American History Since 1865 - Essay Example

Without a doubt, the cold war was an ideological struggle between the Soviets and the United s of America. The Containment Doctrine undoubtedly as suggested by Kennan was an accurate assessment of the Soviets. The theory was based upon the “domino effect,” in which if one nation fell under the cruel regime of communism, others would follow. Kennan’s perspective was to call for a policy that was designed to counter combat the Russians along with defending the interests that were only critical towards USA.

In essence, Kennan wanted the army to only combat areas that were vital for the nation to defend against communism, such as Western Europe and Japan. One can safely conclude that the containment policy was somewhat of a success. The strategy acknowledged that the Soviets will continue to expand. From Kennan’s perspective, it was a dangerous policy as it flared tensions between two superpowers. It also initiated the ruthless intention of the USA to build up arms and support dictatorships to fight anti-communism.

Kennan’s strategy was overblown as the government took this as a chance to launch a full-scale war against communism. The ultimate goal went from containment to overthrowing a regime. However, policy was a success as it did halt Soviet expansionism as democracy prevailed. The risks that were implemented with this policy were too high compared to the benefits. The three most important events that occurred in the civil rights movement were: the bus incident of the Rosa Parks, the Civil Rights act of the 1964, and the “dream speech” of Martin Luther king.

These events were vital to the development and progression of the civil right movements for various reasons. The Rosa Parks incident was critical to the Civil Rights movement because it initiated the Montgomery bus boycott. The boycott was essential because it boycotted all the buses because it implemented social and political campaign that attempted to eliminate segregation. The boycott caused a huge financial strain on the transit system since most of the commuters were blacks. Due to this incident, the federal court ruled in Browder v Gayle that bus segregation in supreme courts was unconstitutional.

The “dream speech” given by Martin Luther King is a prominent piece of civil rights movement. This speech inspired many citizens to take action and understand the importance of a beautiful society in which diversity was celebrated. Moreover, it called for the abolishment of segregation, which forced the government to enact new laws. This speech became the catalyst for many legislation and gave a strong push towards the freedom movement. The civil rights act of the 1964 was a critical piece towards the success of the civil rights movement for several reasons.

First of all, it eliminated legal discrimination domestically. Secondly, it ended unequal implementation of voter registration. Moreover, it dissolved segregation and school and removed the barriers of using the same facilities in general public. Without this legislation, one could safely say that the movement became dramatically strong. These three acts are vital because they ensure that African Americans can enjoy the basic rights of freedom that had dreamed of in ages. These laws enacted diminished segregation and discrimination and implemented unorthodox legislation that propagated equality.

Without these laws, one cannot refute the advancements of the Blacks in the modern society. I think President Kennedy did in fact handle the Cuban missile crisis pretty well as he deterred a nuclear war. Without Kennedy’s calm and composure, it is very clear that America would find itself in a hostile environment of nuclear warfare against one of the super powers of the world. It would also mark as the catalyst for WWIII, which would spread economic and political chaos throughout the globe.

Presidents Reagan, George H. W. Bush and Clinton are all essential that accumulate to American history. President Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois, which is not a famous city. He also had two wives, a fact that most Americans are not aware of. George W. Bush is notorious for defending against the regime of Saddam Hussein. However, most people are unaware of the fact that Bush was a part of a secret fraternity society known as skulls and bones in Yale University. Being a member of a secret society will no doubt raise some questions during his presidency.

Lastly, Clinton was a prominent president that established the innovated healthcare reform that is still embedded in our society today. President Clinton bought a first cat in the white house named Socks. Socks was bought from Arkansas and was a very popular first cat in the White House. Three most important events after the after 1980 consist of : passing of the Title IX, enactment of the Patriot Act, and the election of President Obama. Without a doubt, the importance of Title IX has literally shifted the dynamics of women athletics.

Title IX has enabled women to compete in sports with the adequate funding that is required for those programs. Prior to Title IX, majority of the school funding was invested only in men’s athletics. This example could be brilliantly portrayed in the following example. Roderick Jackson, a coach for the women’s basketball, had a decision to make. As a teacher, he complained about his team not receiving the proper funding as the boy’s team. Hence, the school retaliated by reliving of his coaching duties.

Jackson took the matters in his hands and went to Supreme Court to fight his case and won. Clearly, this feat would be impossible to achieve without the advent of Title IX. Title IX has been controversial at times because it gives leverage to women’s athletics, which poses a risk for colleges. Clearly, the men’s collegiate team reaps revenue off their teams. Although the women’s side does attract some revenue; it’s not as hefty as the men’s team. So the question remains: why invest equally in women’s collegiate sports when the other side brings more revenue?

In addition, the gender disparity that exists in the schools is just one of the few examples. Athletic administrators often get pressured to raise “gender equity plans’ that have inverse effect in the men’s squad, which clearly is not fair. These are just of the issues that are revolving around this problem. As the World Trade Center fell, citizens of America were scared and horrified. Twenty-five days later, still reeling with shock, Americans and people around the world received another blow: the U.S. Patriot Act was established.

The Patriot Act remains the most controversial legislation passed by the government. However, this act has negatively affected the citizens of this country. There is no doubt that the U.S. Patriot Act intrudes upon the privacy of Americans, promotes censorship, initiates racial profiling, and lastly takes the issue of national security too far. First, the U.S. Patriot Act is unconstitutional because it intrudes upon the privacy of American citizens by violating their First and Fourth Amendment rights.

The nature of the U.S. Patriot Act is an issue that still remains a mystery as Congress quickly passed the bill without much debate. Nonetheless, the Patriot act has been a vital tool to fight against terrorism and has been implemented strictly by congress. President Obama taking office has been a vital piece towards American history many various reasons. For the first time in American history, a Black President was elected. This aspect centers on the cultivation of civil rights movement in which the Black race has finally gathered some momentum against discrimination.

Obama’s presidency also serves as a reminder of the golden opportunity that America provides.