Do not want to remember the war Simply want to forget it The beginnings of conservatism A return to normalcy Begin a peaceful life at home with wife and kids Soldiers come home Soldiers return to jobs Women begin to re-enter the home Soldiers take advantage of the G-I Bill Money to start a business Money to get an education Colleges were overflowing with no where to put them Employing Soldiers Diversified conglomerates Companies make more than one thing Acquired companies that made completely different goods A reaction to the depression What Michigan needed to do New Company Organizations Ray Croc Bought idea of assembly line style fast food McDonalds is Nationwide Sold franchising rights Rights to use the company name and idea under personal ownership Support and advertising from a larger company Expanded to other industries as well Clothing, Department stores, etc. Death of small stores Continued Nuclear power Development of nuclear power for electricity First plant in Pennsylvania Computers Beginning to use computers for large calculations Advances shrink computers from the size of a room to the size of a desk Application to book keeping and industry Census bureau buys one for 1950 census New Technologies Television Replaces the radio as the major form of media 66% of families own one by 1953 Howdy Doody Time and American Bandstand Commercials make it easier to buy nationally Shared experience and culture Technology (cont.) Formerly mostly blue collar jobs Factory workers, mechanics, etc. Invention of new machines meant they were no longer as necessary Moved on to white collar jobs Jobs in the service industry i.e. secretaries, office workers, bankers, tellers, etc. Cleaner, brighter, Changes in the workforce New technology makes planting and harvesting easier Fertilizer and pesticides yield more crops Farms start to consolidate and buy more land Some people are bought off the land by big farms Farm The Baby boom The generation born (ish) Better economic times make it easier to have kids Low birth rate during depression Increased from 19/1000 to 25/1000 Big families needed bigger houses Moving to the suburbs White Flight Whites flee the city as blacks start moving up Time of segregation Getting above their station The growing civil rights movement Easiest to move away Bring your family up away from all of that One black family can ruin the neighborhood Continued Levittowns William J. Levitt builds new communities in the burbs Found a way to mass produce homes Were stick built Pre assembled materials allowed for quick assembly A matter of days instead of months All the houses looked the same/very similar Giant neighborhoods in New York City, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey Other people used his idea and suburbs popped up all over Livonia Continued The need for cars and roads New families and homes need cars to get in and out of work Roughly 8 million new cars per year in 1950s The Eisenhower interstate system 1956 To allow for evacuation of major cities in case of nuclear attack Impacts of Suburbs Truman After the War Brought most soldiers home by 1946 They got married and had kids Putting the factories back from wartime production Prices begin to rise People want the things they were denied for the war Not enough products yet Wages do not keep up with inflation Reconversion 4.6 million people went on strike Auto, steel, electrical, coal, and rail industries Effects nearly everyone in the country Threatened to draft some of the strikers Then order them to stay Tries to stop strikes through legal action Fines a strike leader and his union Dealing with Strikes Taft-Hartley Act (1947) Proposed by Congress Allows president to have a cooling off period The people return to work while the government investigates Union leaders must sign an anti- communist loyalty oath Did not want to, against their rights Truman vetoes the act Congress overturns and passes it anyway Dealing with Strikes (cont.) Extended the goals of the New Deal Government should play a role in economic justice Twenty-one points of legislation Higher minimum wage Better unemployment compensation Housing assistance National health insurance program The Fair Deal Did not have much support from either side Saw Truman as a bumbler that did not really know what he was doing Lost many seats during the midterm election Robert A. Taft biggest opponent in congress A republican senate leader Tried to stop Trumans goals The Fair Deal (cont.) Truman Decides to Run Did not really expect to win Moderate civil rights goals Half of democratic party walks out of convention in protest Form the Dixie-crats or States rights party Nominated their own candidate Shortly integrates the armed forces A third Democratic nominee enters the race Election of 1948 Republican Thomas Dewey opponent Truman begins campaigning hard for himself Against the republican congress Others stayed at home Election of 1948 (cont) The Results Polls and experts picked Dewey to win Chicago Tribune even printed an early front page Truman scores an astounding upset Claims the presidency as his own (not Roosevelts) His next term was a let down Fair deal did not fair well Decides not to run again Democrats nominate Adlai Stevenson as candidate Election (cont.) Democratic Nominee Adlai Stevenson Governor of Illinois Initially against running Was going to run for governor Eventually accepts Election of 1952 Republican Nominee Dwight D. Eisenhower Hero of WWII From the heart of the country (Kansas) I like Ike Nickname from the people Very successful use of television to aid campaign Ads were very well done Election of 1952 (cont) Richard Nixon is Eisenhowers running mate Accused of having a slush fund as senator A fund that people put money in expecting return for special favors Opponents claimed he used the money for personal gains Election of 1952 (cont) The Checkers Speech Nixon goes on television and flatly denies he used the money His wife has a good republican cloth coat Only received one gift from a political supporter Their dog, Checkers Changed many peoples minds, very appealing to the public Helped support Eisenhower victory Saved his political career Election of 1952 (cont)checkers-speech#the-checkers-speech Results Stevenson Trounced Lost again in 1956 Lost electoral vote Popular Vote Election of 1952 (cont) Attempts an Arms Control initiative Atoms for peace Divert fission for electrical purposes Open skies Mutual air surveillance to diminish probability of surprise attacks Khrushchev sais no Begins building Americas arsenal Strong stance against communism Eisenhower in office: Foreign Affairs Sputnik Launch in 1957 Sets off the space race Helps France in Indo China Sends troops to help quash rebellion Split the country on 17 th parallel Creation of SEATO Southeast Asia Treaty Organization Basically NATO for Southeast Asia Failed and disbanded in the 70s Eisenhower in office: Foreign Affairs U-2 Spy plane shot down in Russia Francis Gary Powers is flying reconnaissance missions over Russia US initially denied planes purpose and goal Until we were showed the pilot and photos taken Powers goes on Trial in Russia Convicted of spying Sentenced to 3 years prison, 7 years hard labor Exchanged after 21 months for Russian Embarrassing for U.S. Eisenhower in office: Foreign Affairs Attempts to balance the budget Plan backfires, end up having three recessions Lax on Civil Rights Wants to shrink the Federal government Limit presidents power Get government out of peoples lives Tries to end new Deal Programs In favor of private businesses coming in TVA Eisenhower in office: Domestic Affairs Ended Korean Conflict Foreign Policy Failures Soviets never cooperated Poor Civil Rights How did the use of media impact the 1952 presidential election Eisenhowers Legacy Everyone wants to fit in Standing out could be dangerous Dont make waves dont get in trouble Conformity The revival of religion Churches spring up in the suburbs Billy Graham enters the national stage One of the best known evangelists ever Uses radio and television to reach the masses Under God enters the Pledge of Allegiance 1954 In God We Trust on money 1955 Conformity (cont) Participated in life outside the home Made the political decisions Only 39 women in congress from Had a loud voice in basically every decision Men The expected bread winner of the home Their job was to work hard and take care of their family Their social standing tied to how well they can do this Keeping up with the Jones Gender Roles The government/businesses encouraged women to return to the house Make room for soldiers coming home Mostly middle class women Working class women still needed to work Magazine articles and advertisements enforce this Women The womans place is at home raising children June Cleaver Benjamin Spock Pediatrician Stated that women should be at home if her kids are to grow up secure Women (cont) Not always happy with their expected role Enjoyed the freedom making money afforded them Working outside the home gave women purpose Some still worked outside 22 percent of married women had jobs 1950 Betty Friedan The Feminine Mystique Stated that millions of women were frustrated with their defined roles Women (cont)