November 2, 1962 - JFK Announces USSR would Dismantle Cuban Missile Sites

On November 2, 1962 President John F. Kennedy and Nikita S. Khrushchev, the Soviet leader came to an agreement which concluded the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Cuban Missile Crisis was a conflict between The United States and Cuba when President John F. Kennedy ordered a blockade of Cuba due to the discovery that Soviet Nuclear Missiles were being constructed on the island. This conflict could have played a huge role in today’s everyday life had the situation not been handled cautiously. Had there been conflicting views and no reached agreements by the two parties, nuclear war was destined to occur. [1]

President Kennedy was first informed of the construction of Soviet Missiles in Cuba on October 16,1962. Speaking on the topic of missiles being constructed in Cuba; Kennedy administration officials have said that the Soviet leader acted for “global strategic reasons” and Khrushchev himself claimed that he was “primarily motivated by the desire to defend the Cuban revolution, and his ally Fidel Castro, from aggression by the United States.” [2] Then finding out about the construction of missiles, Kennedy decided to take action and place a naval blockade around Cuba. The main purpose of this blockade was to prevent the Soviets from bringing in more military supplies to Cuba. [3]

It had seemed that a satisfactory resolution for both Kennedy and Khrushchev in this crisis was becoming more and more farfetched. Khrushchev sent a letter to Kennedy demanding that the United States agree to remove its Jupiter missiles from Turkey in exchange for a Soviet removal of missiles from Cuba. Kennedy then made a bargain with Khrushchev, sending a letter assuring Khrushchev that the United States would speedily take out its missiles from Turkey, but only on the basis of a secret understanding, not as an open agreement that would appear to the public, and to NATO allies, as a concession to blackmail. [4] Many details involving the agreement to take the U.S. missiles out of Turkey remain in question to this day.

Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, met in his office at the Justice Department with Soviet ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin to settle the discrepancy once and for all. The agreement between the two sides have raised many questions and confusion over the years. U.S. officials have mandated that neither John nor Robert Kennedy promised to withdraw the Jupiters in exchange for the removal of Soviet missiles in Cuba, but that Robert Kennedy informed Dobrynin that he had planned to remove the American missiles in any event. However, many scholars of the Cuban Missile Crisis throughout the years have strongly suspected that Robert F. Kennedy relayed a pledge from his brother to take out the Jupiters from Turkey in exchange for the Soviet removal of nuclear missiles from Cuba, so long as Moscow kept the swap secret. [4]

- Troy S. and Luke M.




[1] “JFK announces a blockade of Cuba,” The History Channel website, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jfk-announces-a-blockade-of-cuba (accessed Nov 1, 2013).
[2] Dobbs, Michael. "Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)." The New York Times, . http://www.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/c/cuban_missile_crisis/index.html (accessed November 1, 2013).
[3] For thirteen days in October 1962 the world waited—seemingly on the brink of nuclear war—and hoped for a peaceful resolution to the Cuban Missile Crisis.. working paper., John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Mueseum. http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/Cuban-Missile-Crisis.aspx
[4] Hershberg, Jim. Anatomy of a Controversy . working paper., The George Washington University, 1995. The National Security Archive http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/moment.htm.

October 31, 1968 - President Johnson Ends Operation Rolling Thunder

On this day in history in the year 1968 President Johnson announced a halt to Operation Rolling Thunder, a bombing operation against the North Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. The end of Operation Rolling Thunder was an attempt at peace, to hopefully stop the war between the Viet Cong and the United States. In Operation Rolling Thunder, U.S. military aircraft attacked targets throughout North Vietnam from March 1965 to October 1968. Operation Rolling Thunder lasted three years before the dissection off the halt be for it came to an end in 1968. Part of the reason for the bombing mission was to destroy North Vietnam's transportation system, industrial base, air defenses, and to cease the flow of men and materiel into South Vietnam. The U.S. didn’t want to risk thousands of troops by sending them in to fight one-on-one.

