1991: Shocking End of the Soviet Union

Shocking to generations that had endured the Cold War and the "long twilight struggle" between capitalism and communism, on December 26, 1991, Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev resigned and the Soviet Union dissolved. Here is a gift link from The New York Times report on that day. END OF THE SOVIET UNION; GORBACHEV, LAST SOVIET LEADER, …

How the Supreme Court Decided the 2000 Election

History.com: "Learn how Florida ended up determining whether Al Gore or George W. Bush would win the U.S. presidency in 2000. See how a vote recount in the state led to the U.S. Supreme Court giving the election to Bush and subsequently changed voting standards." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-nR_hmS6V0

Hurricane Katrina Devastated New Orleans, LA in 2005

Crash Course Black American History #49: "In this episode, Clint Smith details his experience as a teenager in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina made landfall in 2005. The widespread devastation of Hurricane Katrina was a result of faulty levees and a fumbled response by FEMA, and it hit Black residents the hardest. Today, we'll take …

The Strange Case of Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas in 1991

Crash Course Black American History #46: "Clint Smith teaches you about the Supreme Court confirmation hearing of Clarence Thomas (1991). During the screening process, Anita Hill came forward alleging that Thomas had sexually harassed her when the two of them worked together at the Department of Education. The public response to Hill's allegations was tense …

Political Ads That Changed the Game: Willie Horton

Retro Report: "The infamous Willie Horton ad placed a nail in the coffin of Michael Dukakis' 1988 presidential run. It became a model for outside groups seeking influence–the forerunner to the Swift Boat Veterans and Super PACs." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdJ97qWHOxo Lesson plan for educators: https://bit.ly/RR-historical-ads1

How the ‘Solid South’ Shifted from Reliably Democrat to Reliably Republican

Understanding 20th century Southern political history is essential to comprehending the potential for changes in voting patterns or a realignment of states in presidential and congressional elections in the 2020s. The so-called “Solid South” of White segregationists’ block voting for Democrats existed between the end of Reconstruction in 1877 to the passage of the Civil Rights Act …

From US-Russia Proxy Wars (1946-1989), to Soviet Collapse (1991), Regional Conflicts (1991-2021), Are We Now in a New Cold War?

As the prospect of a new cold war between Russia and the West intensifies in Ukraine, conceivably "the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II" (NYT), it is important to recall what the world looked like in the first Cold War. The world was over-simplified, divided into US-allied capitalist countries; Soviet communist-allied countries; …

Stock Market Gains, Losses Under Presidents Since Reagan. How Political Parties’ Economic Performances Are Perceived

How much a president inspires the stock market remains a question of debate. But let's look at the record since 1980. During Ronald Reagan's eight years, the stock market gained 118 percent. During George H.W. Bush's four years, the stock market gained 51 percent. During Bill Clinton's eight years, the stock market gained 210 percent. …

Greatest Recorded Speeches in Modern American History

From 1933 when radio became a mass medium through the early 1960s when television became a mass medium through 2008 when the Internet became a mass medium, powerful speeches have transformed American politics, or have lifted the county's imagination. They do tend to contribute to the "great man theory" of history -- just because a …

Your Memories of 9/11? The Thin Line Between Life and Death

On the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, I asked readers of the Slender Threads newsletter to share their memories. Subscribe to the newsletter by clicking here, I shared "When stopping for a cup of coffee was the difference between life and death..." Reviewing old emails, I also …