Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2015 i Cobblestone American History and Current Events for Kids and Children

Courtney Speckmann, Director of Education, and Joel Treese, Senior Research Associate, The White House Historical Association. The White House Historical Association is a nonprofit educational organization founded in 1961 to support the understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of the Executive Mansion. All proceeds fund the acquisition of historic furnishings and art work for the permanent White House collection, assist in the preservation of public rooms, and further the association’s educational mission. For more information, visit www.WhiteHouseHistory.org. How many of these presidential faces do you recognize? By the end of this issue, we hope you can identify them all! (White House Historical Association, White House Collection, presidential portraits; American Spirit/Shutterstock.com, presidential seal)…

As President Theodore Roosevelt’s time in office began to wind down, he made a decision: He wanted his secretary of war, William H. Taft, to become the next president. With Roosevelt’s support, Taft won the 1908 election in a landslide, and he promised to continue Roosevelt’s progressive policies to help the working class and the poor. Taft’s administration introduced 80 antitrust suits, and it directed the Interstate Commerce Commission to take control of railroad rates. Congress passed two amendments to the Constitution: The 16th Amendment established a federal income tax, and the 17th Amendment allowed for the direct election of U.S. senators. Some of Taft’s policies were unpopular. He supported an act to continue high tariffs, and he defended his secretary of the interior after he was accused of failing…

After being sworn in as president after Warren G. Harding’s unexpected death, Calvin Coolidge was determined to restore the executive office’s integrity. He cooperated with federal investigations into Harding’s administration, and he replaced corrupt officials with honest public servants. Coolidge’s personal honesty, use of plainspoken words, and thrift helped restore respect for the presidency. As a result, he was elected president for a full term in 1924. He believed that businesses thrived when the government did not get involved, so after supporting tax cuts and reducing the national debt, he adopted a policy of stepping back and leaving things alone. During Coolidge’s six years in office, Americans enjoyed a time of great—but unsustainable—economic prosperity that became known as the “Roaring 20s.”…

In his inaugural address, John F. Kennedy added a call to action for Americans: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” Kennedy wanted Congress to address poverty and support education. The Area Redevelopment Act in 1961 authorized $400 million to improve rundown communities, as well as job training for unemployed people, better housing, and money to grow businesses. Kennedy also supported the U.S. space program. He dedicated funds and manpower to Project Apollo, which hoped to put an astronaut on the moon by the end of the 1960s. But the biggest domestic issue that Kennedy faced was civil rights. For decades, African Americans had protested their treatment as second-class citizens, but the federal government had been slow to support their efforts.…

After President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in to complete the last year of Kennedy’s term. The following year, Johnson ran for president in his own right. He won with a commanding 61 percent of the popular vote. Johnson had high hopes for his domestic plan for the nation, which he called the “Great Society.” He wanted to use the presidency to fight poverty and crime, aid education and access to health care, stop racial injustice, and end urban blight. Johnson’s many years in Congress prior to becoming president enabled him to push through sweeping legislation, such as the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, Medicare, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and the Fair Housing Act. Johnson’s ideas for improved…

Jimmy Carter ran for president in 1976 because he believed that the United States needed two things: a centrist Democrat and an outsider. Carter’s lack of political baggage and his honesty made him an appealing candidate. Carter protected America’s wilderness areas and tried to address the country’s dependence on foreign oil. He set up the Department of Energy to take charge of his initiatives to look for alternative forms of energy. But instability in the Middle East and high oil prices only created severe gas shortages and long lines at gas stations in the United States. In foreign affairs, Carter emphasized human rights. He stopped sending aid to countries with oppressive regimes, such as Chile, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, in protest of the poor treatment of their people. He achieved…

To almost every observer of the 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama’s election was a historic event. For the first time, American voters chose an African American to be their nation’s leader. A relative newcomer on the national political scene, Obama offered a message of hope and a promise to unify the country. That message carried him to the White House, and he was inaugurated before a record-setting crowd of 2 million people. When Obama entered office, he faced multiple challenges at once. The U.S. economy was in its most serious crisis since the Great Depression. The stock market had lost considerable value and unemployment had greatly increased. Obama quickly pushed for an “economic stimulus”—a program of government spending designed to put money back into the economy, create jobs, and promote…

There have been many influential first ladies in U.S. history, but there is one who stands out. During her time as America’s first lady in the 1930, this month’s mystery hero literally transformed the position. She is one of my top heroes of all time, and I think you’ll understand why by the end of this column. Our young hero endured a difficult childhood. Her beautiful mother called her “Granny” because of her plain looks. Her dashing father, while kind and affectionate with her, was an alcoholic and rarely home. Our hero became shy and withdrawn. By the time she was nine years old, both her parents had died, and she and her younger brother were taken in by their strict grandmother. The turning point in our hero’s life came…

