Most Significant Events 1

Most Significant Events

Axia College of University of Phoenix

Lila S. Huff
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There have been many events, in my view, that has had and continues to have a

significant impact on the social climate of its era as well as today; The Brown versus Board of

Education’s 1957 decision that overturned the doctrine of “separate but equal, The Civil Rights

Movement of the 1960’s, The Watergate Scandal of the 70’s, Reaganomics of the 1980’s, and

the change in political party sides of the 90’s. This composition will give an account of the

significant events of these eras, and the impacts that all Americans endured during these pivotal

times in American history.

Desegregation of Public Schools-1954: Brown versus Board of Education

The event of the 50’s which had a powerful impact on the American people in my view,

was the Brown versus Board of Education’s 1954 ruling, which overturned the “separate but

equal” doctrine of the1896 case of Plessy versus Fergurson. In light of the Brown versus Board

of Education’s 1954 decision, moods of the American people changed dramatically. While

Americans that believed in the “separate but equal” doctrine was outraged at such a ruling; while

African Americans tried to rejoice in the ruling, expected things to change in regard to equal

rights and equal opportunities under the constitution.

Federally enforced desegregation would now end a Southern and American way of life

(Woods, 2004). Upon the 1957 desegregation of Little Rock Central high school in Little Rock,

Arkansas, white southerners became offended by the appearances and aggressiveness of what

could change their way of living. The event sparked nationwide attention, while both white and

black Americans opposed the other’s views on how their futures should become.

The concerns of many white southerners in the 1950’s generally floated around the idea

that Southern segregationist and anti-communist were legally pursuing to expose and eliminate
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integrationist enemies. This led to what has been referred to as the Southern Red Scare, where

historian Ulrich B. Phillips wrote in his book, The Decadence of the Plantation System; “White

people’s resolve to keep the south a white’s man’s country, was the “central theme of Southern

History” (Phillips, 1910).

American history has to include the African American; especially in the history of

America’s south. Slavery alone allows that right—point blank! Southern public schools

continued its plight in racial discrimination long after the Brown versus Board of Education’s

1957 ruling. Significantly enough, a six-year-old African American girl by the name of Ruby

Bridges, was the first to desegregate an all white public school in New Orleans, LA, in the year

1960 (Bridges, 2003).

Seeing the amount of racial inequality forced towards a young six-year-old child, led

many whites to begin to see just how humiliating racial discrimination truly was. This lead to

some white southerners taking steps towards seeing racial discrimination come to an end, as

noted by author Jason, Sokol, in his highly published book; There Goes My Everything: White

Southerners in the Age of Civil Rights (Sokol, 2006). With both black and white activist

fighting for equal rights of all citizens of America, we then began to move into what became

known as the era of the Civil Rights Movement.

Time of Turmoil: The Civil Rights Movement in the 60’s

The Civil Rights era can be known as the times when racial hatred alone just was not

enough. The beatings, assassinations, lynching’s, and almost any horrible thing one could muster

up was being permitted under the law; most of the times by politicians, lawmakers, policemen,

sheriffs, and everyday people whom hated African Americans or any other group considered in
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the minority. Many while Americans that carried out such atrocities many times never went

before a court of law to face any consequence.

This was the time of the Civil Rights Movement led by a young preacher, prominent

leader in the civil rights movement, and clergyman, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Civil Rights

movement was met with much opposition on the political side of the spectrum. Then President

Hoover suggested that the movement was a threat to American democracy (Simkin, 1988).

Public consciousness of the Civil Rights Movement became inevitable, as King

established himself as one of the greatest orators in U.S. History. Through civil disobedience,

and non-violent means, the Civil Rights Movement began slowly to make progress. In December

1961, King and several other civil rights activists planned a movement in Albany, Alabama.

Thousands turned out for a broad-front non-violent attack on every aspect of racial segregation

within the city, which claimed nationwide attention.

The Civil Rights Movement’s march on Washington may be one of the more memorable

moments of the movement. There were specific demands to end racial segregation and

discrimination in public schools; employment, protection of civil rights workers from police

brutality as well as civil rights legislature. Dr. King’s legacy for equal rights for all citizens has

long made its mark by happening.

Many things changed after the Civil Rights movement hit its milestone. Politics,

education, and counterculture movements forced a new way of seeing things in America. All this

may have even put a damper on the political arena. Scandals such as Watergate gained

significant attention in the 70’s. At a time when things seemed to have been changing for the

better, these movements brought in a new light in regard to the political arena. We began to see

political corruption as the new movement in Washington politics.

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Political Corruption: 1970’s Watergate Scandal

If the 60’s was a time of positive change in America’s social and political makeup, the

70’s and Watergate changed that notion tremendously. Nixon and many senior officers involved

in Watergate were all lawyers, which severely tarnished the public’s image of the legal

profession. Watergate is only a general term for a series of political scandals. Watergate began

with the arrest of five men who broke into the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters in

Washington D.C., in 1972, and stole pertinent information that the Democrats were using in their

campaign against Nixon. Nixon would not acknowledge his having any involvement in such a

federal crime.

