American civil rights movement, mass protest movement against racial segregation and discrimination in the southern United States that came to national prominence during the mid-1950s. This movement had its roots in the centuries-long efforts of African slaves and their descendants to resist racial oppression and abolish the institution of slavery. Although American slaves were emancipated as a result of the Civil War and were then granted basic civil rights through the passage of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments to the U.S. Constitution, struggles to secure federal protection of these rights continued during the next century. Through nonviolent protest, the civil rights movement of the 1950s and ’60s broke the pattern of public facilities’ being segregated by “race” in the South and achieved the most important breakthrough in equal-rights legislation for African Americans since the Reconstruction period (1865–77). Although the passage in 1964 and 1965 of major civil rights legislation was victorious for the movement, by then militant black activists had begun to see their struggle as a freedom or liberation movement not just seeking civil rights reforms but instead confronting the enduring economic, political, and cultural consequences of past racial oppression.
The threat of terrorism has grown significantly. Although there were terrorist strikes before to 9/11 (e.g., the bombing of embassies and the bombing of Oklahoma City), none were as serious or well-planned.
increased security at airports and on aircraft. The entire globe wished to avoid another 9/11.
War in Afghanistan: After 9/11, America developed a mistrust of the Taliban-led Afghanistan and the fact that it was harboring several terrorist organizations.
War in Iraq: Following 9/11, there were concerns that Saddam Hussein was harboring terrorist organizations that aimed to harm the US and the West as well as being suspected of possessing WMDs. All of this culminated in the Iraq War in 2003, the effects of which are still being felt today (ISIS)
distrust of the Muslim community. Americans had a great deal of mistrust towards Muslims in general after 9/11 because they thought some of them would be terrorists. This mistrust is still present in the alt-right movement today.
Patriot Act: broad citizen surveillance to combat terrorism (lone wolf or part of a group). This conduct sparked a heated discussion about the trade-off between freedom and security, which continues today.
The American endeavor to police the world did not end in Iraq and Afghanistan. Additionally, there were military operations in Somalia, airstrikes in Libya, and support for Syrian rebels.
Although the first major figures of the Enlightenment came from England, the movement truly exploded in France, which became a hotbed of political and intellectual thought in the 1700s. Before long, cutting-edge thought in a variety of disciplines worked its way into the salons, and the French Enlightenment was born.
