Space Race
US patriotism and pride peaked when America put the first man on the moon in 1969. America saw itself as the defender of freedom and viewed the conflict with the USSR as a fight betweengood and evil. This ideology resulted in a massive military buildup by both countries and indirect support for armed conflict around the world as each tried to win people over to their political beliefs. The entry of America into the space age marked an expansion of industry and technological development. The electronic and computer devices common today are the result of the shift to hi-tech industry spurred by the Space Race. American response to the challenges of space exploration created a transformation almost as great as the Industrial Revolution. The space program has become a permanent and influential force for science and for hopes for the future. The possibility of manned flights to Mars and beyond are possible because of the pioneers of space flight that started during the Cold War. Americas permanent commitment to space flight has its roots in the Space Race.The Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States was more than a military or political struggle. It was a battle of ideologies that changed America. The fall of communism and the end of the Space Race has redirected resources to projects like the Space Shuttle and the Hubble Space Telescope. These are some of the legacies of the Cold War and the Space Race.
Civil Rights
Historically, civilization has persecuted and mistreated those that were perceived to be different by those with political and social power. America has been termed The Great Melting Pot for the diversity of people that have emigrated and live here. The term is accurate regarding the racial and ethnic composition of the population. However, prejudices and hatred have tainted American society. These prejudices resulted in the rise of three civil rights movements to obtain equal rights and social acceptance.The civil rights movement for blacks started in the 1950s. Racism and prejudice against African Americans has been an ugly part of American life. Rev. Martin Luther King embodied the spirit of the movement. King believed in passive, peaceful protest to win equality for blacks and was instrumental in securing many victories for civil rights. King understood that everyone in society is diminished when a few are suppressed. This led King to speak against the injustice of poverty and segregation. The Civil Rights Act was a great victory for the civil rights movement. The movement lost much momentum. after King was assassinated, but was an overall success.
The feminist movement beginning in the 1960s wanted to reform not only the disparity in wages of females compared to those of men, but deeper social problems. The limited choices available to women fueled the movement for womens equality. Until the 1970s, a womans choice of employment was limited to teacher, nurse, or clerical worker, all of which were considered secondary to being a wife and mother. Women struggled to be accepted in professions such as medicine or the law, and were paid lower wages that men performing the same job.. Womens Liberation has raised awareness of the discrimination and slow progress has been made, but there is still a hidden bias to females in the work. The gay and lesbian community organized in the 1960s, to assert their belief that they should be able to choose the gender of their partner without interference by society or laws. They fought to repeal unjust laws banning gays from everyday activities and homosexuality being classified as an illness. s and laws have slowly changed to reflect the social acceptance of gays. The movement as whole has been quite successful with legal recognitions of gay rights such as same-sex marriage.
These civil rights movements have all been reasonable reactions to unreasonable conditions and mistreatment. All civil rights movements are inspired by a simple desire to be treated the same regardless of differences in appearance or opinion. Each of these movements has elicited change in the face of opposition and hatred and their supporters should recognized for their bravery and sacrifices. In fighting for their rights, they are assuring the rights of everyone to be treated equally.
RECONSTRUCTION, WESTWARD EXPANSION, AND INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT
The end of the civil war. What a mess. The south will never rise again. I wonder how Texas will teach their kids about what happened. It is strange to me how the south is still so segregated and bigoted. I guess the slave owning years created the need to feel superior to the humans who worked for them. The expansion West has been so romanticized by movies and TV its sometimes difficult to purge that false perception and get a more accurate impression of the real history. Unfortunately, the idea that white colonialists had a destiny to fulfill by the conquest and relocation of the native population is a tragedy and crime that has left a stain on this page of history. Even though Europe and their great universities had been established for hundreds of years, Americas colleges would soon become world class. There was no shortage of intellect or talent.
INDUSTRIALIZATION AND PROGRESSIVISM
The industrial revolution has made our lives so much easier than a century ago. The workers in the factories had few if any rights. Long work days and 6 day work weeks are hard to imagine today. The progressives that fought for better working conditions for people (and children) in the factories took a moral stand against the exploitation of humans and they should be remembered well. Anyone fighting for social justice, especially in the 19th century, must have faced intense opposition by the wealthy industrialists. How they allowed deplorable working and living conditions in their factories and company houses is beyond me. In any age, the few people that care and give themselves to help others improve the world for everyone.
WORLD WAR I
War was a noble pursuit and activity in the centuries before the Great War. When WWI broke out it was celebrated by many Europeans and Russians. The story completely changed by the End of the war. The carnage and terror witnessed by so many made war very unpopular. This trend continues up until the present day. Americas entry into WWII set a precedent for America and the involvement in European affairs. On the home front, the call for the publics help was answered by purchasing war bonds, volunteering for military service, and working to produce munitions and other weapons of war.
JAZZ AGE, THE GREAT DEPRESSION, AND NEW DEAL
I get the impression that jazz was the medium that African Americans used to express themselves to a broad audience for the first time. I can see the modern worlds roots in the 1920s and 1930s with the growth of cities, consumerism, and a quickened pace of life. The financial crisis of the stock market crash reminds me of today The Great Depression has repeated itself with the current poor economy. The New Deal of Roosevelt sought to get America moving again. This also reminds me of Obamas economic recovery plans.
THE AMERICAN CENTURY WORLD WAR II AND THE COLD WAR
As if WWII wasnt bad enough, the cold war started soon after ward. So many resources spent on war and the prep for war. When will we learn The constant fear of nuclear war must be harmful to peoples mental state. The end of the Cold War was not the end of war
A NATION TRANSFORMED
A society in transition or at least transition of greater stress than normal. People of the 1960s realized that life was not what they saw on TV. Nothing at all like TV. A feeling of being deceived by the TV Many became disillusioned by the promise of freedom, equality, and a life free from anything bad They were in no way prepared for the cruelty of the real world. Revolution expressed itself in as many ways as there are people in the 1960s. Many seem misguided in retrospect, but maybe they were the best some could do to express themselves when they had no idea how to express themselves. Hmmm..
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