THE 1950S

The 1950s

EisenhowersElectionDomestic Policy

The Arms Race Post War American Life

1952 Election

Democratic National ConventionNominated Adlai E. Stevenson○ Gov. IL

Republican National ConventionNominated Dwight D. EisenhowerWWII heroVP: Richard Nixon

Results of the Election of 1952

Eisenhower won34 million-27.3 million442-89

The 1950s

EisenhowersElectionDomestic Policy

The Arms Race Post War American Life

Dynamic Conservatism

Fiscally Conservative Goal:

Balance the Federal Budget and Guarding Against “Creeping Socialism”

Interstate Highway Act 1956

Interstate Highway Act 1956 Cost: $114 billion over 35 years 42,000 mi of highways 1957-69

Interstate Highway Act 1956 Cost: $114 billion over 35 years 42,000 mi of highways 1957-69

The 1950s

EisenhowersElectionDomestic Policy

The Arms Race Post War American Life

Sputnik 10/4/1957

Sputnik was launched in by the Soviet Union.

First manmade object put in orbit.

U.S. Response Vanguard TV3

was the first attempt by U.S. to launch a satellite

December 6, 1957 at Cape Canaveral

So, how did we get to this point?

Arms Race – America Begins To Rearm National Security Act

Department of Defense –○ Housed in the Pentagon○ Headed by the Secretary of Defense○ Coordinate the army, navy, and air force

Arms Race – America Begins To Rearm

National Security ActDepartment of Defense –○ Housed in the Pentagon○ Headed by the Secretary of Defense○ Coordinate the army, navy, and air force

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) –○ Gather facts on foreign countries

Arms Race 1949 – USSR

exploded an A-Bomb

Hydrogen Bomb

Truman ordered the development of the “H-bomb” (hydrogen bomb)

A-Bomb – Fission Bomb H-Bomb – Fusion Bomb 1952 – The U.S. tested its first

H-bomb at Bikini Atoll  

Arms Race

1953 – USSR tested their first H-bomb

Delivery - SAC

Secretary of State John Foster DullesAdvocated “massive retaliation” –

included use of nuclear weapons Strategic Air Command (SAC)

Fleet of superbombers

Delivery Bombers were in

the air 24/7 B-52 Bomber U-2 spied on

USSR

Delivery Intercontinental

Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs)Soviets made the

first○ R-7○ put Sputnik in

space

Delivery The U.S.

eventually perfected their own design Atlas

Delivery The U.S.

eventually perfected their own design AtlasTitan

Delivery The U.S.

eventually perfected their own design AtlasTitanPolaris

Delivery The U.S.

eventually perfected their own design AtlasTitanPolarisMinuteman

Mutually Assured Destruction

With both countries now having the atomic bomb and the means to delivery the bomb we entered an era of mutually assured destruction (MAD)

Duck and Cover

The Tsar Bomb Link Link

Check Up!

Debate the following prompt: MAD created greater security for the United States.

The 1950s

EisenhowersElectionDomestic Policy

The Arms Race Post War American Life

Postwar Economic Anxieties Would the Great Depression

Return?

Postwar Economic Anxieties Would the Great Depression

Return? Some predicted that it would

return:GDP slumpedDeflation – Prices dropped 33%4.6 million went out on strike in 1946

Post War Boom

Economic Stimulus

Babyboom

Sunbelt

Economic Boom

Government Economic Stimulus

Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (GI Bill)Pay for GIs to go to college ○ 8 million ○ cost $14.5 billion

Government Economic Stimulus

Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (GI Bill)Pay for GIs to go to college ○ 8 million ○ cost $14.5 billion

Veterans Administration (VA) loaned $16 billion to○ buy homes, farms, and small businesses

Interstate Highway Act 1956 Cost: $114 billion over 35 years 42,000 mi of highways 1957-69

Check Up!

How did the G.I. Bill help the economy in the long run, and help stop a recession from occuring in the short run?

Post War Boom

Economic Stimulus

Babyboom

Sunbelt

Economic Boom

The Economic Boom

Economy 1950s and 1960sIncome IncreasedAmerica had 40% of the world’s wealth

(6% of pop.)

The Economic Boom

Results of the Economic Boom of the 1950s and 1960s Income Increased America had 40% of

the world’s wealth (6% of pop.)

Funded the civil rights movement

Surplus paid for Medicare and welfare programs

The Economic Boom

What Started Economic Prosperity?WWII G.I.Highway ActMilitary Industrial

Complex:○ Aerospace○ Electronics○ Research and

development

The Economic Boom

What Started Economic Prosperity?Cheap energy –○ Electricity increased 6x○ U.S. doubled oil

consumption 1945-1970

The Economic Boom

What Started Economic Prosperity?Education Enrollment○ 1940: 36%○ 1970: 90% ○ Education =

Productivity

The Economic Boom

What Started Economic Prosperity?Farmers○ 1930 25%○ 1945 15%○ 1990s <2%

Post War Boom

Economic Stimulus

Babyboom

Sunbelt

Economic Boom

Baby Boom Birthrate

increased until 1957

50 million babies born by the end of the 1950s

Baby Boom

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030

What impact is the baby boom going to have on the United States in each of the following decades?

Post War Boom

Economic Stimulus

Babyboom

Sunbelt

Economic Boom

The Sunbelt

Growth of the SunbeltSunbelt -

Florida through California

Pop. growth rate double that of the old industrial zones of the NE

The Sunbelt

California1963, CA most

populous StatePop. 35 million

people1 out of 8

Americans

Check Up! Respond to the following prompt in the form of

a thesis: How did American society changing following

WWII?