UNIT 8 — Chapters 37–40 Notes
Chapter 37 – A Sea of Troubles: 1973–1980
Post–Vietnam + Political Mess
● Roe v. Wade (1973) → Supreme Court legalizes abortion nationwide. Huge debate right
away.
● Watergate
○ Nixon’s people break into the Democratic HQ.
○ Cover-up gets exposed; the tapes show Nixon was involved.
○ Nixon resigns in 1974 so he doesn’t get impeached.
Gerald Ford (1974–1977)
● Becomes president after Nixon leaves.
● Immediately pardons Nixon, which made a lot of people mad.
● U.S. economy struggling: stagflation (inflation + slow growth).
● Ford tries “WIN” program but it doesn’t help much.
Vietnam Ends
● Fall of Saigon (1975) → North Vietnam wins; U.S. pulls out completely.
● U.S. dealing with “Vietnam Syndrome”—people don’t want more war.
Foreign Policy Moves
● Helsinki Accords → U.S., USSR, and others agree on human rights and borders.
● A step toward easing Cold War tension.
Bicentennial (1976)
● America turns 200 → big patriotic moment after a rough decade.
1976 Election
● Jimmy Carter, a “regular guy” from Georgia, wins.
● Promises honesty after Watergate.
Carter’s Presidency
● Focused a lot on human rights.
● Constant energy issues, inflation, gas lines. People unhappy with the economy.
Wins
● Camp David Accords (1978) → peace deal between Egypt & Israel.
● SALT II → nuclear arms agreement with USSR (never officially approved).
Iran Problems
● Iranian Revolution (1979) → U.S.-backed Shah gets overthrown.
● Iranian Hostage Crisis → 52 Americans held 444 days.
● Makes Carter look weak and hurts his chances for reelection.
Chapter 38 – The Resurgence of Conservatism: 1980–1992
1980 Election
● Ronald Reagan wins big over Carter.
● Rise of conservative politics + religious right.
Reaganomics
● Supply-side economics: cut taxes so businesses invest and economy grows.
● Military spending goes way up.
● Early recession → then big recovery, but national debt grows.
Cold War Approach
● Reagan takes a hard stance on the USSR.
● SDI (“Star Wars”) → idea for a space-based missile defense system.
● But things change when Gorbachev becomes Soviet leader.
○ Glasnost = more openness
○ Perestroika = economic reforms
● INF Treaty (1987) cuts nuclear missiles.
Major Problems
● Iran-Contra → U.S. sells weapons to Iran and secretly uses the money to help Contra
rebels (illegal).
● Black Monday (1987) → biggest stock market crash at the time.
1988 Election
● George H. W. Bush (Reagan’s VP) wins.
Things That Happened
● Tiananmen Square protests (1989) in China crushed by the government.
● Cold War ends after Eastern Europe breaks away from USSR influence.
● Persian Gulf War (1991) → U.S. drives Iraq out of Kuwait. Quick victory.
● ADA (1990) → protects rights of people with disabilities.
● NAFTA talks begin, setting up future trade deal.
Chapter 39 – America Confronts the Post–Cold War Era: 1992–2000
1992 Election
● Bill Clinton wins by presenting himself as a more modern Democrat.
● Ross Perot runs as an independent and pulls a lot of votes.
Domestic Issues
● Economy rebounds in mid-90s.
● Clinton pushes for health care changes—fails.
● NAFTA (1994) → trade deal with U.S., Canada, Mexico.
● WTO forms to regulate global trade.
Terrorism in the U.S.
● 1993 WTC bombing → first terrorist attack attempt on the towers.
● Oklahoma City bombing (1995) → domestic terrorism; federal building destroyed.
Republican Takeover
● Newt Gingrich leads Republicans to win Congress with “Contract with America.”
1996 Election
● Clinton wins again.
● Passes welfare reform and reduces federal deficit.
Clinton Scandal
● Monica Lewinsky scandal → Clinton impeached for lying under oath.
● Senate acquits him; he stays in office.
2000 Election
● Bush vs. Gore → super close.
● Florida recount becomes a disaster because of hanging chads.
● Supreme Court decides → Bush wins.
● Y2K panic turns out to be nothing.
Chapter 40 – The American People Face a New Century: 2001–2018
Early Bush Years
● 9/11 attacks (2001) by Al Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden.
● Huge change in U.S. foreign policy and security.
War on Terror
● Patriot Act → expands government surveillance.
● War in Afghanistan to take down the Taliban and find bin Laden.
● War in Iraq (2003) → U.S. removes Saddam Hussein, accused of having WMDs (not
found).
Other Events
● 2004 Election → Bush wins again.
● Hurricane Katrina (2005) → massive disaster; government criticized heavily.
● 2008 Great Recession starts → housing crash + major economic downturn.
2008 Election
● Barack Obama wins → first African-American president.
Obama Administration
● Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) expands health insurance.
● Tea Party movement pushes back on spending/taxes.
● Osama bin Laden killed (2011).
● Occupy Wall Street protests inequality.
● Citizens United (2010) → allows unlimited corporate political spending.
● 2012 Election → Obama wins again.
● Dream Act debated for immigrant protections.
Politics Get Messy
● Lots of government gridlock in Congress.
2016 Election
● Trump vs. Clinton → highly divisive election.
● Trump wins despite losing popular vote.
Trump Presidency
● Mueller investigation into Russian election interference.
● Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed (2017).
● Impeachment #1 → Ukraine call; Trump acquitted.
Major Events
● COVID-19 pandemic hits worldwide.
● BLM movement gains major national attention.
● Country extremely politically divided.