References

The following blog is cited from these sources:

References

Retrieved from http://www.americantoymarbles.com/images/a%20Christensen%20factory%20wrkrs%20b%20sm.jpg

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Retrieved from http://www.geh.org/taschen/htmlsrc13/m199603500014_ful.html

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National archives and record administration. Retrieved From http://ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=81&page=pdf

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Introduction

This blog was made as part of a project for my American History 300 class on the United States from 1945-present. Our assignment was to chose the five most defining turning points in American history since 1945. I chose the categories for this project with careful consideration of their interconnectedness. I believe that the five categories chosen are first and foremost built off of each other and tell their own story individually and as a whole. I have included captions and a paragraph detailing most of the background and significance of each event. The five categories appear in reverse order as a walk backward or forward in time. That way the observer can move backwards over the cause of the event that they have just seen. This will help to understand the causality of the previous event.

The five exhibits are titled:
-September 11th, 2001
-Technological Revolution
-1980's
-1960's
-The waning days of WWII

The topics were chosen to provide a good understanding of what I believe the major issues of the time period from 1945-present entail. Looking at these specific documents and photos shows how the world is in a causal loop in which each historic event effects the one that follows it. The connection from the WWII exhibit to the September 11th, exhibit is clearly shown because of these cause and effect relationships. I sincerely hope that you enjoy the journey as you read along and undersatnd that it is an intellectual journey through time. By trying to understand the primary sources and the events surrounding them a person should be able to create and interpret the story through the eyes of the curator.

September 11th, 2001

The attacks on September 11th, 2001 changed the direction of not only American foreign policy but also of its people. In both the literal sense and the figurative one the scars of 9/11 are being felt and will continue to be felt for years to come. The picture above is of a little girl who lost her father, a firefighter, on that tragic day. This event is both the culmination and the start of a look at the background to the present.

Techological Revolution-Plastics

These two photos are part of the Nobel Peace Prize collection of online winners. They represent the work done over the last fifty years in plastic and are part of the series on the larger category of the technological revolution. Without the work of these men and other like them there would not be complex instruments such as smart phones and iPads, and much of the materials used for the production of millions of goods would not be possible. This technology was developed during the post WWII years.

Technological Revolution-The Invention of the Internet

This photo, pulled from a talk that he did on TED.com, is merely to show the impact that Berners-Lee and many like him had on the Internet. The credit for the invention of the Internet is something of a debate around the intellectual community but there is no denying its power or capability. Without the features of this cyber-world things like national security, social connectedness and recently even revolution would not be as advanced as they have become.

1980's-Falling of the Berlin Wall

The tearing down of the Berlin wall is the third and final picture in this series on the 1980's. This photo of East German Youth on top of the wall is part of the November 1989 Photograph collection Stephen Jaffe/Getty Images.

The 1989 falling of the Berlin wall is the last and greatest event of the 1980's. The decades long battle between the Soviet Union and the United States would end shortly after this event. Most people believe that it was the relationship between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev that led to this symbol of oppression being torn down. The event was also another step in the chain of events that have led to the recreation of Europe and its development into the European Union.

1980's-Middle East Relations

This photo was chosen, not because it is part of a media blitz that was taking place, but because of the secrecy of the meeting it was taken at. The meeting between the then Special Envoy to Reagan and Saddam Hussein shows the depths of our Cold War involvement throughout the world.

The United States and the rest of the world are much closer than most of us in the general public likes to realize. There was for many years a lot of secret meetings going on between the military dictators around the globe and the U.S. This photo is merely one example of many that could be used to illustrate this point. This photo however holds significant importance as the last of the combat troops have just been removed from the Iraqi soil. The extent of these secret dealing is still being felt and will be felt for years to come.