Essays and Research Papers on U.S. History (1900s)

A 5 page paper in which the writer discusses Teddy Roosevelt, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan, comparing how and why these three men each demonstrated characteristics qualifying them as the most influential U.S. Presidents of the 20th century. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

During the Kennedy Administration, the phrase 'New Frontier' referred to a domestic policy proposing to reduce unemployment, increase education funding, improve housing, offer medical care to the elderly, reduce taxes, and protect civil rights. Kennedy's 'New Frontier' became Johnson's 'War on Poverty'. This 2 page paper explores the experiences of Philip Caputo as ...

A 5 page examination of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the role of John F. Kennedy. Bibliography lists five sources.

8 pages in length. Never before or since the Cuban Missile Crisis has the world been placed on such alert for potential nuclear disaster. As a result of Soviet missiles being secretly planted in Cuba, the threat of a nuclear world war was directly at hand. The writer discusses what ultimately caused ...

A 9 page research paper on the Bay of Pigs and the relationship of the CIA to Kennedy. The writer details the background of the fiasco, and the culpability of the participants. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A 5 page analysis of the Peter Wyden's fascinating book. This is a well-researched, scholarly, historical account, of the disastrous invasion of Cuba in the Kennedy administration, which reads as if it were a novel. Full of dialogue and description, Wyden gives the reader an insider's view of how the plans for the Bay ...

A 12 page overview of Kennedy's executive committee handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis compared to Nixon's normalization process developed out of the Shanghai Communiqué and the crisis of the Cultural Revolution in China in 1970. The paper discusses the salient points of how these two forms of negotiation (committee and normalization) were developed ...

A 15 page paper that describes the significance of Operation Desert Storm in the political development of George Bush. Bush made significant contributions to ending the Crisis in the Gulf and in turn was able to shed his 'wimp' image and gain notoriety. 8 sources cited.

12 pages in length. An insightful look at how the media portrayed the Latin Lords -- a radical, socio-politically involved group (active during the 60's and 70's) that can be compared in many respects to the better-known Black Panthers. The author argues that the media over-exaggerated and made them out to be 'irresponsible hoods' ...

This 5 page essay reviews some of the most notable protest movements occuring in the U.S.A between 1950 and 1990. Struggles for civl rights and preservation of the environment are among the many touched upon. Bibliography lists seven sources.

This 3 page report discusses how dissent has come to be seen in America as somehow less than patriotic. Americans appear to have developed an attitude that dissent does not serve the greater purposes of the nation or, at the very least, dissent is actually irritating rather than motivating. Most Americans believe that dissent ...

In this 7 page paper, the writer analyzes the impact of the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education decision of 1954. It is demonstrated that, although the Supreme Court had good intentions when deciding against segregation, the hidden racial agendas caused by this decision have had lasting effects. After over 40 years, the positive ...

A 4 page essay discussing how the social movements of the 1960s impacted attitudes toward race, government, war, politicians and women. Did the struggles of those involved in the different movements result in lasting changes? This writer suggests they did, although true equality still eludes many segments of the population, the events of the 1960s ...

A 5 page paper on the causes and effects of Word War II. It includes insight and some facts as to why we went to war, who was involved, and what some of the outcomes were. It also describes some of the losses suffered by the various countries involved, and what motivated ...

A 7 page paper on discrimination in World War II and how African-Americans finally began to break the 'color barrier' in the military. Specific cases including those of the Civilian Pilots Training Act, The Tuskegee airmen, and more, are presented. The assimilation of women into the military is described as well. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page research paper which examines the effect that Ross Perot's third party candidacy had on this election between incumbent President George Bush and Democratic candidate Bill Clinton. The writer demonstrates that without Ross Perot's influence on this election, Clinton might not have been elected. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page paper in which the writer provides an overview of his concepts in The End of Victory Culture, especially as they relate to the transition in perceptions of the American war story in post-World War II Cold War America. No additional sources cited.

A short yet concise, 3 page essay on the impact that John F. Kennedy's work on the Civil Rights movement would have on American society and how such influence carried over into the Lyndon B. Johnson years as well. The writer also touches upon issues concerning early American involvement in Vietnam and questions how American ...

A 30 page research paper which examines Kennedy presidency from the viewpoint that Kennedy was the epitome of a Cold War combatant due to the aggressive stance he took with the former Soviet Union. The writer covers such topics as the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Berlin Wall, as well as ...

A 7 page paper discussing the role John F. Kennedy played in relationship to the economy of the United States during his time in office. While Kennedy was quite ignorant in regards to any type of economic strategy in the beginning he quickly taught himself and had others around him instruct him about economics. He ...

Focusing primarily upon the argument in Stephanie Coontz's (1992) book by same title, the writer of this 5 page paper presents the argument that each generation has looked upon the one previous to it and commented on how pure and innocent things were back in the proverbial "good ol' days." In actuality, however, morality was ...

This 5 page essay describes the changing American family, considering many aspects including gender roles, ethnic variances, longevity, blended families as well as projections for the future. The paper's position is that the traditional nuclear family was a temporary structure and has been replaced by a revised definition mostly brought on by social change. Bibliography ...

7 pages in length. A look at the historic events surrounding the '68 convention and the negative ramifications that they would have for the Democratic party in the ensuing years. The protests and riots of the '68 convention are discussed as well as the sociopolitical reasons for the Democrats' blame. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

An 8 page paper discussing the trial of the Chicago Eight following the 1968 Democratic National Convention riots, what precipitated the riots, how the trial was handled, what both events taught the American people about themselves and their government. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 7 page paper focuses on the infamous Chicago Seven trial which occurred as a result of a demonstration at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The student, anti-Vietnam and counterculture movements are examined. Bibliography lists 7 sources.