VIETNAM WAR

Beginning in 1957 and ending in 1975, the Vietnam War was America's longest war and her first military failure on foreign soil. Even twenty-five years later, the Vietnam War era is a difficult and complicated subject, both emotionally and historically.

The Vietnam War was the longest battle to have been fought ever by the United States. During the Cold War between America and the Soviet Union, there were several problems within Vietnam. However, these problems had nothing to do with the Cold War, they were internal strives and struggles in the country.

There were mainly two sets of people whose ideas clashed and these were the Democrats and the Communists. Their ideals clashed and they often fought. It led to a serious divide of the country leading to the formation of two countries -- North Vietnam and South Vietnam.

North Vietnam was formed by the Communists and the South Vietnam was formed by the Democrats. However, the South Vietnam government was led by a ruthless person called Diem. He was the Prime Minister but had more dictatorship values. However, he had democratic views on government. The United States decided to support South Vietnam in spite of Diem’s nature.

North Vietnam being a communist country was supported by Russia and other communist countries. However, because of communism several countries in the world like Australia and China were involved in the war with America and the Soviet Union being the two superpowers at that time.

 North Vietnam’s strongest strength was its army and they had huge troops on foot. For the United States, the territory was unknown and airplanes or helicopters did not work well on those terrains. However, the war lasted for 16 years and when it came to an end, Prime Minister Diem was shot dead and that is what liberated the Vietnamese in the end. The country reunited and became one after that.

50 Facts on Vietnam War

• In 1954, Vietnam split into communist North and democratic South.
• Both the countries went to war after that.
• The war also included America and Australia.
• America supported Southern democrats
• America always hated communism so she sent thousands of American soldiers to South Vietnam
• Vietnam was dealing with several issues like typhoid and malaria
• Many American soldiers died due to diseases
• The North Vietnamese won the war in the end
• The country reunited as a whole
• America took a big loss in terms of soldiers
• Ngo Diem who ruled South Vietnam was assassinated because he was ruthless.
• America initially supported Diem and later withdrew.
• After Diem was killed the North and South Vietnam United as one country again.
• It was a huge celebration for them in May 1963.
• President Lyndon Johnson was the main person who wanted to stop communism and that why US got involved.
• During the Vietnam War, North Vietnamese attacked two US destroyers.
• US started bombing Northern Vietnam rail roads
• Johnson even tried to Americanize the war
• Pleiku US base was attacked
• Nearly 40 thousand American troops were sent to war in Vietnam
• Biggest troops ever to be sent by US
• Major loss of lives outside the country ever in the American history.
• Nearly 58226 American soldiers were killed or missing in action. Their names are listed on the Vietnam Wall
• 2.59 million People served the war
• Vietnam War was the biggest "defeat" the US army has ever faced. 

CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH

A gold rush happens when people hear that gold has been found. They then rush to seek their fortune. Gold is a soft, yellow precious metal that is very valuable. Some people use gold as money. The California Gold Rush is very famous in history. In the 1840s, California was  a land of large ranches with a few small towns. However, the discovery of gold in 1948 changed the region forever.

In 1948, James Marshall and some workers were building a sawmill for John Sutter along the bank of the South Fork of the American River. On January 24, the workers found a small nugget of gold. The workers found more gold and the news of the discovery spread. Although it took a year for the news to reach the east coast, by 1849 thousands of 'forty-niners' were mining for gold. Most miners used a shallow pan to find flakes of gold in streams.  They were called forty-niners because most arrived in 1949.

Gold nuggets

Most of the forty-niners were from other parts of the United States. Others reached California by sailing around the tip of South America of by crossing the Isthmus of Panama and then sailing up the Pacific Ocean.

Many of the forty-niners who arrived in California were from other parts of the world including Mexico, South America, Europe, and Asia. In fact, about one of every four newcomers was Chinese.

The gold rush caused great changes to California. Those who did not find gold often stayed and turned to ranching or farming. Others started business. And others returned home broke. By the end of 1949 California’s population had grown to more than 100,000 people. A group of California leaders decided that California should become a state. After some debate, in 1850, California became the 31^st state.

 

The real money was made by freighters and merchants who brought and marketed supplies. Levi Straus 'struck it rich' by making and selling durable pants for the miners who were looking for gold.

 

"Gold Fever" has happened around the world. The British immigrants who went to Australia for the 1851 gold rush were called 'diggers.' In 1886, a part-time prospector in South Africa named George Walker started one of the world's biggest gold rushes. Another well-known gold rush occurred in the Klondike and Alaska.

 

Nowadays, there is a storage place for gold in Kentucky, United States. This place is called Fort Knox. Also there's actually more gold at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York. This gold is owned by individuals and nations from around the world.