1950s To The 2000s
A Look Back At Freedom, Democracy, and Equal Opportunity
A Brief Overview
This time capsule contains different sources of culture in the time period of 1950 to the early 2000s. We will be focusing on the changing views of freedom, democracy, and equal opportunity. When opened in 2055, people will be given the opportunity to learn more about the structure of human culture around the world from a firsthand source.
1950s
Decade of change in America, the population of America grew exponentially following WWII, these children, known as "baby boomers" would influence American values for many years to come. The rise of the middle class.
1960s
The decade opened with JFK being sworn in as President. The first U.S spaceflight is made. Population topped over 200 million for the first time. In 1963, JFK is assassinated in Dallas, in the same year MLK makes his famous I Have A Dream speech. 1969, the first man lands on the moon.
1970s
National debt for the first time since WWII. Disco was all the rage. People born here were known as Gen X. Richard Nixon began the decade, cigeratte ads were used on TV. Decade that started the computer movement.
1980s
includes the last year of the Jimmy Carter presidency, eight years of the Ronald Reagan administration, and the first two years of the George H. W. Bush presidency. This decade was plagued by the Iran hostage crisis, the end of the Cold War, which occurred during the early part of the Bush presidency, and the removal of the Berlin Wall. The second largest Stock Market crash in 1987, followed by a recession. The largest scandal of the years was the Iran Contra affair, where weapons had been sold to Iran, and the proceeds used by the CIA to aid Contras in Nicaragua.
1990s
The OJ trial split the nation. The "don't ask don't tell" rule was put in place. The Rodney King trial, police brutilly beat a man. The Oklahoma City bombing, first large stage terrorism event. Monica Lewinsky trial, Bill Clinton was impeached. Columbine event, high school shooting. Operation Desert Storm, began the Gulf War. Development of the Internet, WWW introduced in 1991.
2000s
9/11 kicked off the decade and the nation was attacked by terrorist. The sports world was hit by the steroid era. The Enron and WorldCom case caused bankruptcy and several corporations fell. Same-sex marriage legalized in some states. The Patriot Act gives law enforcement greater authority to stop terrorist. The Social Networking age began. The recession, unemployment hit 10%. Barrack Obama elected as first black president.
Freedom in the 1960s to the 2000s
Freedom drastically changed from the 1950s to the early 2000s. After the conclusion of the second world war, Americans were more patriotic than ever before. There was a sense of pride in being an American. There was a large push to rid the world of communism. By the 1960s bomb shelters had come up as the Cold War and the Red Scare rocked the country. The 1970s started a party first movement as well as the environmental movement. The 80s brought the miracle on ice as the US mens hockey team defeated a Soviet Union team. This was an important moment in America as the Soviet Union began to collapse. By the time the 90s came around communism had mostly dissipated. The Soviet Union collapsed and the Berlin Wall fell. The 2000s brought 9/11 and a new threat of terrorism as we continue to fight for the freedom we have earned.
Democracy in the 1950s to the 2000s
After the second world war the United States of America celebrated the fall of the third reich and the fall of Japan. During the 50s however, concentration around the world shifted to preventing the spread of communism around the world. Our ally during the war became our number one enemy as the Soviet Union was the largest world power next to the United States. This began the Cold War which lasted from 1947 to 1991. The United States took it upon themselves to contain communism to the countries it was already in, and attempted to prevent the spread into the surrounding countries. During this time period there were two major wars, the Vietnam war and the Korean war both of which were highly criticized by the general public, as well as the Bay Of Pigs incident in 1961. In 1991 the fall of the Berlin wall marked the end of the greatest threat to the United States, the Soviet Union. Communism was no longer the greatest threat to the US. In 1995 a bomb in Oklahoma City marked the beginning of a new threat to democracy, terrorism. Two men, angry at the government, decided to set off two truck bombs in Oklahoma City killing 168 people. Soon after began the Iraqi war and Operation Desert Storm.
Equal Opportunity in the 1960s to the 1990s
These 50 years were a influential part of United States history in the terms of equal rights and opportunity. The Civil rights movement began in the late 50s early 60s as people such as MLK, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, and many young men and women around the country demanded equal opportunity and rights for all people. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed all discrimination of all people in the United States. But this was just the beginning of the battle for equal rights. After the end of the Civil Rights movement people began the fight for equal rights for women in the workplace. That fight still continues to some extent today. In the 1990s the Gay Rights movement began to take hold of the country as people demanded the right for Gay men and women have the right to marry. The fight for equal opportunity continues around the world, however the last 50 years in America were extremely important for the fight.