Miranda Rights

The Miranda Rights originated in 1 963 when Ernesto Miranda was arrested and charged with kidnapping and rape. He signed a confession of guilt two hours after police interrogation. Miranda appealed to the supreme court because he had been coerced to give the confession; the police never informed him of right to an attorney.

The ruling stemmed from other similar cases. In the 1961 Mapp v. Ohio case, the court ruled that evidence produced from illegal searches violated the fourth amendment and could not be used as evidence. Another landmark case was the 1963 Gideon v. Wainwright, where the Courts ruled that a defendant has the right to an attorney and will be assigned an attorney should they not be able to afford one. Another notable case was in 1964 was the Escobedo v. Illinois. In this case, the Court's ruled that a suspect has the right to an attorney when interrogated by the police.

The Chief Justice Earl Warren played a major role in the decision basing his argument on th Fifth Amendment. The Fifth amendment states that an individual need not testify against himself. Warren postulated that when a subject is detained, they are inherently intimidated by the environment they are in. Due to this, he reasoned that any evidence produced wouldn't be impartial.

LBJ's Great Society

The United States 36th President Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) presented a legislative plan that would stymie poverty and racial discrimination in May of 1964. Congress passed 206 of his proposed ideas due to Johnson’s persuasion in 1969. Some of his target zones were education, health, housing, immigration, environment and consumer protection. The LBJ administration suggested a myriad of bills to the Congress.

To improve education, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 was passed to give an aid of $1 billion to help schools buy books. Some other acts that were approved helped funded scholarships, give financial aid to talented artists and support educational broadcasting.
In addition, the LBJ administration developed some laws that gave assistance to those who lack health care such as Medicare, a programwhich helped lower the cost of medical insures for Americans who are 65 years old or older. Another program was Medicaid which allowed welfare recipients attain proper health insurance.
To help ameliorate housing, Congress approved of several plans that strengthen the American urban locations. Some examples are the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) establishment and low-rent private housing constructions for low-income families.
To increase the diversity of immigrants, the Immigration Act of 1965 was passed to stop all quotas that were established in 1924 that favored Europeans. Other acts that helped degrade the discrimination in America were the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Right Act of 1965.
The environment was also another factor that the LBJ administration focused on. The Water Quality Act of 1965 was passed to regulate rivers for purity and cleanliness. Other laws set guidelines for pollution and set aside land for national parks.
To protect the increasing number of American consumers, Congress passed some bills that help set the standards for products such as the Truth in Packing Act of 1966. These regulations were meant to help Americans feel more secure with their daily errands.

With all these regulations, the Great Society has improved the American living standards due to Johnson’s determination to end the injustice and impoverishment.

Jazreel

LBJ's Great Society

 

In May 1964, LBJ had summed up his vision for America in a phrase: the Great Society. He outlined a legislative program that would end poverty and racial injustice, he also added that he hoped that the legislative program would create not only a higher standard of living and equal opportunity, but also promote richer quality of life for all.

            During 1965 and 1966, the LBJ administration introduced a flurry of bills to Congress. Johnson considered education “the key which can unlock the door to the Great Society.” The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 provided more than $1 billion in federal aid to help public and parochial schools purchase textbooks and new library materials. LBJ and Congress changed Social Security by establishing Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare provided hospital insurance and low-cost medical insurance for almost every American age 65 and older. Medicaid extended health insurance to welfare recipients. Congress also made several important decisions that shifted the nation’s political power from rural to urban areas. By establishing the Department of Housing and Urban Development the administration was able to appropriate money to build 240,000 units of low-rent public housing and help low- and moderate-income families pay for better private housing. The Great Society also brought profound changes to the nation’s immigration laws. The Immigration Act of 1965 opened the door for many non-European immigrants to settle in the United States by ending quotas based on nationality. Consumer advocates also made headway. They convinced Congress to pass major safety laws, including a truth-in-packaging law that set standards for labeling consumer goods. Ralph Nader sharply criticized the U.S. automobile industry for ignoring safety concerns. His testimony helped persuade Congress to establish safety standards for automobiles and tires, these precautions also extended to food. Congress then passed the Wholesome Meat Act of 1967.

