- "A new breeze is blowing, and a world refreshed by freedom seems reborn; for in man's heart, if not in fact, the day of the dictator is over. The totalitarian era is passing, its old ideas blown away like leaves from an ancient, lifeless tree."
George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
1990s and Beyond
The collapse of communism in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union (now back to Russia) leaves the US with sole superpower status and a different type of enemy. Movie bad guys switch from snow to desert and boots to sandals. The U.S. public become more geographically literate when troops are sent to places like Kuwait, Bosnia, Yemen, Macedonia, Somalia, Kenya, or East Timor. Operation Shield turns into a storm which eventually will be a war in Iraq. Balkans shatter; Black Hawks go down, OJ goes on trial, and NAFTA goes into effect. Gun control legislation is passed as domestic terrorism hits Oklahoma and gun fire interrupts school in Colorado. Russians and Americans dock together in space. Dolly is cloned. Perot divides the vote while MTV rocks it. Cartoons go prime time, rock goes garage, and rap goes mainstream. Anti-trust suits go high tech. The dollar faces off against the Euro. Barbara becomes both wife and mother to the President of the U.S. and a first lady becomes Senator then Secretary of State. Hanging chads and Millennium crashes are headline news. Tiger hunts on the greens. The War on Terror follows the shock after the twin towers fall, the Pentagon burns, and heroes crash in Pennsylvania. John Glenn returns to space, Columbia explodes, Rover discovers signs of water on Mars, and the shuttle is retired. Katrina devastates New Orleans and the Mississippi coast. Wall Street gets bailed out as Phelps gathers record gold. The first African-American President takes office January, 2009.
What to know for the EOC
- Explain the significance of the following years as turning points: 1991 (Cold War ends), 2001 (terrorist attacks on World Trade Center and the Pentagon), and 2008 (election of first black president, Barack Obama)
- Describe the causes and key organizations and individuals of the conservative resurgence of the 1990s
- Describe U.S. involvement in world affairs, including the end of the Cold War, the Persian Gulf War, the Balkans Crisis, 9/11, and the global War on Terror
- Identify significant social and political advocacy organizations, leaders, and issues across the political spectrum
- Evaluate efforts by global organizations to undermine U.S. sovereignty through the use of treaties
- Analyze the impact of third parties on presidential elections
- Discuss the historical significance of the 2008 presidential election
- Discuss the solvency of long-term entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare
- Analyze the impact of physical and human geographic factors on the levee failure in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina
- Discuss the role of American entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates, Sam Walton, Estee Lauder, Robert Johnson, Lionel Sosa, and millions of small business entrepreneurs who achieved the American dream
- Identify the impact of international events, multinational corporations, government policies, and individuals on the 21st century economy
- Explain constitutional issues raised by federal government policy changes during times of significant events, including 9/11
- Describe the effects of political scandals, including Bill Clinton's impeachment, on the views of U.S. citizens concerning trust in the federal government and its leaders
- Discuss the role of contemporary government legislation in the private and public sectors such as the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
- Evaluate the pros and cons of U.S. participation in international organization and treaties
- Evaluate the impact of relationships among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government, including the presidential election of 2000
- Identify the political, social, and economic contributions of women such as Oprah Winfrey
- Explain how space technology and exploration improve the quality of life
- Understand how the free enterprise system drives technological innovation and its application in the marketplace such as cell phones, inexpensive personal computers, and global positioning product
Review Resources
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