Introduction

When Bill Clinton took office as the first president of the United States in a post-Cold War world, he inherited the leadership of a nation more tightly connected to the rest of the world than at any time in its history. The revival of immigration, this time primarily from Asia, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America (see the graph below), brought new immigrants who remained closely linked to their homelands. The growth of international economics meant that financial difficulties in one region affected the entire world market. The communications revolution sparked by the Internet made access to most corners of the globe easier than ever before. While Clinton presided over the longest peacetime wave of prosperity in U.S. history, this new world community made policymaking decisions increasingly difficult. In a world of regional conflicts, it became even more difficult for the U.S. to decide when to intervene and when to separate itself from the conflict as much as possible. Clinton's troubles were heightened by an aggressive Republican opposition, which attempted to block Clinton's domestic agenda while implementing its own Contract with America. Clinton's opponents also criticized the influence of his wife Hillary Rodham Clinton on administration policy. This opposition to Mrs. Clinton occurred in the midst of a reassessment of feminist goals during the 1990s. President Clinton brought further difficulties upon himself with the scandals of Whitewater and especially his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, which brought about the first impeachment of a President since Andrew Johnson in the 1860s. Although the Senate voted to acquit him, the rancor created by Clinton's personal life spilled over into the presidential election of 2000, which became one of the closest and most divisive election in the nation's history.

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Projected Population Shifts, 1980-2050

The Web exercises for this chapter investigate the effects of cultural globalization on American society. The additional research links explore this globalization as well as the sources of division within American politics during the 1990s.

Web Activities 

1.  Many recent immigrants to the U.S. have come from neighboring nations to the south. To examine the history of this immigration, start at Las Voces del Caribe. This site explores the rise of Caribbean immigration to the United States over the last few decades. How does this wave of immigrants differ from the previous waves? How is it similar? The Special Case of Mexican Immigration examines "why Mexico is a problem." Why does this author find Mexican immigration problematic for the United States? Did the Immigration and Control Act of 1986 address the same concerns as the author of this article?

2.  Bill Clinton's record became a matter of bitter dispute during the 1990s. For a pro-Clinton view, go to The Clinton Record. What accomplishments does this Clinton advocate celebrate? On the other side, examine Bill Clinton- The Dark Side, a site apparently produced by his opponents during the 1996 presidential election. What skeletons does this site bring up? How substantial do you believe these claims are? What do the pundits say about the Clinton Years?

3.  Read a three-part article about the road to the impeachment proceedings against President Clinton. Why did the scandal rise to the level of impeachment? How similar was this scandal to the Watergate crisis two decades earlier? For an assessment of how the trial compared to the Andrew Johnson impeachment trial of 1868, go to Impeachment 1868/1999. Although the events leading to the impeachment differed, some historians have seen striking similarities between the two events. Do you see such similarities? What are they? Finally, for some views on how history will perceive the Clinton impeachment trial, go to A Historical Look. Do you think the trial changed the public perception of presidency? The role of the president itself?

4.  The debate over racism and the rise of multiculturalism have persisted as political, social and intellectual topics throughout the 1990s.

• In 1991, the Rodney King beating resulted in riots across the city of Los Angeles. What complaints did blacks have about this incident?
• In 1994, the O.J. Simpson murder trial divided the nation largely along racial lines, with blacks believing in his innocence and whites his guilt. For details on the trial, go to the O.J. Simpson Main Page. What effect did racism have on this trial?
• In 1996, California voters passed Proposition 209, which banned affirmative action in hiring and college admissions. For an investigation of the aftermath of its passage, go to Proposition 209. This initiative followed the 1994 passage of Proposition 187, which denied health, education, and welfare benefits to illegal aliens, also in California. How did these laws affect the flow of immigrants into California and the U.S. as a whole?
• The U.S. English website advocates the institution of English as the official language of the United States. What arguments does the site make to support its proposal? How does this policy respond to the growing diversity of the American population?

5.  The presidential election of 2000 was the most contentious in American history. Start your investigation of this topic at Presidential Election 2000, which offers the platforms of the major candidates as well as a chronology of the recount. How similar were the platforms of the two parties? In what ways did they differ? For audio and video clips of election coverage and Bush and Gore speeches, go to Election 2000. What was the primary focus of this coverage? Did the Bush and Gore speeches seem to focus on these same issues? If not, how did their concerns differ? Finally, go to CNN's Reviewing the Vote site for coverage and explanation of the recount process. How did the Supreme Court explain its decision in Bush v. Gore?

6.  The terrorist attacks of September 11^th, 2001 were probably the most significant national trauma in the United States since the Kennedy assassination. Websites concerning the event abound, but begin by looking at the September 11^th Sourcebooks. Browse through the wealth of primary source material on this site. What are the creators of this site attempting to do with all this information? Are they making any arguments as to the causes of this attack? If so, what are they? Next go to the September 11^th Digital Archive. How does the agenda of the creators of this site differ from that of the previous page? Browse through the various information on this site. What can you discover about the post-September 11^th culture in the United States through these sources?

Additional Research Links

The Clinton Presidency

• Hillary Clinton. Contrast this official biography to The Hillary Watch. Why does she draw such venom from conservatives?
• A Guide to the Balkans. Read through this guide in order to understand the historical context and the crises of the 1990s in the Balkan region. What role did the U.S. play in the region? What interests caused Clinton to commit the U.S. to intervene?

The Clinton Presidency on Trial

• Health Care Reform. Read this 1993 article from an advocate of the Clinton health care program. Why did he believe health care was so important? Why did he advocate Clinton's plan?
• Contract With America. What goals did the Republican members of the 1994 Congress set in this document? How did they contrast with the goals of the Clinton administration?

The United States in a Networked World

• A Brief History of the Internet and Networking the Nerds provide histories of the development of the Internet and the Worldwide Web. How has this technology changed American culture? American politics?

Iraq War

• Comprehensive coverage of the still evolving developments in the conflict can be found at CNN War in Iraq. How can you make historical assessments about an event that is still unfolding?