LAD #37: Brown v. Board of Education

Little Linda Brown (pictured to the left) become the subject of a monumental civil rights case in 1951.  After being denied entry to a white only school, Brown's father along with the help of the NAACP challenged the ruling in court.  Although the U.S. District Court agreed with Brown's belief that this separation was unequal, the Supreme Court had yet to overrule the Plessy v. Ferguson Case.  Therefore they sided with the Board of Education in Topeka Kansas.  Brown appealed to the Supreme Court and after a few years of debate the Supreme Court made its decision.  On May 17th, 1954, Chief Justice Earl Warren explained: Does segregation of children in public schools solely on the basis of race, even though the physical facilities and other "tangible" factors may be equal, deprive the children of the minority group of equal educational opportunities? We believe that it does...We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of 'separate but equal' has no place." This proved to be a huge win for African Americans across the nation, as the ideas of separate but not equal no longer held any substance.

LAD #36: The Truman Doctrine

On March 12th 1947, President Harry Truman delivered the Truman Doctrine to Congress.  In this speech, he spoke of the policy of containment, as well as how to aid nations with Communist neighbors. Along with this Truman talked about the security of the US, and the nations plans to deal with foreign affairs.  The main point of the speech however revolved around Americans relations with Greece and Turkey.Truman announced the many problems within the Greek government.  He believed that it was of necessity to intervene to make sure that the democratic Greece did not fall to Communism.  Likewise, Turkey was in the same situation.  All in all, Truman tried to convince Congress as well as the nation that being the strongest democratic power in the world meant that it was America's job to help other democracies from falling to the evils of Communism.

LAD #35: Executive Order #9066

On the 19th of February, 1942, FDR issued the Executive Order #9066.  In it he proclaimed that because the nation was now entangled in a war, it is the governments right to protect the nation from espionage and against any sabotage.  FDR believed that to keep the country safe, it would be necessary to gather up all of the Japanese and move them to a guarded location, while providing them with "medical aid, hospitalization, food, clothing, transportation, use of land, shelter, and other supplies, equipment, utilities facilities and service."  With the authority of being President, he gave this task to the Secretary of War, and let him use whatever means necessary to carry this out.

LAD #34: FDR's Declaration of War

On December 8th, 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared war on Japan.  This declaration came a day after Japan's infamous attack on Pearl Harbor.  FDR explained to the American people a day after Pearl Harbor, that the attack came as a complete surprise to America.  Japan had lied about continuing peace with America as it prepared for the deliberate attack.  FDR explains to Americans that many lives were lost and that the American naval fleet has been greatly damaged/destroyed. He goes on to share with the people that as well as the US, Japan forces had also attacked Hong Kong, Guam, the Philippine Islands, Wake Island, as well as Midway Island.  FDR states that it is apparent that the American people are in danger, and finally asks Congress to declare war on Japan.

LAD #33: FDR's First Inaugural Speech

After a landslide victory over Herbert Hoover in the 1932 presidential election, Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his first inaugural speech on March 4th, 1933.  At the time the nation was in the midst of the worst depression America had ever faced.  Within the first couple opening lines Roosevelt declares his now famous line that "the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself".  He continued on the topic of the depression stating that the cause of the depression were due to greed as well as the shortsightedness of the nations rich businessmen.  But now that these men are removed from their positions the nation can work its way back to normal.  He explained that he planned on not only changing ideas of ethics, but instead that he wanted to bring change through actions.  He then began to talk about the massive unemployment of the times, and how it was his top goal to get people jobs.  Roosevelt then turned to foreign policy briefly saying how he planned on having a "good neighbor policy".  He finished off his speech promising the American people that he was going to act quickly and do everything he can to get Americans out of the Great Depression.