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Essay / American History: The Year 1962 - 1347
Research PaperAmerica is the greatest country of all time. She has had many important years and each of those years has been eventful. But a question arises… What is the most important year for America in the 20th century? The answer to this question would be the year 1962. There are many reasons why 1962 is one of the most important years for America in the 20th century. The first reason why 1962 is one of the most important is the Baker v. Carr Supreme Court case. In this case, Charles Baker (plaintiff) resided in Shelby County, Tennessee. He filed a lawsuit against Joe Carr, Secretary of State of Tennessee. Baker said the Tennessee Legislature has not drawn its legislative districts since 1901. If Charles Baker's statement were true, it would be a violation of the Tennessee State Constitution. The Tennessee State Constitution requires redistricting according to the federal census every ten years. Because of this rule, Baker claimed that his vote was a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Baker sought an injunction barring new elections and sought redistribution in large-scale elections. The district courts rejected this request because redistricting represented a political issue and would ultimately not be heard by the courts. The case had to be re-examined because no clear majority emerged for either side. Nearly a year later, the opinion was finally delivered. The court was split 6-2 when it ruled Baker's case was justiciable. Justice William J Brennan restated the political question doctrine, identifying six factors to help determine...... middle of paper ......stro accused the Russians of backing down from the Americans and abandoning the Cuban revolution. America's allies were also angry. They were upset because the Kennedy administration had kept them out of negotiations that could have led to war. The year 1962 was definitely an eventful year. It contained Supreme Court cases, civil rights movements, and almost a nuclear war between two powerful countries. If none of these events had happened, America would not be quite the same country it is today. We would not be considered the most wicked country if these events did not occur. Hell, we even scared away the big bad wolf, aka the Soviet Union. With all the events that happened in a single year, this proves that the year 1962 is one of the most important years of the 20th century in the United States of America..