Turning Points in History (1968+)

Turning Points in History
1968
Event: Civil Rights Act of 1968
• Prohibited the following forms of discrimination:
• Refusal to sell or rent a dwelling to any person because of his race, color, religion or national origin. People with disabilities and families with children were added to the list of protected classes by the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988.
• Discrimination against a person in the terms, conditions or privilege of the sale or rental of a dwelling.
• Advertising the sale or rental of a dwelling indicating preference of discrimination based on race, color, religion or national origin (and, as of 1988, people with disabilities and families with children.)
• Coercing, threatening, intimidating, or interfering with a person's enjoyment or exercise of housing rights based on discriminatory reasons or retaliating against a person or organization that aids or encourages the exercise or enjoyment of fair housing rights.
• Signed by Lyndon B. Johnson
Significance:
• Prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, sex, handicap, and family status
• Gave protection to civil rights workers
Related Events:
• Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. helps move this act forward
• Assassination of Robert Kennedy
1973
Event: End of Vietnam War
• Nixon announces deferment of offensive action in North Vietnam
• Ended with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords o Henry Kissinger o Ceasefire, exchange of prisoners of war
Significance:
• Ended with US withdrawal of troops
• Failure of foreign diplomacy in Vietnam
Related Events:
• Anti-Vietnam protest anthems
• Saigon, capital of South Vietnam, falls to communist forces
Event: Watergate Scandal
• Political scandals during presidency of Nixon
• Began with five men breaking into Democratic National Committee Headquarters in Watergate hotel
• Attempted cover up of break in
Significance:
• Burglary found to be only one of the many illegal activities authorized by Nixon’s staff
• Fraud, political espionage and sabotage, illegal break ins, improper tax audits, wiretapping, bribery
• recorded conversations expose Nixon’s obstruction of justice
Related Events:
• United States v. Nixon
• Nixon resigns, becoming only US president to do so

1989
Event: Fall of Berlin Wall
• Barrier separating west Berlin from east Berlin
• East = terrible conditions while West was the opposite
• Visits allowed from East to West, gradually chipping away at the wall, completely falling with the help of industrial equipment
Significance:
• Groups, families, and friends reunited
• Ability to travel freely, no checkpoints
• Most civil unrest ends

Related Events:

• End of the Cold War
• German reunification

1994

Event: Democrats lose to Republicans (“Republican Revolution”)

• Newt Gingrich, Georgia representative, leads Republicans to win House and Senate over Democrats

Significance:

• First time in 40 years for Republicans to hold control over Congress
• Held majority of governorships

Related Events:

• Clinton: “The era of big government is over.” – later re-elected despite Rep. protest
• Many new politicians rose as governors and other positions, such as George W. Bush as a governor of Texas
• Democrats win back in 2006 o Won House, Senate, and majority of state governorships

American Pageant, 12th edition