History of USA

HISTORY OF USA

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

First Inhabitants : 

The written history of the New World (USA), of course, begins with the arrival of Europeans in 1492. However, there were tens of thousands of years earlier people on the American continent. Between 20,000 and 30,000 BC. were the first inhabitants of the North American continent from Asia pulled the current America. These people, named by Christopher Columbus mistakenly Indians eventually spread across the continent, from the north into Canada to the tip of South America. He called them Red Indians.

The original inhabitants spread from the west coast to the east coast and lived there in many different ways. Red Indians on the west coast lived mainly on fishing, in the middle people lived mainly from hunting (bison). There are also remnants of mostly farming communities found. Exact figures on the number of Red Indians is not known, merely the estimates range from 40 to 80 million.

Christopher Columbus and the colonization of the Americas.

In 1492, America was discovered by the explorer Christopher Columbus, in the service of the Spanish king. Before Columbus had already Vikings landed in America around the year 1000. Initially, there were only built some colonies exploitation by the Spaniards, they did not have the authority to continue living there. One particular it was hoped to find a lot of gold. In 1565 was established the colony of St. Augustine in Florida by the Spanish, followed by the British with Jamestown in Virginia today.

In 1619 only created the first settlement colony and were the first women to America. In the 17th century, the settlers group grew rapidly, often at the expense of the indigenous population. The indigenous population was decimated by new diseases and attacks of the settlers., as did the Indios considered.

Early 17th century, the Spaniards already well advanced to the west and was founded in New Mexico in 1609. 

Santa Fe :

From the 17th century, the English arrived on the scene and they settled in 1607 a colony in Virginia. Plymouth colony in Massachusetts was founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims on their famous ship the Mayflower. The following years they were followed by the Puritans who also founded on the east coast, including Boston.

The Englishman Henry Hudson worked for the Republic of the United Netherlands. He discovered the river named after him and began in 1624 with the construction of a settlement on the island of Manhattan, New Netherlands.

In this way, the entire east coast was, as it were divided between the various European powers. However, it was soon clear that England would be the dominant power in this part of America. From Massachusetts developed new colonies such as Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maryland, Carolina, Georgia and Pennsylvania. In 1664 was also conquered the Dutch colony of New Netherlands and stretched the English region extends from Canada to Florida. The Red Indian tribes who lived were subjected in this whole area to the English, often through bloody wars.

War of Independence :

In the beginning, the differences between the various colonies, particularly in economic terms, very large. The North was an area of small dealers while the specific economy of the South was dependent on tobacco, rice and cotton plantations of slavery. Through the joint French enemy in Canada, they drew initially standoff, which led in 1763 to the conquest of Canada after the so-called French and Red Indian War (Seven Years War). The battle cost the motherland very much money to fill were always placed heavy taxes on the colonies greenhouse again.

The resistance against left not long in coming and culminated in a war of independence that was won by the thirteen colonies; at the beginning of the war, on July 2, 1776, the independence was declared and on July 4 was written by Thomas Jefferson "Declaration of Independence" accepted. The American War would last until 1783 and on April 19, 1783, the British recognized their loss in the Treaty of Versailles and withdrew from the United States; The American republic was born. Netherlands was, after France, the second country that the "United States" recognized (1782).

That the thirteen colonies so different once would form a unity turned a utopia. The only joint was, in fact, the "Articles of Confederation", a kind of constitution which, however, upheld in particular the independence of the colonies. There was really only one joint body, the 'Congress', which, however, only met a few times a year. This loose alliance of states was burdened with huge war debts, declining trade, and a missing central authority. The so-called Federalists argued for a stronger authority and a better constitution.

In 1787, there was indeed adopted a new Constitution, a laborious process that was completed only when a so-called "bill of rights" was added to the constitution. The "bill of rights" consisted of ten items that contain human rights. By accepting the new constitution of the thirteen colonies was a Union of the United States and further in 1789, George Washington was the first president, a hero from the war against the British.

Consolidation (1787-1815) :

The new constitution initially appeared to be satisfactory and Washington was supported by excellent staff as Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton on Foreign Affairs on Finance. Hamilton made a case for the trade and industry of the North and was a central government and a sound financial policy. Jefferson, however, was a true southerner who stood for the interests of farmers in the south and more economic freedom and decentralized rights of individual states.

By establishing a National Bank Hamilton received the support of President Washington, and his followers were called the Federalists. The followers of Jefferson were named the Republicans but were not nearly as powerful as in later times. In 1797, Washington was followed by the federalist John Adams, but in 1800, the Republicans won the election and became President Jefferson, who ruled fairly authoritarian. So he bought without consulting Congress in 1803, the Louisiana Territory from the French emperor Napoleon, doubling the territory of the Union. He tried to be scrupulously neutral in European wars that took place at that time.

Among Jefferson's successor, James Madison, America fell in 1812 in a war caught up with the British. The British gained a couple of good wins but in the Treaty of Ghent, the old situation was restored in 1814. After this war, the American could manage to stay more than one hundred years outside European politics. For the domestic politics was important that the Federalists and the Republicans were a party, the National Republicans. Overall, there was indeed a great sense of national unity, so this period is called the "era of good feeling". The president in this quiet period was James Monroe, who installed the Monroe Doctrine. This meant that America wanted to isolate the foreign policy (isolationism).