Theodore Roosevelt First sitting president to travel to another country and to ride in an airplane and in a submarine. William H. Taft First president to officially open the baseball season by throwing out the first ball. Woodrow Wilson First sitting president to visit Europe and to hold a press conference. Franklin D. Roosevelt First president to name a woman to his Cabinet (Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins). Dwight D. Eisenhower First president to lead all 50 United States. John F. Kennedy First president born in the 20th century and who was a Boy Scout. Lyndon B. Johnson First president to name an African American to his Cabinet (Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Robert Clifton Weaver) and to the U.S. Supreme Court (Thurgood Marshall). Richard M. Nixon First president…

In the 20th century, as the United States emerged as a world leader, the role of the U.S. president also increased and expanded. Today, the president of the United States has many jobs. Performing them is a giant juggling act. Here’s a look at the different roles that presidents are expected to fill. Chief Executive Article II of the Constitution instructs that the president must “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.” To do that, the president sets priorities and makes decisions. The president issues executive orders and makes appointments. And the president heads a huge bureaucracy—a large organization with a chain of command with him or her at the top. Today, more than 4 million people work in 15 departments and more than 140 agencies in the executive…

Woodrow Wilson campaigned for president in 1912 by proposing a “New Freedom” for the nation. After winning the presidency, he worked with Congress to pass several major pieces of legislation. The Underwood Act introduced a graduated federal income tax. The Federal Trade Commission was set up to oversee fair business practices, and the Federal Reserve Act created a system to regulate the nation’s money supply. Wilson also wanted the federal government to help average Americans: He made efforts to outlaw child labor, pushed for an eight-hour workday, and supported labor groups. The biggest issue Wilson faced was World War I (1914–1918). For the first three years of the conflict, he struggled to keep the United States at peace. But the Great War had far-reaching repercussions, as country after country with…

Herbert Hoover shared some hopeful words with Americans in 1928. He said that the day was in sight “when poverty will be banished from this nation.” Hoover’s reputation as a problem-solver helped him win the 1928 election in a landslide. On October 24, 1929, however, the stock market crashed. As stock prices fell sharply that day, known as “Black Thursday,” many people who had invested heavily in the stock market lost large fortunes almost overnight. Hoover tried to reassure the nation that what had happened on Wall Street was a temporary problem. It turned out to be wishful thinking. The Great Depression, one of the worst economic downturns the nation ever experienced, lasted throughout the 1930s. By March 1930, millions of people across the country were unemployed. At the time,…

When Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980, the United States faced high inflation, unemployment, and an energy crisis at home. Overseas, the Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan, and Iranian revolutionaries held American hostages in Tehran. The American government had grown too large, and its influence overseas too weak, Reagan argued. He proposed to restore pride in the nation. “Let’s make America great again,” he declared. Reagan tackled the size of government with mixed results. “[I]t is time for our [federal] government to go on a diet,” he had insisted in 1980. Reagan cut spending on social programs. But at the same time, he reduced tax rates, particularly for the wealthy, and increased the defense budget. In the end, Reagan succeeded in challenging the idea of big government more than…

When William J. “Bill” Clinton took the oath of office in March 1993, the costly 40-year Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States had been over for a couple of years. Many Americans believed that a “peace dividend” was now possible by taking money that had been invested in the military in the past and putting it toward social programs. Clinton called himself a “New Democrat”—liberal on social issues but more conservative on economic issues. His administration not only balanced the federal budget but it also created a surplus. The nation enjoyed an economic boom time—inflation, unemployment, and crime rates all fell. After 12 years of Republicans in the White House, it seemed as if power had passed not only to the Democrats but to a newer,…

Monopolies are companies that control or have the exclusive ability to provide certain goods or services. A corollary is a result or natural consequence of something, such as a policy or thought, that came before. On September 14, 1901, just six months after becoming vice president, 42-year-old Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as president of the United States—the youngest thus far. His predecessor, William McKinley, had died that day after being shot a week earlier. Despite the tragic circumstances that brought him to the presidency, Roosevelt redefined the office and expanded its powers, leading many to consider him the first modern U.S. president. He showed how the power of the president could lead the way to address important issues that faced the nation. At the turn of the 20th century,…

