George H. W. Bush

Republican1989-1993

Texasborn: June 12, 1924

Vp: Dan Quayle

Political Background

1967-71: U.S. Representative from Texas

1971-73: U.S. ambassador to the U.N.

1974-75: director of the CIA1981-1989: VP under Reagan1989-1993: 41st President

Election of 1988[R] George H.W. Bush/Dan Quayle[D] Michael Dukakis/Lloyd Bentsen

*The Election revolved around issues of the Iran-Contra Scandal and growing budget concerns

*Election Results:1. Popular Vote: 48,886,097 (R), 41,809,074(D)

2. Electoral Vote: 426 to 111

Green=Bush Blue=Dukakis

Pan Am Flight 103•Dec 21, 1988: plane exploded

over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 people on board as well as 11 on the ground.

•189 of the 259 people on board were Americans (plane was traveling from London to NYC) – this shattered the U.S.’s sense of security!

• Suspicions focus on two Libyans. 2003 – Gaddafi admitted Libya’s responsibility for the bombing, paid compensation to the victims’ families

Osama bin Laden / Al Qaeda•Al Qaeda was founded in 1988

by Osama bin Laden to consolidate the international network he established during the Afghan war.

•Its goals were the advancement of Islamic revolutions throughout the Muslim world and repelling foreign (western/US) intervention in the Middle East.

• Following the first Gulf War, Al Qaeda shifted its focus to fighting the growing U.S. presence in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s most sacred shrines.

• This war on the U.S. has continued ever since!

“Read my lips: No new taxes”1. Early campaign promise of Bush – he

came to later regret this statement- because we were in a recession

2. Long battles over the budget broke out; Bush compromised with the Democrats on a federal deficit reduction that included tax increases, even after his promise…

3. Conservatives were outraged!

Economic Recession*In spite of the financial growth

of the 1980s, 14% of Americans were still living in poverty. The economy stopped growing in the early 1990s.

*This will cause major problems for Bush in ’92 when running for re-election!

Tiananmen Square, China

1. Pro-democracy reformers (mostly Chinese students) protested the Communist government

2. June 4, 1989: Chinese gov’t tanks and troops moved to break up protestors; killed an estimated 2000+ in Tiananmen Square

3. June 5: Bush suspended arms sales to China

• The demonstrations in Tiananmen Square have been described as the greatest challenge to the communist state in China since the 1949 revolution.

Fall of Berlin Wall

1. Mass demonstrations against the government in East Germany began in late September 1989.

2. The wall (which divided east and west Berlin in Germany) was

opened Nov 9.

Germany was united October 3, 1990, as the Federal Republic of Germany

Dissolution (falling apart of) of USSR

1.1990 – 12 Soviet republics began to issue declarations of independence (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan all broke away)

2. 1990 –Boris Yeltsin was elected the chairman of the Russian Republic Parliament

3. Attempted coup to overthrow Gorbachev after he refused to support military law

4. Military units were met by protest from Yeltsin and other republics

5. December 25, Gorbachev resigned – new flag was raised on December 31

led by Boris Yeltsin

(Russian Tricolour)-

War on Drugs / invasion of Panama

1. U.S. invaded Panama to arrest President Manuel Noriega – known drug king

2. 22,500 U.S. troops sent in Dec. ‘89 - Operation Just Cause- trying to fight drugs out of South America

3. Noriega was captured on Jan 4 after seeking asylum from the Vatican embassy on December 24

4. U.S. troops played relentless rock music over loudspeakers - songs by The Animals, Bobby Fuller, and Bruce Springsteen to “annoy” him out

Exxon Valdez oil spill• Prince William Sound, Alaska,

United States, on March 24, 1989. •Considered one of the most

devastating man-made environmental disasters ever to occur at sea.

•Spilled 10.8 million U.S. gallons of crude oil into the sea, which eventually covered 11,000 square miles of ocean

Americans with Disabilities Act

* Wide-ranging civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with physical or mental disabilities in employment,

transportation, telephone services, and public buildings.

Operation Desert Storm

1. August, 1990: Kuwait was attacked by Iraq, which also stationed armies near the borders of Saudi Arabia and Iran

(Kuwait held 10% of the world’s oil reserves, Iran 10%, S.A. 25%)

2. Bush helped to create a broad international coalition against Iraq, which included support from most of the United Nations members.

3. UN imposed economic sanctions; began bombing campaign on Jan 16, 1991

4. Bush ordered the largest deployment of troops (500,000+) since the Vietnam War

5. January 1991: secured Congressional authority to use all necessary means to expel Iraq from Kuwait

6. February 1991, ground forces pushed Iraqi soldiers out of Kuwait (ground war was over in less than 100 hours)

7. Gulf war was over in less than 2 months; about 294 Americans were killed

*estimates of Iraqi deaths range from 20,000 – 200,000!

8. Saddam Hussein remained in power

Saddam Hussein: 1990s

Supreme Court - Clarence Thomas

1. Nominee David Souter was easily confirmed

2. Clarence Thomas, (an African American) was nominated to replace Thurgood Marshall, was a very controversial appointment. Thomas was accused of sexual harassment of Anita Hill, a former co-worker at EEOC.

David Clarence Souter Thomas

LA Riots/ Rodney King• April, 1992

• 4 white policemen were acquitted of the videotaped beating of a motorist who resisted arrest

• The community of LA responded to this unfair verdict with riots, which lasted for six days and left 50+ dead. (like Watts Riot!!!)

27th Amendment

• Ratified in 1992

• Any change in the salary of Congressmen will take effect only after the next election.

• This way, lawmakers cannot guarantee themselves an unfair raise!

Legacy of President Bush

a. His handling of the Gulf War was regarded as his finest accomplishment

b. Continues to remain politically active through his son George W. Bush

c. Was appointed co-ambassador with Bill Clinton to help with relief efforts after the Indonesian tsunami