Essay One - Exam # 3

Changing technology is playing a very important part in our recent history. Events can become even bigger if people have the chance to watch them either live, or re-watch them to get their own perspective on what happened. The 1950's and 1960's were a couple of decades that were almost completely changed and influenced by new and changing technology. Huge events that impacted those decades were so big possibly in part because of this.

One event that technology influenced was the Presidential race between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. The Presidential debate between them was in fact the first one to be televised; making it available to the public so that they could make judgements for themselves. For the first time, America could watch the candidates talk about important issues debating with each other and how they present themselves. Of course, this also meant that the candidates would have to think about more than just saying the 'right thing'; they would have to present themselves correctly as well. In this debate however, JFK and Nixon were not used to being on television like this and they did not present themselves in the best light.

Another hugely historical event that technology greatly influenced was John F. Kennedy's assassination. An enormous event in and of itself; because it was recorded with a video camera, we have access to history forever. Instead of just relying upon what many hundreds of people say happened; and we know that there would be many different stories which would lead us to not know exactly what did happen. Though, since there was a man recording the whole thing with his home video camera, we know exactly what happened. Now, since there is even more technology, we have figured out how many shots there were fired, and have figured out almost exactly where the shooter was located. But, because that piece of history was recorded, it is available to more people and more generations. Not only the people there that day to witness it in person are the only people to ever see it. The technology changed this historic event and let people witness history when it is just that; history.

Yet another historical event is the Moon landing. When the United States landed on the moon, we got video of it and now it can be watched over and over. Although, some skeptics believe that it was staged; it is a very historical event to have recorded to be available forever. Technology has changed history and just recently we have had technology to changed the future with 9/11. History has been and will continue to be influenced by changing technology.