Semester Project: Create Web Site

What decade will you select? Which four topics? If you have an interest in sports, select a particular sport and focus on a team like the 1970's Oakland A's. Maybe you like the cultural aspects of the 1960s? Select one aspect like music. There was the Motown Sound with artists like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and The Supremes. Politics of 1980's? Think Ronald Reagan. Economics are your thing. Think gasoline shortages, voodoo economics, stock market crash of 1987.

Space Program

The space race began on April 12, 1961, when the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. John F. Kennedy saw this as a challenge and decided that the US would pass the Soviets by sending a man to the moon. And we did it. America's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) began to construct new launch facilities at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and a mission control center in Houston, Texas. President Kennedy appointed Vice President Johnson as chairman of NASA shortly after they assumed office in 1961. 

Seven years after Gagarin's space trip, Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the moon. It was July 20, 1969. Because of the space program, universities expanded their science programs. The huge federal funding for research and development gave rise to new industries and technologies, many of which could be used in businesses and industry and also in new consumer goods. Space and defense-related industries sprang up in the Southern and Western, which grew rapidly.

Rosa Parks

Rosa Louise Parks is now known as the "mother of the civil rights movements". She
refused to give up her seat to a white male passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus after a long day of work on December 1, 1955. She answered that she did not think that she had to give up her seat when the bus driver asked her why she did not get up and move. According to Parks, she was not physically tired. Instead, she was tired of giving in and being treated unfairly. She was arrested and charged for violating part of the Montgomery City code that dealt with segregation law, though the law stated that no passengers were to be forced to give up a seat or stand when the bus became too crowded. Parks determined that this would be the last time she would suffer such kind of humiliation. "I had not planned to be arrested. "
Local civil rights activists initiated a boycott of the Montgomery bus system after learning about the incident. On December 5, most African American in the city residents walked or arranged rides, very little African- Americans rode the bus that day. Martin Luther King and the other African-American community leaders held another meeting to organize future action. Their organization was called the Montgomery Improvement Association and King was elected as the president. White community fought back with terrorism and harassment. This boycott continued for over a year. On November 13, 1956 the Court declared that Alabama's state and local laws that required segregation on buses were no longer legal. The boycott lasted 381 days and was successful.

Space Race

The space race between Soviet Union and the Unite State lasted over decade. Both countries, the United State and Soviet Union, wanted to prove their scientific superiority and to show their military strength.

In 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite, Sputnik. The successful launch of Sputnik represented the scientific superiority of the Soviet Union. In response, John F. Kennedy declared a goal, which is to land a man on the Moon before the Soviets.
In 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is formed in the United States. In the same year, the United States launches its first satellite, Explorer I.
In 1959, The Soviet Union launched Luna 2. This was the first space probe to hit the moon.
In 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to orbit the Earth. Also in 1961, American astronaut Alan Shepard traveled into space in Freedom 7.
In 1962, John Glenn, Jr. became the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth.

It seemed that the Soviet Union took the lead the space race; however, the United State surpassed Soviet Union by successfully sending the first man to the moon. In July 21st, 1969, Apollo 11 mission landed Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin on the moon. Armstrong became the first human to walk on the moon. The mission fulfilled President John F. Kennedy's goal, and the United States won the space race by reaching the moon first.