'Frontier': the trek to the West 

After winning the battle against the British began the trek to the west, and to the so-called "frontier" gradually created the new America. According to many here is democracy in America occur because everyone was equal and had to show himself to rescue a hard life. Also caused many new states, including Kentucky (1792), Tennessee (1796), Ohio (1803), Louisiana (1812), Indiana (1816), Mississippi (1817), Illinois (1819), Alabama (1819), Missouri ( 1821), Arkansas (1836) and Michigan (1837).

By itself sharpening contradictions between North and South was necessary that every time a southern state was admitted to the Union, there would be a northern state in order to maintain the balance in the Senate. At one point the separation between north and south was not to sustain when they continually penetrated to the west. The continuing expansion might even cause was national unity in great danger.

The great Democratization :

The democratic credentials at that time were still not very high because the franchise was far from universal, and the policy was only practiced by a small elite. In 1828, Andrew Jackson came to power, who have made pressure for a genuine process of democratization. The people slowly came out in opposition to the elite and Jackson stood at the side of the people. The party of Jackson also exchanged applicable name and was called the Democratic Party. The old elite united them into a new party, the Whigs, who opposed the dictatorship, according to their "King Andrew".

They called again for a strong federal government, which was mainly concerned with the development of industry and the opening up of the western agricultural areas by connecting it to the industrial centers in the east. However, Jackson was an anti-monopolist, and the rights of the states and a free economy were paramount to him. It was therefore not surprising that the popular Jackson without much difficulty in 1832 was re-elected as president. Following the resignation of Jackson in 1837, a major economic crisis broke out. In this period was almost introduced universal suffrage in all states, and it was thus far ahead of Europe.

The war with Mexico :

During the trek westward only offered resistance some Red Indian tribes. Eventually, they clashed in the southwest of the continent to Mexico, which had separated in 1821 from Spain. Initially attracted thousands of settlers without problems in the Mexican province of Texas. At one point the settlers prevailed and there was in 1833 a conflict with the Mexicans ultimately the proclamation of the Republic of Texas had resulted. The expectation was that America would immediately annex the new republic, but this happened only in 1845. In 1846, the Mexicans tried to win back their territory, but the two-year war ended with the total defeat for the Mexicans, of whom even the capital Mexico City was occupied. At the Peace of Guadeloupe, Mexico had to cede large areas of land in February 1848, including the current Arizona, California and New Mexico.

In 1846, there was also an agreement with the British on the northwestern border with Canada, all under the presidency of James K. Polk. Meanwhile, America had become the most important trading power in the Far East after England and they were therefore forced by the Japanese in 1853 to open its ports to Westerners. The continuing differences between North and South would lead to a veritable civil war in the mid-19th century.

The conflict between North and South ends in a civil war :

The South still stood hostile to the central government, especially since the position of the South compared to the North was becoming weaker. Eventually, escalate the whole problem by the slavery issue. North was abandoned around 1800 this system, strong contrast, the South leaned on the slaves, especially in the cotton plantations. Northern abolitionists (advocates of the abolition of slavery) became fanatical in their plea for the abolition of slavery. The expansion to the west, the problems were increasing, such as the accession to the Union by California, which lay partly in the south and in the north. Often half-hearted compromises were made that never long could provide a real solution.

In 1852 appeared the book by Harriet Beecher Stowe "Uncle Tom's cabin" and thus, the American problem was a global problem. In 1854, it was proposed in the Kansas-Nebraska Act to allow the pioneers decide what to do with slavery. Even this did not work because there arose fierce fighting between supporters and opponents of the abolition of slavery. In 1857, there was still some fuel to the fire by the Supreme Court. This course provided that slaves always and everywhere were released, although a southerner moved to the north. In addition to the abolition of slavery, northerners were also apprehensive about the free passage to the west of the small farmers.

This position led the Whig party was disbanded, again due to the large differences in opinions. The supporters of the North then founded a new party, the Republicans, who also sought a strong central authority. They found also that Congress had to decide whether to abolish slavery.

In 1860, the Republican and notorious slavery fighter was Abraham Lincoln president, and that was for eleven southern states sign to separate from the Union down. In April 1861 for the first time between the two parties was shot and the American Civil War was a fact. North, led by Lincoln won the bloody war in 1865. During the war, in 1863, the slaves were freed by Proclamation by Lincoln and was constitutionally ratified in 1865. On April 14, 1865, Lincoln was assassinated by Southerners. The Civil War took more than 600,000 lives.

Lincoln the victory of the North was proof that the Union did together and that a State could not just leave the Union. Also important was that won the industrial north of the agrarian South, and after the war also began the irresistible revival of American industry. In 1862 was already the West for the settlers as free land opened up by the "Homestead Act".

Reconstruction :

Between 1865 and 1877 the South was occupied by northern troops. The slaves were free but did not get enough support to build an independent existence. In 1877 was the occupation and thus raised the reconstruction.


