CHAPTER 22.1 POSTWAR AMERICA

1
CHAPTER 22.1 POSTWAR AMERICA
2
WHY IT MATTERS!

• AFTER WW2, THE COUNTRY ENJOYED A PERIOD OF
  ECONOMIC PROSPERITY. MANY MORE AMERICANS COULD
  NOW ASPIRE TO A MIDDLE-CLASS LIFESTYLE, WITH A
  HOUSE IN THE SUBURBS AND MORE LEISURE TIME.
  TELEVISION BECAME A FAVORITE FORM OF
  ENTERTAINMENT. THIS GENERAL PROSPERITY, HOWEVER
  DID NOT EXTEND TO MANY HISPANICS, AFRICAN
  AMERICANS, NATIVE AMERICANS, OR PEOPLE IN
  APPALACHIA.

3
THE IMPACT TODAY!

• THE MIDDLE-CLASS REPRESENTS A LARGE SEGMENT OF
  AMERICAN POPULATION.
• TELEVISION IS A POPULAR FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT FOR
  MANY AMERICANS.

4
A. RETURN TO A PEACETIME ECONOMY!

• AFTER THE WAR MANY AMERICANS FEARED THE RETURN TO
  A PEACETIME ECONOMY.
• THEY WORRIED THAT AFTER MILITARY PRODUCTION
  HALTED, AND MILLIONS OF FORMER SOLDIERS JOINED
  THE LABOR MARKET, UNEMPLOYMENT AND RECESSION
  MIGHT SWEEP THE COUNTRY.

5
RETURN TO A PEACETIME ECONOMY!

• DESPITE THESE WORRIES, THE ECONOMY CONTINUED TO
  GROW BECAUSE OF CONSUMER SPENDING.
• THE SERVICEMENS READJUSTMENT ACT, ALSO CALLED
  THE GI BILL, HELPED THE ECONOMY BY PROVIDING
  LOANS TO VETERANS TO ATTEND COLLEGE, SET UP
  BUSINESS AND BUY HOMES.

6
VIDEO
https//www.youtube.com/watch?v4qvrkMmw5gg
7
INFLATION AND STRIKES

• THE POSTWAR ECONOMY WAS NOT WITHOUT ITS PROBLEMS.
• INCREASED SPENDING LED TO HIGHER PRICES FOR
  GOODS, WHICH THEN LED TO RISING INFLATION.
• WORKERS WENT ON STRIKE FOR INCREASED WAGES.
• PRES. TRUMAN FEARED AN ENERGY SHORTAGE, FORCED
  MINERS TO RETURN TO WORK AFTER A MONTH-LONG
  STRIKE.

8
REPUBLICAN VICTORY

• IN 1946, AMERICANS INTERESTED IN CHANGE ELECTED
  REPUBLICANS IN BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS.
• CONGRESS, WANTING TO CUT THE POWER OF ORGANIZED
  LABOR, PROPOSED THE TAFT-HARTLEY ACT.
• THA THIS ACT OUTLAWED THE CLOSED SHOP, OR THE
  PRACTICE OF FORCING BUSINESS OWNERS TO HIRE ONLY
  UNION MEMBERS.
• STATES COULD PASS RIGHT-TO-WORK LAWS OUTLAWING
  UNION SHOPS, OR SHOPS WERE NEW WORKERS WERE
  REQUIRED TO JOIN THE UNION.

9
REPUBLICAN VICTORY

• THE ACT ALSO PROHIBITED FEATHERBEDDING, THE
  LIMITING OF WORK OUTPUT IN ORDER TO CREATE MORE
  JOBS.
• ALTHOUGH TRUMAN VETOED THE TAFT-HARTLEY ACT,
  CONGRESS PASSED IT IN 1947.

