Contemporary History Review

Announcements and Reminders

  • EOC (End-of-Course Exam):

    • Most students have completed the briefing survey.

    • Makeup EOC for those who missed it is scheduled for Tuesday.

    • Everyone who took the EOC on Tuesday passed.

  • FCLE (Florida Civic Literacy Exam):

    • Scheduled for next week.

    • Opportunity to exempt a college requirement.

    • Normally taken in senior year government class but being experimented with for Ivy juniors.

  • Final Exam:

    • Thursday of the following week.

    • Another exam on Tuesday the week after that, and another on Thursday after that to prepare for the first exam of the following year. Open AP practice exam before the end of the day.

  • Survey: Link is in the thingy

The Arab Spring

Osama Bin Laden Raid

  • Osama bin Laden's last known residence was in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

  • He was killed on May 1, 2011, by a SEAL team.

  • The White House Situation Room during the raid included President Obama, Vice President Biden, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

  • The event was considered a patriotic moment for America.

  • Al-Qaeda and other terror groups are still active.

Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage (2015)

  • The Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide in 2015 (Obergefell decision).

  • Based on due process and equal protection issues.

  • The decision overturns the traditional definition of marriage but specifically addresses one-to-one same-sex marriage.

  • Did not address polygamy or other forms of marriage.

Occupy Movement

  • Occupy Wall Street was a protest movement targeting big business, big government, banks, and multinational corporations.

  • Aimed at Wall Street as a symbol of the financial system.

  • Occupy movements sprouted in various cities, including DC, LA, and Chicago.

  • The movement was relevant due to the major recession and bank bailouts without significant financial system reform.

  • Popularized the "99% versus the 1%" framing, criticizing the system for favoring the top 1%.

  • Shared common ground with the Tea Party movement in the belief that government and business are doing something wrong.

9/11 Memorial

  • The Freedom Tower (One World Trade Center) was built at the World Trade Center site.

  • A commemorative park with reflective pools in the footprints of the Twin Towers was created.

  • The New World Trade Tower stands 1,776 feet tall.

  • The building has elevators with HDTV walls showing the history of New York City.

  • The land was drained and built up to extend the island for construction.

Obama's Reelection (2012) and Sandy Hook Shooting

  • Obama was reelected in 2012 against Mitt Romney.

  • The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred, sparking debates about gun control, mental health care, and school security.

  • The school was torn down after the shooting.

Surveillance State and Whistleblowers

  • Stories emerged about government surveillance of its citizens through big tech and devices.

  • Government is gathering data from the Internet and cell phones for national security purposes and counter-terrorism efforts.

  • Edward Snowden revealed NSA spying activities and went into hiding in Russia.

  • Julian Assange founded WikiLeaks, a clearinghouse for leaked information from businesses and governments.

  • Bradley Manning (now Chelsea Manning) leaked classified information and later transitioned.

  • Concerns raised about privacy and the extent of surveillance.

  • All devices are constantly listening to conversations for advertising purposes.

Boston Marathon Bombing (2013)

  • Two brothers detonated bombs at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing and injuring many.

  • Reddit users attempted to identify the bombers, leading to misinformation and wrongly accusing someone.

  • One bomber was killed, and the other was imprisoned.
    Important point: Be careful about absolute truth in fast moving situation especially through the internet.

Syrian Civil War

  • The Syrian civil war began in 2011 as part of the Arab Spring.

  • The conflict involves various factions, including the Syrian government, rebel groups, ISIS, and Al-Qaeda.

  • Accusations of chemical weapons usage by Assad against his own people.

  • The United States and other countries have been involved in funding and supporting different groups in the war.

  • The war contributed to the growth of ISIS.

Russian Intervention in Crimea (2014)

  • Russia invaded Crimea, leading to debates about its legal status and whether it was an occupation or annexation.

    • Putin often makes moves near the end of presidential terms.

  • The invasion sparked discussions about the legal status of Ukraine and Russia.

ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria)

  • ISIS emerged around 2014 and controlled significant territory in Iraq and Syria.

  • Aimed to establish a theocratic government in the region.

  • Also referred to as ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant).

  • The group's actions affected many people, and its name caused issues for others.

