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尼爾‧阿姆斯壯於1969年7月20日登上月球時說：「這是我的一小步，卻是人類的大躍進。
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美國在這個時期裡的發展與成長主要受到協助歐洲從第二次世界大戰中復興起來，以及美國介入其他戰爭 (主要是和蘇聯的冷戰，以及越戰與韓戰) 的影響。美國和蘇聯的冷戰並不是一場真正的戰爭，這個名詞代表的是美國與這個崩解後稱為蘇俄的前共產國家之間不友好的冷淡關係。在美國內部，共產主義在1950年代引發的「紅色驚恐」 (Red
Scare) ，也促成了麥卡錫聽證會的結果。參議員約瑟夫‧麥卡錫 (Joseph
McCarthy) 指控許多美國人過去曾經是共產黨員，這項指控使許多藝術家、老師，以及政府官員因此失去工作。
有幾位重要的人物協助架構了美國的現代時期，包括愛蓮娜．羅斯福、馬丁‧路德‧金恩二世 (Martin
Luther King Jr.) 、約翰‧甘迺迪，以及理查‧尼克森。在這個時期裡，美國人登上月球、發起了公民權利運動與婦女爭取平等權利的運動、與中華人民共和國建立關係，同時也見證了蘇聯與東歐共產主義的崩潰。
The development and growth of the United States during this era was influenced by helping Europe recover from World War II and U.S. involvement in other wars--mainly the Cold War with the Soviet Union and the Vietnam and Korean Wars. (The Cold War was not a real war with the Soviet Union; this term refers to the chilly relations the U.S. had with the formerly communist nation, which, since its breakup, is called Russia.) In the States, the "Red Scare" of communism of 1950 resulted in the McCarthy hearings. Senator Joseph McCarthy accused many Americans of being communists, which led to loss of employment for many artists, teachers, and government employees.
Several prominent figures, including Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr., John Kennedy, and Richard Nixon, helped shape America's modern era. During this time, Americans went to the moon, ushered in the civil rights movement and the fight for equal rights for women, established relations with China, and witnessed the fall of communism in Russia and Eastern Europe.
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