Life in the 1950s Chapter 23

Peacetime Economics- 23.1 Domestic Policies: Truman & Eisenhower After WWII, Americans feared the US would sink into the Depression again. *The GI Bill (Servicemen’s Readjustment Act) Gave money to veterans to start businesses, buy homes & go to college US government poured $38.5 Billion into higher education for Military veterans. Taft-Hartley Act (1947) Banned closed shop Allowed states to pass right to work laws Prohibited featherbedding Unions can’t use money to support political campaigns Closed shop – businesses hire only union members Featherbedding – reducing output to create more jobs

Truman & Civil Rights 1948- Truman asked Congress: Pass a Civil Rights Bill to do the following: Protect African-American’s right to vote Abolish poll taxes Make lynching a federal crime ** His Civil Rights agenda was blocked by Republicans & Southern Democrats. ** Truman did: Desegregate (integrate) the US military (1948) Bar discrimination in federal government hiring.

Peacetime Politics – Election of 1948 Dixiecrats (a third party) Southern Democrats who split with Democrat Party over Civil Rights. Strom Thurmond-nominee Progressive Party Democrats split because anti-Soviet & poor domestic policy Henry Wallace Republican George Dewey Democrat Harry Truman Blamed the “Do-Nothing Congress” George Dewey didn’t even campaign because he seemed unbeatable – Even the newspapers printed that Dewey had won – when actually Truman won

Presidential Election of 1948

*The Fair Deal Minimum wage raised Increased social security benefits National Housing Act of 1949 Construction of low income housing Wanted but didn’t get: Civil Rights legislation Education federal aid National health insurance He wanted to distinguish the Fair Deal from the New Deal “Every segment of our population and every individual has a right to expect from . . . Government a fair deal.”

The 1952 Election Republicans nominated Dwight D. Eisenhower & Richard Nixon- “I like Ike” “It’s Time for a Change!” Democrats nominated Adlai Stevenson 1952 Election Campaign “Checkers Controversy”- Nixon addressed charges that he had accepted campaign contributions from wealthy donors. Eisenhower & Nixon win in a landslide ** 1956- Eisenhower & Nixon won a second term!!

Dynamic Conservatism Eisenhower’s plan to balance economic conservatism with activism to benefit the country *Federal Highway Act Largest public works project ever $25 Billion to construct 40,000 miles of highway. Cut government spending Limited government involvement ‘Creeping Socialism’ – Eisenhower’s term for aid to businesses Returned some federal functions back to state & local govenrments Helped big business – 8 of his 9 cabinet members were corporate millionares

The Affluent Society “Communism doesn’t work because people like to own stuff.” – Frank Zappa 1950’s a decade of prosperity 1940-1955: family income tripled 1940-1960:Home ownership 41% to 61% Number of white collar jobs outpaced blue collar jobs. “The Affluent Society”: Book written by John Kenneth Galbraith An economy of abundance A. Multinational Corporations Offices & factories in other countries Franchises & Chain stores

What icon urged women to get out during WWII and work? Superwoman Carrie Chapman Catt Alice Paul Rosie the Riveter

Conformity New Consumerism Suburbia – **Levittown, NY *The Baby Boom Desire of people to conform to other people’s desires Suburbia – **Levittown, NY 1st large suburbs; mass produced homes (Bill Levitt) *The Baby Boom 1945 – 1961 – over 65 million babies were born Factors that led to the Baby Boom Young couples delayed marriage until after WWII ended. GI Bill encouraged home purchases Advertising glorified parenthood Corporations didn’t want free thinking, creative individuals or ones who might criticize New Consumerism – keeping up with the Joneses – everyone acquiring the same products Leviitown – people saw this as another sign of America’s tendency towards conformity By 1960 1/3 of women were a part of the workforce

Roles of Women in the 1950’s Still looked upon as “homemaker” Number of women working outside the home increased TV glorified traditional “homemaker role” (Lucy, Father Knows Best”, Leave It to Beaver”)

Inventions Jonas Salk Transistor Developed injectable vaccine for polio Inventions Albert Sabin: Oral Polio Vaccine. Transistor Made small radios & calculators possible ENIAC – Electrical Numerical Integrator & Computer First computer used for the Army UNIVAC – Universal Automatic Computer First computer for businesses First American jet flight from NY to Los Angeles Cases of deadly polio fell from 58,000 in 1952 to 5,700 in 1957 Other medical breakthroughs were made for arthritis, diabetes, cancer & heart disease

Pop Culture Television 1946- 8,000 TV sets in US 1957- 80% owned TV’s * America’s new favorite Pastime. News Advertising Ozzie & Harriet The Lone Ranger Dragnet Gameshows: $64,000 Question Twenty One- cheating scandal (Charles Van Doren) Movies lost popularity Cinemascope, 3-D Became popular for its wide screens Rock N’ Roll Distinctive music of the youth Roots in African American Rhythm & Blues Elvis Presley – King of Rock N’Roll African Americans found acceptance in Rock N’ Roll where they didn’t find it on TV or the movies Chuck Berry Ray Charles Little Richard The Drifters Most youth turned their backs on conformity Alan Freed, a dj, noticed young people buying rhythm & blues records & decided to play it on the radio – young peoplewent crazy for it – White artists then began making music that stemmed from African American rhythyms, creating Rock N’ Roll

The Beat Movement The Beats-group of mostly white POETS Called themselves “the Beats” Criticized conformity Jack Kerouac Allen Ginsburg Generation Gap Created as young people united in music against their parents Juvenile Delinquency: 1948- 1953 juvenile crime increased 45% ; car theft popular crime among middle class whites youths

The Other Americans Written by Michael Harrington Exposed poverty in America Appalachian region – poorest region 1950’s young people left behind elderly & young children Urban Renewal Programs Tried to eliminate poverty by tearing down slums & erecting new buildings US gov’t evicted residents when they started to earn money= encouraged poverty Most poor were single mothers, elderly, minority immigrants, rural Americans & inner city residents Created gentrification Appalachia – 1.5 million people abandoned the area to look for a better life in cities leaving behind elderly and less mobile people. High rates of nutritional deficiency and infant mortality characterized the area. Schooling was considered worse than the inner city schools

Race in the 1950s African Americans Whites fled cities “white flight” Blacks left in deteriorating inner cities as suburbs grew NAACP – fought unsuccessfully for greater economic opportunity Hispanics Brought over by Bracero program faced harsh working conditions

Native Americans Policy 1950’s The Termination Policy Federal government withdrew all official recognition of Native American groups Helped Native Americans move off reservations– land developers gained the land & got rich. Attempted to assimilate them into society as white citizens– Failed Helped deepen Native American poverty-- Termination policy meant no recognition of their culture