            Overall, the LBJ administration passed twenty-four Acts’ from 1964-1967 dramatically changing life in the United States. Issues such as poverty, education, discrimination, the environment, consumer advocacy, and the shape of cities around the country all improved for the better. People can argue whether or not the changes left by the LBJ administration left the nation better or worse, but no president in the post-WWII era has extended power and reach of the federal government more than LBJ.

The Movement of Migrant Workers

All across the country, migrant farm workers were harvesting fruits and vegetables every day. Migrant farm workers make up 10% of hired farm workers. Each part of the country had different climates. According to the season, migrant farm workers moved their whole family for the growing season.

The Pacific Coast:
The Pacific coast has a moderate climate which allows farmers to cultivate the land all year long. This means that migrant farmers don’t have to move each season. Most of the migrant workers work on fruit farms, either picking grapes and vegetables in California, or picking cherries, apples, and other crops in Washington.

The Midwest:
The Midwest has small streams to keep crops watered. Crops are smaller so workers must keep moving during the year to keep themselves employed. One family, for example, may pick strawberries in Michigan, pick tomatoes in Ohio, go back to Michigan to pick apples, then go to Texas for the winter.

The Atlantic Coast
Most workers in this region stay in Florida because of the year round work. However others travel north to New Hampshire and New York. Because this region has icy cold winters, workers here cannot find work during the winter seasons

Across the US, migrant workers were forced to move their families and their homes to match the different seasons of certain crops. Every except the pacific coast did not have year-round growing seasons. Therefore, workers on the pacific were able to stay in one place. These paths have changed slightly, however migrant workers in every region still exist today.
By Kevin

Election of 1960 and Camelot Years

In the 1960s, President Eisenhower's second term was about to end. And in about that time, the economy was downing. Soviet Union launched Sputnik I in 1958, development of long range missiles, U-2 incident, alignment of Cuba with the Soviet Union had made United States of America wonder who they'll choose as the next president. Those two candidates were, Democratic Senator John Kennedy of Massachusetts and Republican Vice President Richer M. Nixon.
Kennedy was a 43 year old, he would of been the second youngest president if he was elected, but he had a way into attracting the public.
Kennedy and Nixon were both the first presidential candidates to be on a television debate on September 26, 1960.
One of the major event occurred in October, were when Martin Luther King, Jr. and 33 other African-American demonstrators were sitting at a segregated lunch counter. King was sentenced to months of hard labor because of a minor traffic violation. Eisenhower administration and Nixon took no action. Although, Kennedy was sympathetic by calling Kin's wife, Coretta Scott King. Robert Kennedy, his brother and campaign manager went to the judge who sentenced King to release the civil rights leader on bail, which caught the African American community's attention.

In the Kennedy's Camelot years: Kennedy may have lacked in substance, but the public was fascinated by their family. JFK could read 1, 600 words a minute and the first lady was into fashion. Kennedy family reminded many of a modern0day Camelot, the mythical court of King Arthur.
He also surrounded himself in "the best and the brightest." McGeorge Bundy, a Harvard University dean, as national security adviser; Robert McNamara, president of Ford Motor Company, as secretary of defense; and Dean Rusk, president of the Rockefeller Foundation, as secretary of state. Most of all he relied on his 35-year-old brother Robert, who was the attorney general.

By Melody

Election of 1960 & Camelot Years

As John F Kennedy continued his campaign for presidency, he faced numerous challenges of the current time. The economy was in a recession. The launch of Spudnik sparked fears that American technology was falling behind that of the Soviets. JFK ran against opponent, Richard Nixon, in the closest race since 1884. Kennedy, however, used television and civil rights issues to tip the scale in his favor.

