UNIT 12

Postwar America

Return to Peacetime Economy and the Eisenhower Years

Guiding Questions

What happened when the nation returned to a peacetime economy, and how did government try to ease the transition?

How did the Truman administration seek to continue New Deal Goals?

How did Eisenhower’s presidency signal a more conservative direction for the government?

Terms to Know

Closed shopRight-to-work lawsUnion shopDynamic conservatism

Return to Peacetime Economy

Many Americans feared of a recession after the war Military production stopped Fear of unemployment as soldiers need work

Economy continued to grow Serviceman’s Readjustment Act of 1944

Provided funds to members of the armed services who returned for war to help them set up businesses, buy homes, and attend college

Economic Problems

Higher demand for goods led to inflation which caused labor unrest Workers in mining, electrical, automobile, and steel industries went on

strike Wanted better pay to help of cost of living increase

Republicans used concern over labor unrest and high process to help win the both houses of Congress in 1946

Taft-Hartley Act (1947) Outlawed the closed shop- Businesses were forced to hire only union

members Allowed states to pass right to work laws- outlawed union shops which

forced workers to join unions after they started to work Banned featherbedding- reducing work output in order to create more

jobs Banned use of union money to support political campaigns Truman vetoed the bill, but Congress passed the bill over Truman’s veto

Truman’s Legislative Agenda

Truman wanted to continue the work of FDR’s New Deal Programs despite the Democratic Party losing both houses of Congress Expand Social Security, raise minimum wage, create a

program to ensure full employment Wanted to expand federal spending and investment to create

public housing Proposed a system of national health insurance

Issued an executive order forbidding discrimination in federal jobs and ending segregation in the armed forces

Most of Truman’s policies failed because Congress voted against many of his proposals

Election of 1948

Democratic party split because they were frustrated with Truman’s policies Truman ran for the Democrat Party Southern Democrats formed the DixieCrat Party

Strom Thurmond (SC Governor) Were upset with Truman’s support of civil rights

Liberal Democrats formed a new Progressive Party Henry A. Wallace Were critical of Truman’s anti-Soviet foreign policy

Republicans nominated Thomas Dewey Governor of New York Was frontrunner for presidency; Seemed unbeateable

Truman Wins Re-Election

In campaign stops, Truman attacked the majority Republican Congress as a “Do-Nothing” Congress Refused to approve many of his plans

“Do-Nothing” Congress had passed many important bills Gave aid to Greece and Turkey Passed the Marshall Plan Created the Department of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and set up

Air Force as separate military branch Passed the 22nd Amendment- limited president to two terms of office

People sided with Truman because Congressional actions were not directly affecting many Americans directly Truman won by a narrow margin Democratic Party took back control of both houses of Congress

The Fair Deal

Successes Failures

• Minimum wage raised • Increased Social Security

benefits and extended benefits to 10 million more people

• National Housing Act- allowed construction of low-income housing with long-term rent subsidies

• Did not pass national health insurance

• Did not provide subsidies for farmers

• Did not provide federal aid for schools

• Did not pass any civil rights legislation

The Eisenhower Years

President Truman’s approval ratings began to drop after the Korean War became a stalemate Decided not to run for reelection

Republicans nominated Dwight Eisenhower as president Former commander of Allied Forces in Europe “I like Ike”

Eisenhower won in landslide Republican gained an eight-seat majority in House

and Senate became evenly divided

Eisenhower’s Dynamic Conservatism

Dynamic conservatism Balancing economic conservatism with activism that

would be good for the country

Conservatism Activism

• Vetoed school construction bill• Limited aid to public housing• Ended the Reconstruction Finance

Corporation• Limited aid to the Tennessee

Valley Authority

• Federal Highway Act- largest public works program in history

* Provided for a $25 billion, 10 year project to build more than 400,000 miles of interstate highways• Approved the construction of the

St. Lawrence Seaway * Series of locks along the St. Lawrence River that would allow ships to travel from the Great lakes to the Atlantic Ocean• Extended Social Security• Raised minimum wage

Discussion Questions

How did the experience of World War II veterans returning home from the war differ from that of World War I veterans?

What was the main difference between the economic policies of Truman and Eisenhower?

The Affluent Society

Guiding Questions

How did the lives of Americans change after World War II?

How did technological advances change society?

How did the new mass media reflect the characteristics of the time?

Why did young people in the 1950’s develop their own popular culture? How were the results different from previous generations?

Terms to Know

Baby boomWhite-Collar jobsBlue-collar workerMultinational corporationRock ‘n’ RollSuburb

American Abundance

1950’s were a decade of great wealth Average family income almost tripled between 1940-1950

Economist John Galbraith published the Affluent Society in 1958 Claimed the nation’s postwar wealth was a new phenomenon U.S. had created an “economy of abundance” by using new

business method New technology increased production, which raised the

standard of livingAdvertising became the fastest growing industry in

the U.S. Manufactures used marketing techniques to create consumer

demand for their goods

American Lives Change

Growth of Suburbia The Baby Boom Changing Workplace

• Suburban population doubled in the 1950’s

• People wanted to escape crime and overcrowding of cities

• Homes were less expensive

• Suburbs offered a better life

• GI Bill offered lower interest rates

• Homeowners could reduce income taxes by taking deductions for paying mortgages and property taxes

• More than 65 million children were born in the U.S. from 1945-1961

• Child was born every 7 seconds during the height

• Soldiers returning home from WWII and Korean War began families

• Government encouraged the growth of families by offering GI benefits for home purchases