Race to Space

America’s space program originally developed from the competition between the US and the Soviet Union. As a struggle for obtaining national pride, the US and the Soviet Union engaged in a space race competition to prove themselves as the most technologically advanced nation.
The US had a poor start in the space race, for on October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite. Sputnik traveled at 18,000 miles per hour, completing revolutions around the earth every 96 minutes. In light of this triumph of Soviet technology, the US worked hastily to complete their own space satellite; the first US satellite launch ended in failure, as the rocket collapsed onto the ground. However, the US was able to successfully launch its first satellite in January 31, 1958.
Reasons for the Soviet Union’s victory in the space race comes from the US’s reluctance to build missiles during the Cold War. At the time, the US government found research of missile production cost ineffective; considering how the current Air Force was already capable of dropping bombs, the need for missile research seemed unnecessary. As a result, the Soviet Union was more developed in missile research; because the mechanics of missile research was applied to the research of launching the first satellite into space, the Soviet Union gained an edge in satellite research, and was therefore able to launch Sputnik before the US could produce its first satellite.
Despite the Soviet Union’s victory in launching the first satellite into space, the true winner remains a debatable issue. The Soviet Union researchers believe they won the space race for a few reasons. In addition to the launch of Sputnik as the first satellite launched into to space, the Soviet Union—now Russia—believes that they won the space race for launching the first man into space. On April 12, 19621, Yuri Gargarin, a Soviet astronaut, became the first man to travel into space. In addition, the Soviet Union launched the first probe to land on the Moon. Luna 2, the first Soviet prove, landed on the Moon on September 13, 1959. On the contrary, the US saw themselves as the winners of the space race, for launching the first man into the Moon. The Apollo 11 mission ended with Neil Armstrong and his team landing on the moon on July 21st, 1969.
The Space Race was not only a great advancement in US and Soviet technology, but it was a significant aspect of the cultural competition held between the two countries. Although the true victor of the space race may be unclear, it is evident that this competition drove two successful nations to make great advancements astrophysics technology.


Written by: Marlin and Jason

Era of Violence: John F. Kennedy Assassination

On the morning of November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy visited Dallas, Texas. He and his wife Jackie came to mend political fences with members of the state’s Democratic Party. In the fall of 1963 opinion polls stated that Kennedy lost a lot of popularity. Nevertheless he was still well loved in the States.
Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy shared a limo with Texas Governor John Connally and his wife Nellie on his way to the Texas School Book Depository. The Kennedy’s sat in the back of the limousine. As they approached the building, two gunshots were fired, and John F. Kennedy was shot in the head. He was rushed to the hospital but was unable to be revived.
The whole nation was in shock. Even today people who can remember the day of Kennedy’s assassination can recall exactly where they were and what they were doing.
24-year old Marine Lee Harvey Oswald was charged with the assassination of Kennedy. Earlier, he was dishonorably discharged and lived in the Soviet Union for a short while. He was an open supporter of Castro and believed in Communism. While he was being transferred between jails, a man broke through the crowd and killed him.
On the day of John F. Kennedy’s funeral, the 25 of November, all worked stopped while everyone in the nation watched his burial on TV. Lyndon Johnson became president and was sworn into office aboard Air Force One.
In 1963 the Warren Commission opened an investigation and concluded that Oswald had killed the president on his own and was not, like many believed, part of a conspiracy. In 1979 there was a reinvestigation, which stated that Oswald was part of a conspiracy and that two people had fired at the president. Explanations ranged from it being a plot from either anti-Castro Cubans, a Communist-sponsored attack or a conspiracy by the CIA.
America learned from this assassination that their government system was very strong and a crisis like that could not make it fall. In a speech Johnson expressed his hope that “from the brutal loss of our leader we will derive not weakness but strength”.




Miriam & Yasmeen

The Significant Flights

Tuskegee Airmen

The Tuskegee Airmen was a highly decorated WWII squadron that consisted of all black men. At the time, this was done for racial segregation due to Jim Crow laws. African Americans suffered discrimination and poor treatment along with segregation because of these Jim Crow laws. The military was yet another place victim to racial segregation. Among the brave men, fought the all African American squadron named the Tuskegee Airmen.

The Tuskegee Airmen became the first African American military airmen. The men hailed from all around the country including Los Angeles, New York, Detroit, and Philadelphia. The men were trained as single engine and double engine pilots at the Tuskegee Army Air Field, hence the name of the squadron. From 1941 to 1946, 996 pilots received their wings there and 450 went on to serve in the 99th Pursuit Squadron or the 332nd Fighter Group.

The first victory against an enemy aircraft was in Sicily. This feat has led to other crucial aerial skirmishes between the Germans and the Tuskegee Airmen where the Airmen, yet again, defeated their foes in the air. This historic victory led to many accomplishments. For one, Mussolini surrendered soon after their victory. They also won two distinguished unit citations, which is the military’s highest commendation, for their outstanding aerial combat against the Germans.

