Life in the 1950sChapter 23

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”

Presidential Election of 1948

*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--