Vietnam Draft: Muhammad Ali

One final blog about this Vietnam Era...

One of the most important (and talented) athletes of the 20th Century was Muhammad Ali. Ali was a boxer whose birth name was Cassius Clay. When he converted to Islam he changed his name to Muhammad Ali.

Famously, during the Vietnam War, Ali was drafted and refused to go.

Do some research on this episode and answer these questions (50 words each):

1) What was controversial about the Vietnam Draft?

2) Why did Ali refuse to go to Vietnam?

3) How does his case relate to Alvin York from World War One?

4) How did Ali avoid jail time?

Richard Nixon: Opening Up China

I have been enjoying the 54321 projects so far.

One of the key figures, as we saw today, in ending our involvement in the Vietnam War was Richard Nixon. As I mentioned in class..."he brought our boys home".

Another pivotal role Nixon played in Cold War foreign policy was with China.

Do some research on the following topics: "Nixon Visits China" and "Ping Pong Diplomacy".

For the comment section, write 200 words on what you learned AND why Nixon would willingly visit a major communist nation at the height of the Cold War.

Major Civil Rights Moment: MLK's "Letter From A Birmingham Jail"

We all are aware of Dr. King and his legacy. Famously known for his powerful presence while giving speeches, one of his most famous moments in the civil rights movement came via the written word.

Imprisoned in 1963 for leading nonviolent protests in Birmingham, AL, MLK Jr. wrote an incredible response to eight local white ministers who thought he should "cool it".  The eight ministers took out a full page ad in the local newspaper advocating for a "Call for Unity". The group called the MLK-led protests "unwise and untimely".

Although imprisoned, King wrote a response on scraps of paper and the margins of newspaper. His "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" has become a seminal document in the defense of his cause and methods.

Please read the full text of his letter here. In the comment section, discuss what struck you the most after reading his letter.

LBJ's Vision: The Great Society

As we will see in a few chapters, President Johnson (LBJ) was a very controversial figure in regards to the Vietnam War. His foreign policies, and his tendency to not tell the whole truth, caused him a lot of problems.

One of the brighter spots in his administration was his determination to help the underprivileged in America. He called his program "The Great Society".

For this week's blog, watch this video. For the comment section, do the following...

1) Create a Top 10 List of the most important things you learned from this video (100 words)

2) Write a paragraph discussing whether or not you thing the federal government should be responsible for "eliminating poverty". (100 words)

The Russians Are Coming!: Khrushchev visits America

In 1959, at the invitation of President Eisenhower, the Premier (Leader) of the Soviet Union-Nikita Khrushchev-spent twelve days touring America. He visited farms, IBM headquarters and the White House...and lots of other places.

Interestingly, the place N.K. wanted to most visit was Disneyland in California but he was not allowed!

For this week's blog, spend some time on this website reading over the itinerary and details of N.K.'s trip to America. There are also some short clips at the bottom of the page you should watch that show him in action.

For the comment section...

1) If the Soviets were our biggest enemy during the Cold War, why did Eisenhower invite N.K. to visit? (100 words)

2) After watching the clips and reading through his itinerary, what is the most interesting part of this story to you? (100 words)

Post War America: Truman vs. Eisenhower

As we close the book on World War Two, we look ahead to the two men who would lead us during the pivotal post-war years into the turbulent 1960s.

Truman had to deal with the decision to use nuclear weapons, plummeting approval ratings and the Korean War.

Eisenhower, in stark contrast, was the conquering hero of Europe. The leader of D-Day, he enjoyed a fairly popular and prosperous presidency.

You'll need to do independent research on each president in order to complete this week's blog.

Since we did not have a blog last week, this week's blog will count for 100 points and will require 400 words.

For the comments...

A) After you have used the website to research each president, write a 100 word summary paragraph on BOTH presidents. Discuss their main beliefs and issues they faced during their terms in office.

B) Finish the blog with a 200 word paragraph on which president you think did a better job. Be sure to give evidence to back up your opinion.

Korea: The Forgotten War

Many people skip directly over Korea and move into Vietnam when they think of global conflicts after World War II. In fact, the Korean Conflict (so-called because America never officially declared war on North Korea) is often called the "Forgotten War".

For this week's blog, you are going to watch this video which gives the basic details of the Korean Conflict.

For the comment section, create a Top-10 List of the ten most important facts you learned about this global event. (100 words)

Then, write a 100 word summary answering this question: If the Korean Conflict is so important to the history of the U.S., why is it a "forgotten" war?