It is said that the Tuskegee airmen had to fight two wars – one against the military forces and one against inescapable racism. Even after their remarkable war records, the Tuskegee airmen did not receive much recognition after returning from war. They continued to face bigotry and racism abroad. However, the airmen were well valued in the Air Force where many units needed the black personnel but could not work with them due to segregation policies. This held until 1948, when President Harry Truman enacted Executive Order Number 9981, which directed equality of treatment and opportunity in all of the United States Armed Forces. Integration of the airmen began soon after that.

The Tuskegee Airmen were role models for future African Americans who, facing racism, would join the military. This plays a huge role because despite segregation, oppression, and racism, Africans will continue to show their respect for their country. This signifies the coming end to segregation in the future.

-Felix, Kevin

Space Program in the 1960's

In the early 1960’s space became a huge part of the race of progressivism and advancement. By 1961 the Soviet Union sent the first man into space, a man named Yuri A Gagarin. The United States took this as a challenge of who could progress further into the exploration of space and the advancement of space technology. Kennedy decided that America would be the first to send a man to walk on the moon,

            In 1958 Lyndon Johnson had founded the space program called NASA, which stood for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. As John F. Kennedy’s Vice President, Johnson was appointed chairman of NASA to overview and to see if a lunar landing was feasible.

            By July 16, 1969 Apollo 11 was launched into space by the NASA program. It was commanded by Neil Armstrong and consequentially he was the first man on the moon.

            This major accomplishment of the space program instigated major expansion and development in the field of science and space. Many Universities, which expanded and developed many new industries. New space programs in the southern and Western States grew exponentially.

McCarthyism

McCarthyism is political motive of accusing people of disloyalty, and treason with no evidence. These attacks were on suspected communist in the early 1950’s. Senator, Joseph McCarthy, the most famous anti communists activist of the 1950’s. Even though he had a reputation of being an ineffective legislator. In 1950, he realized he needed a winning issue to be reelected in 1952. Searching for such an issue, McCarthy charged that communists were talking over the government, and this is how McCarthyism was born. Some causes of McCarthyism were: soviets successfully establish Communist regimes in Easter Europe after WWII, Soviets develop the atomic bomb more quickly than expected, Korean War ends in a stalemate, Republicans gain politically by accusing Truman and Democrats of being on Communism. Some effects of these causes are: Americans were subjected to taking loyalty oath and undertaking loyalty investigations, and Many Americans were afraid of speaking about their minds. In 1954, McCarthy made accusations against the U.S army, which accused a national televised Senate investigation. McCarthy’s bullying of witnesses caused him to loose the support of the public. The Senate condemned McCarthy for improper conduct that “tended to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute.” Three years later he died from alcoholism, ending the McCarthyism era.


by Da Vonnia, and Edoardo

Who Shot JKF?

Who is JFK?
JFK is John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States. Originally a senator from Massachusetts, Kennedy who provided a more youthful and charismatic view of the Federal Government. As he was the second youngest and the first Roman Catholic president, many doubted his abilities. But JFK was able to trumph these doubts with his charming and convincing appearances during the televised debates in the election of 1960, where he outshone competitor Richard Nixon. In addition, his support for the Civil Rights Movement captured the attention- and votes- of many in the African-American community.

Tensions Arise
Despite his well-accepted popularity in the United States, there were still those, particularily in the South, who aggresively opposed his stance on Civil Rights. The passionate opposition radically increased after JFK had his Attorney General, Robert (Bobby) Kennedy and the justice department investigate lynchings there. He also prestented Congress with a major Civil Rights Bill, instigating further opposition to his policies.

Kennedy had (albeit more reluctantly than Republican Eisenhower) also adopted the same anti-communist stance that the US government was expected to keep in the Cold War against the USSR. He approved the Bay of Pigs attack by Cuban counter-revolutionaries and CIA operatives. Later, he took the blame for its failure and negotiated with Fidel Castro for the release of the captured agents. He stood firm during the Soviet missile crisis, forcing Soviet ships providing nuclear weapons to Cuba, and denied Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev from blockading West Berlin during the building of the Berlin wall. Although this culled some favor among Americans, it clearly angered one man...

The Assassination
In response to the downward trend of popularity among Southern voters, the first family visited Dallas, Texas on November, 22nd, 1963. As JFK, his wife, Jacqueline and Governor,John Connally, traveled through the streets of Dallas, they recieved a surprisingly warm welcome from the citizens. Near the Texas School Book Depository, Nelly, the governor's wife said to JFK, "Dallas [is] friendly to you today."
At that moment, a rifle was fired, and a bullet penatrated the back of President Kennedy's skull. Despite an efficent rush to the hospital and frantic attempts by doctors, John F. Kennedy was dead.