Although only 41 years old, Kennedy was handsome and charismatic. He proved that although he was Roman Catholic, he would still keep a distinct seperation between church and state. He also proved he was more of an expert on foregin affairs than Nixon himself. He spoke clearly and articulately and blew the viewers away in the first televisted presidential debate. He even gained favor of the African American popualtion when he phoned Martin Luther King's wife after King's arrest in October. Nixon took no action and expressed no public position. These votes helpe Kennedy carry key states in the Midwest and South.
Kennedy was elected in Novemenber of 1960. His inaugration set the tone for a new era at the White House: one of grace, elegance, and wit. Kennedy frequently appeared on television and the press loved his charm and wit. The new first family also fascinated Americans. They all wanted follow in their shoes. For example, after learning JFK could read 1,600 words a minute, thousands signed up for speed reading classes. The public was also captivated by the first lady's sense of style. The Kennedy White House became a modern-day Camelot.\

The Great Society: Fumimaro Kobayashi Period C

In My of 1964, the then president of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson, proposed a program that would help improve the american society. It was aimed to end poverty, end racila injustice, promote equal opportunity, and promote a richer quality of life for all.
The first program was in education. Between 1965 to 1966, he introduced a series of bills that promoted education in the country. An example would ne the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Another program was in healthcare. The president and congress established medicare and medicaid. This allowed many previously uninsured people to recieve healthcare with little or no payment. Another program was in housing. He decided on multiple ideas that gave power to the urban areas. One such decision was to create many houses for moderate-income families, and establishing the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Another program was about Immigration. Previously, the ethnic groups that were allowed to come to the US were limited. There were discriminations when it came to arriving in the US. Thus the Immigration Act of 1965, that allowed no restrictions based on nationality, was established. Another step Lyndon Johnson took was a decision for the enviroment. He proposed many decisions to clean waste and debris from all around the country. An example would be the Water Quality Act of 1965, this required states to clean up its rivers. One final program was based on cosumer protection. New laws and bills were passed that allowed major-safetylaws, such as setting requirements for labeling goods, to be passed. In conclusion, Lyndon B. Johnson was a dreamer that helped promote various types of great programs that still help and affect our life today.

Crises in Berlin and Cuba

The Bay of Pigs:

Fresh into his administration, young president Kennedy was forced into action when he was notified of a clandestine operation planned by President Eisenhower to overthrow the dictatorship in Cuba. This invasion, now known as the “Bay of Pigs” fiasco, consisted of over 1,400 Cuban Exiles, trained by the CIA in the United States, in a desperate attempt to overthrow an unsavory tyrant, Fidel Castro.

The initial plan for the operation consisted of several air assaults and deception flights by the American Air Force against several Cuban airfields and military hotspots. Among the bombed targets were the airfield at San Antonio de los Banos and the Antonio Maceo International Airport at Santiago De Cuba. Shortly after the air raids, the principal invasion was supposed to commence. On the 17th of April, 1961, two CIA agents headed a force of four transport ships, laden with Cuban exiles, into the Bay of Pigs. This invasion did not go as planned, however, when the Cuban militia discovered the invasion force and alerted the rest of the Army. After several days of brutal fighting, over 200 of the Cuban exiles were killed and about 1,201 were captured. These casualties compromised the majority of the invasion force. The injuries done to the Cuban army, on the other hand, were much more extensive; between 4,000 and 5,000 militants and armed civilians were killed, missing, or wounded. This crisis was humiliating both politically and physically to the White House, especially to young President Kennedy. However, he chose to accept responsibility for his wrongdoings and this candor essentially saved him from a major public relations nightmare. In fact, he remarked, "The more I screw up, they more the American People love me."