Watergate affected American’s deeply. We had a president in whom which behaviors

were not ideal to how Americans thought a president should behave. This was also the first time

an American President, “in fact” resigned from office; although, the resignation came from

forces within the political arena that were planning to impeach Nixon. Nixon and his abuses of

power led to Americans distrust in political figures.

In the 70’s before Congress first passed (FOIA), laws did not include investigatory files

for the purpose of law enforcement; therefore a scandal such as Watergate could slip through the

cracks, unnoticed and untouched. Until the Watergate scandal, the public had admirable respect

for government agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the Central

Intelligence Agency (CIA). After Watergate, Americans a sense of distrust influenced citizens to

begin having an increasingly prevalent attitude towards those in these respectable positions.

The Watergate scandal was enough to begin greatly broadening access to federal files—

including those of law enforcement, intelligence, and security agencies. FOIA became known as

Freedom of Information-Privacy Act (FOIPA) which requested that all agencies respond to any
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request for information; on the federal or state level. Government became scrutinized on all

levels. The 80’s were sure to bring in new change from old corrupt politics. Only this time with

a twist of what was old and what was soon to become the new American order--Reaganomics.

Reagan, True Conservatism, and the American People: Decade of Corporate Greed

America had come such a long way in making equal rights, a promise for all its citizens;

and diversifying a nation in which everyone could call home. Not since slavery had America

witnessed such corporate greed as it would, during the conservative years of Ronald Reagan’s

presidency. In the 1980’s American’s, for the first time, had began to move towards economic,

social, and hopeful promise, within its political sector. No one could have even imagined how far

back Reaganomics would put a nation, until Reaganomics came in with full steam ahead.

Many Americans lost their jobs, were unable to find new work, and social welfare

programs were now unavailable; especially to the poor. Swift tax cuts for the rich, and less

productivity in poor communities, left Americans in shingles. Reagan’s plan worked for the

richest and most proficient Americans, not minorities who, in fact, helped to build this nation.

Reagan reduced income taxes, with the largest rate reductions on the higher incomes. He raised

deficit spending to its highest level since WWII. Name it, Reaganomics was its main cause.

America’s social makeup was in disarray, and the left winger’s despised him for these

difficult times, which his economic policies put before the people. Social welfare was surely

under capitalist rule, as was the American unemployment rate. Reaganomics did more to destroy

the nation as a whole than it did to bring it closer together.

There was one thing Reaganomics did for Americans: taught them what some politician’s

may say and what he or she will do is not always the same thing. Reaganomics was about getting
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gains for those whom already reaped many benefits before. Reaganomics was about keeping the

prosperous content, at the expense of the poor. Reagan and his Reaganomics were devoted to

putting and keeping a happy and smiling face while taking away from the poor. His policies left

a climate in concern. After George Bush Sr. served his first term, he lost the second election to a

skilled politician name Bill Clinton.

42nd President Clinton: Social, Economic, and Political Change in Washington.

In his first year in office, Clinton won passage of a national service program and of tax

increases and spending cuts to reduce the federal deficit. His proposals brought major changes to

the United States health-care system which before, did not provide health-care coverage to many

Americans. Although Clinton was unable to overcome the widespread opposition to his new

plan, his wife; then first lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton, played a more prominent role in re-

vamping the health-care system (Pearson Education, 2008). Many times, radically conservative

Republicans often pointed out Clinton’s faults for wavering on issues; as they normally differed

with Clinton on issues such as Medicare and education.

In 1995 and 1996, Clinton’s budget and deficit-reduction priorities collided with

congressional Republicans, causing a shut down between the two parties. Clinton, perceiving

himself the winner of those conflicts, was still favored heavily with the American public.

Although there were setbacks in the late 1990’s on foreign policies, Clinton continued to push

for peace in the Middle East, as he benefited from a strong economy for most of his entire two

terms.

Clinton’s many real achievements were incremental being mostly overshadowed by

setbacks (Encyclopedia, 2003). He had a natural ability to connect with the public through his
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intelligence and wit. His abilities as a rhetorical device in reference to the media went without a

doubt. Even though he went through several legal battles during the end of his term, and unlikely

impeachment, he fought against every odd to continue the United States respective place as an

economic power in the world.

America holds a status quo in the world as an economic powerhouse. With the recent

changes we see in American politics, the next 10 years should be matched with social, economic,

and political excellence. We can only wish this to be true, as in past decades we have witnessed

what corruption in politics leads to. Leadership, in my view, is what makes change effective.
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References

Bridges, R. (2003) Through My Eyes: Desegregation in the U.S. Public School System.

Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press Books.

Pearson Education (2008) Clinton and the 90’s. Retrieved December 12, 2008 from

website: http://www.pearsoned.com/pr_2008/index.htm

Sokol, J (2006) There Goes My Everything: White Southerner’s in the Age of Civil

Rights. 1945-1975. New York: Pocket Books

Simpkin, J (1988) The Vietnam War: Turbulent times. Retrieved December 10, 2008

from website: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAkingML.htm

Ulrich, U. B. (1910) the Decadence of the Plantation System: Life and Labor in the Old

South. (pp. 219-223) Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press Books.

Woods, J. (2004). Black Struggle, Red Scare: Segregation and Anti-Communism in the

South. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press Books