September 11th, 2001. "Nine/Eleven"

Although President George W. Bush described himself as a "compassionate conservative", the terrorist attacks that took place on September 11th, 2001, would change the direction of his presidency.

Osama bin Laden was born in 1957 and grew up in Saudi Arabia.  In 1998 he had formed a terrorist group called Al-Qaeda. ("the base".) Many American officials believe that Osama was a major contributor to four major terrorist attacks on the U.S. before Nine/Eleven even happened.  They also believe that Osama's associates operated in over 40 countries, including the U.S. and Europe, as well as the Middle East and Asia.

On September 11th, 2001, at 8:45 a.m. an American Airlines Flight 11, carrying 92 people, crashed into the World Trade Center's north tower.  Just eighteen 18 minutes later, another flight carrying 75 people struck the World Trade Center's south tower. At 9:40 a.m. yet another flight crashed into the Pentagon.  It had 64 people aboard.  At 9:50 a.m. the south tower collapsed, and 39 minutes later, the north tower did the same.

More Americans died in 2 hours that day than in the Civin War battle of Antietam on September 17th, 1862.

A Reflection On Vietnam

Vietnam was an unjust tragedy to the people that it effected.  People were scared emotionally and physically, and the people who experienced Vietnam could tell you that Napalm burns never heal.  Cities were distorted, homes were burned, families were seperared an lives were lost. 

The 1960's: Overview

The 1960's brought forth many events that went down in history as major game changers for the United States.  African American students, although were said to be set free from slavery, were still slaves to social decorum and boundaries.  Their efforts to push for equal rights led the federal government to pass the Civil Right Act in 1964, prohibiting social and educational discrimination.

The Civil Right Act inspired other groups to bring their "injustices" to the light, such as feminist groups fighting for equal educational and job opportunities, and Mexican Americans fighting for  more education programs and increased political power.  Native Americans pushed for control over their land, resources, and preservation of their native cultures.  Gays and Lesbians opted to end legal discrimination based on their (chosen) sexual attractions.

The Rosenburg Case

In 1951, a couple who's names were Julius and Ethel Rosenburg were found guilty by judge Irving Kaufman for having passing atomic secrets to Soviet agents.  This is was all in the midst of the Korean War.  The couple's punishment was death by the Electric Chair. Judge Irving Kaufman told the Rosenburgs: "I consider your crime worse than murder."

World War II and it's effects

WWII involved the most nations, (nearly 60) killed more human beings and cost the most money any other war in history.  It had 70 million people in it's service, and killed 17 million combatants. The Civilian deaths, however, racked an even higher number, with 19 million Soviet citizens, 10 million Chinese, and 6 million European Jews left dead.  35 million Human citizens died altogether because of this war.

The war started on September 1st, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland.  The United states entered the war when attacked by Japan on the U.S. Pacific fleet in Hawaii.  (This is known as Pearl Harbor) That same year, Albert Einstein wrote a letter to President Roosevelt, giving him warning that the Nazi's might have the chance to build an atomic bomb.  This is when the secret $2 billion Manhattan Project started, and the race to build the first atomic bomb was on.

 On July 16th, 1945, in the New Mexico desert, the Manhattan Project was tested.  The first atomic bomb exploded.  This was what eventually ended the war, when America bombed Japan twice, ending the World Wide Suffering yet again.  This decision was the most controversial decision in all of military history.