Race to the space

On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri A. Gagarin became the first human in space. Since in this period of time the United States and the Soviet Union were big rivals in nearly every aspect of life, the Americans were crushed when they found out that they lost this “challenge”. Kennedy saw the success of the Soviet Union as a challenge to make it better. In less than a month, the Americans had duplicated the Soviet’s feat.

 In the same year, a satellite called “Telstar” sent live television pictures across the Atlantic from the States to Europe.

Meanwhile the NASA (America’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration) constructed a new launch facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and a control center in Houston, Texas. Everybody remembers the famous line from the Apollo 11, which was in trouble in space and sent a help request with the words “Houston, we have a problem”.

Seven Years later, on July 1969 America celebrated a big success in space history: Neil Armstrong was the first person ever to walk on the moon.

There are live television pictures of the first steps on the moon. Some people believe, that this mission wasn’t real and that this was filmed in a studio. These conspiracy theories are mostly quiet now but in the early ‘70’s, a lot of people believed in them. 

Neil Armstrong on the moon, 1969

Women and Political Power

Countless American women played an important role in U.S. History. They stood up for their rights and the issues they believed in. They fought for their political power and for being accepted in politics.  

1770s - Protest against the british

American women participated strongly in the protests against the british conquerers. Some of them didn't use british material anymore, what was a little part of the protest, or they took more active roles, as Mary Goddard, a printer who printed the first copy of the Declaration of Independence.

1848

Women suffered from their unequal status in society, their lack of suffrage and that they weren't allowed to vote. 

In 1848, two great women - Elisabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott  founded the first women suffrage movement in the US. at the Seneca Falls, N.Y.

They demanded more rights for women pus the right to vote. 

1920 - Right to vote

Women started to demonstrate, to get the attention of the public for their problems so they would support the Amendment. 

In 1920, more than fifty years after the first demandment for more rights for women, the United States adopted the Nineteenth Amandment, which allowed women to vote.  

1972 - 1982 - Equal Right Movement

When women entered the workforce, they noticed, that there's still a lack of equal payment for equal work. 

Although many people supported the Equal Right Amendment, they feared it would prompt unwanted change. 

The Amendment failed to be ratified for the Constitution. 

2001 - Women in Congress

Many women have made their way into leading positions - politically as well as socially and economically. 

In the 107th Congress, 60 women served the House and 13 women served the Senate. 

by Miriam