Postwar America

Warm-up 2.1 Americans just lived through the two greatest crises of the 20th century. (Great Depression and WWII) How do you think living through these two crises impacted Americans? What type of plans do you think Americans made when the war was over? What type of government do you think they wanted?

I.Readjustment and Recovery Suburbs were developed in response to the housing crisis caused by returning soldiers Despite a short recession following the war, the economy made a remarkable recovery GI Bill- paid for veterans to go to college

II. Truman and Civil Rights A. Congress refused to pass many of his civil rights laws B. He was able to issue an executive order desegregating the troops and ending discrimination in the hiring of government employees.

III. 1948 Election To protest Truman’s emphasis on civil rights, southern Democrats known as Dixiecrats formed their own party and challenged Truman Truman won reelection by denouncing the “do-nothing congress” Truman proposed an ambitions economic program known as the Fair Deal

IV. Jackie Robinson A. In 1947 Jackie Robinson became the first major league baseball player to break the color barrier. http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/jackie-robinson