References

The following blog is cited from these sources:

References

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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.

1980's-Reagan Years

This is a photo from Ronald Reagan's first inaugural address. It is captured as part of a collection in the Reagan Presidential Online Library at the University of Texas.


From the Time Ronald Reagan took office he had a way of capturing the people's attention even without them knowing it. His term in office was one of the longest since the Late and Great Dwight D. Eisenhower. It is chosen as one of the most important events of history and this collection because of the significance the Reagan era played in the common themes of the past. The Cold War, Reagan's domestic policies towards welfare and his subsequent Iran-Contra scandal left the country with mixed emotions and a whole new set of problems. These problems have driven much of what is wrong with the current situations of our country including the economic crisis and the huge rich poor gap. But, no matter the impacts today have been there is little doubt that Reagan and his administration left an indelible image upon the U.S. and it history.

1960's-Civil Rights

Dr. Martin Luther King and his impassioned ways showed the world that strength in numbers is far stronger than any force. Through his photo taken at the 1967 speech, that is later titled "Beyond Vietnam," King shows that conviction does not always have to lead to war.


This event makes up one of the most vital issues that surrounded the middle part of the 1960's. It showed how the world was changing and how the power in numbers theory, when really put to the test would work if people did it through a tough and resolute way. Dr. Martin Luther King and many like him were part of the reason why the civil rights act of 1969 would be passed. The civil rights period is marked by many as the defining period of the 20th century.

1960's-Death of John F. Kennedy

This photo is part of the primary source material from the day of the assassination of JFK. John F. Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States of America. His death rocked a nation already reeling from the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Battle being waged.

The death of John F. Kennedy was a major blow to not only his supporters but also to a war torn and embattled nation that was being pulled in many different directions. While there are many theories about why Kennedy was assassinated, one thing remains the same is the legacy behind the killing has come to mark the countries collective imagination. The Kennedy administration did not get to accomplish as much as it had wanted to during their famed "1000" days in office. But they were behind the blockade strategy that kept soviet missiles out of Cuba, it was Kennedy and his men that helped to get the civil rights issue to their forefront of the policy decisions and they helped to initiate the NASA program and the race to the moon.

1960's-Vietnam

This image is a pro-war rally that took place in New York 1970. It is part of the collection that was taken by Benedict J. Fernandez and is in the George Eastman House Still Photo Archive. It shows the violence that the Vietnam war brought home with it in so many ways.

The Vietnam War is part of this countries most important events because it was a cry out against the imperialistic attitude that had long been the norm since the start of the Cold War in 1945. The military action in Vietnam, tough never officially given the designation of war, was the bloodiest event since or after the end of WWII. The war was fought not because of a threat against American domestic safety. Nor was it committed with the utmost safety of American men and women in mind, it was instead fought because of stagnant policies and commitments to Cold War tactics created in a bygone era. The war had even more impact on the United States because of the out-lash of violence and anti-government sentiment it created. This backlash was in part created because of the inscription processes used to send unwilling participants to the front lines. Many would point to this event as one of the defining moments in American last century and it has been commemorated by the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C.

Waning days of WWII-The Baby Boom

This photo marks the prosperity in production that took place as millions of service men returned home after almost a decade of duty in Europe and the South Pacific. The photo depicts the making of toys which is also significant because of the explosion in population also known as the "Baby Boom" which began in this era.

The prosperity that took place in America following World War II was unprecedented. It was not only a time period of economic prosperity but of intellectual as well. Many of the greatest authors and writers of modern American History were children that grew up in the calm and material world of the 1950's. This period was also highly influential in the social make-up of America. Hollywood got its big break during this ear as the television, one of the most controversial inventions of the time, would be invented as part of the production and technological boom of 1950's. America, some would say, was having its golden age, but this would not be sustainable for many reasons. Corruption in politics that led to discontent, a growing civil rights concern nationwide and the Cold War were all part of the growing discontent with federal government and the office of the President.

Waning days of WWII-The Atomic Age

The Trinity shot is one of the most infamous photos in American history and one of its most controversial.

The Trinity shot is meaningful not just because of it impressive display of shear power and human ingenuity. Those things are undeniable, it is instead part of the larger destructive nature of not only mankind but of industrialized warring nations. The blast is also a major player in what the world calls the Atomic Age. Never again will the idea of a nuclear bomb be forgotten. Luckily there have been relatively few actual destruction's, in comparison to how many bombs of the nuclear variety have been created. This destructive technology has left it's mark on human history in so many more ways than most people realize. It's most direct consequence will be felt through fear and hysteria and through the perpetuation of the Cold War.

Waning days of WWII-Truman doctrine

This is the Truman Doctrine to the committee on foreign affairs. It is also one of the first major documents on foreign policy in what will become known as the Cold War. Though the document was merely a continuation of the policy that he had already put forth earlier, Truman's monetary help to the Greeks became one of his most widely known documents of his presidency. For decades this document was the basis for the policy towards increased use of covert actions and monetary contributions to impoverished people fighting oppression and the influence of Communism.