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The Defense of Marriage Act
The defense of Marriage Act passed in 1996 and defined marriage at the federal level as between one man and one woman. This prevented same-sex couples from getting federal benefits. In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay marriage. In 2013, the supreme court tried to go against DOMA. Then in 2015, gay marriage was declared legal in all 50 states. This event inspired individuals to advocate for change, and emphasized inequality. (Kruse, Zelizer, 218) -
The Y2K Bug
The Y2K bug was a computer problem that was well known in the 1990's. It was rumored that computers stored years using only the last two digits to save memory space. So when the year 2000 came along, computer systems read "00" as "1900" instead of "2000". People thought this would lead to an apocalypse, but the transition from 1999 to 2000 ended up being successful. The Y2K bug was a merit inclusion because it shows how the world came together to stop a global crisis. (Kruse, Zelizer, 237) -
Indecision 2000
The stock market recovered and unemployment rates stayed low for the rest of Clinton's term. (238-239) -
2000's Presidential Election
The election in the 2000's was the closest one of all time. It was George W. Bush vs. Al Gore, who were both first time candidates. The election was so close due to the state of Florida, where there was voting issues. Some voters did not completely punch holes into the ballots, leaving paper attached, resulting to the votes not counting. Some people believed Bushes win wasn't legitimate.This election is considered a merit inclusion because of its social and political impact. (Kruse,Zelizer, 202) -
9/11
On September 11, 2001, there were multiple terrorist attacks in the U.S by an extremist group named "al-Qaeda". Two planes crash into the World Trade Center, a third went into the pentagon and the forth plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania before it could make it to Washington, D.C. There was a total of 3000 deaths due to the attacks. This event is considered a merit inclusion because it helped with better security, policies, and brought the world together. (Kruse, Zelizer, 249) -
War on Terror
After the tragedy of 9/11, the United States got sent into pandamonium with the Government looking for answers. They found that al-Qaeda was the main suspect starting the war on terror. This caused the United States to invade Afghanistan initiating a full blown war on terrorism in 2001. This war was general controversial due to the questionable military action. War of terror is something we still deal with today. (Kruse, Zelizer, 254) -
No Child Left Behind Act
The "No Child Left Behind" Act was signed by President George Bush. It was made to improve education for all students, mainly disadvantaged ones. It requires yearly testing and having schools be held accountable for progress within students, mainly those who struggled. This Act was considered a merit inclusion because it showed that every student can learn and succeed when given the needed support. -
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was one of the most destructive hurricanes in the U.S history. It hit in August 2005, causing serious damage mainly in New Orleans. The city is below sea level and turned into a massive swimming pool. It tore through multiple cities ending the lives of 2000 individuals and families. It destroyed the entire low in-come suburbs. (Kruse, Zelizer, 280) -
financial Crisis
