America: The Story of Us (Part 12: Millennium)

The United States of America was built on hardship, sacrifice, and discovery. In 2010, the history channel have created this 12-part docu-series where it talks about many of those hardships, sacrifices, and discoveries.

This is the final part of this 12-part wiki series about The History Channel's docu-series. In this part, we will talk about how America prospered throughout the rest of the 20th century and how it entered the 21st century.

## Millennium

### Hippie Counter Culture Movement

In 1964, after the Gulf of Tonkin Incident the US enters the Vietnam War. Throughout the 60s, people have been watching on their TVs on how terrible the Vietnam War was going from Operation: Rolling Thunder and the Tet Offensive the war was unpopular to some people back in America.

The people decide to peacefully protest America's involvement in Vietnam, a lot of people, most from the Baby Boomer generation formed what would be known as the Hippie Counter Culture Movement. Most of the hippies originated in California, but soon would spread throughout the entire nation. The peak of the hippie counter culture movement came in the form of a concert in New York which was called Woodstock were thousands of hippies joined their favorite rock bands and singers.

### Untrust in the Government

The episode now goes to Washington DC where President Nixon breaks constitutional protocol by sending agents into the Watergate Hotel.

This is because Nixon was accused of spying on Political Opponents, but once it became evident that he has caused the Watergate Scandal, this would cause a sense of untrust in the US Government as people believed that if a President can do illegal things, than how can you trust the rest of the Government.

It wouldn't be until Ronald Regan became President when the people began to trust in the government once more, as Regan promised big tax cuts and more consumerism.

More money is spent in the 1980s as fast food is consumed more than it was before, now with an economic boom in the 1980s, most of the money that the Government is now getting is still spent on the space race (eventhough the biggest prize in landing on the Moon is already won) but the Soviets are still into their own space program.

Though, NASA would be the world's leading space program, but in 1986 it would receive a blow.........literally.

### The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

The episode now goes back to Cape Canaveral to talk about one of the biggest disasters in NASA's history.

On January 28, 1986 the Space Shuttle Challenger launched from Cape Canaveral, after about a minute the Shuttle explodes on live TV where every school in the nation witnessed the tragedy. The rubber sealant of the solid rocket booster was affected by below average temperatures and was unsupportive for the deployment of the fuel. With this disaster a lot of Shuttle programs were cancelled, including a "Teacher In Space" program since one of the crew that died was a teacher.

### Age of Computers

As the 80s turned into the 90s, and with the Cold War over, advancements in computer technology were underway. Other Gadgets such as Cellular Telephones and even Computers (which were the size of bedrooms by the time they were invented) are now in the hands of millions of Americans by the late 1990s.

Eventhough the 1990s were defined by a golden age of peace and prosperity since the Cold War is over and the USSR fell. But, something will come along and give the United States a brand new enemy; Terrorism.

### Terrorism hits home

The episode goes back to New York City to talk about probably the worst attack on American Soil.

September 11, 2001. An airplane that was heading from Boston to Los Angeles was hijacked by a terrorist and flew it into the North Tower of the Old World Trade Center, just a few minutes later the South Tower was hit. At 9:37 AM, the Pentagon was also hit by an airplane. It wouldn't be until 10:28 AM when the North Tower fell when the age of peace for the US would end, and the War on Terrorism would begin, and continue for the next 20 years.

This is where the docu-series ends with the "experts" and other people talk about how America came to be. This docu-series did had it's ups and downs throughout, but the expert opinions were one of the worst as most of the people talking in this docu-series were not experts. But the narration (though miscredited) and portration of the characters were quite good for the most part. It is a good docu-series with flaws, of course all those lessons were learned and were remembered when the sequel Mankind: The Story of all of Us came out 2 years later.

That'll do it for the 12-part wiki series. Don't forget to check out my Games and Movies wikis too. Until next time, this is JohnnyOTGS signing out.