The US in the 1980s

The End of the Cold War

· Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the

Soviet Union

· Both leaders wanted to end the Cold War

· Soviet Union fell apart

Berlin Wall Comes Down

o Symbolized the end of communism

in Russia and Eastern Europe

Iran-Contra Affair

· Iran and Iraq were at war

· Reagan asked other countries not to sell weapons to Iran

· Reagan administration secretly sold weapons to Iran and

gave the money to the Contras, a rebel group in Nicaragua

· Oliver North and others were convicted, but later pardoned

by Bush

· Reagan denied involvement

First Female Supreme Court Justice

Sandra Day O’Connor

· Appointed by President Reagan

Supply Side Economics

● Idea that tax cuts to businesses, wealthy will stimulate

economic growth

● “Trickle down” to lower classes

● Theory has not been proven to work but that has not

stopped its popularity within the Republican Party

● Reagan favored these tax cuts during his administration.