After the Civil War, the Union recovered at the national level and the South at the regional level. Because the North fully focused on industrial development, was allowed to be the development of the south left.
This arrangement of the North took very bad for blacks in the South, which includes the right to vote was taken away and was often the victim of segregation, racism and discrimination, called "redemption' period.

The industrial expansion
Politically, the United States became the first world war almost constantly governed in 1914 by the Republicans, who mainly had an eye for the industrial development of the North. The big boys among industrialists like Rockefeller, Carnegie and Mellon had amassed so much power (also by corruption and extortion), it was unclear who now ruled the country, the great industrialists of the government in Washington.

On the other hand, they also made the country great through the establishment of universities and museums. Industrial development also took care of many inventions (Edison, Bell). not all of this took away that often economically very bad went with crises in 1873, 1893 and 1907. Widespread corruption also took care of the poor condition of the country wrong.

The great immigration :

The strong industrial growth, there were a lot of extra labor required which had to come from abroad. Millions (1907: 1,285,349 !!) immigrants moved to the United States and the population grew rapidly:

Mid-19th-century immigrant flow was well underway, particularly from Ireland, Germany, and Scandinavia. After 1885, there were many immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, especially Italians and persecuted Jews from Russia.
In the big cities, there was an anti-foreign sentiment and Chinese (1882) and Japanese (1907) were all excluded. In addition, there were not so many more workers necessary for the industry. In 1921 and 1924 immigration laws made sure there were quotas for the different nationalities that they wanted to stem the flow of immigrants.


Political Changes :


Late 19th century there was a third force in American politics, the Populists, consisting of disgruntled peasants and workers. Later this party was almost entirely in the Democratic Party. Early 20th century there was a climate for political reform. After some hesitation the assumed office in 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt was an exponent of the reform thought. However, he began to leave with his reforms and his successor William Howard Taft had the conservatives in the Republican Party the upper hand again. In response, he founded his own party, the Progressives, and was the split in the Republican Party is a fact.

This gave the Democrats Woodrow Wilson's presidency in the lap. Wilson himself was a genuine reformer so that the situation arose that the Republican Party was conservative and the Democrats was the Progressive Party. The Democrats were the party that advocated a strong federal government could make changes. By contrast, the Republicans were more in favor of the rights of the individual states. Through this remarkable "exchange" of basic principles, the Democratic Party has long been the largest party in the country.

The completion of the West :


The trek westward yields often bloody confrontations with the Indians. All treaties between the whites and the Indians were finally breached by the whites, which the Indians were losing more and more of their land. The confidence of the Indians in the whites hit a low point and on and horrible atrocities were committed again. The last major confrontation took place in 1876 when General Custer along with several hundred soldiers was ambushed and massacred was, and in 1890 when 200 Sioux Indians at the Battle of Wounded Knee were killed and fought the last great battle for freedom became.

The physical resistance of the Indians was broken and they were, often under appalling conditions, housed in sanctuaries. Many Indians, however, told them goodbye and tried life in the reserves, mostly in vain, to be incorporated into US society. In 1934 founded the Bureau of Indian Affairs. From that time, there was more attention paid to the reserves by the federal government, now with participation from the Indians themselves. Since that time the cultural identity of the Indians is cherished again and emerged, despite huge economic and social problems, again a clear national consciousness.

US imperialism :


After the Civil War, the United States withdrew into a jealously isolationism, which only diminished with the rise of the industry. In 1875 there was a treaty with Hawaii, in 1878, the Americans received the exclusive rights to the port Pago in Samoa and in 1887 also at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. In 1898. Hawaii joined the United States and fell in the same year America by Cuba at war with Spain. The outcome of this war was that Cuba was under US tutelage. America later acquired the Philippines, Guam, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, and thereby became a colonial power.


The Spanish-American War resulted in Theodore Roosevelt expanded the Monroe doctrine: this meant that each country by domestic problems could not fulfill his obligations, the United States could intervene. And in order to intervene and prevent European intervention, the isolation policy was abandoned altogether. The Regular US intervened; as Panama became detached from Colombia, so it could be dug for America important Panama Canal. America was now even with all nook and cranny of the world to maintain the world's so-called "balance of power". So it could happen that Japan was first supported in his fight against Russia, and after the victory of Japan in 1904/1905 was chosen again for Russia.
The idea was that the United States was called to take over the position of the most powerful state in the world of England. It would not be long before the United States also would join Europe in the struggle for power.

The first World War
When World War I broke out, the government of the United States remained committed to neutrality. They were still involved in 1917 in the fighting in Europe, had several reasons:
-Germany Called unrestricted submarine warfare on February 1, 1917, which also entered the United States danger
-the Americans gave loans to the Europeans and gave ammunition; a German victory would mean a huge loss for the US industry.
-after the announcement of the Zimmermann telegram, Woodrow Wilson declared on April 2, 1917, Germany war.

