Baltimore Polytechnic Institute April 27, 2011 U.S. History Mr. Green

The students will identify economic and social problems Americans faced after WWII by summarizing the postwar American period Announcement: Chapter 18/19 Test May 13 Drill: Read “Now and Then” on page 637 and answer the following: 1. What is the main idea of this feature? 2. What examples are given to support the main idea?

Impact of the GI Bill Encourage veterans to get an education Paid part of their tuition 1 year of unemployment Low-interest, federally guaranteed loans Housing Crisis William Levitt/Henry Kaiser –mass produce homes Suburbs created with identical looking homes Laws created such as mowing, laundry, fences

Redefining the Family Women reluctant to give up independence 6 million women worked during WWII By 1950, a million war marriages ended in divorce Economic Readjustment U.S. moved from a wartime economy to a peacetime economy Prices increased when the O.P.A. ended price controls Price controls reestablished to control inflation Remarkable Recovery Living on a budget, people finally spent money Cold War increased defense spending Marshall Plan-created foreign markets

Truman’s Inheritance The buck stops here Truman Faces Strikes 4.5 million workers struck in 1946 steel, coal miners, railroad unions Truman seized the mines, wanted the RR Truman threatened to draft the strikers and the union gave in “Had Enough” Republicans won House/Senate in 1946 Republicans passed Taft-Hartley in 1947 over Truman’s veto

Truman supports Civil Rights Federal anti-lynching law Abolition of poll tax Body to prevent racial discrimination in hiring Congress did not act on these recommendations July 1948 Truman integrated the armed forces by executive order and ended discrimination in government hiring

Southern Democrats did not support Truman’s view on civil rights formed Dixiecrats and nominated Strom Thurmond of SC Truman was the underdog and won by going to the people Fair Deal National health care-did not pass Crop subsidy program Increased minimum wage/extended SS coverage Built housing units for low-income families

Complete the Guided Reading sheet and submit prior to the end of class.

Summarize the events of the postwar period that contributed to social unrest in the United States.

1. Read Chapter 19 Section 2