Most Sidnificant Events

There were many social, economical, and political events that took placed during the 50s thru the 90 s that had an impact on American people. I think the must powerful event that had a great impact on American people in the 70s was the Watergate Scandal. The McCarthyism during the 50s had a great impact on the American public, which were accusations against many people with no real evidences. This was a huge mistake among American officials during the time, and the era was a big embarrassment to the Americans who supported the McCarthyism. After the era of McCarthyism, another major impact among American people in the 60s was the Vietnam War, which carried it self into another decade, and the assassination of President Kennedy. These events had an impact on the American people and the world, but the tragic lost of the President Kennedy shook the nation. America moved forward after the assassination of President Kennedy and the Vietnam War continued, and then the major events of the 70s that shock the nation was the Watergate Scandal under the Nixon administration.

Nixon and his staff members were involved in a series of crimes, which led to his resignation. The Watergate scandal consisted of spying, harassing political opponents, and embezzlements of campaign funds. Nixon was the first president of the US to resign from office. The nation recovered from the shock and moved forward. During the mid-80s the Cold War ended between the US and Soviet Union, because the Soviets economy was deteriorating under effects of a bureaucratic system. This had cause the Soviets President Gorbachev to want to end the Cold War. The US achieved it goal with the Soviets and moved into another decade of turmoil in the 90s, President Bill Clinton decide to have an affair with Monica Lewinsky. He was not honest about it, when he was ask do he have affair

McCarthyism in the 1950s

America Changed after the World War II, the nation underwent a new era of good feeling as they thought they were superior over the rest of the world. World War II ended, America was left in the hands of Harry Truman. He led American people against the rise of communism, due to his aggressiveness as Cold War fighter. The McCarthyism had many effects on political thinking of American people during the 50s. Senator Joseph McCarthy caught the public attention with his allegations against government officials, entertainers, educators, and union representatives, which led to people resigning from their position. McCarthyism had the American public thinking about the wide spread of world communism.

Eisenhower, the proceeding president, was reluctant to confront McCarthy, due to fear of being blacklisted. The Red Scare of the 1950s was thriving and the presidents waged war against foreign communist powers. McCarthy called people in the state department and federal agencies communist sympathizers and formed an anti-communist campaign against the accusers. The government conformed to the public opinion and brought American politics into a Cold War. Communism and McCarthyism became a major force behind the drive towards conformity.

The 60s the assassination of President Kennedy

John F Kennedy was elected our 35th President during the early 60s; he was assassinated on November 22, 1963 during a motorcade in Dallas Texas. The accuser was Lee Harvey Oswald This impact in the 60s still has many American people believing that the president was killed as a conspiracy plot. This was a tragedy that shook the nation and world and forty years later controversy rages around his assassination. The assassination stunned the American people; all the nation could do was grieved of the lost. This event still have American people who lived in that era wondering, if we will ever know the truth on what happen that day or was it conspiracy to kill the president.

Vietnam War in the 60s

The Vietnam War cost the American people billion of dollars and became a political disaster. The political and social outcome of Vietnam War was very costly, socially, politically and economically. The nation suffered a massive financial loss, which caused the economy to go into a recession. The people did not understand the Vietnam War and the country were against it. They wanted the government to end the war, but the war continued and it was the longest and most unpopular war in American History. President Nixon addressed the nation about situation in Vietnam. He stated, "That the precipitate withdrawal of American forces would be a disaster not only for South Vietnam but for the US for the cause of peace." (Nixon 1969). The nation suffered from being divided, anti-war protecting and the troops fighting the war.

The first combat troops arrived in Vietnam in 1965 and the country fought the war until the cease fire in 1973. The aftermath of Vietnam War left about 58000 dead and many disable soldiers without limbs. Many other soldiers came home with a mental problems and drug addictions as result of participating in the war. This