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[[American History Lecture Twelve|Lecture]] - [[American_History_Homework_Twelve|Questions]] - [[American History Homework Twelve Answers|Student Answers]]

[[American History Lecture Twelve|Lecture]] - [[American_History_Homework_Twelve|Questions]] - [[American History Homework Twelve Answers|Student Answers]]

This lecture covers from the end of World War II (1945) to the election of Ronald Reagan as President in 1980.  The next and final lecture will then complete the course, covering from 1980 to the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 (known simply by its date, "[[9/11]]").

This lecture covers from the end of World War II (1945) to the election of Ronald Reagan as President in 1980.  The next and final lecture will then complete the course, covering from 1980 through the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 (known simply by its date, "[[9/11]]"), to today.

The period of 35 years from 1945 to 1980 saw a huge transformation in American culture that began with over a million young men returning from the war, marrying, having families, and benefiting from the rapidly growing economy in the 1950s.  Then, in the 1960s, great cultural upheaval began with counterculture, rock music, questioning of authority and institutions, and outright rebellion.  This upheaval continued into the 1970s, resulting in harsh political conflict that included the resignation of a President and a massive battle over an attempt to amend the Constitution.

The period of 35 years from 1945 to 1980 saw a huge transformation in American culture that began with over a million young men returning from the war, marrying, having families, and benefiting from the rapidly growing economy in the 1950s.  Then, in the 1960s, great cultural upheaval began with counterculture, rock music, questioning of authority and institutions, and outright rebellion.  This upheaval continued into the 1970s, resulting in harsh political conflict that included the resignation of a President and a massive battle over an attempt to amend the Constitution.

Beginning in 1950, Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy took the lead in opposing communist infiltration in the United States government.  Contrary to misunderstandings caused by media distortions, McCarthy complained about and opposed only communists who held high-level government jobs.  He did not complain about private citizens.

Beginning in 1950, Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy took the lead in opposing communist infiltration in the United States government.  Contrary to misunderstandings caused by media distortions, McCarthy complained about and opposed only communists who held high-level government jobs.  He did not complain about private citizens.

McCarthy was highly effective in exposing communists in key government jobs, and liberals hate him for it to this day.  Ultimately his opponents were able to foment public pressure against him, and other senators "censured" him near the end of his career after McCarthy was embarrassed during hearings in 1954 concerning communists in the Army.  The term "McCarthyism," coined in 1950 in reference to McCarthy's attempts to expose communists, became synonymous with the overzealous use of innuendo, rumor and guilt-by-association to destroy someone's reputation.  In fact, McCarthy and Congress had a duty to uphold the Constitution and guard against infiltration of government positions by anyone committed to overthrowing our constitutional system, as communists were.

McCarthy was highly effective in exposing communists in key government jobs, and liberals hate him for it to this day.  Ultimately his opponents were able to foment public pressure against him, and other senators "censured" him near the end of his career after McCarthy was embarrassed during hearings in 1954 concerning communists in the Army.  '''The term "McCarthyism," coined in 1950 in reference to McCarthy's attempts to expose communists, became synonymous with the overzealous use of innuendo, rumor and guilt-by-association to destroy someone's reputation.''' In fact, McCarthy and Congress had a duty to uphold the Constitution and guard against infiltration of government positions by anyone committed to overthrowing our constitutional system, as communists were.

One of the newsmen who criticized McCarthy in the 1950s was Edward R. Murrow, who is praised for his efforts by the media to this day.

One of the newsmen who criticized McCarthy in the 1950s was Edward R. Murrow, who then became a hero in the minds of liberals, and enjoys an inflated reputation by historians as a result.  

In 1952 and again in 1954 the United States tested the hydrogen bomb, or "H-bomb", which was 1000 times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945.  "Unlike that device which tapped energy by splitting atomic nuclei, the [H-bomb] forced together nuclei of hydrogen to unleash an even greater destructive force."<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/1/newsid_2781000/2781419.stm</ref>  Soon the Soviet Union had its version also.

In 1952 and again in 1954 the United States tested the hydrogen bomb, or "H-bomb", which was 1000 times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945.  "Unlike that device which tapped energy by splitting atomic nuclei, the [H-bomb] forced together nuclei of hydrogen to unleash an even greater destructive force."<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/1/newsid_2781000/2781419.stm</ref>  Soon the Soviet Union had its version also.

In the late 1950s, communism spread to a country only 90 miles from Florida:  Cuba, where we still hold a military base as an artifact of the Spanish-American war under President McKinley.  Recall that America gave Cuba freedom from Spain, but in 1959 the communists moved in with a revolution led by Fidel Castro.  The Soviet Union communist dictator Nikita Khrushchev threatened to drop an atomic bomb on us if we intervened.  Castro has ruled Cuba as a brutal dictator ever since, imprisoning or killing those who disagree with him.

In the late 1950s, communism spread to a country only 90 miles from Florida:  Cuba, where we still hold a military base as an artifact of the Spanish-American war under President McKinley.  Recall that America gave Cuba freedom from Spain, but in 1959 the communists moved in with a revolution led by Fidel Castro.  The Soviet Union communist dictator Nikita Khrushchev threatened to drop an atomic bomb on us if we intervened.  Castro has ruled Cuba as a brutal dictator ever since, imprisoning or killing those who disagree with him.