The Assassin
Soon Americans crowded around their TV sets; everyone had the same question-- who dun it?

mericans watched Dallas police charge Lee Harvey Oswald- whose fingerprints were found on the rifle used in the assassination- with the murder. Oswald, who had deserted the Marines after a dishonorable discharge, had lived in the USSR and had been a supporter of Fidel Castro. There was even some evidence that his family had been white supremacists. Unfortunately for investigators, two days after the assassination, Oswald himself was killed by nightclub owner Jack Ruby while he was being transfered between jails.

The Aftermath
Many different government organizations and individuals have held multiple theories about the murder. The original 1963 Warren Commission stated that these were the actions of a single madman, but a1979 re-investigation hinted at conspiracy and discovered that Oswald was not the only shooter that day. Other explanations have included Cuban counter-revolutionaries, USSR connections, and a CIA cover-up.

While we did lose a great leader, the US showed its resilience in the smooth transition to the Johnson Presidency. The night Kennedy was killed, Vice President Lyndon Johnson took the oath of office aboard Air Force One, and with his own style of leadership, continued the same reforms begun by JFK, which would be seen in the late 60s.

-Gayan and Cat

The Kennedy Administration

JOHN F. KENNEDY and his influence on America

John F. Kennedy (JFK) was a Massachusetts senator before winning the presidency in 1960. His support of civil rights won him the votes of some of the African American demographic and along with his performance in the televised debate, he was able to pull through the election barely ahead of Nixon.
JFK was also very involved with his family. His was the first family to ever occupy the White House, which fascinated the American public. People were very interested in all of their habits and followed each and every action of the young family.
The New Frontier was Kennedy's vision of progress and he focused on a policy of increased spending to help pull the US Economy out of its recession. He also increased minimum wage, unemployment insurance, and gave special assistance to areas with high unemployment rates.
One great accomplishment is that Kennedy began the Peace Corps, a volunteer program that provided assistance to developing nations. He was very concerned with helping people in whatever way he could. Another program he founded was Alliance for Progress which offered economic support to Latin American countries.
In 1963, Kennedy began focusing on domestic issues like civil rights and he also brought forth a tax cut proposal. He was known for having a very bright administration surrounding him and backing him up. McGeorge Bundy, a Harvard University Dean, and Ford Motor Company President Robert McNamara were secretary of defense and secretary of state. His greatest adviser was his brother Robert who he appointed as attorney general.
However, in 1963 his work was cut short when he was assassinated and killed by Lee Harvey Oswald. The tragedy hit the nation hard and people were devastated by the lost of a great leader.



-Hannah and Mingming

1950's Culture

Life in the 1950's after World War II was often called the "American Dream". It was an age of conformity, suburbs, and the middle class.

Business boomed in the 1950's and more and more people were in the middle class and more and more middle class were working white collar instead of blue collar jobs. The prospering businesses stressed the importance of conformity to standardize the ideal worker. This was good in keeping everything organized and standardized, but its disadvantage was that it discouraged individuality and creativity.

The lack of goods during the war cause people to buy new things almost carelessly in the 1950's after the war ended. People wanted a comfortable life, good job, health and happy family, and an affordable house and car. Now that vehicles and highways were becoming more widespread and affordable, people began to live away from cities although many still worked there because they now had an easy means or transporting to work. People set up neighborhoods around cities called suburbs that fit the American dream of a comfortable life and conformity with its ideal nice neighbors, "cookie-cutter" houses, and the almost (socially) required car per family. 

