The Eisenhower Era 1952-1960 Post WWII saw an increase in home construction These new homes were built in groups known as tract homes. One of the first developers was a man named Bill Levitt Affordable housing for returning GI’s

Eisenhower Most popular man of his time 1952 election issues Korean War Problems w/MacArthur

Election Adlai E. Stevenson – democrat Richard Nixon Eisenhower’s VP

Richard Nixon & Controversy Nixon accused of misuse of government funds Responds on T.V. speech “Checkers” Saved his career and he became VP

End of Campaign Eisenhower promised to go to Korea to end the War, he was not successful 7 months after armistice signed Ike hinted during negotiations about a possible nuclear attack on China China tired of war and expense

Racism Desegregating American Society 1950, 50 million black citizens of which two-thirds still lived in the South Jim Crow Laws strong Separate facilities such as bathrooms and schools Only twenty percent of eligible blacks were registered voters. Fewer than 5% voted in Mississippi and Alabama

Racism continued 1954 Emmett Till of Chicago was murdered by white mob Changes, Jackie Robinson becomes the first African American baseball player, Brooklyn Dodgers Rise of Civil rights, Wendell Willkie wrote “One World” in 1943 and Gunnar Myrdal wrote “An American Dilemma” which highlighted the contradiction in the U.S prejudice v equality

Civil Rights WWII left the lasting feeling of wanting to be free Black community not willing to suffer in silence. Ready for the Civil Rights Movement Legal Rights – NAACP trying to get rid of rulings like Plessy v Ferguson

Civil Rights Sweatt v Painter found that separate professional schools for blacks failed to meet the test of equality Dec. 1955 Rosa Parks caused the Montgomery Bus Boycott 27 year old Martin Luther King, Jr. becomes a civil rights leader in Montgomery Bus strike would last over a year, result buses ordered to desegregate