Book Report

FDR and the Creation of the United Nations

   FDR and the Creation of the U.N. provides information on how the U.N not only came to be, but everything surrounding the issue. It explains every detail and of course every controversy and disagreement leading to its creation. The historians Towsend Hoopes and Douglas Brinkley discuss and give us information on how the United Nations first came into discussion, how it was initially debated and furthermore declined, how it was revised to be suitable for the conditions present during the post-WW2 era, and how it came to be law. 

   The gruesome experience Americans faced during WW2 helped to gain support for the creation of the U.N. This support and after conversing with other nations was the "organization" finally put into place. In large part, credit is due to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt was extremely determined to form an organization that would halt the vicious cycle of destructive wars. Roosevelt imposed a heavy burden among himself to assign responsibility for keeping peace among the allies and the rest of the world. In addition to detail following Roosevelt's involvement the book covers the others who played key roles in establishing the United Nations. It tells the events in a way that makes complete sense, almost like a movie, switching from character to character in order to allow the audience/reader to better grasp the present situation.

   There hasn't been a World War in almost seventy-years. Sure, small wars come up from time to time, but I would almost call these "peace keepings." They have been small(at least in recent years and have been supported by almost all countries to keep the peace. We owe this new age of peace, prosperity and peace of mind to Roosevelt and everyone who was involved in creating the United Nations. Never before has so many counties been able to come together to make decisions. As a result, everyone has a say and everyone has allies to back them up and make agreements. This system has done exactly what Roosevelt intended: to keep the peace and create a better world for all inhabitants. Especially in this age of advanced technology and nuclear weaponry the U.N couldn't have come at a better time. Had it not been established and enforced we could have easily seen another WW, this war could have disastrous effects, just considering the technology at hand. 

   I found this book not only intellectually appealing but of great interest to myself and my "interests." It's almost eye-opening that it took us that long to establish something. Keeping the peace should have been a top-priority from the beginning of time. It's just lucky that Roosevelt and the allied nations stepped up when they did, or the world could be very different from what it is today. Obviously, the significance of the United Nations is immense. I'm very grateful for it and hope to see its ever-lasting existence. 

Your own Research-Passing of Civil Rights Act

The Civil Rights Act

 The United States passed one of its strongest civil rights laws in history in 1964. It was the Civil Rights Act. The act bans discrimination because of a person's color, race, national origin, religion, or sex. It primarily protects the rights of African Americans and other minorities. Major features of the Civil Rights Act include the freedom to vote and use hotels, restaurants, theaters, parks, and all other public places. The law also encouraged the desegregation of public schools and authorized the withdrawal of federal funds from programs practicing discrimination.

  Other major features included the prohibition of job discrimination and the creation of the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission.The Civil Rights Act was an attempt to improve the quality of life for African Americans and other minority groups. Historical momentum for civil rights legislation grew in the mid-1940s due to the extensive black migration to northern cities. During this time, Congress be came active in the pursuit of civil rights, with the judicial branch of the government at its heels. Shortly afterwards, the Supreme Court joined the civil rights forces and in doing so added to the historical pressure for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. One of the most important and influential Supreme Court decisions involving civil rights legislation was the 1954 ruling inBrown versus the board of education. It desegregated American public schools and paved the way for the civil rights movement.

   The specific source of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was President John F. Kennedy. He began gaining support for it in a televised national address by urging Americans to take action to guarantee equal treatment for all. Kennedy then proposed an act dealing with voting rights, public accommodations, desegregation of public schools, and many more items on the civil rights agendas. On July 2, 1964, President Johnson signed the bill that Kennedy had fought for, which created a major piece of civil rights legislation. Although the Civil Rights Act did not resolve all problems of discrimination, it did open the door to further progress by lessening racial restrictions on the use of public facilities, providing more job opportunities, strengthening voting laws, and limiting federal funding of discriminatory programs.

Sources: 

http://humanresources.about.com/od/discrimination/g/the-Civil-Rights-Act-of-1964.htm

http://counsel.cua.edu/fedlaw/cr1964.cfm

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/1964_civil_rights_act.htm