Chapter 37. Economic Boom Huge surge in home-building 80% were in the suburbs. Revolution in...
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Transcript of Chapter 37. Economic Boom Huge surge in home-building 80% were in the suburbs. Revolution in...
Chapter 37
Economic Boom Huge surge in home-building
80% were in the suburbs. Revolution in electronics. Made
businesses more efficient and fueled business expansions.
Aerospace industry also took off. Revolution in the work force—
white-collar workers exceeds blue-collar for the first time.
Union membership as percentage of employees peaks in 1954 and then steadily declines for the rest of the century.
The Duel Role of Women 1950s cult of domesticity. Most women retreated to being
mothers and home-makers. Quiet revolution of women entering
the work force. Of 40 Million jobs created between
1950-80, 30 Million were in the clerical and service sector. Women filled the vast majority of these jobs.
Leads to the women’s movement.Complaints of women in the work force.
Feminine Mystique Betty Friedan publishes the Feminine
Mystique in 1963; opening bell of the Feminist Movement.
Attacked the boredom of housewifery and a system that told women they shouldn’t want more.
Validated women who wanted more than being a wife and mother.
Rosie the Riveter's Daughters
Consumer Culture In The Fifties First credit card emerged in 1950 and quickly caught on. First McDonalds opened in 1950 1955 Disneyland opens New consumerism based on easy credit, quick and easy
food and other services and new entertainment. TV exploded. Sports Franchises like the Dodgers and Giants moved to
California and sports were increasingly seen on TV. Birth of Rock and Roll.
Elvis fuses Blues and Country. Kids love it. Parents hate it.
Democrats in 1952 Prospects for the
Democrats in 1952 were relatively bleak. Why?Truman clash with
MacArthurmilitary deadlock in KoreaWar-bred inflationAlso, 20 years of
Democratic presidents Democrats nominate Adlai
Stevenson
Ike Republicans run Eisenhower
who is immensely popular. Richard Nixon selected as VP.
Nixon had established a reputation as an anti-communist
Ike leaves the heavy-hitting to Nixon.
Nixon and the Checkers Speech Spoke directly to voters with an
emotional appeal Showed the power of television in
politics
Ike Wins Easily
Ending Korea Ike goes to Korea before the
inauguration to jump-start the peace talks to no effect.
He gets things going when he threatens to use nuclear weapons.
Armistice (not a peace treaty) end fighting and returns the border to the 38th parallel.
The border continues to be very tense and the two Koreas technically remain at war.
US leaves troops permanently stationed on the border as a trip wire.
54,000 American dead in the war. 1 Mill. dead Chinese and Koreans from both sides.
Ike Takes Command Ike was the right man for the
times. People yearned for Harding’s Normalcy.
Ike was both a soothing figure who would not challenge the people and would support business
As a former General was a comforting man to have at the helm in the Cold War.
Ike strove to stay above the partisan fray.
But, failed to use his popularity as a tool for moving and shaping the country. He is a care-taker president.
Fall of Joe McCarthy McCarthy most ruthless anti-
communist fear-monger, McCarthy’s tactics were aimed at
the Democratic Party Accusations against George
Marshall Did damage to American
traditions of free speech and fair play
Ike and the party were afraid to get in his way
Army McCarthy Hearings are his undoing.
Desegregating The South In 1950 2/3 of Americas 15
million blacks still lived in the South.
Jim Crow laws Only 20% of eligible blacks
were registered to vote. Treatment of black war vets. Emmett Till 1944—An American Dilemma
exposed the two societies that existed in America; white and black
Jackie Robinson
Blacks Push Back NAACP use courts to attempt
to dismantle segregation. 1944—Supreme Court
invalidates the All-White primary
1950 Supreme court overturned “separate but equal” in professional schools
1955—Rosa Parks and Birmingham Bus Boycott
Martin Luther King.
Seeds Of Civil Rights Revolution 1948-Truman integrates the
military Congress stubbornly resists
passing Civil Rights legislation. Earl Warren and Supreme
Court used the courts to be active in social issues
The Supreme Court began to address issues the President and Congress would not.
Brown v. Board of Education—1954
Little Rock School Integration Orval Faubus and National Guard
Civil Right Progresses 1957 Congress passes the first
Civil Rights Bill since Reconstruction. Relatively Mild Sets up Civil Rights Commission to
investigate violations of civil rights and allows the government to protect voting rights
1957 King formed the Southern Christian Leadership conference (SCLC) Used black churches to mobilize
efforts to gain Civil Rights Why? Black churches had been the best
organized institutions in a segregated society
Sit-In Movement 1960 Sit-in movement
begins in Greensboro North Car. Becomes an effective mass movement.
