
Japanese-American internment —
During World War II, Japanese-Americans living on the West Coast were rounded up and placed into internment camps. About 200,000 Japanese-Americans were kept behind barbed-wire. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan apologized to the families of the victims for the internment and signed legislation to provide reparations.

Chinese-Exclusion Act —
This is an image of Chinese immigrants working on the Central Pacific Railroad in 1869, 13 years before Congress passed the Chinese-Exclusion Act. Once law, it limited the further immigration of workers from China and naturalization for Chinese already in America.

Patriot Act —
In 2005, President George W. Bush signed the U.S.A. Partiot and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization Act, originally passed in 2001 in the House by a vote of 357-66 and 98-1 in the Senate.

Iraq War —
Smoke covers the presidential palace compound during a massive US-led air strike in Baghdad, March 21, 2003. The resolution to go to war with Iraq was passed by the House, 296-133, and the Senate, 77-23.

Jim Crow laws —
Both Democrats and Republicans acquiesced to the demands of southern segregationists who passed law after law limiting the basic freedoms of African-Americans -- from voting to assembly.

Vietnam War —
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave President Lyndon Johnson a blank check to conduct the war in Vietnam. The House voted 416-0 in favor of the resolution while only two Senators voted against it.