President Dwight D. Eisenhower 1953-1961 http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1952

Domestic Issues Balancing the budget was top domestic priority Economy prospers due to: Expand Social Security Raise minimum wage Huge amounts of capital Eager to spend on consumer goods Americans had the highest standard of living Interstate Highway System 42,000 miles of highway Suburbanization T.V. became the leader of entertainment Civil Rights era

Eisenhower Foreign Policy Most of Eisenhower’s foreign policy decisions were made by secretary of state John Foster Dulles Massive Retaliation (M.A.D.) was Eisenhower’s Foreign Policy Plan Containment was too passive The U.S. would use everything in its nuclear arsenal to halt any aggressive acts that they felt threatened the security of the U.S. Dulles said the U.S. would push the Soviets to the brink of war—”Brinkmanship” His theory was that it would save money

Foreign Policy in Asia Domino Theory If one Southeast Asian country falls to communism then they all will SEATO Southeast Asian Treaty Organization Pakistan, Thailand, Philippines, Australia and New Zealand would be aided by the U.S. and Great Britain in stopping the spread of communism

OPEC 1960-Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran and Venezuela create the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

USSR-US cont. 1957—SPUTNIK, creates the national defense and education act which gave millions to schools for science programs 1958-NASA launched by Congress 1960-U2 spy plane shot down by the Soviets

Cuba Fidel Castro overthrows Fulgencio Batista (’59) Castro nationalized American owned businesses Plan for the Bay of Pigs starts under Eisenhower

“Military Industrial Complex”

Blacks during Ike’s Presidency Blacks segregated in schools and Prohibited from voting Brown vs. Board (’54) ruled that separate facilities are inherently unequal and that schools should integrate with deliberate speed ’56 Orval Faubus used the Arkansas National guard to prohibit blacks from entering Ike sends in National Guard to integrate (Little Rock 9) Montgomery Bus Boycott Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat in 1955 Her arrest sparks a year long bus boycott which in turn results in the S.C. ruling that segregation laws are unconstitutional. Civil Rights Laws ’57 and ’60 provided for a permanent Civil Rights Commission and the Justice power rights to protect blacks

Governor Orval Faubus announcing he will not let him the “Little Rock 9” enter Central High

Nonviolence Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)—MLK Jr. organizes ministers and churches to help with civil rights legislation a. Sit ins—Woolworths lunch counters Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee continues the sit-ins