The Space Race
One more small step for man and one big leap for America. The space race would become a major turning point in the Cold War. The space race would strengthen the moral of the American population by putting America a step ahead of Russia. The ability to land on the moon in 1969 would also cause a technological advance and set a higher bar for modern living. Television would play a huge part in showing Americans around the country astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin walk on the moon. This new advancement kept America ahead of Russia even after their launch of the Sputnik in 1957. The landing of the moon was accomplished by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) formed in 1958.
Vietnam War Protest
The Vietnam War caused a major uproar between conflicting generations of the baby boomers and "the greatest generation" from WWII. Many of the baby boomers became rebellious against their elder generation causing many protests against not only the Vietnam war, but war itself. Many of these protest movements started on college campuses due to the specific age groups. The draft would cause many to try and escape it from taking hold of their lives and putting poorly trained citizens into war. The Vietnam War was also a huge money drainer, using up around $25 billion a year. This anti-war movement would gather more support when Martin Luther King Jr. gave his opinion on the war in which he was against. This movement would continue to gain more supporters after the Tet Offensive in 1968, where the North Vietnamese communist army won over the U.S. troops. It would not be until after the election of Richard M. Nixon that the president would call an end to the Vietnam War in 1973.
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McCarthyism and The Second Red Scare
In retaliation to the spread of communism, congress took steps against communists threats in America. The Smith Act of 1940 was made in order to arrest people who were advocates of overthrowing the government. The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), that was established in 1939, was designed to look for any former Nazis that could have made it into the United States but was now changed to look for communists. Along with the fear of communists in America, mass paranoia also erupted. Republican senator, Joseph McCarthy, was one of the most infamous who accused hundreds of being a communist. Although many of his accusations were false, Republicans did very little to stop him due to him being a helpful source of election votes. However, his perpetual suspension of communists would also be his downfall when he made accusations towards the U.S. military. This would finally notify the government that McCarthyism has gone too far.
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