The USA: A divided union Part One: 19411950s

1
The USA A divided union?- Part One 1941-1950s

• The USA and the Second World War
• Impact on the economy.
• Impact on the government.
• Impact on women.
• Internment of Japanese-Americans.
• Black Americans.
• McCarthyism and the Red Scare
• Why was there a Red Scare?
• Joseph McCarthy.
• The end of McCarthyism.

2
Impact of war on US economy

• War was a good thing for US economy.
• 17 million jobs were created.
• Unemployment was wiped out.
• Wages increased by 30.
• USA was producing half of worlds weapons.
• Even US farmers enjoyed good times.

3
Impact of war on government

• During WWI and the Great Depression, the federal
  government gained more power.
• During WWII, federal government increased its
  power.
• Most Americans were happy to see an increase in
  federal governments powers.

4
Impact on women

• Positives
• Government campaigns (Rosie the Riveter)
  encouraged women into the factories.
• 300,000 women joined the armed forces.
• 7 million joined the workforce.
• By 1945, 1/3 of workforce were women as opposed
  to 1/4
• Many worked as machinists etc.
• Many women joined other organisations (
  WACs/WAVES ).
• Many managers were very impressed with the job
  done by women.
• Confidence gained by women meant that many
  continued to work after the war.
• Factory work meant higher pay.

• Negatives
• Women were not always welcome by male colleagues.
• Trade Unionists saw them as as threat to their
  jobs.
• Factories gave little help to provide childcare
  facilities.
• Better pay did not mean equal pay.
• A lot of women left their jobs after the war-
  they had to since they had been doing mens
  jobs.
• Some women resented the loss of independence that
  their wage packet had given them.

5
Impact on Japanese Americans

• Japan attacked the US in Pearl Harbor.
• Roosevelt quickly authorised the internment (
  arrest without trial ) of over 100,000
  Japanese-Americans.
• US government feared they were spies, agents and
  sabouters.
• Kept in bleak internment camps in remote areas of
  the US.
• Most kept in camps until 1945.
• Many lost their property.
• No difference between Issei ( immigrants born in
  Japan ) and Nisei ( children of immigrants born
  in USA).
• Many Japanese-Americans were abused and even
  murdered.
• Many Chinese-Americans suffered because they
  looked Japanese.

6
Impact on Black Americans

• Black Americans played a major role in WWII but
  still faced prejudice-
• Black soldiers usually only served in black only
  units led by white officers.
• Black nurses could only treat black soldiers.
• By the end of the war only 58 Black sailors (
  navy ) had risen to become officers.
• Black people were often given menial jobs in the
  armed forces- kitchen cleaners etc.and were not
  allowed to give blood.
• By 1944, 2 million blacks had migrated north to
  work in war industries. This created racial
  tension in some cities e.g. there were riots in
  Harlem in NYC.
• Black workers earned half as much as white
  workers.
• As the war developed, the situation did improve
• Racially integrated units became more common-
  General Eisenhower was a supporter of them.
• The number of Black officers increased.
• Black people were allowed to give blood
  transfusions.
• Black leaders saw WWII as an opportunity to press
  for equality at home. The Double V campaign was
  set up.
• 100,000 marched on Washington in late 1941
• Double V led to Roosevelt issued order 8802
  which ordered employers on defence work to end
  discrimination.
• Roosevelt set up FEPC- Fair Employment Practices
  Committee which investigated violations of order
  8802.
• WWII raised black awareness. Membership of NAACP
  ( National Association for the Advancement of
  Coloured People ) increased tenfold.

7
Key Questions

• What was the impact of the Second World War on
  the US economy and government?
• Write about Economy and Government!
• What was the impact of the Second World War on US
  society?
• Write about Women Black Americans and Japanese
  Americans
• Remember
• WWII had mixed effects on the USA. In some ways
  there was an improvement especially in womens
  rights and the economy. In other areas there
  seemed little or no progress. The treatment of
  Japanese-Americans was not that of an advanced
  nation. There was very little progress in equal
  rights for black Americans. Segregation remained
  commonplace, especially in the southern states.

8
Mc Carthyism and the Red Scare

• Why did it happen?
• What happened?
• Why did it end and why is it important?

9
Why was there a Red Scare?

• The close relationship between the USSR and USA
  had broken down.
• By 1945, USA occupied western half of Europe,
  USSR the Eastern half. ( Iron Curtain- 1946. )
  Both feared that the other would take over.
• The FBI was led by a strongly anti-communist
  director J. Edgar Hoover.
• 1947 President Truman set up the Federal
  Employee Loyalty Program- the FBI would
  investigate government workers to see if they
  were or had been members of the communist party.
  3 million were investigated.
• In the 1930s, the US Congress had set up HUAC (
  House Un-American Activities ) to investigate
  anyone suspected of doing anything un-American (
  ie being communist ).
• 1947 HUAC became big news FBI had evidence that
  a number of leading Hollywood directors,
  producers and writers were communist.
• The Hollywood Ten were brought before the
  House. They refused to answer any questions ( not
  govt. employees ) and pleaded the First
  Amendment. They were jailed for one year.
• 1948 Berlin Blockade.
• 1948 Alger Hiss - a high ranking member of the
  US State department was accused of being a
  communist. Hiss denied this and Truman dismissed
  the case. He spent 5 years in jail for lying to
  court.
• 1949 USSR explodes its first atomic bomb.
• 1950 USA becomes involved in a war against
  communists in Korea.
• 1951 Julius and Ethel Rosenberg found guilty of
  spying for the USSR and passing on atomic
  secrets. Despite flimsy evidence, both are
  executed.

10
Joseph McCarthy

• He was a Republican Senator in search of a
  headline and make a name for himself.
• He decided to take advantage of the
  anti-communist hysteria.
• He claimed he had a list of over 250 communists
  in the State Department.
• Widespread publicity followed- when others
  questioned him on his evidence he accused them of
  being communist.
• As Chairman of a Senate Committee, he began to
  investigate communist activities throughout the
  US government. Throughout 1952-53 he accused very
  high profile people of being communist e.g.
  General George Marshall. All of this increased
  his own personal power.
• No-one was safe from McCarthys witchhunt
  including high profile names e.g. Walt Disney.
• Over 2000 innocent people were forced to appear
  before HUAC.
• Many public figures had their reputations ruined
  even if they were not found guilty.
• Many people were blacklisted- they would struggle
  to get another job.
• Thousands of lives were ruined.

11
The end of McCarthyism

• McCarthyism ended because
• Quality newspapers such as the Washington Post
  and the New York Times challenged his activities.
• 1954 McCarthy went too far- he accused 45 US
  Army officers of being communist spies. This was
  the last straw- he was now insulting the source
  of US pride and honour.
• During the televised hearing that followed his
  claims, McCarthy was shown to be rude, abrasive,
  aggressive and a bully. The people turned against
  him.
• McCarthys popularity fell. He became an
  alcoholic and died in 1957.
• McCarthyism is important because
• It showed the extent of anti-communist feeling in
  the USA.
• It brought great suffering to people.
• 9500 civil servants were sacked, 15,000 resigned,
  600 teachers forced out. Many actors reputations
  were ruined eg- Charlie Chaplin.
• Due to McCarthyism, the Communist Party was
  banned in the USA ( 1954 ).
• McCarthyism was symbolic of the change happening
  in US society- supporters of McCarthy wanted a
  return to traditional values- women to stay at
  home, black people in their place and the new
  rock n roll music to be banned.