US History Era 23: The 1990s-Present
About this set
Created by:
jreznick on September 30, 2009
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Description:
Based on SparkNotes Study Cards. Improved for Reznick's students. Note: information from this era is unlikely to appear much on the AP and SAT II US History exams.
Classes:
SAT Subject Test - US History, US History, Reznick AP US History
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13 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Bill Clinton | (1) president (D) 1993-2001 during the dot-com economic boom and a period of intense partisanship in the US government; (2) his plan to provide universal health care was defeated by Republican Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America" movement & well-organized opposition from the doctors' lobbying organization (the American Medical Association); (3) his few domestic and international successes were overshadowed by the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal that led to his impeachment (and eventual acquittal) |
| Gulf War | (1) conflict that began in Aug. 1990 when Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait; in Jan. 1991, with approval from the UN, the US attacked Iraqi troops, supply lines, and bases & drove Hussein's troops out of Kuwait; (2) 148 Americans died in the war, compared to over 25,000 Iraqis; (3) at the end of the conflict the US chose not seek regime change in Iraq, a decision that left Hussein in power—and free to take revenge on his own people in the years that followed; the Bush administration was concerned about the dangers that forcing Hussein from power and "nation-building" would bring |
| World Trade Organization (WTO) | organization created in 1995 by Clinton as a result of the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade); this organization continues to facilitate global trade by working with multinational corporations and capital brokers (large banks) |
| George H.W. Bush | president (R) 1989-1993; his popularity during the Gulf War was abruptly cut short by economic recession (the reason he was not re-elected in 1992) |
| Columbine High School shooting | the worst of 7 school shootings that occurred in 1999, this tragedy occurred when two students in Littleton, CO, brought weapons to school and killed 12 students and wounded many others before killing themselves; the event led to changes in gun control, school safety measures, and continuing debates about media portrayals of violence |
| Enron Corporation | (1) energy trading company that emerged in the 80s as a result of deregulation and that filed for bankruptcy in 2001, an action that led to the loss of millions of dollars in profit-sharing pension (retirement) plans held by employees; (2) it was the largest bankruptcy in US history (until WorldCom in 2002) and led to investigations of several other corporations that had engaged in illegal accounting practices that misled shareholders & prospective investors |
| Saddam Hussein | dictator of Iraq from 1979 to 2003; he initiated an invasion of neighboring Iran in 1980 resulting in 8 years of war; his Aug. 1990 invasion of Kuwait sparked the Gulf War; he fled from power during the US-led invasion & occupation of Iraq in 2003 but was captured and in 2006 was executed after being found guilty of crimes against humanity |
| Ross Perot | billionaire 3rd-party candidate in the 1992 presidential election who won 19 percent of the popular vote--a result that demonstrated voter disatisfaction with the two major parties and that helped ensure the election of Bill Clinton |
| Operation Desert Storm | 1991 air attack operation launched by George H.W. Bush after Iraq invaded Kuwait; Iraq's attempted retaliation caused defeated & Iraq was soon forced to sign a ceasefire agreement with the US |
| September 11, 2001 | (1) the date 19 al-Qaeda members hijacked passenger airplanes and used them to destroy a small section of the Pentagon & destroy the twin towers of the World Trade Center in NYC; 3,000 people were killed & 6,000 were injured; (2) these events led to an unsuccessful manhunt for Saudi-born extremist Osama Bin Laden, heightened security in the US, and expanded military action abroad |
| North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) | passed by a narrow margin in Congress in Nov. 1993, this agreement led to the removal of trade barriers between Canada, the US, and Mexico; Clinton championed this and other efforts to integrate the US into the international economy |
| Whitewater | (1) scandal that allegedly involved Clinton when he was governor of Arkansas in the 1980s, when he invested in land in __, AR; he was accused of using his govt connections to get a loan for the land (which he ultimately earned no money on); (2) an investigation continued through most of his presidency, and after 1995 hearings Clinton was not indicted, though some of his associates were charged and convicted of fraud |
| Los Angeles Riots | (1) the most violent urban uprising in US history, these 1992 events, caused 53 deaths, thousands of injuries, and more than a billion dollars in property losses; (2) the outrage was fueled by anger over racial inequality and by the acquittal of 4 white police officers on police brutality charges--even after the TV broadcast of a bystander's videotape that showed the officers severly beating a black man named Rodney King; (3) 2 officers were later convicted of civil rights violations in federal court |
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