Apush Into The Past

The Vietnam War was one of the most controversial wars throughout the entirety of American history. A war that started in 1954 due to French tensions with communist rebels, turned into an Americanized quagmire that continued on till the Paris Peace Accords in 1973. The war made huge jumps in terms of technology, war-time strategy, and American culture, but it ultimately caused many "issues" for the industrial complex United States. The war not only left a nation divided in one of the most strenuous periods in American history, but it changed the way the United States handled foreign issues and future affairs. More importantly, the war had negative affects on the soldiers who fought it, both home and abroad, mentally and physically, and caused 58,315 Americans to make the ultimate sacrifice. The war is disputed to this day, in terms of the victor, its justification, and how it was handled by those who ran it, however populist opinion dictates the war poorly in American culture. With this being said, the only w

On September 11, 2001, two planes were hijacked by terrorists struck the twin towers. A third struck the pentagon. The fourth was set to hit the White House but passengers rose up against the hijackers and downed the plane in Pennsylvania. The event shocked people all over the world. The attack was committed by Al-Qaeda, a terrorist group based in the Middle East. The terrorist group was previously responsible for the bombing of the US embassy in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. Al-Qaeda was formed by Islamic Extremists to fight back against the soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s. The terrorist group continues to commit acts of terror all over the world today. Cindy Schwanger was born August 19, 1969 at Harrisburg Hospital. When she got out of high school she started working at Highmark on July 6, 1987. She worked there for 24 years and was still employed there when the attack happened. Many people including Cindy were worried about the plane that was downed in PA as no one knew where it was. People thou

On November 22, 1962, President John F. Kennedy was riding in a parade through Dallas, Texas. He rode in a presidential motorcade in a topless vehicle with his wife, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy as well as John Connally, the governor of Texas and his wife. During the parade, John F. Kennedy was fatally struck by a bullet. Later that day, Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for allegedly killing John F. Kennedy. Before Harvey could be convicted of the crime officially, nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Oswald with a handgun while Oswald was in police custody. To this day it is unknown what Oswald's motivations were for assassinating the president. Joyce Meyer was a young adult when John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1962. She grew up in the United States in the midst of the Cold War, when tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union were at an all time high. She remembers that fateful day more more than fifty years ago when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. She is prepared to share her

Following the events of the Civil War, African Americans finally got their freedom through the enactment of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment. Through these pieces of legislation African Americans were granted freedom, became citizens of the US, and gained the right to vote. Although African Americans gained their freedom and their citizenship, things were still far from being equal. A battered and angry south put into place such things as the Jim Crow laws, and literacy tests as a way to further restrict African American rights. The Jim Crow laws made it so that public facilities were segregated, and literacy test virtually made it impossible for African Americans to vote. Things began to shift though upon the entry into the 50s, it was during this period that the Civil Rights Movement was created. Within this movement African Americans and other pro civil rights activist fought for racial equality through nonviolent strategies. Some of these being sit-ins, freedom rides, civil protests, marches etc.. Dr.

On October 29, 1929 the Stock Market crashed, resulting in a devastating economic depression. The Great Depression was caused by the overuse of bank loans, interest and credit. It affected people all across America, leaving them unemployed and job less. Herbert Hoover being President at the time was the inspiration for the name "Hoovervilles," where many homeless people lived. He was credited for the misfortune on the majority of Americans. Fortunately on March 4, 1933 Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President. He initiated a New Deal Program that instilled relief, recovery and reform from this Depression. Many new programs helped rise the employment rate such as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), and the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Some programs are still implemented today such as the Social Security Act. While America made their way out of Depression conflicts in Europe were evolving. On December 7, 1941 Japanese planes attacked the navel base Pearl Harbor. At first America claimed they were

