After September 11

What children learn in Level 90

• September 11 changed American life. Let's look at how, and let's think about what stayed the same.
• Travel changed first. In November 2001, the country created the TSA to check travelers at airports. That's why people take off their shoes and walk through scanners.
• In 2003, a new Department of Homeland Security opened, to help keep the country safe at home. The government gained more power to watch for terrorists. Americans still discuss how to balance safety and privacy.
• In October 2001, American troops went to Afghanistan to go after al-Qaeda and the Taliban, who had sheltered it. It became the longest war in American history. The last troops left in 2021. Many families served.
• Some Americans were treated unfairly. Muslim Americans, and Sikh Americans who were mistaken for them, faced blame and cruelty. President George W. Bush said the enemy was terrorism, not Islam. Al-Qaeda never spoke for Muslims.
• Americans also came together. They volunteered, gave money, and flew flags. Today a memorial stands where the twin towers stood, and One World Trade Center rises beside it.
• You've come a long way this year, from cattle trails to the Internet. Now you know how the America you see today came to be.