Most Significant Events in American History - Essay Example

Running head: Events in american history Most Significant Events in American History Teacher Introduction A country which has dominated the world during the major part of its existence, although being a relatively new nation in the history of human civilization, aptly describes the massive continent that the world now calls America. The end of the last millennium saw America emerge as the sole power in world politics which casts its shadows in almost every nook and cranny of the globe. The twentieth century was a period of struggle in which the socialist countries, largely influenced by the former USSR, provided stiff competition to the United States, but it was the democratic system propagated by America which gained popularity worldwide and eventually emerged as the winner. Nevertheless, America has not been immune to pitfalls and struggle during its journey of success and it is by the dint of hard work, keen foresight and sharp business acumen of its citizens that it has come to occupy the enviable position it enjoys in the world today. American history is replete with events which marked the shaping of this massive nation into its present entity. Some of the prominent events which gave direction to the overall character of the nation involved social change as well as the individual contributions of some of the most colorful and characteristic personalities churned up by the American culture. World War II was an event which left no corner of the globe unscathed with almost every country being involved in one way or the other. It fuelled a struggle for survival in its aftermath and America was no exception to the dent this event made on world history. In the post war scenario most countries initiated specific plans to rebuild their social and economic infrastructure. The following decades after the end of World War II saw a variety of influences that shaped American history. The 1950s In the 1950s, one of the most prominent issues addressed was that of segregation of the minority black population in society that had plagued America for long. The notion of black people being inferior had carried over from the colonial era and was still practiced in the American society. It was unusual for a black person to be seen in certain sections of society and blacks were denied admission to some of the top educational institutions in the country. This naturally evinced pain and resentment in the intellectuals within the black population who initiated a number of legal suits to challenge this discrimination. In the year 1950, the Supreme Court of the United States was besotted with a series of cases which challenged the legal justification of segregation (Emerson, 1950). The American Constitution’s ‘equal protection of the laws” was cited as the clause which prohibited segregation in publically owned and publically controlled facilities. Three particular cases, all brought forward by black plaintiffs challenged their segregation from the mainstream white majority institutions and public utilities like the University of Texas Law School, University of Oklahoma Graduate school and the denial of dining facilities alongside of white passengers in a train (Emerson, 1950). Earlier, segregation had been given the stamp of approval by the Supreme Court way back in 1896, when it had upheld a Louisiana State law segregating black and white passengers travelling by railroad in the famous Plessy vs. Ferguson case (Emerson, 1950). This case had frequently been cited as a precedent in future lawsuits of similar nature. In the late 1930s, the ‘second class status of blacks was accepted by both blacks and whites as a fact of life’ (Carter, 2004). Segregation was practiced for decades together and the only fair clause attributed to it was the equal but separate opportunity or facility available to the black population in education and public life. This continued until the discriminatory clause was finally identified and culminated by the Supreme Court’s decision in 1954, known as the ‘1954 Brown decision’ which recognized the ‘violation of the Constitution’ due to the segregation of black children in educational institutions and the detrimental effect it had on their learning ability (Carter, 2004). As a result, segregation was recognized as a ‘restriction on the learning reach of the black child’ and in conflict with the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal educational opportunity mandates (Carter, 2004). This laid the foundations for eliminating segregation in American society. The 1960s The 1960s era began with a sentiment of contentment and strong resolve in the capability of America as a nation, to harness both domestic as well international issues, but at the end of the decade things turned out to be quite contrary. According to an editorial in ‘The Nation’ dated November 26, 1973, the 1960s were labeled as the ‘Years of Frenzy’ (The Nation). This decade saw the emergence of a young rebellious generation which dominated the scene in terms of numerical strength alone at an unprecedented level not seen for the past 50 years of the twentieth century (The Nation). These ‘14-24 year olds’ had come of age in the post war scenario and suddenly unleashed the year’s long suppression in a fashion which led them to be labeled as ‘Barbarians’. The politics of protest became a lifestyle and young people all over the country challenged the Establishment for various ills in society. The black youth population promoted the concept of ‘Black Power’ and emerged as a separate entity. The youth revolted against the hypocrisy and unresponsiveness of the Establishment. The 1960s saw the emergence of a young Catholic Democrat as the President, who almost acquired the status of a cult figure. John F. Kennedy was almost synonymous with everything American during his reign as the President and this fact was pointed out as a grave error of interpretation for the general public as well as international audience, by Sister Mary Paul Paye in her article, ‘The Kennedy Cult’ published in ‘The Nation’ dated August 11, 1962. She stressed upon the fact that too much media attention and publication of day to day activities of the young President tended to mislead the public about the true nature of the country as a nation. The identification of a nation should not be related with its Chief of State, according to Sister Paye. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 which necessitated the Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson to take over. Later on he was elected the President through the electoral process. During his tenure, the Vietnam War was fought which drained America economically as well as psychologically. This war was intended against the spread of communism in the Far East, though many Americans believe it to be an unnecessary war in which many of their countrymen suffered or lost their lives. According to Sherrill (1969), Johnson was a President whose intentions may have been right in his own imagination, but the results of the decisions taken by him were disastrous. The 1970s The 1970s saw the end of the Vietnam War and the change in guard at the helm of affairs in the country due to the emergence of a Republican as the President in the form of Richard Nixon. He had to wait a decade to attain this position after losing out to John F. Kennedy in 1960. Nixon inherited the Vietnam War although he initiated steps which led to its de-escalation. He was also the first president in a long time who visited China in an effort to bridge America’s relationship with the East. It was during his tenure that America successfully landed a man on the Moon. Richard Nixon was also known to be a Theologian and believed spirituality to be the panacea against all problems besotting the American people (Henderson, 1970). He frequently quoted God in his public addresses and asked the people to rely on spiritual sources in order to keep America in the shape it was. However Nixon is known more for the Watergate scandal in which he tried to cover up the breach of the democratic national headquarters during the process of his Presidential reelection campaign. He was however granted pardon later and escaped impeachment by resigning from the post of the President. The 1980s The Ronald Reagen era in the 1980s saw the emergence of a Hollywood actor as the most powerful man on earth. He completed two successive terms as the President and was instrumental in bringing down the arch rivals the Soviet Union after almost 50 years of a prolonged Cold War Era the world had witnessed, and the impact it had on the alignment of third world countries to one or the other bloc. Reagen adopted a carrot and stick policy by aiming a huge arsenal of arms aimed at the Soviet Union and at the same time offering a hand of friendship to the then Soviet Union supremo, Mikhail Gorbachev. Reagen survived an assassination attempt on March 30, 1981 although no political reason was attributable as the man identified as the assassin was found to be mentally unstable (americanhistory.about.com). Despite this hiccup right at the beginning of his tenure as the President of America, Ronald Reagen brought about a superficial economic resurgence by imposing tax cuts and encouraging savings. This brought down the inflation rate as well as the rate of unemployment. One of the actions for which Reagen has been criticized is the arming of Iran through Nicaraguan Contras which invited much criticism and also the involvement of the CIA in drug trafficking within and outside the USA (rationalrevolution.net). The 1990s The last decade of the twentieth century saw the emergence of a new global economic order where developing Asian countries emerged strongly and their economies started influencing the world in a significant manner. Bill Clinton, a Democrat was the forty second President of the United States who played a vital role in the facilitation and presentation of America as a friendly nation across the globe which has had an enduring effect on the American society in terms of its international policy (Schwenninger, 1998). He was the President of the United States for the major part of the last decade of the twentieth century, ushering in the new millennium. Clinton’s tenure was marked by limited action in the domestic affairs of America due to the divided government and the budget deficit it inherited, which curbed any new adventure in the domestic arena. America’s international free trade agreements however took a new shape under his Presidential tenure as they were pursued relentlessly, as were the certain rogue states in the international arena (Schwenninger, 1998). NATO expansion was initiated by the Clinton administration in order to settle political and ethnic problems in Europe which had surfaced after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the East European Communist bloc. Although suffering a major hurdle due to the Monica Lewinsky Affair, Clinton narrowly escaped impeachment. His wife, Hillary Clinton was a fiery senator herself and the couple projected a positive image of America to the world. Present Scenario The world has been hit hard by recession and no country has escaped the aftermath including America. The prolonged war with Iraq and the 9/11 terrorist attack of the World Trade Centre in New York has further opened up sore points of vulnerability and impending gloom. The American population has realized the folly of overspending beyond their means and the necessity to restructure and work hard for the resurgence of its economy. Under the able leadership of the new President, Barack Obama, the American government is already seriously nursing its wounds and trying to set right the wrongs done by previous regimes and policy planners. Provided the new world economic order cooperates for the sole purpose of serving humanity at large, there is no doubt that mankind including America can emerge as a winner in the long run. REFERENCES Carter R. L., (2004), The Long Road to Equality, The Nation, Issue: May 3 Pgs. 28-30 Emerson T. I., (1950), Segregation and the Law, The Nation, Issue: March 25 Pgs. 269-271 Henderson Charles P., (1970), Richard Nixon, Theologian, Article in The Nation, Issue Sep. 21, Pgs. 232-235 Kelly M., Ronald Reagan - Fortieth President of the United States, Online article available at: http://americanhistory.about.com/od/ronaldreagan/p/preagan.htm Paye M. P., (1962) ‘The Kennedy Cult....’ Article in The Nation, Issue: August 11, Pgs. 49-50 Schwenninger S. R., (1998), Clintons World Order, Article in The Nation, Issue: Feb. 16, Pgs. 17-20 Sherrill R. G., (1969), The Wasted Years, Looking Back at Johnson, Article in The Nation, Issue: Jan. 13, Pgs. 42-45 The CIA Drug connection under Reagan, Online article assessable at: http://rationalrevolution.net/war/cia_drug_connection_under_reagan.htm The 1960s: Years of Frenzy Article in the The Nation dated November 26, 1973, Pgs. 552-554 Read More