The Berlin Wall:
The months after World War II had left the people of Germany devastated. Their economy was broken, their government strictly controlled by the Allies, and their capital was split in four. The four sections of Berlin were controlled by the Russians, Americans, the British, and the French. To make steps towards peace, the U.S., France, and Great Britain decided to unify their respective "zones" into one area they called West Berlin. The Russian zone therefore became known as "East Berlin". While they were supposed to be equal, in both money and power, conditions in East Berlin could not have been more different than those in its counterpart. An exceedingly high number of refugees fled from East to West Berlin as Russia, in need of more resources to fund its own reconstruction, stripped East Berlin of everything valuable and sent it back to the Motherland. Talks about unifying Germany were stonewalled by the Russian Premier Nikita Kruschev and the American President Kennedy.

In a bold move, Kruschev ordered his armed forces stationed in Berlin to shut down all border crossings between East and West Berlin and to not allow any refugees without express consent from the Russian government to pass.

"The presence in Berlin of an open and essentially uncontrolled border between the socialist and capitalist worlds unwittingly prompts the population to make a comparison between both parts of the city, which unfortunately, does not always turn out in favor of the Democratic [East] Berlin." - Soviet East German ambassador Mikhail Pervukhin

The above statement was given by the Russians as the premier reason as to the lockdown. Several days later, in October 1961, Soviet and American tanks converged on a German border crossing checkpoint known as "Checkpoint Charlie". The crisis began when West German border officials disputed the East German officials' right to inspect the papers of an American diplomat crossing over into East Germany. While aggression was high, the standoff ended peacefully on October 28,1961.

Nevertheless, the Berlin Wall was increasingly fortified. It went from a simple barbed wire fence to an enormous monstrosity of concrete and brick, constantly guarded by East German border control officials, armed with automatic rifles. However, people did try and escape. It has been rumored that there were over 5,000 Escape attempts, each growing increasingly more elaborate than the previous one. A particularly famous escape attempt consisted of a modified sports car driving under a metal bar placed across the road to prevent people speeding. The drivers simply lay flat and kept on driving as the metal bar took off the windshield and the roof of the car. Up to four people could escape in such a fashion.

The Berlin Wall was not torn down until after a particularly poignant speech by President Reagan at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. President Reagan commented:

"We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" - President Reagan

-- Alex Doundakov

The Other America

Millions of middle-class white Americans left cities for the suburbs in the 1950's, isolating themselves from other races, and classes. This act became known as the "white flight." Meanwhile, the rural poor began entering cities, causing cities to lose taxes, and business, and eventually leading to the fact that they couldn't properly maintain schools, transportation, police, and other common facilities. Poverty grew rapidly in the United States.

Slums were crowded with African Americans, Native Americans, and Lation's. The National Housing Act of 1945 was passed to help with urban renewal. This meant that tearing down rundown neighborhoods and replacing them with low-income housing would be the solution to getting every family a suitable home. Most people only moved from one ghetto to another though, and many call it urban removal instead.

The braceros program began in 1942, trying to allow Mexican's to go into the United States in order to harvest crops. However, once the employment ended, many remained in the US illegally, and an large additional amount arrived too, in order the escape the poor conditions of Mexico. Later, after Texas refused the burial of Mexican American World War II hero, Felix Longoria, the Mexican American verterans organized the G.I forum. Meanwhile, activist Ignacio Lopez founded the Unity League of California to help register voters, and give support to those who may help their interests.

In 1934, the Indian Reorganization Act moved to Native American autonomy, since the Native Americans were still named as 2nd class citizens. The National Congress of American Indians was later formed in 1944, to ensure civil rights, and enable Navies on reservations to keep their customs. Later in 1953, the termination policy eliminated federal economic support, discontinued the reservation system, and distributed tribal lands among individual Americans. The Indian Affairs began a program to help Natives settle in the cities. Poor training, and racial prejudice prevented them to find jobs though. 