In addition to the standardized suburbs, people bought other things that came to symbolize the American dream. Household items and products were especially popular as the new and important television portrayed women as housewives buying new "must-have" appliances. The increase in leisure time due to the increase of people buying time-saving, labor-saving appliances and having better jobs, caused the the increase of people pursuing various recreational entertainments and buying many books to read for entertainment. Consumerism was soon seen as a meter for success because it showed how much money a family had and how well off they were to have all these good they were denied from having during the war.

by Nicky

Mccarthyism

Joseph McCarthy was a anti communist activist. He was a republican from Wisconsin. After learning he was an ineffective legislature he looked for a winning issue in order to be elected in 1952. Looking for an issue McCarthy stated that communists were taking over the American government. He took advantage of peoples fear of communism and made countless claims against innocent people. These attacks on the "suspected" communists became known as McCarthyism.
During the period he was in the senate, he made accusations of having in his hands the names of 57, 81 and 205 communists in the senate, but he never actually gave a single name. He also accused the entire democratic party of 20 years of treason for allowing communist infiltration of the government. Another tactic he used was only stating his accusations in the senate, where he had legal immunity from being sued for slander.
Republicans did very little to stop the madness because they wanted him to win the presidential election based on his popularity. However, in 1940 his plan backfired, when he made accusations against the U.S. army. This resulted in a nationally televised investigation, and because of this he lost public support. The senate condemned him for improper conduct, and three years later he died from alcoholism.
There are a wide variety of effects McCarthyism had on the American people. For example, millions of Americans were forced to loyalty oaths and undergo investigations. It also caused many people to be scared and question their right of free speech. Anti-communism continues to drive U.S. foreign policy even today.

1950s Culture

During the 1950s, World War II just ended, and Americans had to readjust to post-war life. The fear of another Great Depression and the fear of a nuclear war caused Americans to strive for conformity and economic security. This led to the American Dream, or the ideal way of living for the people in the 1950s.

The American Dream included things for people of all types. For men, it was ideal to get a white-collar job, or clerical, managerial, or professional occupations. Unlike blue-collar jobs, white-collar workers tended to work in sales and advertising. White-collar jobs also paid more. However, this financial security came with a price. Businesses do not like creative thinkers or rebels. This created a loss of individuality for individuals.

For women, the role of a homemaker and mother was glorified in the 1950s. It was the dream of many women to work at home and become the "keeper" of the family. However, this led to dissatisfaction among some women. The boredom of being at home and the lack of fulfillment in their lives caused more and more women to work outside of home. Even so, jobs for women outside of the house were limited to nursing, teaching, and office support. Women were also paid less for the same amount of work.

In addition to creating ideals for men and women, the 1950s introduced teenagers to the world. With the conformity of life and the increased usage of television, young adults deviated from the ways of their parents and formed a culture of their own. With icons like James Dean, Marlon Brando, and Elvis Presley, teenagers popularized rebelliousness, having fun, and rock 'n' roll.

Of course, culture of the 1950s could not have flourished without the use of cars. During this decade, the creation of new suburbs made owning a car a necessity. This caused the automotive industry to flourish, stimulating production and providing jobs in related areas. Drive-in movies, drive-thru franchises, restaurants, and shopping malls became popular. However, this automania was also deadly. Car accidents increased every year, and traffic jams raised stress levels. The necessity of cars also created a wider gap between the middle class and the poor.

The culture of the 1950s was influenced by the need for conformity and economic stability. This caused men to want white-collar jobs, women to want to become homemakers and mothers, and teenagers to rebel from the conformity that their parents liked. All this is supported and emphasized by the availability of automobiles.

- Angela

1950's Culture

The 1950's reflected a period of extreme conformity. Businesses such as McDonald's developed into franchises and conglomerates. Society became standardized, and with it the work became standardized. Individuality was repressed in face of economic advancement.

Consumerism also experienced an increase. Material goods became equated with success, and people bought hundreds of new products. Recreational items such as televisions, tape recorders, and record players were also popular; many tasks were being completed by electrical household appliances and Americans founds themselves with more and more leisure time.

Household appliances were not the only ubiquitous products. Automobiles suddenly became and available commodity when the war ended. The abundance of petroleum led to inexpensive and plentiful fuel for consumers. Conforming, suburban residents found themselves in need of a car to drive to their jobs in the cities.

But not all aspects of society had the opportunity to live like this. The mass movement of white Americans from the cities to the suburbs took economic resources away with them. The rural poor were forced to migrate to the inner cities. Most of those who were affected were minority groups.

-Grace Mi

April - Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month. The Gunn Library is celebrating poetry month by displaying poetry from the Gunn community. If you would like to participate, see Ms. Omainsky, our new librarian.