Circles outside Wilson were worried that the balance of power would be disturbed in the world, with all its consequences for the position of the United States on the world stage.
After a years-long trench warfare and fully adherent front took the Americans finally part in the Great War and Germany was defeated in 1918.
That the United States from this time would play a crucial role in world politics had now become clear. At the Treaty of Versailles with the Frenchman Clemenceau and Lloyd George Englishman, Wilson wanted inextricably linking his idea of a League of Nations to the peace treaty.
The majority of the US Senate, however, was afraid for America's sovereignty and a compromise between Wilson and the Senate was not possible. Moreover, Wilson was hit by a stroke and a more or less logical consequence of the United States again retreated under Republican Warren Harding in isolationism.

interwar
Ne of the First World War began the so-called Roaring Twenties, a period of prosperity hit the clock, but also a period of unrest and insecurity among young people.
Republicans remained until 1933 in power, but in the meantime had to do since 1929 with an economic crisis that would be the worst thing that could ever occur in the Western world. The stock market on Wall Street collapsed and more than 100,000 companies went bankrupt, leaving over 13 million people were unemployed (approximately 25% of the workforce). In 1932, Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt won the election and he picked up the economic and social problems with his program 'New Deal'. The New Deal was not enough to revive the industry and World War II had come to pass in order to save the US economy.

In his second term, he tried to address the isolationism but this proved far too strong, despite the threat that emanated forth from the Germany of Adolf Hitler. Only when the Japanese on December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor in Hawaii attacked the United States could no longer remain neutral and World War II was withdrawn.

The second World War
It was not long before the Americans fought on all fronts and thus had a decisive part in the defeat of Germany by the landings in Africa and Italy in 1943 and the decisive attack in Normandy on June 6, 1944 (D-Day). US military power had already pushed back the Japanese from 1942 after the Battle of Midway. In 1945 Germany and Japan were forced to their knees, Japan after throwing atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Roosevelt, of course, was re-elected in 1940 and 1944 as president and he understood that the United States could no longer stand aside in world politics.


He also sought an international organization after that should make for a realistic balance of power between the four major powers, China, Soviet Union, Britain and the United States, and the world should be divided into four major spheres of influence. On April 12, 1945, Roosevelt died.

Postwar developments 1945-1960
Under the successor to Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, was a break with the Soviet Union and launched the so-called Cold War. The Soviet Union knew Eastern Europe to get its grip while the Americans offered western economic and military aid. In addition, an Atlantic Alliance was set up, NATO. In the Far East, America was the occupying power in Japan, but we lost China, after the victory of the communist Mao Zedong on the pro-American Jiang Kai-shek suddenly became a great enemy.
In 1950 were North Korean communist forces in South Korea and in September was 90% of South Korea in North Korean hands. The armed forces of the United Nations, mainly consisting of US units under the command of General MacArthur, landings carried out in the back of the North Korean army, which soon collapsed thereon. Chinese volunteers came to the North Koreans to help and together they struck the troops of the United Nations back to around the 38th parallel. On July 10, 1951, began negotiating a truce, but the agreement was reached only on June 13, 1953.

It became clear that the United States had made true freedom in much of the world, but also that it is not all over the world could act regulating. In the United States, an unimaginable prosperity developed itself and the economic and technological revolution the country changed completely. Afraid to lose this wealth led to anxiety and feelings of uncertainty. In particular, the anti-communism was rampant among extremist leaders like Joe McCarthy and his communist hunt in "leftist" intellectuals. Ultimately, it would appear that extreme right-wing and left-wing politics could never flourish in American soil. The Democratic coalition of cities, ethnic minorities, intellectuals and blacks also remained in the majority until 1952.
In that year, Truman was succeeded by Republican Eisenhower, but the majority of the Congress remained democratic. The fifties went beyond pretty quiet. The "containment" policy (communism had inside and outside America are kept within bounds) persisted against the communist world and in the interior of the problems between the different races were becoming the stronger stand in the foreground, including through the empowerment of the black population itself.


In the segregated southern United States came in the fifties to vote on segregation of whites and blacks Tes Chaffin off. Thus was officially abolished segregate schools in 1954, although not yet changed much in practice. In 1955, a black woman refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. She was arrested and her case was in the hands taken by Martin Luther King jr., Who became one of the main protagonists was for equal rights for blacks and whites.

In 1963, a large protest march was organized in the capital Washington. In 1964, partly in response to this event the Civil Rights Act in force, which gave equal rights blacks in many areas throughout the United States.

The crisis of the sixties :
In 1961, Democrat John F. Kennedy was in the White House right and his youthful appearance caused much optimism. However, he was very inexperienced and made for some explosive situations. So in April 1961 found by the CIA premeditated invasion of Cuban exiles (supported by the United States) in the Bay of Pigs in Cuba instead. It against the rule of the communist Cuban Prime Minister Castro targeted attack, however, totally failed. In October 1962, it came to a very serious conflict with the Soviet Union, which wanted to create missiles in Cuba.

In August 1963, a treaty was signed with the Soviet Union and Great Britain on banning above-ground nuclear tests. On November 22, 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, and that caused a shock in the world.

