insurers must cover pre-existing conditions

• Children can stay on parents plans until they’re 26 

• Individual mandate (for compensation for insurance companies) if you don’t have employer health care in medicaid or medicare you have to have private insurance. Insurance companies more clients to cover people with preexisting conditions 

• Tax credits and subsidies to people who buy insurance on the individual market

Significance: People viewed this as a very bold move by Obama. It was a transformative impact on healthcare, politics, and public policy. Introducing systemic changes to improve care quality and accessibility.

Oregefell v hodges

Orbergfell v hodges celebratiom, same sex marrige legal all throughout the country no matter what in 2015. Lots of credit to obama because he had appointed two justices that passed the act. Obama was named the gay rights president.

Significance: A win for human rights. However, opened partisan opinion on gay rights.

Targeted killing 

Assassination was banned by executive order during Ford times. However, in 1989 Bush said warzone assassination does not apply. If threatening to security its not assassination (preumptive neutralization). Used in IRAQ. Obama expanded targeted killing: because they can no longer torture. Killed Osama.

Significance: transformation of counterterrorism and warfare, challenging traditional legal frameworks and ethical norms. While it offers tactical advantages, it also raises profound questions about sovereignty, human rights, and the long-term consequences for global security

Political polarization

1. Partisan gap: difference in approval rating of a president of one party and members of the opposition party. It has increased significantly.

Its more like an asymmetric polarization where republicans are moving much further to the right. 

Growing inequality

Mostly economic. When you look at the 95th percentile its not as much. But in 99th percentile their incomes have gone up tremendously and those in the bottom have done MUCH less well than that.

Significance: Connected to political polarization and government distrust.

The new conspiracy

belief in many conspiracies. less obsession over proving, more about hearing things. Trump spreading conspiracies about things he hears. Only increased since social media, and even more during pandemic.

Significance: change traditional sources of information, reshaping opinion and societal norms. leads to the undermining of institutions.