1960's Timeline Project

  • Civil Rights Movement Prior to 1954

    Civil Rights Movement Prior to 1954
    Briggs played key role in launching the modern Civil Rights moement in the U.S. African Americans suffered setbacks after Reconstruction. The NAACP improved struggle to legal rights of blacks. The CORE was a nonviolent protest and strongly effected years ahead.
  • Brown v. Board of Education

    Brown v. Board of Education
    The NAACP focused on nation's elementary and high schools. They combined cases from around the country into one big one. All nine justices agreed that separet schools violated Constituion's guarentee of equal protection by law.
  • Vietnam after World War II

    Vietnam after World War II
    After Dwight Eisenhower became president, he warned that if Vietnam fell to communism, other southeast Asain countries would follow. The U.S. sent arms, ammunition and money to the French. The Vietminh used guerrilla tactics.
  • A Boycott Begins

    A Boycott Begins
    2/3 of bus riders were black and they were forbidden to sit in the front rows. The Mongomery bus boycott hurt the bus system and white businessess. Whites harassed people who took part in them and threats of violence against black leaders took place. It inspired groups around south of their own.
  • Kennedy Becomes President

    Kennedy Becomes President
    John F. Kennedy vs. Richard Nixon. Kennedy was born into a wealthy family, while Nixon was a self-educated small town boy. Kennedy emphasized "New Frontier", and claimed the U.S. had fallen behind the Soviet Union in development of muclear missils. He also took a strong anti-communist tone.
  • The Lives of Latinos

    The Lives of Latinos
    Because of the Immigration Act, latino population grew sharply. The struggled in the US because they lived below poverty line. Their education was poor too. The children often got lesser qualified teachers, fewer resources, and shabbier facilities.
  • Revival of the Women's Movement

    Revival of the Women's Movement
    Women earned only 60% of what men earned. They mostly worked in service jobs which paid poorly. The civil rights movement harbored discriminatory attitudes toward women. Some women organized small group duscussions.
  • The Warran Court

    The Warran Court
    Warren Court was a series of decisions concerning other reforms. One significant reform made was standard practice for states not to redraw the boundaries of legislative districts to reflect change in population. Court declared denied urban voters equal protection of the 14th Amendment
  • The Berlin Crisis

    The Berlin Crisis
    Communist forces closed the crossing points between East and West Berlin. 200,000 East Germans escaped communisim by slipping past guards to safety. Within hours, 2,500 German soldiers were in place to guard. They built a high concrete wall to block further escapes to freedom. It continued to expland 100 miles around West Berlin. A second wall was later built.
  • Invasion of Cuba

    Invasion of Cuba
    The CIA believed an invasion of Cuba would inspire it's people to rise up against Castro. Eisenhower doubted this prediction, but let the planning continue. Unmarked U.S. bombers failed to destroy Cuba's air force. With it now exposed, Kennedy called for additional strikes on Cuba. It failed though because they underestimated their support and Cuba was well prepared.
  • Kennedy's New Frontier

    Kennedy's New Frontier
    New Frontier was a term used for changing the nation. Kennedy asked Congress to reduce taxes to fight rising unemployment. This would give consumers more money to spend which would lead to business and employment increase. Steel producers announced price increases and complanies were banned from sale.
  • Integrating higher Education

    Integrating higher Education
    White lawyers worked with NAACP and obtained court order requiring the University of Georgiea to admit two African American students. They were suspended but returned. Several colleges rejected students trying to enroll.
  • Kennedy's Assassination

    Kennedy's Assassination
    He was riding in an open car through the city of Dallas to site where he'd deliever his speech. Shots rang out from 6th floor of Schoolbook depository building. Within hours Lee harvey Oswald was arrested. But he was shot to death by Jack Ruby.
  • Johnson Becomes President

    Johnson Becomes President
    Johnson had a greater concern for the poor and underprivlidged. He missed the power he exercised as Senate majority leader. He was unhappy as Vice President
  • Increasing U.S. Involvement