Around this time, the United States increasingly entangled in the Vietnam conflict. The end of 1963 there were 16,000 American "advisers" present in that country. On August 2, 1964, took over the successor to Kennedy, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, the decision to bomb the North Vietnamese marine bases and oil depots, with the rise of the United States unprovoked incident in the Gulf of Tonkin.
In four years the strength of the United States in Vietnam was more than 550,000 men. The increasingly fierce aerial bombardment of North Vietnam provoked sharp protests from both abroad and in the United States itself. After President Johnson stop the bombing had put in March 1968, began on May 13 in Paris negotiations with the participation of the United States, South Vietnam, North Vietnam and the Vietnamese National Liberation Front (N.L.F.).

However, this yielded little, and in 1968 the Tet offensive began N.L.F. and North Vietnamese troops in the main cities and bases in South Vietnam and the US loss figures were high. In June 1969 made the successor to Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, announced that soon a beginning could be made with the withdrawal of US troops from South Vietnam and North and South Vietnam itself but had sort of. In March 1972 there were only 60,000 US ground troops in South Vietnam, which, however, no longer participating in the hostilities; or in December 1971 continued the bombing of North Vietnam and further intensified in April 1972.

After resuming came in October of the Paris negotiations in May 1972 a draft agreement reached, which provided for an immediate cease-fire and readiness for negotiations between the warring parties.

The United States would cease all military actions immediately after signing and withdraw their forces. By the United States signing the agreement was subject to the fulfillment of a number of new demands, such as recognition of the 17th parallel as a temporary political divide. The recognition of the sovereignty of South Vietnam and the withdrawal of North Vietnamese troops from South Vietnam. When North Vietnam failed to respond to here, were commissioned by President Nixon 18 to December 30 massive bombing of the large North Vietnamese cities. In response, turned a large part of public opinion around the world are fiercely against the United States.


On January 23, 1973, the Minister of Foreign Affairs were Henry Kissinger and North Vietnamese delegate Le Duc Tho signed the so-called agreements of Paris, which officially ended the war in Vietnam, which, with short into, since the French reconquest of Saigon in 1945 had lasted for more than 27 years. The withdrawal of the last US troops ended in March 1973.
In hindsight, the Vietnam War was the greatest disgrace to the United States in a long time. In 1973, the country had to withdraw in disgrace from the country and the battle was left to the poorly trained South Vietnamese army.

In the United States itself, politics slowly lost its grip on society: problems with the black population, poverty, unrest among the youth and violent resistance to the universities and violence and crime were common. Johnson had won more than the presidential election in 1964 but decided not to stand for re-election in March 1968. During the election campaign, the Democratic leader Robert Kennedy was assassinated and succeeded Republican candidate Richard M. Nixon managed to win a slight majority Democrat Hubert Humphrey.

The seventies :

Under Nixon, the United States sought rapprochement in 1971 and China in 1972 to the Soviet Union. Internal Nixon tried by a moderately conservative approach to calm the contradictions among the people. In November 1972, he won an overwhelming majority the elections of his Democratic opponent George McGovern. The termination of the war in Vietnam was the last peak under his reign that level thereafter at breakneck pace crumbled in particular by the Watergate affair, said the White House was involved. It was a series of political and financial scandals that ultimately led to the resignation of President Nixon.
In the headquarters of the Democratic Party in the Watergate complex in Washington in June 1972, during the election campaign for the presidency, a burglary committed with the purpose is to place listening devices. It turned out to be part of a complex of practices Republican side to inflict damage the Democratic Party and thus ensure the re-election of President Nixon. Later the corruption of the Republican Party to get election funds to light secret lists in the White House political opponents whose phones were tapped and there were smear campaigns waged against Democratic presidential candidates and organized burglaries.

After the judicial committee had recommended House of Representatives on July 27 impeachment (removal procedure), and Nixon himself had admitted his involvement in the scandal by a startling statement on August 5, his position proved untenable to have become. On 9 August 1974, he resigned and was succeeded by Vice President Gerald Ford.

Under his reign, the country returned more or less to rest and reduced the national antagonisms. In 1976, Ford was succeeded by Democrat Jimmy Carter from Georgia. He was not a great leader who could inspire the American people, and in addition had big problems with Congress. His major triumphs were in the area of foreign policy. In particular, the reconciliation of Israel and Egypt in the Camp David Accords were a personal triumph.

The appearance of Carter and the United States were again severely tested in 1979 and 1980. Iran was the pro-US government of the Shah fell and was succeeded by a fundamentalist Islamic regime clerics. To make matters worse in November 1979 were 52 staff hostage at the US embassy and only released a year later, on the very day of the inauguration of the new president, the conservative Republican Ronald Reagan.

Reagan was reelected in 1984 and under his reign the bureaucracy of the federal government was reduced and massive tax cuts implemented. However, defense spending increased so much that there was nevertheless a huge budget deficit that the people who were the victims were dependent on social welfare.
Reagan was also a real "containment" -fan aimed at curbing communism in include Grenada, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.
He led a hard line against the Soviets until defrosted then came to the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev to power, which pursued a policy of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (change). Talks between the two superpowers led to far-reaching arms control agreements (SALT and START agreements) in.

