The late 20th century was a very turbulent time in American history. In 1976, Jimmy Carter was elected to the presidency and had many goals to help America improve. However, on November 4, 1979, a group of radical students seized the United States embassy in Tehran, Iran. This completely changed the course of American history and relations with the Middle East. This crisis has had many impacts on the United States. It caused the energy crisis which in turn caused the recession of 1979. The Iran hostage crisis also had political consequences for President Carter. It was a major factor that contributed to his losing the 1980 election to Ronald Reagan. Furthermore, this crisis has led to many cases of racial discrimination against Iranian-Americans and Iranian immigrants. Even after the hostage crisis was resolved, the bad blood between the two countries continued; the United States aided Iraq in its war against Iran, and the Iranians supported a second hostage situation in Lebanon. The Iran hostage crisis was a very important event that impacted America in many ways and destroyed our relationship with Iran. The consequences of this event are still felt today and continue in our foreign policy towards Iran. Throughout the 20th century, the United States sought to control Iran to ensure the export of oil to America. Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi came to power in 1941 and became an ally of the United States. However, in the 1950s Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh began to gain political power. Unlike the Shah, he was extremely opposed to Western influence in Iran. Mossadegh won the national elections and demanded more power. To maintain its influence in Iran, the CIA helped overthrow Mossadegh and restore Pahlavi to power....... half of document ...... managed the hostage crisis (November 4, 1979 - January 20, 1981). "Encyclopedia of the Cold War: A Political, Social, and Military History. Ed. Spencer C. Tucker Vol. 2. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2007. 640-42. Web. April 18, 2014. Sciolino, Elaine." Iranian Candidate's Lingering Power in Hostage Crisis." Speech on the Energy Crisis (July 15, 1979). "Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 9. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 492-94. United States History in Web Context. April 18, 2014. Watson, Stephanie Lee Lerner, and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 158-60. United States History in Context. 2014.