Module 10: Civil Unrest - The 1960s and the 1970s

Martina and Terrance witness the rocket launch that carried men to the moon

When they began this journey, Terrance and Martina understood that Americans were afraid of communism and nuclear warfare. Therefore, the idea of containment spread throughout the American home front. However, not all Americans agreed with the United States’ involvement in Vietnam. In fact, several presidents felt that not only did they have to battle the North Vietnamese but also the Americans who disagreed with the war efforts. Nixon was the first president to put a plan in place toward ending American involvement in the Vietnam War. This plan was “Vietnamization.”

When Nixon resigned from office after the Watergate scandal, “Vietnamization” ended. Nonetheless, all presidents during the Cold War era found that they needed to focus on foreign policy issues in order to deal with concerns of containment, and to appease Americans who feared communism. Of all the presidents during this time period, Kennedy was one of the most influential. He fought to make sure the United States was in top condition to withstand a constant battle with the USSR, including putting a man on the moon and making sound decisions during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Unfortunately, President Kennedy’s assassination in 1963 cut his term short, and prevented Americans from realizing his full influence.

While President Kennedy and Americans fought to keep communism out of the country, the Supreme Court was busy with the issue of civil rights within the country. In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court reversed the Plessy v. Ferguson verdict. It contended that separate public institutions were inherently unequal, and therefore all public schools would have to become desegregated. This case demonstrates the active role of the Supreme Court. In particular, the Supreme Court took an active role in protecting the constitutional rights of all citizens including the actions committed by government officials.