10
B.TRUMANS DOMESTIC PROGRAM

• SHORTLY AFTER TAKING OFFICE, TRUMAN HAD PROPOSED
  A SERIES OF DOMESTIC MEASURES THAT SOUGHT TO
  CONTINUE THE WORK DONE AS PART OF FDR NEW DEAL.
• DURING HIS TENURE IN OFFICE, TRUMAN WORKED TO GET
  HIS AGENDAS THROUGH CONGRESS

11
TRUMANS LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

• SOME OF TRUMANS PROPOSALS INCLUDED THE EXPANSION
  OF SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS, RAINSING THE MINIMUM
  WAGE FROM 40 TO 75 CENTS AN HOUR, AND A BROAD
  CIVIL RIGHTS BILL PROTECTING AFRICAN AMERICANS.
• HIS PROPOSAL MET WITH LITTLE SUCCESS WITH
  REPUBLICANS AND CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRATS

12
THE ELECTION OF 1948

• AS THE ELECTION OF 1948 APPROACHED, IT LOOKED AS
  IF TRUMAN WOULD NOT BE REELECTED.
• DURING HIS CAMPAIGN, TRUMAN MADE SPEECHES THAT
  CRITICIZED A DO NOTHING CONGRESS,BECAUSE IT HAD
  NOT ENACTED ANY OF HIS LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS.
• TRUMAN WON THE ELECTION, AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
  ALSO MADE A COMEBACK, REGAINING CONTROL OF BOTH
  THE HOUSES OF THE CONGRESS.

13
THE FAIR DEAL

• TRUMANS DOMESTIC AGENDA WAS COINED THE FAIR
  DEAL. HE PUT FORTH IN HIS STATE OF THE UNION
  MESSAGE THAT AMERICANS HAD THE RIGHT TO EXPECT A
  FAIR DEAL FROM THEIR GOVERNMENT.
• CONGRESS DID NOT SUPPORT ALL OF TRUMANS IDEAS.

14
THE FAIR DEAL

• WHILE THE MINIMUM WAGE WAS INCREASED AND THE
  SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM EXPANDED, CONGRESS REFUSED
  TO PASS NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE OR TO ENACT
  CIVIL RIGHTS LEGISLATION.

15
C. THE EISENHOWER YEARS

• WITH THE UNITED STATES AT WAR IN KOREA, TRUMANS
  FAIR DEAL FADED, AS DID HIS APPROVAL RATING. HE
  CHOSE TO NOT RUN FOR RE-ELECTION.

16
VIDEO
https//www.youtube.com/watch?vpDnxgRzCB_MlistP
LC961CC5E9F818B9F 1036 EISENHOWER/TV
17
IKE AS PRESIDENT

• THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE, DWIGHT EISENHOWER RAN
  WITH THE SLOGAN, ITS TIME FOR CHANGE.
• HE PROMISED TO END THE KOREAN WAR.
• EISENHOWER WON IN A LANDSLIDE WITH RUNNINGMATE,
  SENATOR RICHARD NIXON.

18
IKE AS PRESIDENT

• PRESIDENT EISENHOWERS POLITICAL BELIEFS WERE
  SELF-DESCRIBED AS MIDWAY BETWEEN CONSERVATIVE AND
  LIBERAL.
• HE REFERRED TO THE IDEA OF DYNAMIC
  CONSERVATISM, OR THE BALANCING OF ECONOMIC
  CONSERVATISM WITH SOME ACTIVISM.

19
IKE AS PRESIDENT

• ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE, EISENHOWER ENDED
  GOVERNMENT PRICE AND RENT CONTROLS, VETOED A
  SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BILL, AND CUT AID FOR PUBLIC
  HOUSING WHILE ALSO SUPPORTING SOME TAX REDUCTIONS.

20
IKE AS PRESIDENT

• AS AN ACTIVIST, EISENHOWER PUSHED FOR THE FEDERAL
  HIGHWAY ACT, WHICH PROVIDED 25 BILLION FOR A 10
  YEAR PROJECT TO CONSTRUCT 400, 000 MILES OF
  INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS.
• THIS ACT WAS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE MORE EFFICIENT
  TRAVEL ROUTES, DUE TO THE INCREASE IN CAR OWNERS.

21
VIDEO
https//www.youtube.com/watch?v02sIZnoX1gY
22
EXTENDING THE NEW DEAL

• BY THE TIME EISENHOWER RAN FOR A SECOND TERM IN
  1956, ONE IN WHICH HE EASILY WON, AMERICA
  TRANSITIONED FROM A WARTIME TO PEACETIME ECONOMY.
• AMERICANS FOCUSED THEIR ENERGY ON A DECADE OF
  TREMDOUS PROSPERITY.