    Increasing U.S. Involvement
    John F. Kennedy was a firm believer in the domino theory. He hesitated to send combat forces to South Vietnam. he increased the number of military advisers and army forces. Diem grew more unpopular. He made threats and was later killed because he didn't change his ways.
  • The Great Society

    The Great Society
    Great Society was a term for the domestic programs of his administration. Johnson had a personal interest in providing education for the children of the poor. Congress help create medicare and medicade in order to help poor society.
  • Civil Rights Acts of 1964

    Civil Rights Acts of 1964
    To help build support for the Civil Rights Movement, African American leaders planned a huge march on nation's capital. CRA banned discrimination in employment and in public accommodations.
  • Gaining Voting Rights

    Gaining Voting Rights
    The VEP register sotuher African American's to vote. They were attacked by mobs or broken up by police. The 24th amendment banned states from taxing citizens to vote.
  • Political Organizing

    Political Organizing
    Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party elected 68 delegates to the National Convention to decide who should represent Mississippi. Fannie Lou Hamer was elected.
  • Colonial Vietnam

    Colonial Vietnam
    Many Vietnamese were driven into poverty under French rule. The french raised taxes and gave no civil rights under French authority. Ho chi Minh emerged as one of leaders. he worked for Vietnam's independence and to study communism. He believed that a Communist revolution was a way Vietnam could gain freedom from foreign rulers.
  • Launching the struggle for Social Justice

    Launching the struggle for Social Justice
    Social justice is the distribution of advantages and disadvantages in society. In 1965 farmers went on strike under leadership of Cesar Chavez. it succeeded and inspird many Mexican Americans to fight in their lives.
  • Sit-ins and Freedom Rides

    Sit-ins and Freedom Rides
    Civil rights leaders shared Gandhi's views. Four college students began a sit-in of their own. They were denied servies and sat in their seats until close. The next day they had 63 people fill in counters. This attracted support and protestants in about 50 southern cities began using this tactic.
  • The Ground War

    The Ground War
    William Westmoreland, commandar of the U.S. ground toops, ordered thousands of missions to drive enemy forces out of their hideout. They often cut through the jungle. U.S. supporters hoped that driving out the Vietcong would help win support of south Vietnamese civilians.
  • U.S. Forces Mobilize

    U.S. Forces Mobilize
    About 25 percent of men who reistered for the draft were excused from service for health issues. Large numbers of african Americans enlisted in the military. About 10,000 American woman served in noncombat positions. Some 25,000 to 45,000 worked in civilian capacities.
  • Johnson's Foreign Policy

    Johnson declared that revolution in Latin American weren't local concerns when the object is the establishment of a communist dictatorship. He continued to improve relations with Soviet Union In 1967 the first treaty took effect and protected country's diplomats from harassment by authorities.
  • Fractures in the Movement

    Fractures in the Movement
    Many believed the Black Power movement to be a call to violent action. SNCC, CORE also abandoned nonviolence and endored Black Poer. CORE gave up its commitment to being a multiracial organization
  • Decline of Black Power

    Decline of Black Power
    As the Black Power movement grew, King instructed his agents to disrupt and interfere with the activities of other civil rights groups. he concidered athreat. The SNCC spread rumors that leaders made threat to kill SNCC leaders.
  • The Lives of Native Americans

    The Lives of Native Americans
    They suffered from the highest unemployment rates. The average income was less than half of whites. They also suffered poor health. Eisenhower began termination which was to end the status of Indians as wards of the gov and grant them rights.
  • A change in Goals

    A change in Goals
    Poor people's campaign marked an important expantion. MLK believed blacks lacked equality because they were poor. His death prevented him from his leading efort. Ralph Albernathy took over along with thousands of protesters.
  • The Women's Liberation movement

    The Women's Liberation movement
    Feminism is the conviction that women and men should be equal. The NOW women's rights organization fought gender discrimination. It worked to end violence against women to achieve abortion rights. They lobbied gov officials to change the laws. They also filed lawsuits.
  • Life in the Counterculture