In 1986, the so-called Iran-Contra affair came to light, with the United States illegally sold arms to Iran and using the proceeds financed the opposition to the leftist government of Nicaragua.

The Bush administration (1988-1992) :

The elections were won in November 1988 by Vice-President Reagan, George Bush. In Congress, however, the Democrats strengthened their majority in both houses.

In 1989, the total world politics would be turned upside down by the revolution in Eastern Europe so that the United States no longer have to worry at curbing communist influence. During the summit in Malta in December 1989, Bush and Gorbachev have formally ended the Cold War. This led directly to the collapse of the Soviet Union, all of Eastern Europe freed from communist regimes. In the same year, Bush decided to invade Panama to overthrow the regime of the dictator and drug trafficker Manuel Noriega.
Because the balance was lost between the two superpowers emerged all over the world new flashpoints. Thus in 1990 has Iraq invaded Kuwait, which led to the first Gulf War. Inland, the economic and social policies were not very focused on the economically disadvantaged, so that the living conditions of the black population declined, and that lidded to violence and unrest.

The Clinton administration (first term) : 


The presidential elections of 1992 were won by the Democratic candidate Bill Clinton became the 42nd president of the United States. The majority in Congress was again Democatisch. In the first week of January 1993 joined the then incumbent President Bush and his Russian counterpart Boris Yeltsin a nuclear agreement, START II, which Russia and the United States undertook to reduce the number of long-range nuclear weapons drastically in ten years.

In late February of that year, a car bomb exploded in the parking garage under the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center; there were six dead and over a thousand injured. In 1994, Clinton was in a tough spot to sit by the Whitewater affair (financial transactions during his governorship of Arkansas) and by the accusation of sexual harassment by a former employee from Arkansas, Paula Jones.
Also lifted in February the economic sanctions against Vietnam and were asked to set the United States sanctions against North Korea, which refused to allow inspectors from the IAEA for nuclear installations. In June, boarded the North Koreans from the IAEA and threatened war, but former President Carter managed to induce the North Koreans to abandon their nuclear weapons programs
As regards the war in Bosnia, the United States advocated to act stronger against the Serbs and lifting of the arms embargo against the Muslims. In December 1994 came after again Carter mediation for a cease-fire established. In August 1995, Clinton vetoed a bill to unilaterally lift the arms embargo against Bosnia. In November, after difficult discussions in Dayton, Ohio, signed a peace treaty between the presidents of Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia.
A few months earlier had already made a stop in Washington on the state of war existing between Israel since 1948 (Rabin) and Jordan (Hussein).

In July 1994 were held include congressional elections unpacked disastrous for the Democratic Party. They lost for the first time since 1954, the majority in both houses of Congress. Of the 50 states fell to 31 Republicans and 18 Democrats.
The economy developed in that year prospered with inflation rates of less than 2% and a budget deficit that was the lowest in five years. That the elections were nevertheless lost was the fact that the economic recovery was hardly felt by most people. Business remediated widely causing many people came up on the street. The soft policy towards, immigrants, criminals and other minorities played tricks on the Democrats.
In October 1994 an agreement was reached with Japan, which Japan promised to trade restrictions include telecommunications, insurance and deal with medical equipment.
The new balance of power in Congress in 1995 were bills rarely needed by both houses approved and were there every time difficult compromise between the White House and the Senate. In June, the fundamentalist Muslim suspects the Clintons were acquitted of dubious behavior on the Whitewater affair and in October, the attack on the World Trade Center found guilty, and sentenced to long prison terms. The Egyptian leader of the group, Omar Abdel Rahman was sentenced to life imprisonment.
1995 was also the year of the great conflict interstate the Clinton administration and the Republican-controlled Congress over the budget for 1996. As a result of the stalemate hundreds of thousands of civil servants end were 1995 non-active gesteld.Begin 1996, the dispute has been settled and officials were able to work again.
Under American leadership met in late 1995, the Dayton Peace Agreement established. Bosnia was divided into a Serb and Muslim-Croat entities and large international troops, including 20,000 US soldiers, was there to ensure that the file has been observed.

In August, the National Assistance Act of 1935 was revised thoroughly; federeale a matter of the implementation of this law was delegated to the individual states. In the autumn was passed a new immigration law which regulated the rights and obligations of refugees and asylum seekers.

President Clinton and his wife Hillary meanwhile have been increasingly confronted with the Whitewater affair and the case 'Paula Jones who accused Clinton of sexual harassment when he was governor of Arkansas.

Second term Clinton
In March 1996 the Helms-Burton Act was passed, which threatened foreign companies with sanctions if they do trade with Cuba.
In June 1996 Clinton called for an international response to terrorism, but the European countries did not join the US foreign policy towards Libya and Iran.

The relationship with China also came this year under strong pressure. Export credits of America were discontinued put in relation to the Chinese supply of nuclear technology to Pakistan and China. China threatened thereafter passing US companies for the benefit of European companies after continued criticism of the Americans on human rights issues in China.
The 1996 elections were again won by Clinton, but the Republicans continued to keep their majority in Congress.

