Who was Reagan and why does he matter?

This is an introduction to Ronald Reagan. It outlines his background, election as president, key policies, and his legacy (including some historians’ views). It can be used by teachers to introduce Reagan to students learning about his presidency for courses about U.S. history and the Cold War. It may also be useful context for students learning about Margaret Thatcher’s relationship with the United States.

There is a link to a brief survey on the final slide - I would be most grateful if you would please take a few minutes to complete this.

There is also a link to a public lecture I delivered last year about the ‘Reagan Revolution’.

Examples of British A-level courses these resources may be useful for include:

• AQA AS and A-level History: 7041, 7042

2R The Cold War, c. 1945-1991
The Brezhnev era, 1972-1985
The ending of the Cold War, 1985-1991

• OCR A Level History (H505)

Unit Y113: Britain 1930-1997
Unit Y223: The Cold War in Europe 1941-1995

• AQA A-level Politics: 7152
  3.2 Government and politics of the USA and comparative politics