    Life in the Counterculture
    Some formed communities in run-down urban neighborhoods. Some looked for enlightenment through Eastern religions such as Buddhism. Others searched for answers through strology or the occult. Many experienced with illegal drugs. They also wore casual and colorful clothing.
  • Expanding the movement

    Expanding the movement
    The march against Fear marked a turning point. Outside the south, African Americans were challenging the movements tactic. They were hard in finding places to live. Most white people didn't want them by them. This led to frustration and violence. In detroiet, 43 deaths and thousands of injuries occured.
  • New Changes and Gains

    New Changes and Gains
    The Civil Rights Act of 1968 called the Fair Housing Act to ban discrimination in the sale or rental of housing. To speed integration of city schools, courts began ordering that some students be bused from their neighborhoods.
  • The air War

    The air War
    The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a network of paths that began in North vietnam. Vietnamese used the trail to send weapons, soldiers, food to NVA forces. Another weapon was a jellied form of gasaloine used to create firebombs. Johnson was frustrated and later dropped 1 million tons of bombs.
  • The Tet Offensive

    The Tet Offensive
    Tet Offensive, was a series of massive coordinated attacks throughout South Vietnam. Thousands of Vietcong troops struck U.S. military base. A south Vietnamese government official recalled the assault. North hoped it would inspire the south to rise up against their gov.
  • Effects of the Tet Offensive

    Effects of the Tet Offensive
    Tet Offensive showed that no part of South Vietnam was safe. The president expressed doubts about the war and began to call for its end. The gov's policies grew more intense. Many leaders within became critical of his policies.
  • Assassination of the King

    Assassination of the King
    The dissapointing chicago campaign increased the King's awareness that economic issues be part of the Civil Rights movement. He went to Mephis to aid African American Sanitation workers on strike. The next day James Earl Ray shot and killed King as he stood on the balcony of his motel.
  • Johnson Seeks a Solution

    Johnson Seeks a Solution
    Gen Westmoreland believed more ground troops would deliver a blow to weaken communists. Johnson agreed it was time to negotian with North vietnam. The U.S. wanted all NV troops out of South, and North wouldnt accept a temp. South government.
  • Movements for Latino Rights

    Movements for Latino Rights
    Mexicans began to embrace a form of cultural nationalism similar to the Black Power movement. Leader Rodolfo Gonzales became active in Democratic Party politics. He founded the Crusade for Justice, a group that promoted Mexican nationalism.
  • Rise of the Conterculture

    Rise of the Conterculture
    The conterculture was a rebellion of teens and young adults against mainstream American society. They were called hippies. Establishment was created based on love and peace. They blamed their parents for the problems and they vowed to do things differently. They began rebelling against school policies.
  • Increasing Protests

    Increasing Protests
    Nixon announced that he had ordered U.S. troops into Cambodia. Antiwar demonstrators set fire to the campus ROTC. The governor of Ohio sent troops to control further demonstrations. Several students threw rocks and soldiers began firing into the croud. 4 students died.
  • Mainstream Society Reacts

    Mainstream Society Reacts
    Some counterculture observers were put off by the appearance of hippies. They viewed their attitudes as disrespectful and threatening. Some believed that society as a whole was losing its sense of right and wrong.
  • Widening the War

    Widening the War
    Security Advister Henry Kissinger devised plans to fulfill a promise to end war in vietnam. Vietnamization involved turning over more of the fighting in vietnam to the South while gradually bringing U.S. ground troops home. The hope was that it would give South leaders time to crate a stable anti-Communist gov.
  • Native Americans Fight for Fairness

    Native Americans Fight for Fairness
    American Indian Movement called for renewal of traditional cultures, economic independence, and better education. They used more forceful tactics. Protesters marched to the Bureau to demand changes in the relationship between NA and the gov.
  • End of U.S. Involvement

    End of U.S. Involvement
    George mcGovern insisted the vietnam War be brought to an end. The 26th amendment lowered the voting age to 18. Nixon ordered bombings of the North Vietnamese cities. He later called off the bombing and a settlement was finally reached in jan. U.S. withdrew its troops