5th Grade Social Studies
Cold War to Present
Unit 4
The Cold War
Causes of the Cold War
- Following victory for Allied forces in World War II, 2 superpowers emerged: the democratic United States of America and the communist Soviet Union
- Democratic: a system of government where citizens are allowed to vote for leaders and participate in politics
- Communist: a system of government where the state controls everything and private property belongs to the government
- The two superpowers had different beliefs and both had great control in Europe and Asia --> bad feelings between the nations
- This time period is referred to as the "Cold War" because no formal fighting took place between the 2 nations
U.S. Containment of Communism
- America and other Western European countries were worried about the spread of communism and wanted to contain it behind the "Iron Curtain" (an invisible line that divided U.S backed Western Europe from Eastern Europe under Russian control)
- The U.S. was also afraid of communism growing at home and as a result, a period known as the Red Scare took place where the government under Senator McCarthy placed people suspected of being communist in jail
- Democratic European countries along with the United States created NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) to weaponize against the threat from communist Soviet forces
Important Events of the Cold War
Berlin Airlift/Wall
Berlin was divided into 4 parts after WWII and Russia blocked all support from the West to Berlin which led to the cargo airlifts made by U.S. troops. (1948-49)
Korean War
Korea was divided into 2 parts after Japan surrendered with the North being communist and the South backed by the U.S. Conflict began and ended with the partition at the 38th parallel. (1950-53)
Cuban Missile Crisis
Both of the superpowers had begun to gain atomic weapons and the U.S. suspected Russia of holding missiles in Cuba. The crisis was alarming but was peacefully handled by President Kennedy and Khruschev. (1962)
Vietnam War
Vietnam had been colonized by the French and upon independence, the country wanted to be communist after seeing China's success. The U.S. divided the country into the Communist North and democratic South. North Vietnam won the conflict. (1955-75)
End of the Cold War
- After nearly 50 years of harsh relations, the Cold War ended in 1990 when the Berlin Wall and Soviet Union fell while Eastern European countries became democratic
- The Cold War advanced science through its role in space exploration but the U.S "domino theory" proved to be false
- America and Russia continue to have a tense relationship but the tensions seen under the Cold War have not been seen
Play this Cold War Quizizz to test what you learned!
Play this game to learn about the Cold War!
Civil Rights Movement
Watch this short video to learn about civil rights!
Why did the Civil Rights Movement begin?
- Since the creation of America under the work of African slaves, black Americans have been treated as second-class citizens and discriminated harshly against through Jim Crow laws
- Racial discrimination in America made life for African Americans very difficult since they were given unequal treatment in important things like schools, courts and government
Important Events of the Civil Rights Movement
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Jim Crow laws and the ruling under Plessy v. Ferguson with "separate but equal" led to racial discrimination in public facilities like schools. Brown v. Board was an important Supreme Court case where discrimination was seen as illegal and schools were integrated.
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The peaceful bus boycott started with Rosa Parks refusing to sit in the "colored" section of the bus. This movement became the first large-scale protest of the Civil Rights Movement and used non-violent tactics to create change.
March on Washington
A peaceful march against economic and political equality that was led by Martin Luther King Jr. where he gave the famous "I Have a Dream" speech. The March showed cooperation between the Civil Rights leaders and government officials and led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Rosa Parks
Martin Luther King Jr.
Key People of the Civil Rights Movement
- Thurgood Marshall: the first African American Supreme Court Justice and argued for the Brown v. Board of Education case
- Lyndon B. Johnson: U.S president during the Civil Rights Movement and helped pass civil rights laws like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (made segregation illegal) and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (ensured all people had the right to vote)
- Cesar Chavez: a civil rights leader who worked and protested for better labor conditions
- Rosa Parks: a civil rights leader whose actions on a Montgomery Bus began the nonviolent demonstration of the Montgomery Bus Boycotts
- Martin Luther King Jr.: the most famous civil rights leader of the movement who played an important part in nonviolent protests like Birmingham protests and the March on Washington
Technology during the Civil Rights Movement
- American homes across the country had televisions and because of this, regular people saw the movement and increased its support
- The Civil Rights Movement happened during the Cold War and space exploration allowed for African Americans to get better paying jobs to support their country against Russia
- New technology gave the Civil Rights Movement an advantage and allowed people across the nation to see the wrongness of segregation
Play this Civil Rights Quizizz to test your knowledge!
End of the Civil Rights Movement
- The 1960's marked the end of the Civil Rights Movement with the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.
- The Civil Rights Movement succeeded in bringing attention to the problems of segregation and forced governments to right their wrongs
- This movement also teaches us that people needed to be treated equally and fairly
Play this game to learn more about civil rights!
America in the 21st Century
Watch this video to learn more!
End of the Cold War
- The Soviet Union fell in 1991 when Russia's President Gorbachev allowed democracy into the Eastern bloc
- America's victory in the Space Race and President Reagan's influence in Communist-controlled area helped break up the Soviet Union
- The Soviet Union broke into Russia and other independent Eastern European countries. All of them became "democratic" but still abuse governmental power
Terrorism on U.S Soil
- After World War II, the U.S. became an important figure in the Middle East and controlled many key economic resources like oil
- The U.S. treated these Middle Eastern nations poorly and for revenge, terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda threatened America --> September 11th, 2001 bombing of the World Trade Center
- These attacks were surprising to the American people and it led to fear and discrimination against Muslims and Middle Eastern people
- The government waged war in the Middle East to stop these terrorist groups and still has a big role in the area
Ground-breaking Technology of the 21st Century
Personal Computer
As you look at this website, there is a good change you're doing it on a computer or laptop. If this is right, you've just experienced the wonders of 21st century technology! The computer made business easier and allowed more work to be done efficiently.
Internet
The Internet is why you can Google almost anything online, Snapchat your friends and watch Youtube videos. The Internet has connected us in so many ways and allowed people to form communities and explore new things!