April 1960 Southern Black students formed the Student Non-Violent coordinating Committee (SNCC). Often at odds with SCLC and
NAACP because they wanted more immediate change
Eisenhower Republicanism At Home “Dynamic conservatism” Eisenhower tried to balance the federal budget, but was
only successful 3 out of 8 years. Eisenhower wanted to shrink the federal government and
he cut defense spending Government also deported as many as 1 million Mexicans Canceled many of the gains made by Native Americans Eisenhower and the New Deal
He expanded social security and unemployment insurance Interstate Highway Act of 1956 Massive government spending program
$27 billion to build 42,000 miles of roads Robbed the railroads of business and created a disaster for inner
cities and downtowns by taking away their businesses
A New Look In Foreign Policy
Ike pledged to roll back communism and liberate captive peoples
Rejected idea of containment Sec. of State, John Foster Dulles.
Also pledged to reduce military spending.
How to do both? Massive air power Strategic long-range bombers.
Strategic Air Command (SAC) Ike also sought, with only limited
success, to thaw the Cold War. New Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev
rejected open skies, and mutual inspection of both countries militaries
Hungary 1956 Soviets crush a democratic
uprising in Hungary. One of the most western-leaning of
the Eastern-European countries. Reaffirms fears that Soviets are out
to create a communist empire. America refused to provide aid to
pro-western Hungarians Reveals the problem with security
based on massive retaliation. Problem in Hungary was too minor
to use nuclear weapons Atomic bombs and massive
retaliation was an expensive foreign policy
VietnamFrench Indochina Nationalist movement wanted to
get rid of colonial rulers 1954 French in Viet Nam facing a
very determined guerrilla movement.
US was financing about 80% of the French costs.
March 1954 French garrison at Dienbienphu defeated.
International conference divides Viet Nam.
US backs the south with economic and military aid
Menaces In The Middle East Fear of Soviet influence in oil rich middle
east 1953- Pro-U.S. ruler put into place in Iran
backed by CIA sponsored coup Egypt and the Suez Crisis
US. and British supported Arab nationalist president Nasser
Nasser also seeks Soviet support Nasser takes control of Suez Canal and
threatens to cut off flow of oil from the Middle East
United Nations troops used for the first time to maintain order
Suez crisis last time U.S. could use “oil weapon”
1948 U.S. was no longer an exporter of oil
Eisenhower Doctrine Eisenhower Doctrine in 1957. Middle East remains a key American
strategic area for the rest of the century. Goals:
Keep Soviets out so that they cannot control the oil.
Protect Israel.Keep the Arab nations friendly to US so that
continue to supply oil.Give them lots of economic and military aid
The Voters Still Like “Ike” In 1956
Hungary and the Suez made voters concerned about foreign affairs
Gave Ike a huge advantage in 1956 election. Democrats re-nominate Stevenson. Ike trounces Stevenson even worse than the last
time, 457-73. Ike has no coat-tails and Congress remains in the
hands of the Democrats.
Round Two For “Ike” Ike in poor health in his second term and
turned a lot of the work over to his underlings.
Goes after labor unions; had increasingly been found to be corrupt and infiltrated by the mob.
Worst example was the Teamsters Union. Landrum-Griffin Act
Designed to keep corruption out of labor union leadership
The Race Into Space 1957- Sputnik was launched by
the Soviets Huge PR win for USSR. Impact on US psyche Concern about “Missile Gap” Led to space race and
development of NASA Led to renewed emphasis on
science and math training in schools.
The Continuing Cold War Khrushchev wanted to
meet with Eisenhower 1959 Khrushchev tours
U.S. and has a successful visit
Summit at Camp David is a success
U-2 spy plane incident sours relations again. Gary Powers is paraded
around Moscow and put on trial by Soviet government
Castro in Cuba Many in Latin America resented
U.S. actions toward them Support for anti-communist
dictators and not giving the region financial aid like Western Europe
Cuban rebels under Castro throw out the repressive Cuban dictator, Batista
New leader Fidel Castro seizes U.S. property
USSR backs Castro. Cuba seen as Soviet proxy. Khrushchev threatens U.S. if
they attack Cuba
Kennedy v. Nixon In 1960, Nixon is the front-runner.
Very visible VP; famous debate with Khrushchev in Moscow.
Reputation as a unprincipled and nasty politician
Democratic race is close in the primaries, but John F. Kennedy wins out over Lyndon Johnson, Senator from Texas. LBJ is nominated for VP.
The Presidential Issues Of 1960 Kennedy’s Catholicism.
Kennedy neutralized the issue Kennedy charges that Republicans have
caused a missile gap. Television played an important role.
Nixon-Kennedy Debate. Kennedy won relatively easily in the electoral
college, but by only 100,000 votes in the popular vote.