Alger Hiss and the Rosenbergs

After the end of World War Two, the United States and the Soviet Union were the new two world powers, but because of their difference in governing and their economic systems, the alliance that led them to unite against the Axis powers collapsed.The U.S. was a democracy, supportinga free market, so of course the Americans were afraid from the great power that the Soviet communist dictatorship had and also from Stalin’s ambition to spear communism in the World.After communism took over China and North Korea, the American Government and the public opinion became so afraid of the possibility that Marx’s idea could develop also in the United States itself. So in the early 1950's, the Congress approved two pieces of legislation; the International Security Act, also known as the McCarran act (1950).The purpose of this act was to punish the people who were suspected to holding radical believes, such like attempting to turn the U.S. into a dictatorship.Even though President Truman vetoed the bill, Congress over road the veto and made it law.The big fear of communism and the very hard legislation about those who were suspected to being involved in conspiracies against the State led to two of the most extreme cases of conviction for espionage in the country.The first case happened in 1948 when Mr Wittacher, a former communist spy, accused a man named Alger Hiss to be a Soviet spy by showing some microfilms of government documents that Hiss passed on to the Soviets. Hiss was convicted of perjurysince he told the jury he did not know anything about the documents, the Soviets in the 1990's confirmed that Hiss was spying for them.
The trial against Albert Hiss could not prepare the American public from the acts of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg in 1949. Probably one of the biggest, and worst, espionage cases to be recorded, the Rosenbergs were first heard of in the case against Klaus Fich, a physicist who helped the Soviet Union develop their first atomic bomb. The Rosenberg's were minor activists in the American Communist Party and were accused of espionage. During their trials both Ethel and Julius Rosenberg pleaded the Fifth Amendment and stated that they were in court because of their religon, Judaism, and their radical beliefs. Despite the effort of some Americans, the Rosemberg were sentenced to death by the Judge Irving Kaufman who said that their crime, helping the Soviets make their own atomic bomb, was worse than murder.In 1953 the Rosenbergs died on the electric chair, leaving two sons orphaned, and they became the first civilians executed in the United States for espionage.
Alger Hiss, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, even if they were guilty, were caught in a wave of American despair. They became the scapegoats that American politicians blamed for the Cold War. Their names became linked with trouble and synonymous with treason. They will always be known in that dark part of American history. Even if new generations do not remember their names, our history books will never let us forget them.


Silvia and Bisrat

The Korean War

In 1910 Japan had annexed Korea until War World II. When the Japanese troops north of Korea (North of the 38th parallel) surrendered to the Soviet Union and Japanese troops of the south surrendered to the United States. Therefore the south became Capitalist and North of Korea became communist.
Later on the US cut back on troops in South Korea. Consequently the Soviet Union concluded that the U.S. would not defend South Korea. Soviet Union then got North Korea prepared with tanks, airplanes, and money. With all that the Soviet Union attempted to takes over the entire peninsula. On June 25th, 1950 North Korea surprise attacked South Korea, which officially started the Korean War. South Korea asked United Nation to stop the invasion, when the matter came to a vote, Soviet Union wasn’t there for the Security Council meeting, therefore the vote passed.
Sixteen nations sent total of 520,000 troops and over ninety percent were American and South Korea had 590,000 troops. The combined forces were under the command of General Douglas MacArthur. North Korean had forced the UN and South Korean troops into a small defensive zone around Pusan in southeastern corner of the peninsula. MacArthur planned for a counterattack with tanks, heavy artillery, and fresh troops. On September 15th, 1950 his troops made a surprise attack behind enemy lines in Inchon. While other troops made north from Pusan, which trapped the North Korea troops between the attacking forces. About half of the North Korean troops surrendered, and the rest fled to the north. The UN army chased the retreating North Korean troops into North Korea. In late November, the UN troops approached the Yalu River, the boarder between North Korea and China. It seemed that Korea would be finally united again, however, the Chinese joined the battle. Communist China’s foreign minister, Zhou En-lai, warned that his country would not stand idly. The Chinese wanted North Korea as communist buffer state to protect their northeastern provinces that made up Manchuria. They also felt threatened by the American fleet that lain off their coast. The fight between North Korea and South Korea had escalated into a war in which the main opponents were China and America. China drove the UN troop southward and at some point at the battlefronts, the Chinese outnumbered UN forces in ration of ten to one.
Later on, in early January 1951, all the UN and South Korea had been pushed out of North Korea, and China advanced south and captured Seoul. Both sides were stuck in a bloody stalemate. In 1951, Mathew B. Ridgeway, who led the eighth army, took Seoul and moved back to the 38th parallel. On June 23rd, 1951 Soviet Union unexpectedly suggested a cease-fire. In July 1951 the truce talks began, first about the establishment of a demilitarized zone between the opposite sides, secondly about the location of the cease-fire line of the existing battle line. Another year was spent on the exchange of prisoners. Finally in 1953, the two signed an armistice, which ended the war, and that the agreement was a stalemate. The war cost total of 54,000 American lives and additionally $67 million in expenditures.
By Melody and Noa

