Summary
The devastating assassination of John F. Kennedy left the presidency in the hands of Lyndon B. Johnson. Implementing his "Great Society" programs, Johnson vowed to eradicate poverty, revitalize America's cities, and support the civil rights movement. Most of his achievements were soon overshadowed as he deepened the country's involvement in Vietnam and as two more high-profile assassinations—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy—caused civil unrest in America. As Johnson passed the buck to Richard Nixon, the conflict in Vietnam escalated. Issues with energy and oil availability began to destabilize the economy, causing a recession that would last through the Watergate scandal. Ronald Reagan's presidency would bring with it the end of the Cold War and a renewed sense of patriotism, but peace would not last forever, and the terrorist attacks on the U.S. in 2001 would shape America's policies well into the 21st Century.
Explore America's most recent history in Modern America: 1964–Present, Updated Edition, from the political and social movements of the 1960s and 1970s to the War on Terror and the Affordable Care Act. This timely, updated eBook serves as a time capsule of the era, bringing to life the people and events that have shaped the nation through a clear and entertaining narrative and lively full-color and black-and-white photographs and illustrations. Students will find this eBook valuable for reports, a prime supplement to textbooks, or simply engaging reading.
About the Author(s)
Tim McNeese is an associate professor of history at York College in York, Nebraska, where he has been teaching for more than 15 years. McNeese earned an associate's degree from York College, a B.A. in history and political science from Harding University, and an M.A. in history from Missouri State University. He has published more than 100 books and educational materials over the past 20 years on everything from Picasso to landmark Supreme Court decisions. His writing has earned him a citation in the library reference work Contemporary Authors. In 2006, McNeese appeared on the History Channel program Risk Takers/History Makers: John Wesley Powell and the Grand Canyon.
Richard Jensen is a research professor at Montana State University, Billings. He has published 11 books on a wide range of topics in American political, social, military, and economic history, as well as computer science. He earned his Ph.D. from Yale and has taught at numerous colleges and universities, including Michigan, Harvard, Illinois–Chicago, and West Point.