Johnson wanted to stop the bombing and the war. These were his intentions when he considered the halt. Johnson didn’t do it right a way he looked in to it to make sure no one would be affected by this. That’s why Johnson was playing it safe. He didn’t want to show that his guard was down and because we could get surprised attacked. There was no knowledge on what will happen if Johnson stopped Operation Rolling Thunder. Many people kept telling him that nothing major couldn’t happen since the Viet Cong didn’t have a big air force unit, so they wasn’t able to attack us through air support. The bombing halt of Operation Rolling Thunder made President Johnson reputation bad with the U.S citizens. Johnson already know that if he ran for president again no one would vote for him because of the bombing. Not that many were pleased of the decision he has made on the bombing halt. Johnson made a good decision because it did bring peace.

October 29, 1940 - First Peacetime Military Draft Enacted

Draft registration line at Jefferson Streetcar Barn
in Seattle on October 16, 1940

When looking at the world today, it is quite different than it was just a short time ago in 1940. Americans today are spoiled; we are currently living in one of the most peaceful times in world history. Democracy across the global has fostered a world in which many disputes can be solved with words rather than weapons. Today men and women willingly volunteer to proudly serve their country. Contrary to today, 1940 was a scary time to be a young American man, due to tensions surrounding World War II.

Prior to America’s entrance in the war, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 into law [i]. This act required all men between the ages 21 and 35 to register for the draft. Originally the service time was twelve months. In 1941, the term was expanded to encompass a longer term of duty and a larger population of men that could be conscripted. In total, 10,110,104 men were drafted for the war. On October 29th, 1940, the first lottery for the draft was held, officially bringing the first men into the military for World War II through conscription.[ii] 

Controversy casted a shadow over the draft during this time; this was very prevalent in minority communities. The African-American and Japanese populations were affected more harshly than any other groups. During this time over 100,000 Japanese-Americans, many of whom had little to no connection with Japan other than ancestry, were sent and imprisoned in internment camps. The other group, African-Americans, was still battling for basic rights that we all share today. Abroad, these men were fighting for freedom for their country. In their country, they were fighting for freedom for themselves. Throughout the time, most were forced to serve in segregated regiments. Of the ten million men that served in the military for WWII, over one million of them were African-Americans. Despite this blatant racial segregation and lack of equality, these two groups were asked to do the same things that whites were doing while at the same time fighting battles of their own. The draft and World War II took a serious toll on Americans of all walks of life because of the duel front that was created both by weapons abroad and hypocritical rhetoric at home.

- Nick M. and Matthew G.




[i] Andrew Glass. Politico "Congress enacts first peacetime draft law: Sept. 14, 1940." Accessed October 24, 2013. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0907/5792.html.

[ii] David Wilma. "First peacetime draft in U.S. history takes effect on October 16, 1940.." Accessed October 24, 2013. http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=5572.

October 28, 1919 - the Volstead Act passed.

October 28, on this day in history in 1919 the Volstead Act was passed. The Volstead act was passed to push the implementation of the 18th amendment. Andrew J. Volstead had the job of sponsoring the legislation, but Wayne Wheeler was the author of the bill. Prohibition was a direct result from the Volstead act.[1] It was titled "An act to prohibit intoxicating beverages, and to regulate the manufacture, production, use, and sale of high-proof spirits for other than beverage purposes, and to insure an ample supply of alcohol and promote its use in scientific research and in the development of fuel, dye, and other lawful industries."[2] The Volstead act was vetoed by Woodrow Wilson but on that same day congress over rode the veto to pass the bill. [3]

The Volstead act was an act that showed the times in America was changing. The progressive movement was in full swing during this time and the Temperance movement within it was calling for reformative legislation on alcohol laws.[4] The Volstead Act was important because not only did it show the power of the American government, by Congress overriding a Presidential veto, but it lead to an amendment to the United States constitution, that was later repealed. The constitutional amendment that was passed because of this act, the 18th, was later repealed by the 21st, showing the people that the country was able to regulate itself and fix the mistakes they made. The act was initially received greatly by the people, until the realized what they were giving up and effectively made criminals of almost the entirety of the United States population, including members of congress and the president.[5] The Volstead Act was something that will go down in history as what seemed like a good idea on paper, but that would never really pan out in reality.

- Justyn Z. and Sam K.




[1] Hanson, David J. "The Volstead Act." Alcohol Problems and Solutions. http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/Controversies/Volstead-Act.html#.UmmtYqWTOfQ (accessed October 25, 2013).
[2] Hanson, David J.
[3] Hanson, David J.
[4] Hanson, David J.
[5] Hanson, David J.