Many Cubans fled to the United States to escape communism, and still flee by risking their lives in handmade boats.  These emigrants from Cuba are fervent opponents of communism because they see how it destroyed their own country, and many long to return to restore freedom there.

Many Cubans fled to the United States to escape communism, and still flee by risking their lives in handmade boats.  These emigrants from Cuba are fervent opponents of communism because they see how it destroyed their own country, and many long to return to restore freedom there.  Marco Rubio, a conservative Republican U.S. Senator from Florida, was born to Cuban immigrants in Miami.

President Eisenhower developed a secret or "covert" plan to free Cuba from its communist dictatorship, which Kennedy continued after becoming president in 1961.  It consisted of having about a thousand "Cuban exiles" who had been forced to leave Cuba form an army to invade and overthrow Castro.  But President Kennedy backed away from the plan at the last minute, and apparently someone in the United States government leaked word of the planned invasion to Castro.  He waited with a much bigger force and captured or killed the Cuban exiles when they invaded at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba in 1961.  America was humiliated by this tragedy.

President Eisenhower developed a secret or "covert" plan to free Cuba from its communist dictatorship, which Kennedy continued after becoming president in 1961.  It consisted of having about a thousand "Cuban exiles" who had been forced to leave Cuba form an army to invade and overthrow Castro.  But President Kennedy backed away from the plan at the last minute, and apparently someone in the United States government leaked word of the planned invasion to Castro.  He waited with a much bigger force and captured or killed the Cuban exiles when they invaded at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba in 1961.  America was humiliated by this tragedy.

Then, in 1962, the Soviet Union challenged President Kennedy again, whom the communists did not respect.  They installed missiles in Cuba, which the communist Fidel Castro had taken over, and aimed them directly at American cities and targets.  Cuba, a mere 90 miles from Florida, could then destroy American cities in a very short period time.  This created the "Cuban Missile Crisis" when U-2 spy planes photographed these missiles, and an Air Force general immediately put bombers on high alert for the possible bombing of Cuba.  President Kennedy then ordered a blockade of Cuba until the missiles were removed, and the Soviet Union backed down and apparently took the missiles back by ship.

Then, in 1962, the Soviet Union challenged President Kennedy again, whom the communists did not respect.  They installed missiles in Cuba, which the communist Fidel Castro had taken over, and aimed them directly at American cities and targets.  Cuba, a mere 90 miles from Florida, could then destroy American cities in a very short period time.  This created the "Cuban Missile Crisis" when U-2 spy planes photographed these missiles, and an Air Force general immediately put bombers on high alert for the possible bombing of Cuba.  President Kennedy then ordered a blockade of Cuba until the missiles were removed, and the Soviet Union backed down and apparently took the missiles back by ship.

Throughout the 1960s, both the United States and the Soviet Union built ever-bigger nuclear weapons, pointing them at each other.  This became known as the "arms race," and newspapers began to clamor for peace treaties that would limit the building of these weapons.  In 1972, the Strategic Arms Limitation Treat ("SALT") was ratified by the U.S. Senate and contained promises to reduce these "arms" or weapons pointed at the enemy.  Conservatives opposed this treaty because it embraced the approach of "Mutual Assured Destruction" and prevented each side from building defensive systems.  In addition, there was no way to enforce the communists' side of the bargain; many expected the communists to break their own promises, while the Americans abided by theirs.

Throughout the 1960s, both the United States and the Soviet Union built ever-bigger nuclear weapons, pointing them at each other.  This became known as the "arms race," and newspapers began to clamor for peace treaties that would limit the building of these weapons.  In 1972, the Strategic Arms Limitation Treat ("SALT") was ratified by the U.S. Senate and contained promises to reduce these "arms" or weapons pointed at the enemy.  Conservatives opposed this treaty because it embraced the approach of "Mutual Assured Destruction" and prevented each side from building defensive systems.  In addition, there was no way to enforce the communists' side of the bargain; many expected the communists to break their own promises, while the Americans abode by theirs.

The overriding military strategy of the Cold War became even more dependent on "Mutually Assured Destruction," whereby each side (the U.S. and U.S.S.R.) built more and more nuclear weapons as a deterrent to aggression by the other side.  Under this approach, each side was discouraged from attacking because it could set off a massive nuclear war and assure the mutual destruction of both sides.  This theory, humorously abbreviated as "MAD", lasted from the 1950s to the 1980s, when conservative President Ronald Reagan urged a shift to a more defensive military approach (the Strategic Defense Initiative, or Star Wars) rather than a purely offensive approach (if you attack me, then I'll counterattack and we will both be destroyed).

The overriding military strategy of the Cold War became even more dependent on "Mutually Assured Destruction," whereby each side (the U.S. and U.S.S.R.) built more and more nuclear weapons as a deterrent to aggression by the other side.  Under this approach, each side was discouraged from attacking because it could set off a massive nuclear war and assure the mutual destruction of both sides.  This theory, humorously abbreviated as "MAD", lasted from the 1950s to the 1980s, when conservative President Ronald Reagan urged a shift to a more defensive military approach (the Strategic Defense Initiative, or Star Wars) rather than a purely offensive approach (if you attack me, then I'll counterattack and we will both be destroyed).