- Reaganomics
The Economic Recovery Act in 1981 made "Reaganomics" the official fiscal policy of the United States. It was a radical change of direction for the country, one that dramatically reset the national discussion on taxes, spending, and the role of government. This lesson helps students understand the various aspects of President Reagan's plan, preparing them to analyze its impact and legacy, and to understand how history would have played out had his plan been different.
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- Reconstruction
Lincoln envisioned a reintegration of the defeated South back into the Union that would be swift, forgiving, and as painless as possible. Working with a range of primary materials, students will learn how Reconstruction did not progress the way Lincoln had hoped as they delve into the mood of the nation, the contentious relationship between President Johnson and Congress, and the central issue of the status of freed slaves.
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- Richard Nixon and the Watergate Scandal
It was initially dismissed as a "third-rate burglary," but investigations of the break-in at Democratic headquarters in Washington D.C. eventually revealed a complex web of illegal activity that brought down Richard Nixon's presidency. In this lesson, students explore the full scope of Watergate, and consider what might have happened had Nixon chosen not to resign.
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- Sherman's March to the Sea
This Defining Moment brings one of the most famous campaigns in U.S. military history to life in the classroom, as students follow Major William Sherman's march across Georgia, from Atlanta to Savannah, in 1864. Activities include using a Civil War-era map as a game board, plotting the march's flanking moves, diversions, devastations, and attacks, and looking at specific moments when the march could have been thwarted.
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- The Spanish-American War
Victory in the Spanish-American War set the stage for the transition of the United States from a staunchly isolationist nation to an actively engaged world power. But what if the United States had not involved itself in the Cuban revolution against Spain? What if William Randolph Hearst and the "yellow journalists" had failed to foment public support for the war?
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- Tear Down This Wall: The Fall of the Soviet Union
In a 1987 speech in Berlin, President Reagan urged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to demonstrate his commitment to peace by destroying the wall dividing the city. In 1989, when the wall did come down, Gorbachev seemed to be reaping the benefits of his policy of openness (perestroika). Yet, as students will see, that same defining moment also inspired Soviet hard-liners to attempt to remove Gorbachev from power.
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- The Tet Offensive
Even with 467,000 troops in Vietnam—triple the number sent to Iraq in 2003—U.S. forces were ill-prepared for the North Vietnamese offensive of January 1968. This Defining Moment helps students understand why "Tet" is synonymous with the frustrations of fighting a guerilla war in the modern age. It also looks at why the offensive turned American public opinion against the war and poses the question: "What if Tet had been perceived as a U.S. victory?"
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- The Texas Revolution
Most Texas residents who won their freedom from Mexico wished to have their home territory admitted to the United States. But across the United States, opinion was sharply divided on whether the annexation should take place, with both pro- and anti-abolitionist forces fearful of how the new state would address slavery. Use this Defining Moment to dig into the controversy here.
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- Theodore Roosevelt's Presidency
Theodore Roosevelt fulfilled his pledge not to run for reelection in 1908, and instead supported his handpicked successor, William Howard Taft. Four years later, the still hugely popular Roosevelt was again a presidential contender challenging Taft, running on the "Bull Moose" ticket. What brought Roosevelt out of retirement? What if he had become the United States' first third-party president?
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- The Truman Doctrine and Soviet Expansion
In the aftermath of World War II, as Stalin's expansionist ambitions became apparent, President Harry S. Truman changed the United States' stance on the USSR from FDR's "compromised arrangement" to a policy of containment. But what if Truman had pursued another, less confrontational approach? That question is at the heart of this fascinating exploration of the beginnings of the Cold War.
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