life in the 1950s chapter 23. peacetime economics- 23.1 domestic policies: truman & eisenhower...
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Peacetime Economics- 23.1Domestic Policies: Truman & EisenhowerAfter WWII, Americans feared the US would sink
into the Depression again. • *The GI Bill (Servicemen’s Readjustment Act)• Gave money to veterans to start businesses, buy
homes & go to college• US government poured $38.5 Billion into higher
education for Military veterans.• Taft-Hartley Act (1947)
▫Banned closed shop▫Allowed states to pass right to work laws ▫Prohibited featherbedding▫Unions can’t use money to support political
campaigns
Truman & Civil Rights• 1948- Truman asked Congress:1. Pass a Civil Rights Bill to do the following:• Protect African-American’s right to vote• Abolish poll taxes• Make lynching a federal crime** His Civil Rights agenda was blocked by
Republicans & Southern Democrats.
** Truman did:1. Desegregate (integrate) the US military
(1948) 2. Bar discrimination in federal government
hiring.
Peacetime Politics – Election of 1948•Dixiecrats (a third party)
▫Southern Democrats who split withDemocrat Party over Civil Rights.▫Strom Thurmond-nominee
•Progressive Party▫Democrats split because anti-Soviet & poor
domestic policy▫Henry Wallace
•Republican▫George Dewey
•Democrat▫Harry Truman▫Blamed the “Do-Nothing Congress”
*The Fair Deal•Minimum wage raised•Increased social
security benefits•National Housing Act of
1949▫Construction of low
income housing•Wanted but didn’t get:
▫Civil Rights legislation▫Education federal aid▫National health
insurance
“Every segment of our population and every individual has a right to expect from . . . Government a fair deal.”
The 1952 Election• Republicans nominated Dwight D. Eisenhower &
Richard Nixon- “I like Ike” “It’s Time for a Change!”
• Democrats nominated Adlai Stevenson
1952 Election Campaign• “Checkers Controversy”- Nixon addressed
charges that he had accepted campaign contributions from wealthy donors.
• Eisenhower & Nixon win in a landslide
** 1956- Eisenhower & Nixon won a second term!!
Dynamic Conservatism•Eisenhower’s plan to
balance economic conservatism with activism to benefit the country
•*Federal Highway Act▫Largest public works
project ever▫$25 Billion to construct
40,000 miles of highway.•Cut government
spending•Limited government
involvement
The Affluent Society1950’s a decade of prosperity1. 1940-1955: family income tripled2. 1940-1960:Home ownership 41%
to 61%3. Number of white collar jobs
outpaced blue collar jobs. • “The Affluent Society”: Book
written by John Kenneth Galbraith
• An economy of abundanceA. Multinational Corporations
▫ Offices & factories in other countries
• Franchises & Chain stores
“Communism doesn’t work because people like to own stuff.” – Frank Zappa
What icon urged women to get out during WWII and work?
1. Superwoman2. Carrie Chapman
Catt3. Alice Paul4. Rosie the Riveter
Conformity• New Consumerism
▫ Desire of people to conform to other people’s desires
• Suburbia – **Levittown, NY▫ 1st large suburbs; mass
produced homes (Bill Levitt)• *The Baby Boom
▫ 1945 – 1961 – over 65 million babies were born
Factors that led to the Baby Boom
1. Young couples delayed marriage until after WWII ended.
2. GI Bill encouraged home purchases
3. Advertising glorified parenthood
Roles of Women in the 1950’s
•Still looked upon as “homemaker”•Number of women working outside the
home increased •TV glorified traditional “homemaker role”
(Lucy, Father Knows Best”, Leave It to Beaver”)
Inventions• Transistor
▫ Made small radios & calculators possible
• ENIAC – Electrical Numerical Integrator & Computer▫ First computer used for the
Army• UNIVAC – Universal
Automatic Computer▫ First computer for
businesses• First American jet flight from
NY to Los Angeles
• Jonas Salk▫ Developed injectable
vaccine for polio
Albert Sabin:Oral Polio Vaccine.
Pop Culture• Television• 1946- 8,000 TV sets in US• 1957- 80% owned TV’s• * America’s new favoritePastime.
▫ News▫ Advertising▫ Ozzie & Harriet▫ The Lone Ranger▫ DragnetGameshows: $64,000 QuestionTwenty One- cheating scandal
(Charles Van Doren)Movies lost popularity
• Cinemascope, 3-D ▫ Became popular for its wide
screens
• Rock N’ Roll▫ Distinctive music of the
youth▫ Roots in African American
Rhythm & Blues• Elvis Presley – King of Rock
N’Roll• African Americans found
acceptance in Rock N’ Roll where they didn’t find it on TV or the movies▫ Chuck Berry▫ Ray Charles▫ Little Richard▫ The Drifters
The Beat Movement•The Beats-group of mostly white POETS•Called themselves “the Beats”•Criticized conformity •Jack Kerouac•Allen Ginsburg•Generation Gap
▫Created as young people united in music against their parents▫Juvenile Delinquency: 1948- 1953 juvenile
crime increased 45% ; car theft popular crime among middle class whites youths
The Other Americans
• Written by Michael Harrington• Exposed poverty in AmericaAppalachian region – poorest
region• 1950’s young people left
behind elderly & young children
• Urban Renewal Programs▫Tried to eliminate poverty by
tearing down slums & erecting new buildings
• US gov’t evicted residents when they started to earn money= encouraged poverty
Race in the 1950s•African Americans•Whites fled cities “white
flight”▫Blacks left in deteriorating
inner cities as suburbs grew▫NAACP – fought
unsuccessfully for greater economic opportunity
•Hispanics▫Brought over by Bracero
program faced harsh working conditions
Native Americans Policy 1950’s
•The Termination Policy▫Federal government withdrew all official
recognition of Native American groups▫Helped Native Americans move off
reservations– land developers gained the land & got rich.
▫Attempted to assimilate them into society as white citizens– Failed
▫Helped deepen Native American poverty--