Essay: Four Freedoms speech and others

Entry 1
What was the Four Freedoms speech? President Roosevelt gave the Four Freedoms speech as a part of his State of the Union Address on January 6, 1941. In this speech, Roosevelt outlines four core freedoms valued by all Americans, which he believed should be shared with the rest of the world: freedom from fear, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom from want. Roosevelt’s idea of freedom from fear highlighted the desire for peaceful resolution of conflicts. He wanted the nations of the world to be at peace with one another. He believed that everyone in the world should have freedom of speech. There were, and still are, many governments that would imprison or kill people for speaking against them. He felt that people should be able to express their opinions about things, such as government, no matter how unpopular it may be. He also believed that people should be able to practice their religion and worship without being subjugated in the process. Freedom from religious persecution is important, because many of the first settlers came to America to attain this freedom. His idea of freedom from want says that an individual should be able to attain and sustain a living in which they can take care of themselves and their families without having to worry, financially speaking. These freedoms are very important and are still being fought for today.
Entry 2
What was Executive Order 9066 and how did it affect Japanese-Americans? President Roosevelt issued this order in February of 1942 in response to whites’ fears of a West Coast invasion by Japan. This order placed Japanese-Americans into internment camps. Japanese-Americans living in Hawaii were not required to be interred due to being a large percentage of Hawaii’s population. The Japanese-Americans in these camps were watched constantly by armed guards. They were told when to wake up and where to eat and medicine was a rarity. They persevered through this time and turned the camps into some semblance of home by decorating and planting gardens. Most Americans did not speak out against these camps. The few organizations that would have been expected to did not speak out either.
Entry 3
What was the Marshall Plan? The Marshall Plan was an effort by the United States to help rebuild Europe’s economy after World War II. This plan was also known as the European Recovery Program. It was signed into law on April 3, 1948. It allowed for five billion dollars in aid for 16 European countries. Lawmakers worried that, with their economies in shambles, European nations would lean toward communism. American lawmakers hoped that the Marshall Plan would help to curtail Soviet influence in Europe. This plan was also directed at the Soviet Union, but was declined because they did not want the United States to have any amount of control over their economy. The Soviets also stopped East Germany and Poland from taking any aid from the United States.
Entry 4
Who were the Hollywood Ten? Believing that films could be used to create anti-American propaganda, lawmakers turned to the House Un-American Activities Committee to find any communist threat. The Hollywood Ten were a group of ten well-known film industry workers who spoke out against tactics used by the House Un-American Activities Committee as they searched for communist supporters in Hollywood. They believed that the HUAC hearings went against the First Amendment and refused to answer the committee’s questions. Due to the status of the people involved, such as Alvah Bessie and Lester Cole, these hearings gained a lot of attention. Each member of the Hollywood Ten was found guilty, fined, and sentenced to spend up to a year in jail. They were also blacklisted, but many still continued to work under different names.
Entry 5
How did the Interstate Highway System come about? The interstate highway system was pushed by President Eisenhower in 1954 citing his military experience crossing the United States on the Lincoln Highway. Eisenhower believed that this highway system would allow would allow for more efficient transporting of soldiers and resources in the event of a foreign invasion. The Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 was the first step in creating an interconnected system of roads funding construction of highways in the United States. This Act was not put into effect due to World War I and it expired in 1921. The Federal Highway Aid Act of 1921 provided annual funds to states with which to build and maintain roads and promoted the idea of connected highways. It wasn’t until the passing of the Federal Highway Act of 1956 that states began building these connected highways, with Missouri being the first.
Entry 6
What is Levittown? Levittown is a suburban housing development that was originally built on 1,200 acres of land on Long Island, New York. Levittown was built by real estate developer, Levitt & Sons, Inc. Families were moving out of the cities and into the suburbs due to the “baby boom”, causing the suburbs to grow very quickly. The Levitt brothers built the first mass-produced suburb, building more than 10,000 houses. These houses were made from pre-fabricated materials and were affordable to the average American family. The homes in Levittown were initially only available to white families. Many found them dull because they all looked the same. The name “Levittown” has been taken to mean any community where all of the houses are similar in design.
Entry 7
What was the March on Washington?  The March on Washington was a nonviolent civil rights protest that took place on August 28, 1963. 250,000 Americans, both black and white, came to Washington, D.C. to urge Congress to pass civil rights laws, as well as to build programs to reduce unemployment, stop workplace discrimination, and raise minimum wage. These people stood together to show the nation’s leaders that they wanted things to change for the better. This event was put together by leaders in civil rights and religious organizations. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial during this gathering. This protest was the largest protest in U.S. history at the time. Many of the things that these people fought for are still being fought for today.
Entry 8
What was Watergate? Watergate was a political scandal occurring after five men broke into the Democratic Party headquarters located in the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. on June 17, 1972. The reason for the break-in is unknown, but the men were caught and arrested. These men turned out to be former employees of President Nixon’s re-election campaign. President Nixon attempted to cover up his administration’s involvement, making himself look suspicious in the process. Congress held hearings to investigate the matter and found that Nixon was using wire-taps and harassing activists and politicians. While Nixon may not have been involved in Watergate itself, Congress’ investigation of the scandal found him abusing his political power, causing him to be impeached and to finally resign from office. This scandal has put many politicians under the microscope if accused of misconduct.
Entry 9
What was the Defense of Marriage Act? The Defense of Marriage Act was the 1996 legislation that took federal benefits for married couples away from homosexuals. States were not obligated to recognize homosexual couples as married. The U.S. government passed this law stating that marriage was between one man and one woman. Homosexual couples were unable to receive family insurance from government jobs, file joint tax returns, or file for bankruptcy among other things. This law was deemed unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court on June 26, 2015. The Court ruled that the law violates the Fourteenth Amendment and that, under this amendment, homosexual couples can legally marry in the United States. This was a great victory for gay rights in America.
Entry 10
What was the Occupy Wall Street movement? Occupy Wall Street was a protest movement speaking out against economic and social inequality and government corruption in the U.S. and around the world. It began in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City’s financial District, on September 17, 2011. A handful of protesters moved into the park and protested against the banks. The movement grew soon after and hundreds of people were staying in the park and holding rallies to protest the corruption. Technology became a useful way to spread the protest’s reach around the globe. These people were forced out of the park on November 15, 2011, and began to move into various locations funded by government to continue their protest. The protester’s slogan was “We are the 99%” meaning that 1% of Americans owned more wealth than the other 99% of the country.