Essay on Modern American History

why were Martin Luther King Jr.`s two famous addresses known as the “I Have a Dream Speech” and “I Have Been to the Mountaintop Speech” given? What is the significance?

The mid- 50s of the 20th century are marked with the beginning of the era of Martin Luther King – the American priest, fighter for civil rights. King tried to convince everybody in the necessity of nonviolent resistance to racism at a time when many black nationalists were talking about hatred and were ready to fight against all forces of white America. On August 28, 1963 in Washington, King delivered his famous speech “I Have a Dream”, in which he expressed his belief in the brotherhood of all people, it is still considered a great piece of oratory. After King’s speech, US authorities were forced to take the Civil Rights Act (1964), which prohibited segregation in public places, and then the Voting Rights Act (1965), which gave equal voting rights to African Americans. The last in the life of Martin Luther King Jr. speech was “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”, the end of which referred to the threat of murder. The fighter for rights was killed, but the movement survived and won. Black with white could now go to the same schools and shops, live in same hotels, they were not hunted by dogs and could sit on front seats of the bus.

How did America fight the Vietnam War? Do you think this strategy was successful?

The Vietnam War is one of the largest wars of the second half of the 20th century. From mid- 1965 to mid- 1969 the US forces conducted a large-scale operations in South Vietnam. The main goal was to find and destroy the larger units and parts of the NLF and the North Vietnamese Army. This strategy of “search and destroy” was developed by chief of US forces in that period, General William Westmoreland. The General had traditional view of the war, he saw war as the fighting between the major powers. On January 27, 1973, Paris Peace was signed, an agreement under which American troops withdrew from Vietnam. The war has stirred up public opinion of Americans, and has had a significant impact on Americans. There appeared a new youth movement – hippies, who were protesting against the war.

Name and describe two genocides After World War Two and how America reacted to them?

The United States of America became the dominant power of the world after the World War II. There are scientists and historians who blame the USA in genocides, which were in Asia – in Korea (1950 – 1953), and in Indochina (1961 – 1975); and in Africa – South Africa (Angola, Mozambique, Congo (Zaire) – (1961 – 1990). The driving force of genocidal behavior is imperialist desire for internal cohesion and external takeovers. Strategy of total war, adopted by the United States invariably led to the mass extermination of peoples. This is explained by the lack of distinction between military and civilian targets. Historians note that resistance to US imperialism is always based on deep-rooted and widespread belief and ideology. The purpose of the invader is to reduce huge reservoirs of popular support for the resistance – its potential for mobilization, food and military security.

Why were movies like Rocky and Star Wars popular in the late 1970s?

In 1976, the movie “Rocky” appeared on the screen, and became very popular. It was nominated for 10 Oscars. The story about a failed boxer gave the world a movie that confronts hopelessness. It gave people hope for the future, and therefore gained such popularity. No less popular was the movie “Star Wars”, the critics called it “epic of modern times.” The film makes its viewers think about the meaning of life. Movie “Star Wars” reminds people that life is enormous, and its manifestations are endless, and tomorrow can bring something very good. End of 70s was delineated by structural and economic crisis, so keeping faith in a happy future was more relevant than ever.

What is Globalization? Do you think that Globalization is a good or bad thing for America?

The process of global economic, political, cultural and religious integration is called globalization. It is a consequence of the evolution of public market systems. Concept of a global society is becoming increasingly popular in the world scientific community since the beginning of the 21st century. According to this concept, all the people of Earth are citizens of a single global society. As a result of globalization, the world becomes more connected and dependent on all its subjects. Therefore, on the one hand, globalization leads to partial lack of independence; on the other hand, it strengthens the relationship in the world community.

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