Learn about the events that made America what she is today. Following the death of Mao Zedong, China experienced rapid political and economic reform throughout the late 1970s and 1980s. As these changes took effect, many Chinese people were inspired to push toward democracy. However, the country's Communist government was not willing to accept such a change. On June 4, 1989, hundreds of pro-democracy protestors were killed as the Chinese military fired on its own citizens. Readers will discover how the pro-democracy movement formed, why the military attacked the demonstrators, and how the Chinese government handled the aftermath of the massacre.