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Twentieth-Century Americans: 1960-2000
The closing decades of the twentieth century were marked by social and political upheaval. During the 1960s, amidst the diverse war raging in Vietnam and multiple assassinations at home, the United States witnessed great strides in civil rights, the flourishing of Pop art, the introduction of hard rock, and a Cold War victory in the space race. With the 1970s came the Watergate scandal, a critical energy shortage, and an end to the Vietnam War. We celebrated the nation's bicentennial, danced to disco, and watched as Americans were taken hostage in Iran. The 1980s brought the rise of Reagan conservatism, fallout from the Iran Contra affair, and the onset of the AIDS crisis. The first Apple computer was introduced; hip-hop gained popularity; and a new focus on multiculturalism emerged. In the twentieth century's final decade, the global landscape changed dramatically with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Americans served in the first Gulf War; the president survived impeachment, and we prepared for Y2K. |