Korean War

Japan had ruled over Korea from 1910 until 1945. As the end of World War II approached, troops south of the 38th parallel surrendered to the Americans while the troops north of the parallel surrendered to the soviets. As a result of this, two nations developed; one was democratic while the other was communistic.
In 1948, South Korea, Republic of Korea, was occupied by the United States. The government was led by Syngman Rhee. However, simultaneously, the Communists formed the Democratic People's Republic of Korea led by Kim II Sung. Whereas the capital of South Korea was in Seoul, North Korea's was in Pyongyang. After WWII, in June 1949, there were only 500 troops remaining in Southern Korea. Due to this, the Soviets decided to invade South Korea.
The North Korean's ambushed South Korea on June 25, 1950. This led both countries into what is now known as the Korean War. Within days, North Korea had seized a large portion of South Korea. The South Koreans requested the United Nations to end the invasion. UN voted to aid South Korea due to a boycott from the Soviets protesting the presence of Taiwan.
On June 27, Troops stationed in Japan were ordered to support the South Koreans. Also, an American fleet was sent between China and Taiwan. In total, 16 nations sent a total of 520,000 troops. However, over 90% of these troops were from the U.S. After a month of fighting, North Korea forced the UN and South Korean troops to a small defensive zone around Pusen in the southeastern corner of the peninsula.
September 15, 1950 was when the U.S. troops launched a counter attack, which was a surprise amphibious assault. This allowed the beginnings of a U.S. push for communism to disappear form Korea. However, as U.S. troops approached the Yalu River, Communist China’s foreign minister, Zhou En-lai wanted North Korea as a buffer to protect the small communist states that made up Manchuria. Therefore, in late November 1950, 300,000 Chinese troops joined North Korea to push back the U.S. troops. Their numbers were so overwhelming that they drove the U.S. troops back to the middle of Korea. For the duration of the war, two years, it was mostly a standoff with neither side clearly winning
After the controversy of Macarthur died down, Soviet Union suggested a ceasefire on June 23, 1951. The line of separation was decided here and negotiators spent another year negotiating for prisoner releases. July 1953, the Armistice was declared. U.S. totaled a loss of 54,000 lives and they spent $67 billion in expenditures. As the war was viewed as a loss, the Democratic party didn't win the next election.

By: Eric and Johnny

The Start of the Korean War

Before around 1910, Japan had annexed Korea and ruled it until 1945. When the war ended , territory was surrendered to allied forces. However, soon after the U.S had to cut back on armed forces in South Korea. This withdrawal lead Soviets to think the U.S would not fight to defend Korea. So soon after, Soviets prepared to back Korea by providing tanks ,airplanes,and money in an attempt to take over the entire peninsula. On June 25, 1950 , North Korea's forces swept across the 38th parallel in a surprise attack on the south.This start of conflict officially started the Korean war. South Korea asks the UN for help against their northern enemies. Days later the vote was passed due to Soviet absence. June 27, President Truman ordered troops stationed in Japan to support the South Koreans. All together,sixteen nations sent about 520,000 troops to aid the south.(90% were American) Also, South Korean troops added an additional 590,000. The combined forces were placed under the command of the General Douglas MacArthur, former World War two hero in the Pacific.