The economy strengthened further in 1996, the unemployment rate fell to around 5% and GDP increased by 2.4%.
In, 1997 it continued to haunt Clinton in the Paula Jones and Whitewater affair. Since the Monica Lewinsky affair was still in there almost would ensure that Clinton was deposited, via a so-called impeachment procedure. Clinton would have lied that he had sex with his intern Monica Lewinsky. The impeachment procedure was actually used by the Republicans, but the procedure ended on February 12, 1999 with an acquittal pronounced by the Senate.

In March 1997 it was Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin talking again about nuclear arms reductions and the relationship between NATO and the Russian Federation. Japan was revised defense treaty, but America should maintain a military base on the Japanese island of Okinawa.

Tensions between the US and Iraq were running again when Iraq Ameikaanse members of the UN disarmament commission sent out of the country in October 1997 and threatened to shoot down US reconnaissance aircraft. The United States now felt ready to intervene in time but got no support from the UN Security Council.

In the same month the relations with Israel reached a nadir, following the refusal of Prime Minister Netanyahu to honor the peace agreements with the Palestinians in 1993 and 1995. A year later there was still agree on further Israeli withdrawals from occupied Palestinian territory.
Relations with China improved despite criticism of Clinton on human rights policy, nota bene done for Chinese television. In October 1997 Clinton and Chinese President Jiang Zemin had made a number of political and economic agreements.

Politically, this black episode was not so badly off in the life of Clinton. By-elections Members Republicans a defeat to the Democrats, with the Republican majority in the House even decreased and the number of Republican governors in one fell from 32 to 31.
Noteworthy was the great victory of Republican Senator George Bush of Texas, son of former President Bush, and tipped as a presidential candidate for the 2000 presidential elections.
In August 1998, there were simultaneous bombings perpetrated on US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya. Dozens of people were slain, including 12 Americans. The Saudi terrorist Osama bin Laden was suspected as a mastermind behind the attack, which would operate from Afghanistan. As a reprisal, the United States argued, despite much criticism, missile attacks on Afghanistan and a suspected chemical plant in Sudan.

End of October 1998 UN weapons inspectors were put in the Iraq of Saddam Hussein, but they could return again after being convicted by the five permanent members of the Security Council. In December, however, they were again hampered in their work and that was for the United States and Britain the signal to attack Iraq (Operation Desert Fox or Second Gulf War). Iraqi military targets and installations Iraq could produce nuclear, chemical or biological weapons, hundreds of bombings were carried and fired more than 400 cruise missiles. However, this in turn led not to the fall of Saddam Hussein.

In 1998, the United States also interfered with the crisis in Kosovo, where Serb President Milosevic and Kosovo rebels fought a bloody battle. Heavy pressure from the Americans and two negotiations came to nothing. The peace plan, which stemmed from a conference on Kosovo (Rambouillet, February 1999), providing for self-government of Kosovo, for an interim period of three years as supervisor a NATO peacekeeping force. Yugoslavia (read: Milosevic), however, did not accept the proposals, after NATO began in late March with the bombing of Serbia and Kosovo military targets. On June 9, 1999, Milosevic agreed to withdraw its troops from Kosovo, inter alia because of the threat of Clinton to deploy ground troops.

The war relations with Russia chilled at first, but eventually, Russia even played the role of mediator and also took part in the UN peacekeeping force, KFOR. Also with China relations were at a low ebb after an attack on the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, killing three people dead.
Relations with China were still very tense by the Taiwan issue and the conditions for China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1999. The WTO negotiations were difficult and only in September 1999 the two countries reached agreement on the conditions for accession. In June, the Americans had already successfully mediated in a new diplomatic conflict between Taiwan and China. Even a real espionage dispute over the production of nuclear weapons could not harm the "good" relations between the United States and China. On December 14, 1999, sovereignty over the Panama Canal was officially handed over to Panama.

The presidential elections also threw in 1999, though their shadows ahead through the primaries. After the last primaries on March 7, 2000, George Bush stayed for the Republicans and the Democrats Al Gore for about as presidential candidates. After a long period of uncertainty after the elections of November 7, 2000, Governor George W. Bush of Texas was declared the winner mid of December. On January 20, 2001, Bush was sworn in as the 43rd President of the US He was the first president in a very long time who won the majority of electors per state (electoral votes), but not the majority of all votes cast (popular vote).

Attack on America and war in Afghanistan :

On September 11 2001, there were terrorist attacks with hijacked passagiersvlieftuigen place on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center on the southern tip of Manhattan, New York and on the Pentagon in Washington. Both towers collapsed after about an hour to complete, and thousands of people from 62 countries were killed, including all occupants in the aircraft used for the attack. The attacks were claimed by any organization, but it was generally assumed that the Saudi Osama bin Laden was behind again. Bin Laden would verboregn are in Afghanistan, but the Taliban did not want him to deliver.