Known for his speaking ability, Warren G. Harding easily won the presidency in 1920 with the campaign slogan “A return to normalcy,” but he may have been the man least prepared for the stresses of the office. Harding tried to fill his Cabinet with the nation’s best minds, but some of his associates later proved unworthy of his trust. A few of his friends and advisors engaged in illegal behavior, using their official positions for money and influence. While on a train journey across the United States in 1923, Harding died of a heart attack. After his death, the Teapot Dome scandals became public, and Harding’s secretary of the interior, Albert B. Fall, was the first Cabinet official to be sentenced to prison for accepting bribes in exchange for leasing…

During the stock market crash in 1929 and the Great Depression of the 1930s that followed, many Americans lost faith in the economy and the government. But one man offered a hopeful message during those difficult times. In his first inaugural address in 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt told the country, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” And despite the major events that he confronted while president, Roosevelt never let fear get in the way of the job he had been elected to do. Roosevelt is the only president to be elected to more than two terms: He won four presidential elections. He began his first term during one of the most challenging periods in the country’s history. The Great Depression was in full swing. Thirteen million…

Having led the Allied invasion forces in North Africa and Normandy during World War II (1939–1945), Dwight D. Eisenhower had firsthand knowledge of war. He wrote, “It’s all so terrible, so awful that I constantly wonder how ‘civilization’ can stand war at all.” Despite his career in the military, Eisenhower strongly believed in peace. Yet it was Eisenhower’s leadership during World War II and as commander of the newly formed North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces in 1951 that brought him to the attention of the Republican party. The party convinced him to run for president in 1952, and with the slogan “I Like Ike,” Eisenhower won in a landslide. In his campaign for president and his support for peace, Eisenhower had promised to end the Korean War (1950–1953). After…

Jacqueline Kennedy (1961–1963) worked to restore the White House and establish it as a national museum. Lady Bird Johnson (1963–1969) began a beautification program to encourage Americans to clean up and care for their neighborhoods and communities. Betty Ford (1974–1977) talked openly about her personal experiences with alcoholism and breast cancer. She also supported equal rights for women. Nancy Reagan (1981–1989) led a campaign that encouraged kids to “Just Say No” to illegal drugs. Barbara Bush (1989–1993) worked to make the public more aware of family literacy, homelessness, and AIDS. Michelle Obama (2009–present) has led the fight against childhood obesity and has worked to support military families.…

Gerald R. Ford was appointed vice president in December 1973 after Vice President Spiro T. Agnew resigned from office upon facing criminal charges. When President Richard M. Nixon resigned eight months later in August 1974, Ford found himself elevated to president of the United States. After the Watergate scandal ended Nixon’s presidency, Ford wanted to restore the public’s faith in the executive office. In his inaugural address, he assured Americans, “Our long national nightmare is over.” Many Americans wanted to see Nixon punished for his crimes, but Ford insisted that the nation needed to move past the recent scandal and look to the future. One of his first actions as president was to grant a full pardon to Nixon. Ford continued the positive relations Nixon had helped establish with Communist…

George H.W. Bush pledged to make America “a kinder and gentler nation” and to use its strength as “a force for good.” But the world was changing dramatically in the early 1990s: Both the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union occurred during Bush’s presidency. As the Soviet Union splintered into smaller, independent states, the United States became the world’s only superpower. Bush’s presidency faced its biggest foreign policy challenge in Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi president invaded oil-rich Kuwait in 1990 and then threatened to invade Saudi Arabia. Bush pushed for the United Nations to step in and protect Kuwait during the Gulf War in 1991. The military operation, known as Desert Storm and consisting mostly of U.S. forces, quickly ended the Iraqi invasion. At…

As Election Day, November 7, 2000, ended, there was no clear winner to the presidential race. Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic candidate, had won the popular vote by more than 500,000, but the outcome in the Electoral College remained uncertain. Everything rested on Florida and its 25 electoral votes. The difference in Florida’s popular votes between Gore and Republican candidate George W. Bush was small, but problems with some ballots made the race too close to call. On December 12—more than a month after the election—the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Bush had won. The son of George H.W. Bush, the nation’s 41st president, became the nation’s 43rd president. An advocate of “compassionate conservatism,” Bush called for smaller government at home and U.S. restraint abroad. He appointed conservatives to…

Want to learn more about the presidents? Well, thanks to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, you can. He had the vision to set up the first presidential library. During his second administration in the 1930s, he saw that his office was creating a large amount of historical records. He didn’t want that information to be destroyed or lost. He raised private funds to establish a public repository. Today, there are 13 presidential libraries preserving the history of every president from Herbert Hoover to George W. Bush. These libraries are part of the National Archives and Records Administration (BELOW). The materials they hold—from letters and artifacts to photos and video and sound recordings—preserve the history of each president’s time in office. Many of the libraries also offer kid-friendly museums and interactive exhibits.…