On Wednesday March 28, 1979 at approximately 4:00 AM the chain of events that would cause the partial meltdown of one of Three Mile Island's nuclear reactors unfolded. At the time Three Mile Island was managed by the Metropolitan Edison Power Company and the Vice President being Jack Herbein. At Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Dauphin County, PA the secondary cooling system on unit 2 malfunctioned. This caused the temperature in the primary coolant to rise. A series of valve malfunctions lead operators to believe that the coolant water was full, so they stopped pumping replacement water. Because a valve was stuck open water was boiling away and exposed the fuel core raising its temperature. The fuel rods became damaged and released radioactive material into the water. Following this there was a partial release of radioactive gases. There was a recommended voluntary evacuation of people within a five mile radius of the reactor which was later extended to a twenty mile radius. Following the acci

The mid-twentieth century was a colossal turning point in culture, especially in the younger generations. The shift from the conservative, traditional values of the 1950s to the rebellious, obscene actions of the 1970s mingled together in the 60s. There was tensions between age divisions and altogether a stark contrast between values. Music showed the emergence of rock n' roll, which challenged the upbeat and peppy pop of the 50s. Television and celebrities like Marilyn Monroe were more displayed and comedy became the popular genre in main media. Even artistic movements changed; Andy Warhol's pop art became one of the famous works in the modern art category. Books were an important staple, as well:To Kill a Mockingbird's themes of racism opened up conversations in the Civil Rights Movement, and In Cold Blood spoke of criminal deviance and sparked the crime genre in pop culture. The Vietnam War included college students rallying around this point to try and save their friends and family stationed in a needless

Even though World War II started in 1939, the United States did not enter until late 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's address following the attack stated that it was "a day that will live in infamy" before asking congress to declare war on Japan and its allies. On the home front, America did everything possible to provide supplies and fund the war. Agencies that were led by Bernard Baruch in World War I were once again imperative. Citizens were buying bonds to help our soldiers overseas. Many women were entering the workforce for the first time and picked up the jobs men left behind. All of these efforts continued until the end of the war when the Axis powers succumbed to the Allied powers in 1945. Harriet Magee was just five when the United States joined the World War II. The war was very close to the many members of her family. Living in Duncannon, Pennsylvania, Harriet's father was a contractor who helped construct naval bases and veteran hospitals as wel

Prior to the new millennium technology was advancing at a slower rate than today, yet programmers had caused a mass panic among people not only in the United States, but worldwide. Starting from the question of whether the programs with a two digit code for the year, (ex. 98 for 1998) would successfully carry over to 2000 without the first two digits turned into frenzy. People began believing all technology would shut down which led to paranoia. This paranoia spread and even more irrational fears started, with the belief that all technology and electricity would fail. Many held true to the fact that with the new year would come an apocalypse. Shawn Simpson is a central Pennsylvanian who was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1971. He was raised in Pennsylvania, moving around schools frequently, never sitting in the same place for long periods of time. He furthered his education for four years of college at HACC. He married Marry Staub in the January of 1999 to put some more fun in what he considered a banal an

The 1960s were one of the most historic periods in history. This era held many country changing events that made the modern day America possible. Many growths occurred in the science area such as putting men into space and inventing new technologies based around this. People fought each other over race as well as came together in support of each other. Leaders rose and fell, leaving the nation in mourning multiple times. Without this era, America would not be the same. Born in 1948, Sharon (Hetrick) House was aged 12 through 22. She experienced firsthand what the times leading up to the 60s was like and after the 60s were over she felt the effect of the history made then. She grew up as a child through early adulthood, a very important part of any child's life. Without this era she may never have become the person she is today.

In the 1960s the modern Civil Rights Movement was in full swing again. This era is approximately one hundred years after the end of the Civil War and society has realized that in these hundred years, not enough has changed. Vehement leaders are enraged by the segregation and unequal treatment of African Americans and pushed for change. This feeling was shared by many, including whites, who pushed for change and legislation so that equality could finally be reached. The movement consisted of marches, sit ins, peaceful and violent protests, riots, and eventual legislation in 1964 and 1965. On August 11th, 1965 after there is an altercation between a black motorcyclist and white policemen, a violent and destructive riot broke out in the black Watts neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. The riot lasted five days and was ended by the national guard leaving 34 dead and $40 million in damage. In 1964 Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, which ended segregation and discrimination based on race, sex, rel