Most Significant Events in History- 1950-1990
Over the past 50 years there has been a constant series of events that have significantly changed the future of America. This course specifically focused on the American Experience since 1945. Topics such as the Cold War, McCarthyism, Civil Rights and the Vietnam War all put in to place a chain of events that have made our country what it is today. This paper will review a few of the social, economic and political events between 1950 through 1990 that had a powerful impact on the American people and their decade.
1950’s Cold War Ideology, McCarthyism and Eisenhower’s politics Cold War ideology crystallized after the end of World War II. During this war the US had alliances with Britain and Russia. Postwar the US was slowly able to rebuild their economy while Europe continued to struggle. Prior to the war Europe had been a dominant force. As a result of their troubled Western European economy, a power struggle was started between the US and Russia known as the Cold War. Communism movement began and Americans become suspicious of the Soviets. The Americans adopted an anti communism theme that carried over to many doctrines and in hopes of containment. (Brown 2001) As a result of the rising concerns of communism mass suspicion spread. Many people were accused of communism with little to no proof. President Truman began what was known as the Truman Doctrine which enforced loyalty against communism which later opened to the door for McCarthyism. McCarthyism, named after a former U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy, is a termed used to describe anti-communism era of the 50’s. During this time, McCarthyism created a wealth of problems for the government and caused many social issues. When Senator McCarthy claimed to be able to identify "Communist in the State Department" (Davidson et al., 2005) it caused fear and hysteria towards anything foreign or liberal. There was never any real basis on most of his claims but it gained him recognition politically. As a
1950’s Cold War Ideology, McCarthyism and Eisenhower’s politics Cold War ideology crystallized after the end of World War II. During this war the US had alliances with Britain and Russia. Postwar the US was slowly able to rebuild their economy while Europe continued to struggle. Prior to the war Europe had been a dominant force. As a result of their troubled Western European economy, a power struggle was started between the US and Russia known as the Cold War. Communism movement began and Americans become suspicious of the Soviets. The Americans adopted an anti communism theme that carried over to many doctrines and in hopes of containment. (Brown 2001) As a result of the rising concerns of communism mass suspicion spread. Many people were accused of communism with little to no proof. President Truman began what was known as the Truman Doctrine which enforced loyalty against communism which later opened to the door for McCarthyism. McCarthyism, named after a former U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy, is a termed used to describe anti-communism era of the 50’s. During this time, McCarthyism created a wealth of problems for the government and caused many social issues. When Senator McCarthy claimed to be able to identify "Communist in the State Department" (Davidson et al., 2005) it caused fear and hysteria towards anything foreign or liberal. There was never any real basis on most of his claims but it gained him recognition politically. As a
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