• Society favored pregnancy, parenthood, and large families

• White collar workers outnumbered blue collar workers for first time in 1956

• Corporations became multinational corporations and expanded overseas to benefit from cheaper labor and resources

• Franchises- businesses that person owns and runs that is part of a bigger chain- became popular

Scientific Advancements

Electronics and Aviation Medical Breakthroughs

• Transistors- tiny electric parts that make it possible to make radios very small- were created

• Earliest computers were created to make military calculations and process business data

• Aircraft designers began using plastics and light weight materials

• Jet engine technology

• CPR was developed• Doctors learned to replace damaged

heart valves and implanted the first pacemakers

• New medicines helped tuberculosis to become less deadly

• Scientist Jonas Salk discovered a polio vaccine, which became available to the public in 1955

• Alber Sabin developed a polio vaccine as well that could be taken orally

The New Mass Media

Television Hollywood Radio

• More than 80% of families owned at least one television by 1957

• Variety shows featured comedy, music, dance, and acrobatics

• Westerns and police shows became popular

• Movie attendance fell by more than half by 1950

• 1/5 of nation’s movie theaters had closed by 1960

• Invention of Cinemascope- process that showed movies on large, wide screens, and in color- helped to draw back huge audiences

• Radios began to broadcast more recorded music, news, weather, sports, and talk shows

• Many radio listeners were people driving automobiles from the suburbs

• Number of radio stations more than doubled between 1948 and 1957

Teenage Culture in the 1950’s

Teens during the 1950’s were able to develop their own pop culture Had money to spend on entertainment Mass media allowed teens from across the country

access to the same music and television showsEntertainment and advertising industries

began to target the youth culture

Rock ‘n’ Roll

New style of music influence by African American sounds Beats made it perfect for dancing Lyrics were relatable to young people

Elvis Pressley became the first rock ‘n’ roll idol in 1956 Popular for singing and dancing Dancing movements and performances shocked many adults

Rock ‘n’ Roll helped to create a generation gap between the parents and children Adults felt it was mindless, dangerous, and loud Teens were united by the songs in a world their parents did

not shar

The Beat Movement

Group of mostly white writers and artists who criticized American culture for its emptiness and conformity during the 1950’s

Helped start the youth cultural revolution of the 1960’s

African American Entertainers

Nat King Cole, a popular African American singer, was given a 15-minute musical variety show on NBC in 1956 Cancelled after 2 years

African American rock ‘n’ roll singers became very popular Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Ray Charles

Helped influenced the Beatles who became hugely popular in the 1960’s

Female African American groups such as the Shirelles and Ronettes

Discussion Questions

In what ways were the suburbs of the 1950s a good place to raise children?

What disadvantages did suburban life present to families?

How did the television industry affect the U.S. economy?

How did rock ‘n’ roll help create the generation gap?

The Other Side of American Life

Guiding Questions

Are the people and regions most affected by poverty today the same as in the 1950’s?

What factors were blamed for the rise of juvenile deliquency?

Terms to Know

Poverty lineUrban renewalTermination policyJuvenile deliquency

Poverty in America

1/5 Americans lived below the poverty line in the 1950’s Single mothers Elderly Minoriites Rural Americans Inner-city residents

Inner-City Problems and Government Response

Poverty was most visible in urban centers Middle class left for suburbs Loss of tax revenue caused cities not to be able to afford to

keep cities in good repair Public transportation, housing, etc…

Federal government response often made problems worse Urban renewal programs-government programs that

attempt to eliminate poverty and revitalize urban areas Tore down slums and built high-rises

Very crowded Often sites of violence Government evicted tenants who began earning more money

Minorities Struggle

African Americans Hispanics Native Americans

• Racial discrimination kept many poor

• Average salary was only 51% of white workers

• A Raisin in the Sun- play written by Lorraine Hansberry telling the story of a working-class African American family struggling against poverty and racism

• 5 million Mexicans had come to the U.S. through the Bracero program to work on farms and ranches in the Southwest

• Often worked long hours for little pay in horrible conditions

• Many returned home• About 350,000 stayed

in the U.S.

• U.S. government began the termination policy after WWII

• Government would no longer recognize Native American groups as legal entities (independent)

• Native Americans had to follow same laws as white citizens and were encouraged to move to cities

• Native American hopes of improved lives after WWII were destroyed by termination policy

Juvenile Delinquency

U.S. saw a 45% rise in juvenile crime rates between 1948-1953 Juvenile delinquency- disruptive, harmful, or illegal behavior of

young peopleDisagreement on causes of rise in youth crime

Blamed TV, movies, racism, busy parents, increase in divorce rate, lack of religion, anxiety of military drafts

Failure to discipline childrenAlthough most teens were not involved in gangs,

drugs, or crimes, the public accepted stereotypes of young people as juvenile delinquents Long hair Using slang

Education As A Solution

Many parents focused on education as a possible solution to misbehaving children

Enrollments increased by 13 million during the 1950’s Schools could not afford new buildings and teachers

More panic about education after USSR launch of Sputnik I and Sputnik II, the world’s first space satellites Felt U.S. had fallen behind the USSR Blamed on lack of technical education

U.S. began to improve math and science education

Discussion Questions

Why do you think inner-city neighborhoods became worse during the 1950s?

Why did a number of Native Americans wind up living in poverty following the termination policy?

In what ways could schools have helped curb the “epidemic” of juvenile delinquency?

Do you believe television, movies, and other entertainment media encourage antisocial behavior or rebellion among young people?