The United States regarded the attacks as a direct declaration of war on land and in turn declared war on terrorism and the states that terrorists were hiding like Afghanistan, supported by NATO. fell in September / October 2001 several people in the United States infected with anthrax (anthrax).
In Afghanistan the Taliban regime prepared itself for war. The United States received permission to operate from Pakistani territory, and US and British troops were stationed in the region. On October 7, the US began bombing targets in Afghanistan. In mid-November the first major successsen were entered and attacked the capital Kabul in the hands of the Northern Front, and the major city of Kandahar fell into the hands of the opposition. Despite everything, Osama bin Laden was not found. On the diplomatic level was meanwhile working hard to form a transitional government.

Stock prices fell immediately after the attack strongly in, especially those of airlines and related businesses. had a month after the attack, 200,000 Americans lost their jobs.

Again war with Iraq :

On November 8, 2002, the Security Council adopted Resolution 1441 assumes. Iraq gets them one last chance to disarm and inspectors unfettered access. The resolution states that refusal to Iraq 'serious consequences' will have as the country again refused to cooperate in the implementation of this and previous resolutions .. UN weapons inspectors started subsequent investigation in Iraq for the presence of weapons of mass destruction. On 27 November the weapons inspections are led by the Swedish UN diplomat Blix resumed.

He managed the members of the Security Council not to arrive at a common position. Some countries wanted to give the weapons inspectors more time in early March 2003. But especially America and Britain found that Iraq 'last chance' had lost.

Shortly thereafter, in the night between Wednesday and Thursday, March 20, 2003, President Bush announced the beginning of the war against Iraq. The war began with a precision attack on Saddam Hussein. Evening began with the Americans and British ground attack in southern Iraq and the next day the capital Baghdad was bombarded with rockets. By a helicopter crash, the first Allied soldiers killed. Saturday March 22 is followed again heavy bombardment of the city Baghdad, Kirkuk, Basra and Umm Qasr, and thousands of Iraqi soldiers surrendered. A day later taken the first Allied POWs.

Tuesday March 25th the march was halted by heavy sandstorms, air bombardments, however, continued. Umm Qasr is fairly stated and as the first relief supplies also arrived. Friday March 28 it was announced that large parts of western Iraq were taken by US commandos. On Monday, March 31, the first battles were reported in Baghdad, British troops and the southern city of Basra went inside. On Wednesday, April 2nd, the Americans were 30 kilometers from Baghdad, and a day later marched troops to the international airport Saddam Hussein in Baghdad. Of expected use by Iraq of chemical weapons was still lacking.

Saturday, April 5 'explored' American tanks without many problems central Baghdad and a day later landed the first US aircraft at the international airport. British troops penetrated into the center of Basra. On Monday, April 7th split the Allies some psychological blows to the Iraqis: occupied one of Saddam Hussein's palaces and Ali Hassan al-Majid, alias "Chemical Ali," was found dead. He was the Iraqi specialist in weapons of mass destruction. President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair met in Northern Ireland together.

In the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, April 9th US troops remained in the center of Baghdad. On Wednesday, the Iraqi population in Baghdad was given by the regime of Saddam Hussein was actually overthrown, and hit the fear into enthusiasm. In central Baghdad, Americans withdrew a statue of Saddam Hussein with loud cheers from the Iraqis.

2004-2008 :


The domestic political debates in Congress are largely determined by the attacks in New York and on the Pentagon in 2001 (9/11) and the domestic economy. Strong emphasis on issues such as counter-terrorism, economy and employment (decrease) taxes, energy policy and social security (aging, health care). The elections have Republican majorities delivered in the Senate and House of Representatives in November 2004 and is therefore the government firmly in control until the presidential elections of November 2, 2008. The government (neo) conservative. It is expected that particular attention will be given after the Iraq conflict to the economy and other domestic issues that are close to the average American.

In November 2006 were new elections for Congress and the Senate. In addition to the conflict in Iraq is particularly attention will be paid to the economic situation, energy security, climate change and other domestic issues that are close to the average American. In these elections, the Democrats, both in Congress and in the Senate obtained a majority. In March 2008 will John McCain (war veteran) for the nomination for the Republicans to be a candidate for the presidential elections in June and decided Barack Obama battle for the Democratic nomination in his favor against Hillary Clinton. In November 2008 defeating Barack Obama and John McCain will be the first black president of the United States.

2009-2014 :


In January 2009, Obama was sworn in as president of the United States and shall immediately for $ 800 billion Congress approves the economy pompon.In February 2009 this mostly good. In November 2009, the US comes out of recession. In March 2010, Obama is piloting a new system to reform health care through Congress, despite heavy opposition from Republicans. In May 2010 unfolds an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In May 2011, there succeed command in Al-Qaeda leader Osa Bin Laden killing.

Obama was re-elected in 2012 in the US presidential election by defeating Republican candidate Mitt Romney by a wide margin in terms of electoral votes. He is the first Democratic candidate since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win two consecutive presidential elections with a majority of preferential votes. 2013 Flying Democrats and Republicans each other's throats over public finances. In 2014, a preliminary agreement is reached. In April 2014 announcing the US and EU sanctions against Russia because of the annexation of the Crimea and the Russian involvement in Ukraine.