Key Historical Events and Themes

1992 Los Angeles Riots

• Causes: Triggered by acquittal of 4 LAPD officers in Rodney King beating case. Underlying racial tensions, police brutality, and economic inequality.
• Effects: 63 deaths, over 2,000 injuries, $1 billion in damages. Highlighted racial injustice and spurred calls for police reform.

George Floyd Riots (2020)

• Sparked by police violence against George Floyd, a Black man.
• Led to global protests focusing on systemic racism and police reform.
• Social media was pivotal in organizing and spreading awareness.

Immigration

• Arguments For: Economic growth, labor expansion, cultural diversity, humanitarian needs.
• Arguments Against: Strain on services, job competition, security concerns.
• Hmong in Minnesota: Refugees from Laos resettled in MN, balancing cultural preservation and adaptation.
• Recent Trends: More immigrants from Asia and Latin America; issues with mixed-status families and undocumented immigration.

Columbine School Shooting (1999)

• Two students killed 13 and injured 21 before suicide.
• Initiated debate on gun control, school safety, bullying, media influence.

War on Terror

• Patriot Act: Post-9/11 legislation expanding surveillance and detention powers, criticized for civil liberty violations.
• Oklahoma City Bombing (1995): Domestic terrorism by Timothy McVeigh, killed 168.
• 2017 Las Vegas Shooting: Deadliest U.S. mass shooting, renewed gun control calls.
• 9/11 Attacks: Al-Qaeda hijacked planes, targeted Twin Towers, Pentagon.
• US Invasions: Afghanistan (2001) to defeat al-Qaeda and Taliban; Iraq (2003) for non-existent WMDs, causing instability.
• Guantanamo Bay: Criticized U.S. prison for suspected terrorists.

Climate Change

• Hurricane Katrina (2005): Exposed inequalities, criticized FEMA response.
• Kyoto Protocol: 1997 agreement on emission reductions, U.S. withdrew.
• Inflation Reduction Act (2022): Major U.S. investment in renewable energy, climate policy.

The Great Recession (2008–2009)

• Causes: Housing bubble, risky lending, bank failures.
• Response: Government bailouts, stimulus, regulatory reforms (Dodd-Frank).

Affordable Care Act (2010)

• Expanded healthcare coverage, banned denial for pre-existing conditions, mandated insurance.

COVID-19 Pandemic (2020–)

• Government Response: Lockdowns, vaccines, stimulus, public health mandates.
• Comparison to AIDS: Similar slow government action; faster global response to COVID but more political division.

Elections

• 2000 Controversy: Disputed Florida votes; Supreme Court halted recount, leading to Bush's presidency.
• Comparison to 2020: Trump claimed fraud post-loss to Biden; January 6 Capitol storming resulted in deaths and arrests.

Unit Summaries

World War II (Unit 7)

• Executive Order 9066: Japanese American internment.
• Women's Roles: Workforce and military support contributions.
• Tuskegee Airmen: First Black military pilots.
• Navajo Code Talkers: Used native language for secure communications.
• Island Hopping: Pacific strategy.
• Pearl Harbor Attack: Led to U.S. entering the war.

Cold War (Unit 8)

• Marshall Plan: $13 billion for European recovery.
• NATO: Alliance against Soviet threat.
• Korean War: Ended in stalemate.
• Second Red Scare: Fear of communism.
• Cuban Missile Crisis: Near-nuclear war standoff.

Civil Rights (Unit 9)

• Plessy v. Ferguson: Legalized segregation.
• Lunch Counter Sit-ins: Anti-segregation protests.
• Malcolm X vs. MLK Jr.: Divergent civil rights approaches.
• 1957 Civil Rights Act: First major law post-Reconstruction.
• 1963 March on Washington: MLK's iconic speech.
• Montgomery Bus Boycott: Led to desegregation.
• Little Rock Nine: School integration.

Vietnam War (Unit 10)

• Tinker v. Des Moines: Student protest rights.
• African Americans: Protested draft inequality.
• Credibility Gap: Public distrust.
• Pentagon Papers: Exposed government deception.
• Kent State: National Guard killed protesters.
• My Lai Massacre: Civilian casualties.
• Ho Chi Minh Trail: Supply route.
• War End: U.S. withdrawal in 1973.

Politics of Protest (Unit 11)

• Obergefell v. Hodges: Legalized same-sex marriage.
• Stonewall Riot: Catalyst for LGBTQ+ rights.
• ERA Opposition: Concerns over traditional roles.
• Hippie Movement: Counterculture.
• American Indian Movement: Native rights advocacy.
• NOW: Gender equality.
• Equal Pay Act (1963): Mandated equal pay.
• Title VII & IX: Anti-discrimination laws.

1970s–1980s (Unit 12)

• Watergate: Nixon's scandal.
• Stagflation: Economic issues.
• Iran Hostage Crisis: Impacted Carter's presidency.
• Berlin Wall Falls: End of Cold War.
• Trickle-Down Economics: Controversial tax policies.
• Conservative vs. Liberal Principles: Divergent political ideologies.