Origins of the Cold War

After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as superpowers. Their different political systems, economic systems, and ambitions for the future led to the tension between the former allies, which is later known as the Cold War. Joseph Stalin, the totalitarian Communist leader of the Soviet Union, wanted the United States to attack Germany and were angered that the U.S. had secretly developed the atomic bomb. On April 12, 1945, Franklin Delano Roosevelt died and Truman became president of the United States, which was capitalist and had competing political parties. The United Nations, which was originally intended to promote world peace, became a place where the two superpowers competed for influence over other nations. On July 1945, in the Potsdam Conference, The Big Three (U.S., Great Britain, and Soviet Union), Harry Truman, Clement Attlee, and Stalin met for the last wartime meeting. Stalin had broken his promise to former U.S. president Franklin Delano Roosevelt at the Yalta Conference that he would allow Soviet controlled nations, specifically Poland, to hold free elections. This time, Truman insisted on allowing free election to spread democracy over nations that were once dominated by the Nazis during the WWII. Soviet Union wanted to take control over parts of Eastern Europe to prevent future attacks from the West because it had suffered massive destruction of land and approximately 20 million Soviet deaths. Stalin planted Communist governments in Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and Poland, which became the Soviet Union’s satellite nations. In 1946, a policy of containment, which was proposed by George F. Kennan, stated that the U.S. would to stop further spread of Communism in other nations at all costs.

Jazreel and Tamara

Korean War

From 1910 until August 1945, Korea had been annexed by Japan. Near the ending of World War II, the Japanese north of the 38th parallel were forced to surrender to the Soviets, while those south had surrendered to the Americans. The results created a Northern communist part of Korea that was ruled by Kim Il Sung, and a Southern democratic part of Korea that was democratic. After WWII, the American troops left, leaving only 500 remaining in the south.
On June 25th, 1950, the North Koreans attacked the south, causing the Korean War. South Korea then called the UN to help stop the invasion, and Soviets were not able to veto the plan, due to being busy with boycotting the presence of Nationalist China (Taiwan). President Truman also gave support to the south by ordering the troops in Japan to help. Eventually, there were 16 nations in total sending aid, and adding 520,000 troops to South Korea's 590,000. WWII hero, General Douglas MacArthur was assigned to lead them.

On September 15th, 1950, a surprise attack was launched at Ichon, while other troops moved north from Pusan. The North Koreans were trapped. Half of the troops surrendered, while the others fled back to the 38th parallel, only to be chased down by the UN army.

Meanwhile, China's foreign minister Zhou En-lai ordered not to let Americans come. 300,000 chinese troops were sent to aid North Korea, and they managed to drive out all of the forces away. MacArthur requested permission to attack China, though President Truman rejected it due to the fear of WWIII.

On June 23rd, 1953, both sides agreed on a cease-fire on the battle line, and the establishment of a demelitarized zone. An armistice was created in July, ending the Korean War. The US had ended up sacraficing 54,000 lives, and $67 billion.

McCarthy and his "Witch Hunt"

In the 1950's World War II scared the public into fearing Communism. They were afraid that Communists would destroy the United States of America. The leader of the Anti-Communists was named Joseph McCarthy. He was a Republican Senator from Wisconsin. He believed that Communists along with “undesirables” were planning to overthrow the government. He decided to fight Communism by using the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC).
He tried to find Communists in the community by asking people to turn people who they thought were anti-American. This practice was called McCarthyism. Many people used this system to falsely accuse people who they had issues with. This turned into a big problem because people who were falsely accused named more people in order to avoid their own prosecution. McCarthyism also involved various methods of public humiliation. Among these methods was the utilization of televised public hearings. These public interrogations broadcasted intimate details of the accused person’s private life for all to see. Furthermore, the HUAC used blacklists to disrupt the lives of people they deemed “political threats”. If you were blacklisted, your accounts were frozen, you were constantly monitored, and most likely you could not leave the state.
McCarthyism eventually died out, and McCarthy died May 2, 1957. His legacy lives on in the play "The Crucible"
By Kevin and Alex