Iran Deal

  • The Iran deal was an agreement under the Obama administration to unfreeze $80 billion in Iranian assets.

  • Designed to improve relations with Iran and stabilize the Middle East.

  • Heavily criticized for providing funds to a country that supports terror groups and destabilizes the region.

Black Lives Matter (BLM)

  • Black Lives Matter emerged in 2013 in response to the death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida.

  • Focused on concerns about the treatment of blacks by police and the justice system.

  • Trayvon Martin's case gained attention because it involved a neighborhood watch volunteer (George Zimmerman) and raised issues about stand-your-ground laws.

  • Zimmerman was found not guilty, leading to uproar and giving rise to the Black Lives Matter movement.

  • The movement raises questions about racial equality in the justice system.

    • Important point: The cases that get attention are when the system does NOT work, where the police obviously did the wrong thing and they get locked up, the cases where it get attention.

  • Jordan Davis case in Jacksonville, Florida, involved the shooting of a black teenager by an older white man, highlighting racial tensions and justice concerns.

    • The reason why it's become a BLM case is due to idea and withness that thought he pulled a gun an claim gave the right to be judgement.

2016 Election

  • Donald Trump won the presidency, defeating Hillary Clinton, despite polls predicting a different outcome.

  • Clinton made strategic errors by not campaigning enough in key swing states like Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

  • There were theories about sexism and Russian collusion, but the most straightforward explanation is that Clinton didn't focus enough on campaigning in those states.

  • There were discussions about electors changing their votes, but ultimately, only a few did.

  • Trump became the first president with zero prior political or military experience.

Trump's Presidency (2017-2021)

  • He was the oldest person ever people like the president.

  • He is eligible to run again in 2028, and Joe Biden can run one more time too.

  • He created a wall to shore up the southern border.

  • He established a travel ban on several countries.
    Majority islamic creating conversation about making it a Muslim travel Ban controversial.

  • Charlottesville, Virginia, incident involving a demonstration and counter-demonstration over Confederate statues.
    Ppl were talking about taking down the statue. Sparks are good.

  • A driver plowed into the crowd, killing a protester.

  • Trump's "very fine people" comment sparked controversy, as there's the reporting almost universally from Trump that said that he did very funny ppl on both side remember. That also means that he called Neonazis very fine people. So they can watch the speech.
    Watch the speech!! ( very important)

Other Events During Trump's Term

Collusion and Investigation

  • Investigation by 4 years there wasn't much there for collusion

MeToo Movement

  • Trigger warning

  • Victims of sexual assault of harassment to speak up.

  • People abusing most men in powerful position

  • Accusations made, Bill Clinton / Trump cases. In Bill Clinton / Trump cases (some alligations are bolgus and some are believable).

    • Trump was found liable for harassment in NY by some law.

Kavanaugh issue

  • Made accusations to him decades after everything had happen.
    The end
    *If you want a shot report it asap and maximized your opportunity

THE ISIS ISSUE: GETS THEM TO BACK OFF FOR A LITTLE BIT AND GETTING PROGRESSIVELY BETTER
** AFTER TWO YEARS OF TRUMP, TAKE BACK THE HOUSE
**AOC, REELECTED SPEAKER IS VERY NEWSY
*IMPEACHMENT , A POLITICAL PROCESS NOT A LEGAL ONE*
HE WAS IMPEACHED HE USE POWER FOR UKRIAN TO DOG UP DIRT! ( WAS A POLITICAL CHARGE)
REMEMBRANCE OF THE WORLD ENDING!
COVID!

*Remember the arrows on the floor!
six foot of each other!
Beaches closed!
seem silly back then
graduation MID JULY!!
MISERABLE. WATER WAS WARM. THE END (THE YEAR OF 2020 WAS A WILD YEAR!!!!)
BIGGEST PROTEST ALL AROUND TO GREAT
WHITEHOUSE TANNED
FIRST FAMILY EVACUATED TO BUNKERS.
smoke bombs on there.
Try to burn churches in washington!!!!
Why some people are blase for july 6 because that just happening the beginning of the month
Seattle to set up an autonomous zone and independence (didnt last long).
For the second relection in a row that elect the oldest president
THATS WHERE WE'WILL PICk up because is a 5 years to go and get ready for the lecture!