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"From master storyteller and New York Times bestselling biographer H. W. Brands, twice a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, comes the first full life of Ronald Reagan since his death. Ronald Reagan today is a conservative icon, celebrated for transforming the American domestic agenda and playing a crucial part in ending communism in the Soviet Union. In his masterful new biography, H. W. Brands argues that Reagan, along with FDR, was the most consequential...
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Just two months into his presidency, Ronald Reagan lay near death after a gunman's bullet came within inches of his heart. His recovery was nothing short of remarkable -- or so it seemed. But Reagan was grievously injured, forcing him to encounter a challenge that few men ever face. Could he silently overcome his traumatic experience while at the same time carrying out the duties of the most powerful man in the world? Killing Reagan reaches back to...
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In his 1989 "Farewell Address to the Nation", President Ronald Reagan refers to the United States as a "shining city upon a hill", a phrase first used by John Winthrop in the 1630s to describe the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Reagan believed that during his eight years as president, he helped make the "city" a more secure place, with expanded opportunities for those within it. Reagan left office with a 50-percent approval rating - the highest of any...
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A well-known actor before he entered politics, Ronald Reagan's film career had faded by the 1950s. In 1954 he was hired by General Electric to host its sponsored television program, the General Electric Theater. Reagan acted in half-hour television plays and advertised GE's new products, but most notably he used the show as a soapbox for his political views. His tenure as host of GE's program arguably increased his public audience and contributed...
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Between 1938 and 1958 Congress investigated allegations of widespread communism in the American motion picture industry. Several notable screenwriters and actors, including future president Ronald Reagan, testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee regarding their knowledge of Communist sympathies within the industry. Those actors and writers who were identified as having Communist connections were often blacklisted from working in...
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During his administration Ronald Reagan was criticized for the negative effect his policies had on African Americans. Reagan opposed the creation of a federal Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, the extension of the Voting Rights Act, and vetoed the Civil Rights Restoration Act.
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On March 23, 1983, President Ronald Reagan delivered a nationally televised speech in which he argued that the nation needed to update and increase its nuclear arsenal to ensure its safety against the Soviet Union. The centerpiece of his plan was the Strategic Defense Initiative, a theoretical system that would allow the U.S. military to shoot down an incoming Soviet missile. Critics dubbed the program "Star Wars" and argued that the costly plan would...
13) Ronald Reagan Criticizes President Jimmy Carter's Foreign Policies During the 1980 Election ca. 1980
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The Iranian hostage situation, during which revolutionaries in Tehran seized the U. S. embassy and held 66 Americans hostage, was one of the most important issues during the 1980 presidential campaign. Despite President Jimmy Carter's pledge to bring the Americans home safely, many of his opponents, including Republican challenger Ronald Reagan, argued that the continued crisis was indicative of a failure of Carter's leadership.
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In 1983, President Ronald Reagan charged that a military buildup on the Caribbean island of Grenada was evidence that the nation had become a "satellite" of the communist regime in Cuba. Declaring that the national security of the United States was at stake, President Reagan approved an invasion of the island on October 25, 1983. The invasion, while successful, drew worldwide protests.
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While on a visit to Berlin in 1987, President Ronald Reagan famously challenged Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall as a symbol of reform within the Soviet Union. The wall, built in 1961 to separate Communist East Berlin from West Berlin, was eventually dismantled in 1989, the same year that the Soviet Union collapsed.
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In November 1985, President Ronald Reagan met with Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev for the first time. At the summit, which was held in Geneva, Reagan and Gorbachev discussed the arms race. After returning to the United States, President Reagan gave his Geneva Summit Address to Congress. Although he portrayed Gorbachev and the summit in a generally positive way, he defended his Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), or "Star Wars", ominously asserting...
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On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley, a 25-year-old drifter who thought that assassinating the president would impress the actress Jodi Foster. Reagan survived the attempt and was able to return to office within weeks, while Hinckley was ultimately acquitted of murder charges on grounds of insanity.