The Cold War Takes to the Skies

The Cold War remains a significant conflict in the history of the United States. Nuclear warfare was a constant threat, and the people lived in ongoing fear. However, conflicts with the Soviet Union took a new turn when dictator Joseph Stalin died in 1953. His successor, Nikita Khrushchev, believed that communism would engulf the word peacefully. He played out the Cold War with a new policy of friendly competition. Khrushchev believed in competing in areas such as scientific development. The result was many significant technological advances, particularly in space and the skies.

The space race was one of these competitions that sprang from Khrushchev's policy. On October 4th, 1957, the Soviet Union surprised the US in their sudden launching of Sputnik, the world's largest satellite. Not to be outdone, America launched their own development program and succeeded in launching their first satellite January 1st, 1958. With this, the space race was on.

America also succeeded in developing the U-2, a plane used for spying missions. The U-2 could fly at high altitudes without detection, and pilots used infrared cameras to take photographs of Soviet Union military activity. The CIA put these planes to use in a series of secret flights over Soviet Territory following the rejection of President Eisenhower's "open skies" proposal in 1955 at the Geneva summit Conference.

The "open skies" proposal suggested that both the United States and the Soviet Union be allowed to conduct flights in each others' air space in order to monitor military activity. In defiance of the rejection of this proposal, Eisenhower continuously ordered high-altitude flights despite the fact that the Soviets had been aware of them since 1958. Officials started to grow nervous, especially after the Soviets fired a number of missiles at the planes. Missiles were not capable of reaching the high-altitude yet, but Eisenhower himself began to worry.

Finally, he ordered one last flight on May 1, carried out by pilot Francis Gary Powers. Unfortunately, a Soviet pilot succeeding in shooting down his plane. Not only was he imprisoned for ten years, but tensions between Soviet Russia and the US were renewed.

Steve Zhou and Madeleine Traver The Cold War Takes to the Skies

Korean War -Maya and Fumi

After the Japanese lost control of Korea, it was divided into Democratic South Korea and Communist North Korea. North Korea was backed by the Soviet Union and the South was backed by the U.S. After WWII ended, the US forces stationed in South Korea were cut back. In June 1949, Soviet Union began to stock up after they concluded that the U.S. wouldn't fight back an attack by the north. In June 25, 1950,there was a surprise attack on South Korea by the North. The Northern forces pushed Southern forces all the way back to the southern most corner called Pusan. In June 27th, Truman ordered troops stationed in Japan to intervene. With the new troops, and the under the leadership General MacArthur, the northern forces were pushed back until China intervened in November of 1950. This continued on until both sides signed an armistice in July 1953, ending the war. 

McCarthy's "Witch Hunt"

Anti-communist movements were popular in the United States after World War II. Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy from Wisconsin was the most famous anti-communist activist. His first few years in the Senate, he was viewed as an ineffective legislator; thus in order to be reelected to the Senate seat, he used anti-communism as a "winning issue". From 1950 to 1952, McCarthy accused communists of taking over the government. McCarthy's actions led to the coining of the term McCarthyism, which was used to describe the unprecedented accusations of disloyalty without evidence. He even went as far as to charge the Democratic Party as a whole of 20 years of treason for allowing Communists to infiltrate the government. McCarthy only made such allegations in the Senate due to his legal immunity; this immunity protected him from being sued for slander. Republicans also did not attempt to stop McCarthy's attacks because they believed it would help them win the 1952 presidential election if the public saw that they were attempting to rid the nation of communists. McCarthy's downfall came in 1954 when he accused the U.S. Army of being of having communist members. A nationally televised Senate investigation was launched and due to McCarthy's tendency to bully witnesses, he lost public support. Eventually, the Senate condemned him for improper conduct that "tended to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute." Three years later, McCarthy died of alcoholism.

-Amelia Wong and Polly Cho